Are Baked Beans Gluten-free?

Find out if baked beans are gluten-free, what they’re made from, and what gluten-free brands to look for next time you’re shopping.

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If you love to open a can of baked beans for barbecues or have them on hand for quick side dishes for easy weeknight meals, you may have wondered if this food has gluten.

On a gluten-free diet, you need to review ingredients of each and every food that you put into your body – and for good reason!

One small mishap and you might wind up uncomfortable in your digestion or have other gluten-related issues pop up from just one or two bites of something.

In this post, we’re going to talk specifically about baked beans and find out if this food contains gluten and which options are gluten-free.

Learn what baked beans are, the main ingredients in baked beans, and of course I’ll share a few brands and varieties of baked beans you can shop for next time you’re at the store.

What are baked beans?

Baked beans are a side dish that is made by cooking beans, usually navy beans, in a rich sauce. Baked beans are generally bought from the grocery store in cans, but you can make your own baked beans at home from scratch if you’re so inclined.

Baked beans are popular at barbecues and cookouts, used as camping food, and are particularly popular in the summertime when folks are grilling and eating outside a lot.

Baked beans ingredients

Though the ingredients will vary from brand to brand and recipe to recipe, the ingredients you’ll find in many baked beans in some combination are bacon, ham, or pork, maple syrup, molasses, ketchup or tomato sauce, mustard, brown sugar, onions or onion powder, salt, garlic, and other seasonings.

Not all baked beans products or recipes will call for all of these ingredients, but these are the main ones you’ll find in the majority of products available from the grocery store or recipes you’ll find in cookbooks or online.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in most wheat products, and acts as the “glue” that helps to hold wheat, barley, kamut, spelt, farro, durum, bulgur, rye, and semolina together to maintain their shape.

You can find gluten in whole grains, but also in many processed foods as well. Many processed foods have hidden gluten in them in the form of gluten or wheat derivatives.

These are also in the form of flavorings, binders to keep ingredients together, or other additives.

Read on: What is gluten in food? The basics of a gluten-free diet

Are beans gluten-free?

Plain beans are naturally gluten-free. You can enjoy beans regularly on a gluten-free diet with a few things in mind.

Be aware that even if beans themselves are gluten-free, there are opportunities for the beans we can get at the store to not be considered gluten-free.

Read on: Are beans gluten-free?

Some brands of baked beans are gluten-free, while others contain gluten ingredients. It’s important to check ingredients lists for sources of gluten in each can of baked beans that you consider buying, and look for a gluten-free label to help you make an easy decision.

A gluten-free label will indicate that the product contains less than 20ppm of gluten.

If you choose to make your own baked beans at home, be sure that the ingredients you use are also gluten-free to ensure your recipe turns out safe for your diet.

Gluten-free baked beans brands

To make your shopping easier, look for one of these gluten-free baked beans brands next time you’re at the store. Note that not all products from brands on this list are gluten-free, but that they do offer at least one gluten-free option.

Review ingredients lists and check for a gluten-free label before purchasing.

Amy’s Kitchen

Organic vegetarian baked beans
Organic chipotle vegetarian baked beans
Organic western vegetarian baked beans

Bush’s (all flavors and varieties)

Barbecue Baked Beans
Boston Recipe Baked Beans
Brown Sugar Baked Beans
Brown Sugar Hickory Baked Beans
Country Style Baked Beans
Homestyle Baked Beans
Honey Sweet Baked Beans
Maple & Cured Bacon Baked Beans
Onion Baked Beans
Organic Baked Beans
Original Baked Beans
Sweet & Tangy Baked Beans
Sweet Heat Baked Beans
Vegetarian Baked Beans

Heinz

Classic Baked Beanz
Organic Beanz
Five Beanz, Beanz with Pork Sausages
Beanz Snap Pots
Five Beanz Snap Pots
Fridge Packs

Are Bush’s baked beans gluten-free?

According to the Bush’s Beans website, “All Bush’s® canned bean products are gluten-free. We do use cornstarch in some of our products, but it does not contain gliadin gluten from wheat, barley, oats or rye grains, which may cause adverse responses in people suffering from celiac sprue. In addition, the vinegar used in our canned bean products is corn-based and distilled.”

Read on: Are Bush’s baked beans gluten-free?

Are Heinz baked beans gluten-free?

According to the Heinz website, these are their gluten-free baked beans products:

Classic Baked Beanz
Organic Beanz
Five Beanz, Beanz with Pork Sausages
Beanz Snap Pots
Five Beanz Snap Pots
Fridge Packs

If you follow a gluten-free diet, you can safely enjoy this brand if you can find it in a store near you.

If you enjoy baked beans for cookouts and barbecues, as a quick side dish for dinners, or love to have them on hand even for emergencies, I hope this post has given you all the information you need to buy with confidence.

There are a few good brands of baked beans that are good for a gluten-free diet (Bush’s is by far the most popular), but as with every packaged food, it’s best to review ingredients lists and look for a gluten-free label before buying.

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Are Baked Beans Gluten-free?

What are baked beans?

Baked beans ingredients

What is gluten?

Are beans gluten-free?