Dr Pepper Baked Beans With Bacon

These Dr. Pepper Baked Beans use canned beans for rich, glossy texture without an overnight soak. Simmering the sauce before baking prevents watery beans, while bacon, vinegar and mustard keep the flavor savory instead of overly sweet.

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“A must make recipe!! I do not like overly sweet baked beans and these were perfect, the kids loved these, so you know they are good!! Will only ever use this recipe.”

—Gina

“A delicious, easy to make recipe.”

—Gary

These Dr. Pepper Baked Beans Are The Cookout Side Dish You’ll Make On Repeat

Some baked beans recipes swing way too sweet. Others take 14 hours and require soaking dried beans overnight like you’re living in colonial times.

These oven baked beans with bacon land squarely in the middle, which is exactly where we want our baked beans to be.

We’re starting with canned Great Northern beans for convenience, but building a homemade sauce with bacon drippings, molasses, Worcestershire, mustard and Dr. Pepper for that classic sticky, smoky-sweet baked bean flavor. Simmering everything before it goes into the oven concentrates the sauce so this great side dish bakes up thick and glossy instead of watery.

The final splash of Dr. Pepper at the end is the little trick that makes these extra good.

Baked Beans With Dr. Pepper Ingredients

A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.

• Great Northern beans – we tested this recipe with several varieties of canned beans, and Great Northern consistently gave the best creamy texture while still holding their shape during baking. Rinsing only one can helps control the final sauce consistency, while the starch from the second can naturally thickens the sauce.
• bacon – thick-cut smoked bacon gives these baked beans the savory note they need to balance the sweetness from the soda and molasses.
• onion and garlic – these aromatics soften into the sauce and give the beans a deeper homemade flavor that keeps them from tasting too sweet. 
• Dr. Pepper – this adds sweetness, caramel notes and subtle spice. We finish the beans with an extra splash at the end because the long cooking time dulls the soda flavor a bit. 
• molasses – this is what gives baked beans their old-school flavor. Brown sugar alone doesn’t cut it the same way.
• ketchup – adds acidity, tomato notes, and a little umami. 
• light brown sugar – just enough to sweeten the beans a touch more without pushing them into candy territory. 
• apple cider vinegar – absolutely essential for balancing the sweetness. The beans can taste heavy without it. 
• Worcestershire sauce – adds savory depth.
• ground mustard, cayenne, kosher salt and black pepper – the mustard adds warmth, the cayenne and black pepper add just a bit of spice, and the salt sharpens all the flavors.

How To Make Oven Baked Beans With Bacon

1. COOK BACON. In a large cast iron or ovenproof skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Leave about 1 tablespoon bacon drippings in the skillet. 

2. COOK AROMATICS. Add the onion and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant. 

3. BUILD SAUCE. Stir in both cans of beans, including the liquid from one can only, along with 1 cup Dr. Pepper, molasses, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, pepper and cayenne. 
4. REDUCE. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened and reduced by about one-third. The sauce should lightly coat the beans instead of looking watery. 

5. BAKE. Stir in half the bacon, cover the skillet and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, stir, then continue baking 30 minutes more or until the sauce thickly coats the beans and leaves a trail when stirred.

6. FINISH AND SERVE. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons Dr. Pepper to brighten the flavor. If the beans still seem thin, continue baking uncovered 10 to 15 minutes longer. Top with remaining bacon before serving.

Variations

• SPICY VERSION – add a diced jalapeno with the onion, or increase the cayenne for a little heat. 
• SMOKIER VERSION – add a small spoonful of chipotle in adobo for deeper smoky flavor. 
• ROOT BEER VERSION – swap the Dr. Pepper for root beer for a slightly more vanilla-forward flavor. 

How To Serve This Dr. Pepper Baked Beans Recipe

These Dr. Pepper baked beans go well with all kinds of cookout favorites, like hamburgers, brisket and hot dogs. They’re one of our very favorite Sides For Ribs, so serving them with Country Style Ribs In Oven just makes sense. Round out the menu with No Mayo Potato Salad or Goat Cheese Pasta Salad if you want something a little lighter alongside the rich, smoky beans.

Make Ahead, Storage And Reheating

• Make Ahead: Prepare the beans through the stovetop simmer step, then cool and refrigerate uncovered until chilled. Cover tightly and refrigerate up to 2 days before baking. You may need to add a splash of Dr. Pepper before baking if the mixture thickens in the refrigerator. 
• Refrigerate: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate uncovered until fully chilled, then cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. 
• Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at 50% power, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of Dr. Pepper or water if the beans become too thick. 
• Freeze: Cool completely, transfer to freezer-safe containers and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The texture softens slightly after freezing, but the flavor is still excellent.