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1600s-present - Northeastern Indigenous cooks and New England colonists
A New England-style baked bean pot made with navy beans, molasses, brown sugar, mustard, onion, and salt pork or bacon.
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Difficulty
Medium
Prep time
20 minutes plus soaking
Cook time
4 hours
Total time
4 hours 20 minutes plus soaking
Servings
8
Region
New England and American cookouts
Era introduced
1600s-present
Introduced by
Northeastern Indigenous cooks and New England colonists
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American baked beans have deep roots in Northeastern Indigenous bean cookery, where beans could be sweetened with maple and cooked slowly. New England colonists adapted the dish with molasses from the Atlantic sugar trade and salt pork, turning it into the famous Boston-style bean pot. By the backyard-grill era, baked beans were both a canned convenience and a slow homemade side for ribs, hot dogs, and church suppers.
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