Espresso Baked Beans
- 20m Prep Time
- 4h Cook Time
- 4h Ready In
These baked beans are slow-cooked with bacon, coffee, and espresso for a rich, sweet, and savory flavor. Perfect as a side for summer barbecues or winter meals.
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried great northern beans
- 8 bacon cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 1 large carrot chopped
- 2 jalapeños seeded and chopped
- 2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup brewed coffee
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 tbsp unsulphured molasses
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tsp instant espresso or coffee powder
- salt
- black pepper
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 10 of 14 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 119 mg
- Iron: 3.54 mg
- Magnesium: 117 mg
- Phosphorus: 306 mg
- Potassium: 979 mg
- Zinc: 1.74 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 1 lb dried great northern beans
- 2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup brewed coffee
- 2 tbsp unsulphured molasses
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tsp instant espresso or coffee powder
- salt
- black pepper
Prepare
- 8 bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
- Chop 1 large yellow onion
- Chop 1 large carrot
- 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Place the dried great northern beans in a large bowl and add enough water to cover them by about 2 inches. Let soak for 8 to 10 hours or overnight at room temperature.
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Step 2.
Preheat the oven to 250°F and position a rack in the bottom third of the oven.
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Step 3.
In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed ovenproof pot, cook the bacon pieces over medium-high heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is just starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pot.
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Step 4.
Return the pot to medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and jalapeños and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Return the cooked bacon to the pot, then stir in the vegetable broth, brewed coffee, brown sugar, molasses, tomato paste, cider vinegar, and instant espresso powder until well combined.
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Step 5.
Drain the soaked beans, reserving the soaking liquid. Add enough water to the reserved soaking liquid to make 1 cup total, then pour it into the pot. Add the drained beans and stir everything together.
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Step 6.
Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer. Once simmering, cover the pot, transfer it to the preheated oven, and bake for 3 hours.
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Step 7.
After 3 hours, remove the pot from the oven and stir the beans well. If the beans look too dry, add additional vegetable broth ¼ cup at a time. Return the pot to the oven, uncovered, and continue baking for another 1 to 3 hours, checking periodically and adding more broth as needed, until the beans are tender and the liquid has thickened to a syrupy consistency. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.