Instant Pot Baked Beans (Vegan & No Added Sugar)

Medically reviewed by Abbey Sharp, Registered Dietitian (RD), BASc.

These Vegan Instant Pot Baked Beans with No Added Sugar are a tasty and healthy side dish for any BBQ, potluck, or grill out!

You all know I’m not a vegan, but I try to eat more plant-based foods more often. Well, one special meal I definitely don’t have often, but would probably not be able to swear off for good is BBQ. I love pulled pork, brisket, ribs, chicken – basically anything that’s been smoked. Well, if I’m going to treat myself to a meat-heavy meal, I definitely want to make sure I balance that out with some plant-based sides. That was the inspiration for these Vegan Instant Pot Baked Beans!

Why This Recipe Works

Nothing gets me more hyped than a pot of this baked beans recipe cooking up in the instant pot. Whether I am prepping for a family bbq, or meal prepping for the week, I know that they will be a definite highlight! Here are a few more reasons why I am lovin’ up on this recipe this week.

• Inexpensive to prepare
• Have no added sugar
• Packed with fiber, iron, and protein!
• Impossible to mess up (aka extremely easy to make)

Key Ingredients

Beans – Beans are by far my favourite plant-based protein because they are packed with fiber and plant-based protein. For this recipe we are using two varieties – navy beans and kidney beans. But you can totally mix and match and/or add in you fav.

Sweet Apples – To add a hit of essential sweetness without any added sugar, we are using apples to sweeten up this instant pot baked beans recipe. It also adds an extra hit fiber and nutrients, which we love.

Dates – Another nod to natural sweetness comes curtesy of dates, which is arguably my favourite way to naturally sweeten ANY recipe.

Spices – I like my baked beans to be a complete flavour bomb. So we are not holding back on the spices and flavour add ins. For this instant pot baked beans recipe we are flavouring things up with smoked paprika, garlic powder, vegan worcestershire sauce, chili powder, mustard, and tomato paste.

How To Make This Recipe

Step 1: Place all of the rinsed beans and water in the Instant Pot. Close the pot to SEALING, and set it to BEANS for 25 minutes.

Step 2: Vent, then drain the beans. Then return the insert into the Instant pot and add the olive oil to SAUTEE.

Step 3: Add in the onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients OMITTING the salt. Put the lid back on to SEALING, then set it to BEANS for 15 minutes.

Step 4: Vent, and allow to cool, then season with salt, pepper, and extra chili powder, to taste. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

It’s important to rinse the beans before cooking! Not only does rinsing help improve flavor, but it also helps remove excess starch and salt. We also want to make sure to pick sweet apples for this recipe. Some great examples of apples you could use include fuji, ambrosia, or gala apples.

Recipe FAQs

More Recipes You Might Like

If you’re looking for more delicious vegan side dishes like these instant pot baked beans, check out some of these recipes!

• VEGAN CORN SPOONBREAD
• OVEN ROASTED BALSAMIC BRUSSEL SPROUTS WITH GRAPES & FIGS
• EVERYTHING BAGEL GREEN BEAN FRIES (VEGAN)
• ZA’ATAR HONEY ROASTED CARROTS WITH CREAMY HUMMUS SAUCE

What’s your favourite BBQ side dish? Have you tried making my Vegan Instant Pot Baked Beans with No Added Sugar?

Instant Pot Baked Beans (Vegan & No Added Sugar)

These Vegan Instant Pot Baked Beans with No Added Sugar are a tasty and healthy side dish for any BBQ, potluck or grill out!

4.89 from 18 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 12 – 16 people

Calories: 201kcal

Author: Abbey Sharp

Equipment

• ▢
  Instant Pot

Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 lb dried navy beans rinsed
• ▢ 1/2 lb dried kidney beans rinsed
• ▢ 6 cups water
• ▢ 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 medium sweet onion diced
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 sweet apples peeled and diced
• ▢ 2 tsp smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1 tsp vegan worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp chili powder or more to taste
• ▢ 1/2 tsp pepper or more to taste
• ▢ 5.5 oz can of tomato paste
• ▢ 2 tbsp yellow mustard or whole grain or dijon
• ▢ 1 cup minced pitted dates
• ▢ 5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 2 cups no salt added vegetable broth
• ▢ Salt to taste

Instructions

• Place all of the rinsed beans and water in the Instant Pot. Close the pot to SEALING, and set it to BEANS for 25 minutes.
• Vent, then drain the beans.
• Return the insert into the Instant pot and add the olive oil on SAUTEE.
• Add in the onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients OMITTING the salt. Put the lid back on to SEALING, then set it to BEANS for 15 minutes.
• Vent, and allow to cool, then season with salt, pepper and extra chili powder, to taste. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 311mg | Potassium: 755mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 545IU | Vitamin C: 5.2mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 3.1mg

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Abbey Sharp

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.