These stovetop maple barbecue baked beans are about to be your new favorite, hand to God! Tender navy beans simmered in a smoky, maple-sweet barbecue sauce, with bites of juicy smoked sausage tucked into every spoonful. You get all the depth and comfort of old-school baked beans without turning on the oven!

maple barbecue baked beans in a bowl with a spoon

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Want to cut down on time? Substitute dry beans for canned navy beans and you’ll have the perfect side ready in under 30 minutes! Don’t want to keep your oven on? Opt for a crockpot with identical results! Whether you serve up these barbecue baked beans as a main dish with cornbread or pile them on the plate as a side dish at your next cookout, they’re the perfect addition to any summer table!

Want more summer sides? Check out this Mexican street corn potato salad or this classic macaroni and cheese. If you’re bringing desserts to the cookout don’t miss out on this banana pudding cheesecake or this lemon blueberry banana pudding!

Key Ingredients

ingredients for maple barbecue baked beans - navy beans, kielbasa, celery, yellow onion, garlic, maple sugar, Dijon mustard, molasses, apple cider vinegar, tomato sauce, cloves, black pepper and salt

Navy beans. The classic choice for baked beans. Dried navy beans generally take longer to cook compared to other beans like red kidney beans, so you can opt for canned beans to cut down on the total cooking time.
Great Northern beans & cannellini beans are good substitutes if you can’t get your hands on navy beans.

Maple sugar. The source of maple flavor in these baked beans. If you only have maple syrup on hand you can use a cup of pure maple syrup as a substitute. Brown sugar can also be subbed in if you have neither. Do not use pancake syrup as a substitute for maple syrup.

Kielbasa. A smoky seasoned sausage that contributes a ton of flavor to the baked beans. You can substitute the kielbasa for your favorite sausage.

Homemade barbecue sauce. Tomato sauce & molasses as the base, apple cider vinegar & Dijon mustard instead of yellow mustard for a subtle tangy kick. Liquid smoke packs in more flavor.

Veggies, herbs & aromatics. Fresh garlic, celery, yellow onions & cloves

Tips for the Best Stovetop Baked Beans

To save on time opt for canned navy beans. Dried navy beans are the economical choice but they do take longer to cook, especially compared to other beans like red beans. With canned beans since they are already precooked the baked beans are ready in under 30 minutes!
Use a heavy pot. I opt for a dutch oven like this one. The cast iron retains heat well making it perfect for stews like this especially if you opt to start from dry beans which, as mentioned before, have a longer cooking time.
If you like, you can make this bean recipe in a crockpot! If your crockpot doesn’t have a sear option simply sauté the sausage and the veggies quickly on the stove then you can transfer to your crockpot along with the rest of the ingredients!

Frequently Asked Questions

What beans are used in baked beans? Navy beans are generally used for baked beans however other white beans like great Northern beans, cannellini beans , pinto beans and even chickpeas will also work!

Do baked beans have to be baked? Not necessarily. It is true that baked beans cooked in a casserole dish in the oven tend to have less blowouts and cook more evenly however the same can be recreated with a heavy dutch oven. Heavy cast iron dutch ovens retain heat extremely well allowing the beans to cook evenly. In addition, keeping the heat the low ensures that the liquid doesn’t boil off too quickly and prevents the inside from being too hot which is what causes the beans to blowout.

What can I use instead of kielbasa? Any sausage or seasoned meat of your choice (including ground beef or pork) will work for this barbecue baked beans recipe. Kielbasa is known for being seasoned with garlic but if you want a little heat you can use andouille sausage. In addition to pork, beef & turkey you can also use your favorite vegan sausage!

What can I use as a substitute for the maple sugar? You can substitute the cup of maple sugar called for in this recipe with an equal amount of maple syrup. Be sure to use real maple syrup and not pancake syrup. You can also use brown sugar if you have neither.

How to Make Maple Barbecue Baked Beans

Step 1. Add the navy beans to a bowl and cover completely with water. Allow the beans to soak overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours. Add enough water to allow for the beans to at least double in size.
To cut down on time you can use canned navy beans and skip this step!

Step 2. Bring a dutch oven up to medium-high heat and add the oil. Be sure to use an oil with a high smoke point like canola or grapeseed oil to avoid an acrid taste. If using olive oil, be sure to double check the label since the smoke point can vary.

Step 3. Add the diced the kielbasa (or your choice of meat), the celery & onions to the dutch oven and sauté until the kielbasa is lightly browned. Do NOT add the garlic at this stage; it cooks more quickly than the sausage and will burn before the kielbasa browns.

dutch oven with sautéed kielbasa, celery and yellow onions

Step 4. Once the kielbasa has browned turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Add the maple sugar, molasses, tomato sauce, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, garlic, ground cloves, liquid smoke, salt & ground black pepper to the dutch oven. Stir to combine.

kielbasa with vegetables and barbecue sauce in a dutch oven

Step 5. Add the navy beans to the dutch oven along with the soaking liquid. If using canned beans add them along with the liquid. Add water as needed to ensure all the beans are completely covered.

maple barbecue baked beans in a dutch oven

Step 6. Cover the dutch oven and allow the beans to cook for 4 hours or until tender. If you are using canned beans they only need to cook for 20 minutes!
Check on the beans every 60-90 minutes to ensure they don’t dry out adding water as needed.

Serve hot!