Date-Sweetened Baked Beans. Photo for The Washington Post by Tom McCorkle
A news release I recently received, announcing a new line of canned baked beans made with no added sugar, instantly sparked my interest. I reliably keep a can of baked beans in my cupboard to pull out as a convenient side dish or vegetarian main, but I generally find them overly sweet, so my hopes were high for this product. I imagined it would be a more gently sweet version, made with whole fruit (which doesn't count as "added sugar") rather than the white and/or brown sugar typically used. But after seeing the product's ingredient list, my hopes were dashed. Like many no-added-sugar products, it contained an artificial sweetener.
The World Health Organization recently advised avoiding artificial sweeteners because significant benefits are not evident, and there are concerns that the additives may cause harm in the long run. But safety was not the issue for me here-a little artificial sweetener now and then is probably fine, and not necessarily worse for you than regular sugar. For me, the issue was flavor. I have yet to meet an artificial sweetener that doesn't leave me with an unpleasant aftertaste. Although disappointed about the product, the upside is I was ultimately inspired to create this no-added-sugar baked bean recipe-the one I had wished for all along.
Here, tender beans are smothered in a lip-smacking sauce that gets its sweetness solely from whole, pitted dates. To be clear: While there's no added sugar in the recipe, it is not sugar-free. Dates are a dried fruit, which has a concentration of inherent sugar, but because the sugar in the whole ingredient is naturally "packaged" with fiber, minerals and antioxidants, it's absorbed more gradually and has more health benefits than refined sugar does. Equally important, dates' distinctively deep flavor works beautifully in this dish.
To make the sauce you simply whir the dates in the blender with apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, mustard powder, smoked paprika and a little water. You then add that sweet-tangy-savory-smoky sauce to the pot with sautéed onion, along with three cans of navy beans, and bake until the mixture is bubbling, the flavors have melded and the sauce has thickened. The result is the quintessential, comfort-food classic baked bean taste, sweetened entirely with real, flavorful fruit - my baked-bean dreams come true.
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Date-Sweetened Baked Beans
6 servings (makes about 5 cups)
Active time: 15 mins; Total time: 50 mins
Storage note: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
These saucy, sweet-tangy baked beans get their sweetness from dates - with no added sugar. The result is a dream come true - a comfort food classic that's lip-smackingly tasty, and better-for-you, too. If, instead of using canned, you want to use beans you've cooked yourself from dried beans, use 4 1/2 cups of cooked beans (see related recipe).
INGREDIENTS
2 cups water
1 cup (5 ounces) pitted dates
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces), diced
3 (15-ounce) cans navy beans, drained and rinsed
DIRECTIONS
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
In a blender, combine the water, dates, vinegar, tomato paste, ground mustard, paprika, salt and pepper and blend until smooth.
In a Dutch oven or other large ovenproof pot over medium heat, heat the oil until it is shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the beans, then pour the contents of the blender into the pot and stir to combine.
Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, for about 35 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and the sauce has thickened.
Nutrition | Per serving (generous 3/4 cup): 317 calories, 58g carbohydrates, 0mg cholesterol, 6g fat, 17g fiber, 12g protein, 1g saturated fat, 400mg sodium, 19g sugar
This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian's or nutritionist's advice.
From cookbook author and registered dietitian nutritionist Ellie Krieger.
