Vegan British Baked Beans - Heinz Beans Copycat Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

Are Heinz baked beans different in the UK? ›

Heinz Beanz are meat-free, with a thin tomato sauce

But across the pond in the United Kingdom — which accounts for the great majority of all canned baked bean consumption (via Britain Explained) — the tinned baked beans sold as Heinz Beanz are a very different bean, indeed.

Navy beans, also known as Haricot Beans, are the beans used in commercially produced canned baked beans. They are white beans that are slightly smaller than Cannellini beans. However, any small to medium beans will work just fine here. They don't even need to be white!

British Baked Beans v's American Beans

These British Baked beans are made without meat, with a thinner tomato-based sauce. American-style baked beans are cooked with pork (bacon) molasses and brown sugar and the sauce is much sweeter, thicker and smoky.

So, we have been on something of a quest to find British baked beans here in America. I was absolutely thrilled to discover that my nearest Wegmans had an amazing international food aisle with an array of imported British treats, including the sacred beans.

WATER, WHITE BEANS, TOMATO PUREE, SUGAR, VINEGAR, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, SALT, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, MUSTARD, ONION POWDER, SPICES. MAY CONTAIN SOY.

Hi thanks for getting in touch with us our Standard Heinz Baked Beans are suitable for a vegan diet, the No Added Sugar Beans are not as one of the flavourings is not suitable for vegans but it remains proprietary to our recipe for this variety.

Are all baked beans suitable for vegans? You've specifically been asking 'are Heinz baked beans vegan' and 'are Branston baked beans vegan'? Well, yes — they're both vegan too!

We call thembeans. We grow many types of beans in Britain and call then by names such a runner beans, green beans, broad beans etc. However, the most common way of eating beans in Britain is what are called baked beans.

American baked beans (also called Boston baked beans) are made with molasses and pork salt (or bacon), and they're slow-cooked in the oven. English-style baked beans (Heinz baked beans being the most famous) are more savory and made with a tomato sauce base.

What does the 57 mean on Heinz baked beans? ›

In fact, it turns out that the number 57 was chosen at random by Henry when he kickstarted his brand, after he saw an advert from a shoe company that boasted 21 styles of footwear. He picked the number 57 out of thin air as he believed it was a clever way to create authenticity around his fledgling company.

Regular baked beans are typically made with navy beans, pork, and a sweet and savory tomato-based sauce. Vegetarian baked beans, on the other hand, omit the pork and may use different types of beans such as kidney beans or black beans.

In 2008, "Heinz Baked Beans" were renamed "Heinz Beanz", as the original title was "a bit of a mouthful to pronounce", according to the company. In 2016, Heinz's advertising campaign featuring people using empty beans cans as musical instruments was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority on safety grounds.

A Kraft Heinz spokesperson said: “Like the rest of the food industry, we continue to face significantly increased production costs – whether it's ingredients, energy, or packaging – and rising inflation.

Over time, the recipe was altered to a less sweet tomato sauce without maple syrup, molasses, or brown sugar to appeal to the tastes of the United Kingdom. This is the version of baked beans most commonly eaten outside of the United States.

Over the years, the sugar level was decreased to suit the British taste. Because of meat shortages during World War II, pork was omitted. Some significant differences exist between the Heinz beans produced in the UK and those produced in the US. The two main differences are the sugar level and the sodium level.

In Britain baked beans are also navy beans (known there as haricot) but they are bathed in a tomato sauce. They are still sweet, but less so than the American version, and the pork has disappeared entirely. Most importantly they are Heinz. Other brands are available.

American baked beans (also called Boston baked beans) are made with molasses and pork salt (or bacon), and they're slow-cooked in the oven. English-style baked beans (Heinz baked beans being the most famous) are more savory and made with a tomato sauce base.