This Vegan Beans on Toast is an easy take on the classic British recipe. Turn a pantry staple, like canned beans, into an entire meal!
With a name like Sharp, you can probably guess that I do have a lot of British ancestry and as a result, I was raised in a very meat and potatoes kinda household with lots of simple, comforting meals. One of my favourite meals of all time was canned beans on toast. That’s why I thought of making my own vegan beans on toast using simple pantry staple ingredients and a healthier bread. I love baked beans in general (I have an amazing instant pot baked beans here with no added sugar), but this one on toast is even easier and truly divine as well.
Why This Recipe Works
It could not be easier to make, and is super cheap and cheerful, but admittedly, the canned beans of my childhood were not the healthiest thing in the pantry. If you make it the classic way like my mom did, you would literally just open up a can of sweetened baked beans (Heinz is classic), warm them up and dump them on a piece of toasted white bread. That’s it.
Not a bad meal by any means as you would get some protein in the beans and your carbs in the toast, but the canned baked beans are high in sugar. One half cup would have about 10 or more grams of added sugar, and it would largely be from corn syrup. Again, no biggie in a pinch, but considering how easy (and inexpensive) it is to make your own, I say this vegan version is totally worth it. This version of beans on toast is much healthier has it’s made from scratch but doesn’t cost much more.
So not only is this a healthier version as we decrease the amount of added sugar, we also add in some extra greens in the form of kale to get some extra veggies into the meal.
Table of contents
Key Ingredients
Aromatics – I use onion and garlic as the base to almost anything, and these baked beans are no exception.
Spices – To get the complexity of the canned version, I use smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder.
Sauces – Tomato paste, yellow mustard, soy sauce or tamari, maple syrup, and apple cider get friendly in the pan.
Beans – I use either navy beans, or back eyed peas, but honestly, this would work with any kind of canned beans you have in your pantry.
Greens – To add some veg into the mixture, I like to just throw in some fresh or frozen spinach or kale.
Good bread – My favourite bread is always sourdough, but you could also do a crusty whole grain as well.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes until fragrant and softened.
Step 2: Add the spices, tomato paste, and mustard, and toss until the onions are coated in the spices and pastes.
Step 3: Add in the soy, maple, apple cider vinegar, beans, and spinach or kale and give everything a toss to combine. Cook until the greens are wilted, and the sauce has thickened and coated all of the beans, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 4: To serve, pile the beans on top of the crusty toasted bread. If desired, top with parsley and cherry tomatoes.
Expert Tips
Make sure you drain and rinse your canned beans before adding them to your nonstick skillet to avoid your beans being soggy.
If you want to use dried beans instead of canned beans, 1/2 cup of dried beans comes out to 15oz canned beans. So just use 1 cup of dried beans and then a little bit extra to substitute.
Once topped, these beans on toasts are best enjoyed right away. If you want to make this ahead of time, store the beans separately in the fridge in an airtight container.
Recipe FAQs
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about this beans on toast recipe.
I would estimate the beans will be good in the fridge for about 4 days, so feel free to make a big batch and enjoy them on toast, on their own or on top of greens.
Yes, my son loved this and you can easily pull back on the spices if they are sensitive to heat. But because the beans are sweet, it does go over well. If you want a baked bean recipe without any added sugar, try my instant pot version here.
Often, I like to add an egg on top! It’s a nice way to make the beans more savoury, as well. Another thing I like to do if I need a little more in my meal is add a layer of avocado before loading up on the beans.
Who cares?! It’s delicious! LOL! But seriously, I really do serve this for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner as it’s hearty and very versatile.
Yes, just make sure you use a gluten free tamari and gluten free bread.
Beans on toast is a hearty meal by itself, but you could also serve it with a nice salad or soup. Here are some suggestions.
Lentil and Butternut Squash Soup
Frozen Veggie and Bean Soup
Broccoli White Bean Soup
More Recipes You May Like
Here are some more pantry staple recipes we are loving right now!! Check out some of my favourites!
- VEGAN ENCHILADA BOWL WITH RICE AND BEANS
- VEGAN OATMEAL PUDDING
- VEGAN BEAN & FROZEN VEGETABLE SOUP
- GREEK MEATLOAF MUFFINS
- EASY VEGAN PASTA BAKE WITH SAUSAGE, WHITE BEANS AND KALE
What are some of your go-to easy pantry staple recipes? Leave me a comment below!
Vegan Beans on Toast
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 ½ tsp soy sauce or tamari
- 5 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 19 oz cans low salt added navy beans or black eyed peas drained and rinsed
- 2 cups fresh or frozen spinach or kale finely chopped
To serve (optional):
- 6-8 slices of your favourite sourdough bread toasted
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped (optional for serving)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved (optional for serving)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes until fragrant and softened.
- Add the spices, tomato paste, and mustard, and toss until the onions are coated in the spices and pastes.
- Add in the soy, maple, apple cider vinegar, beans, and spinach or kale and give everything a toss to combine. Cook until the greens are wilted, and the sauce has thickened and coated all of the beans, about 5-7 minutes.
- To serve, pile the beans on top of the crusty toasted bread. If desired, top with parsley and cherry tomatoes. Enjoy with a fork and knife.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Updated on November 30th, 2020
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Bethany B says
Yum! 🙂 I made this for breakfast and it was delicious and filling but felt fresh at the same time. I’m excited to eat the leftovers throughout the week! Thanks for the great recipe.
Anna says
So so tasty! Great for breakfast. I added chilli powder for an extra kick.
Abbey Sharp says
Love that idea! Thanks Anna 🙂
Natalie Galea says
This was amazing and so tasty. We will definitely be making this again. The kiddos were stealing more off my plate!
Abbey Sharp says
Hi Natalie. Thats great! So glad the family enjoyed. Thank you so much for the positive rating 🙂
Kiera says
Super easy and super tasty. I spread hummus on the sourdough before loading on the beans and it was ??
Abbey Sharp says
Yum! I love the hummus idea. Thanks for the positive review Kiera 🙂
Hannah McCulloch says
Made this tonight and it was a flavour explosion – even my fussy husband who doesn’t like baked beans liked this version! ?
Abbey Sharp says
Amazing! Its a flavour bomb indeed. So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Natalie Galea says
This was amazing and so tasty. We will definitely be making this again. The kiddos were stealing more off my plate!