Apple Pie Baked Beans: Everyone loves baked beans – but have you upped the ante with apples? No special equipment is needed to knock these beans out of the park, and the flavor has a southern vibe that’s delicious alone or as a side dish recipe with your favorite BBQ main dish recipe.
These are a great side dish for your summer barbecues, or they can even be transformed into a full lunch depending on what you add, like when we add ground beef to baked beans. I love to serve them up because everyone can take as little or as much as they like.
Complete your spread by serving these up with some brats cooked in the air fryer and a side of red potato salad. Don’t forget this honey lime fruit salad! And if you want a true BBQ party, don’t sleep on cherry cola pulled pork.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Pantry ingredients: Once you try these, you’ll always keep beans and apples on hand!
- Make-ahead recipe: These only taste better as the ingredients mingle and the flavor develops, so go ahead and make them in advance.
- Hands off: Saute a couple of ingredients then even toss them in the slow cooker for the ultimate convenience.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s what you’ll need to make these apple pie baked beans!
- Beans – Select your favorite canned baked beans. Be it maple, bourbon, even vegetarian. Whichever type you already enjoy plain will love to be doctored up.
- BBQ Sauce – Again, choose your favorite. Because we are adding a few types of sugar, I try and pick a less sweet option to balance things out.
- Bacon – Don’t overcook this. You want it to crumble but not disappear. You could also substitute with a ground meat of choice OR add ground beef, pork, etc. to turn this into a full meal.
- Pie filling – Pick up a can at the store or use home-canned if you have your own family recipe. I think a homemade pie filling just adds to the down-home good feelings of this dish.
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*
How to Make Baked Beans With Apple Pie Filling
Sauté some ingredients to release their flavors, and then you are just stirring and simmering!
STEP 1. Sauté onions. No one wants to bite into raw onions, so go ahead and saute them up until soft.
STEP 2. Combine. Add remaining ingredients (except bacon) and stir well to combine.
Tip: Dice the onion small. It adds a ton of flavor, but no one really likes a giant bite in their bowl. This will also make them cook faster so you get to simmering!
STEP 3. Simmer. Add the bacon last so it doesn’t fall completely apart, then simmer until thickened and heated through.
Recipe Pro Tips
- Try a crock pot. Sauté the onions in a skillet, then combine everything in a slow cooker and heat on low for 2 hours. This is also a great way to keep them warm at a gathering.
- Layers of flavor. Select beans, bbq sauce, and pie filling that all play nicely together. They each bring their unique flavors!
Recipe FAQs
Definitely! Add ground beef, sausage, or pork to the skillet with the onions and cook through. Drain any grease before proceeding with the recipe. This adds even more protein and will help stretch the pot to feed more mouths.
These will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container. You can also freeze for up to 3 months.
What to Serve with Apple Baked Beans
These are the perfect summer party side dish. To find another side dish recipe that goes with apple pie baked beans, this KFC coleslaw recipe is amazing alongside a sweet and hearty side dish.
I also recommend a marshmallow fruit dip with fresh fruit. For dessert, try your hand at some mini trifles, and wash everything down with freshly made fruit punch.
Make Ahead and Freeze
Sauté the onions in butter and then combine them with the remaining ingredients in a large freezer bag. You can freeze them for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy, allow the contents of the bag to thaw before transferring them to a baking dish and baking at 325°F for 45 minutes.
More Bean Recipes You’ll Love
Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!
Recipe
Apple Pie Baked Beans
Ingredients
- ½ small sweet onion diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 21 ounces canned apple pie filling
- 28 ounces original baked beans
- ¾ cup BBQ sauce
- 8 strips bacon cooked to crispy and loosely crumbled
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In a heavy-bottomed skillet or cast iron skillet (cast iron is ideal), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent.
- Add the apple pie filling, baked beans, BBQ sauce, maple syrup, cinnamon, and brown sugar to the skillet and stir until well combined. Next, add the bacon and stir once more. Adding the bacon after the other ingredients ensures that the bacon doesn’t crumble too much.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until completely warm throughout and bubbly on the edges.
Notes
- Feel free to make your own apple pie filling to use here!
- You can also use homemade baked beans if you are feeling ambitious.
- Want a little extra something? Try adding ½ cup bourbon when sautéing the onions.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Riley Dawson says
Add 1/3 cup of Apple flavored bourbon to the mixture and smoke over apple wood for 3 hours at 325 degrees. Absolutely delicious!
Jessica says
Oh my goodness that all sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing!