Bring a batch of Apple Pie Baked Beans to your next potluck, BBQ, or gathering and enjoy watching everyone go from curious to begging for more. These beans are the perfect blend of sweet, savory, soft, and crispy in every bite.
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It can be hard to think of food items to prepare and take to parties, you want it to be enough to share, low-cost, and delicious. Not only that, but you want to guarantee that there aren't 4 identical dishes sitting next to it on the table.
Thankfully, these apple pie filling baked beans are unique, delicious, and can be made for under $20. We make these apple pie baked beans with sausage and bacon, so they're packed with protein and meat as well as fruit and veggies. They're truly satisfying.
Pair your easy apple pie baked beans with some Burgers, Baked BBQ Pork Spare Ribs, Dill Pickle Potato Salad, Red Potato Salad, Macaroni Pasta Salad, or Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, and you'll have a cookout no one will soon forget.
Jump to:
- 💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- 🛒 Ingredients
- 🔀 Substitutions & Variations
- 💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
- 🥄 Instructions for Apple Pie Baked Beans
- 👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- ♨️Slow Cooker and Smoker Instructions
- ❄️ Storage, Reheating & Make Ahead
- 🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
- ❓ Recipe FAQs
- 🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's easy to make. You can prepare these beans in your oven, slow cooker, and/or smoker, so prepare them however you want and enjoy a fabulous side dish as a result.
- It makes a TON of food. This is one of our more expensive blog recipes, but we forgive it for the almost $20 price tag because it makes 16 or more servings. That's about 1 cup per person, so if served with other dishes, you could probably stretch it even further!
- Not very many dirty dishes after. You'll need one skillet to cook the meat and sauté the veggies (use that same pan), and then you'll need measuring cups, a cutting board, and a knife. Plus a pan to cook it in.
🛒 Ingredients
- Canned Beans- Any brand of canned beans will work, but you want to try and stick with "original" taste ones, meaning they aren't already flavored. This will allow your flavors to shine through.
- Bacon- I recommend using low-sodium, thick-cut bacon, but honestly, any bacon would work, including a package of precooked and crumbled bacon (save yourself some effort and cleanup).
- Pork Sausage- Using pork sausage/breakfast sausage will help to give you a much thicker consistency in the beans while giving you a better meat-to-beans ratio.
- Apple Pie Filling- If you're using a pie filling already filled with the apple pie spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, feel free to omit the addition of spices in this recipe. You can use filling like our Instant Pot Apple Pie Filling, or use store-bought.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Apple Pie Filling: For a more natural sweetness, consider using homemade apple pie filling or a store-bought version with no high-fructose corn syrup.
Spice Level: Adjust the number of jalapeños or substitute with milder peppers like green bell peppers for less heat.
Meat Variations: Swap ground pork sausage with shredded pork, smoked sausage, or omit for a vegetarian version (make sure that the baked beans are vegetarian-friendly).
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use Store-Brand Cans - Store-brand beans, pie filling, and sauces taste just as good for a fraction of the price.
Buy Meat on Sale - Stock up on bacon and sausage when they're on sale or clearance, and freeze until ready to use.
Stretch with Extra Beans - Add an extra can of beans to bulk up the recipe for less cost per serving (still plenty of flavor from the sausage and bacon).
Freeze Leftovers - Since this makes a big batch, portion into small containers for quick, frugal side dishes later.
🥄 Instructions for Apple Pie Baked Beans
Step 1: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove and set aside, leaving about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet. (Image 1).
Step 2: In the same skillet, cook the ground pork sausage until browned. Remove and set aside. (Image 2).
Step 3: Sauté the diced onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeños in the remaining fat until softened, about 5 minutes. (Image 3).
Step 4: If needed, chop your apple pie filling into small pieces so the apples aren't whole slices. (Image 4).
Step 5: In a large mixing bowl, combine the baked beans, apple pie filling, cooked bacon, cooked sausage, sautéed vegetables, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, BBQ rub, cinnamon, and nutmeg. (Image 5).
Step 6: Stir until well mixed. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. (Image 6).
Step 7: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Pour your baked beans mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish. (Image 7).
Step 8: Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 1 hour. If desired, add 2 minutes under high broil at the end for a slightly caramelized top. (Image 8).
Serve and Enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Handle With Care. Be sure to handle the skillet and baking dish carefully, they'll be very hot after cooking.
- Browning the Meat. When browning the sausage and bacon, cook until just nicely caramelized to boost flavor without drying out the meat.
- Mixing Tips. When mixing the ingredients, fold gently to avoid breaking up the beans, keeping them tender but intact.
- Spice Adjustments. If you're using store-bought apple pie filling with spices, you can skip adding extra cinnamon and nutmeg to avoid overpowering the dish.
- Recipe Size. This recipe makes a large batch, so don't be surprised if it seems like a lot; it's perfect for feeding a crowd or saving leftovers!
- Rest Before Serving. Finally, let the beans rest a bit after cooking to let the flavors fully meld before serving.
♨️Slow Cooker and Smoker Instructions
- Slow Cooker: Cook your meats and veggies as directed, and then add to the slow cooker with everything else. Stir well to combine. Set on low heat and cook for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Smoker: Preheat to 250-275°F. Precook the meats and veggies as directed, and then mix everything together. Place the mixture in a cast-iron skillet or aluminum pan and smoke for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the top is caramelized and the flavors are well blended.
❄️ Storage, Reheating & Make Ahead
Storage - Store cooled beans in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. For longer storage, freeze in freezer-safe containers or zip-top bags (lay flat to save space) for up to 3 months.
📦 Pro Tip: Portion into smaller containers before freezing for easy single-serve sides.
Reheating -
- Oven: 300°F, covered with foil, 20-30 minutes until heated through.
- Microwave: 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway.
- Stovetop: Medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water or broth if too thick.
💡 Tip: Gentle reheating prevents sugars in the apple pie filling from scorching.
Make Ahead - Cook a day in advance and store in the fridge. Flavors deepen overnight, making them even better the next day
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
These Apple Pie Baked Beans are fabulous for serving at anything from a Sunday dinner to Easter feasts and a 4th of July BBQ.
Serve them up with some dessert salads like Orange Creamsicle Fluff or Strawberry Cottage Cheese Salad, or keep it simple with some Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs and Creamy Lemonade.
For a summery feel, make our Mixed Berry Pie Filling and serve it with some delicious vanilla ice cream!
- Orange Creamsicle FluffRecipe $4.39 / Serving $0.44
- Strawberry Cottage Cheese SaladRecipe $7.61 / Serving $0.63
- Creamy LemonadeRecipe $2.74 / Serving $0.27
- Mixed Berry Pie FillingRecipe $7.91 / Serving $0.99
❓ Recipe FAQs
To keep baked beans from getting mushy, start with canned beans that are labeled "original" or unseasoned and avoid over-stirring during cooking. Since these beans are already fully cooked, they just need to be heated through, not simmered for hours. Gently folding the ingredients together and cooking at a lower temperature helps preserve their texture. Also, avoid cooking them for too long after adding acidic ingredients like mustard or barbecue sauce, which can break them down over time.
You can safely keep baked beans in the fridge for about 4 to 5 days when stored in an airtight container. Make sure to cool them to room temperature before refrigerating, and always reheat thoroughly before serving. If you don't think you'll eat them within that time, freezing is a great option to extend their shelf life!
You can make baked beans up to 2 days in advance and store them in the fridge. In fact, letting them sit overnight often improves the flavor as the spices and sweetness have time to meld together. Just reheat gently before serving. If you want to prep even earlier, you can freeze them for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge the day before your event.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Oven Roasted AsparagusRecipe $4.13 / Serving $1.03
- Dairy Free Deviled EggsRecipe $3.37 / Serving $0.28
- Jiffy Jalapeno CornbreadRecipe $6.59 / Serving $0.55
- Creamy Garlic Red Skin Mashed PotatoesRecipe $4.33 / Serving $0.54
🐝 If you tried this Apple Pie Baked Beans, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Apple Pie Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon - ($4.88)
- 1 pound ground pork sausage - ($2.98)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced - ($0.70)
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced - ($1.48)
- 1-2 fresh jalapeños, sliced - ($0.86)
- 2 cans (28 ounces each) baked beans, original flavor - ($3.88)
- 1 can (21 ounces) apple pie filling, chopped if needed - ($2.17)
- 1 cup barbecue sauce - ($0.76)
- ½ cup brown sugar - ($0.26)
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard - ($0.05)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce - ($0.11)
- 1 tablespoon barbecue rub or seasoning blend - ($0.28)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon - ($0.08)
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg - ($0.04)
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove and set aside, leaving about 1 tablespoon of fat in the skillet.
- Brown the sausage. Add the sausage to the same skillet and cook until browned. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables. Add the onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeños to the skillet. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Combine. In a large bowl, mix together the baked beans, apple pie filling, cooked bacon, cooked sausage, sautéed vegetables, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue rub, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Transfer the mixture to a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Broil for 2 minutes at the end if a caramelized top is desired.
Notes
- Serving. Garnish with extra bacon and sliced jalapeños if desired. Serve as a side or spooned over toast.
- Heat control. Adjust the number of jalapeños or substitute milder peppers as needed.
- Make ahead. Assemble up to 2 days in advance. Flavors improve with time.
- Storage. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Stir before reheating. Freeze up to 3 months.
- Alternate methods.
- Slow cooker. After cooking meats and vegetables, combine everything and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours.
- Smoker. Smoke at 250 to 275°F in a covered pan for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Nutritional Information
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Nicole Durham says
This recipe makes plenty to share but you might not want to. It's soooo good and tasty you'll need seconds or thirds before feeling fully satisfied.