Instant Pot Brown Sugar Baked Beans are a quick and easy summer side dish thanks to the instant pot with all the hearty, filling, baked bean flavors you love.

 Instant Pot Brown Sugar Baked Beans

Hey everyone it’s Sabrina again from Cooking with Points, a healthy recipe blog dedicated to easy weeknight meals with a focus on Weight Watchers smart points.

This month I’m sharing a delicious side dish recipe for all the warm weather we’re finally starting to see (except on the East Coast, they’re still getting snow!). Some of my favorite summer recipes include Deviled Egg Potato Salad, Rotisserie Roasted Potatoes, and Healthy Waldorf Chicken Salad; all three are delicious served during picnics or barbecues.

Baked Beans are one of the most popular summer side dishes we all enjoy. For years to have a healthier option for baked beans I used to just try to find the healthiest canned variety I could find.

The idea of making them from scratch with all the added sugars and the calories from the beans was overwhelming.

With the addition of beans to the zero points food list from Weight Watchers baked beans have once again become a side dish that you can enjoy without using a lot of your points. With a smaller amount of sugar and ketchup these baked beans won’t be too sweet, but just sweet enough satisfy all the cravings for the nostalgic flavors of baked beans that you love.

We also use dark brown sugar in this recipe in place of adding molasses (this helps us keep the points down) and since we’re using the instant pot we don’t even have to pre-cook the onions in any oil. This is as easy as adding the ingredients and letting the machine do all the work for us!

Different Baked Bean flavors:

• Add some spice with diced canned chilis or freshly chopped jalapeños.
• Add some smoky flavors with some chopped up bacon.
• Swap the brown sugar for maple if you like maple baked beans. (1/4 cup)
• Another brown sugar swap is honey, which would also be delicious. (1/4 cup)

What to serve with baked beans:

Oven Baked Brown Sugar Baked Beans:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a cast iron skillet add 2 teaspoons of canola oil and the onions. Cook them until translucent on medium heat, about 4-5 minutes. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir. Cover tightly and bake for 45 minutes.