CREAMY BACON BUTTER BEANS
on Aug 31, 2025
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Canned butter beans are sautéed in a decadent mixture of crushed tomatoes, coconut cream, and topped with smoky bacon pieces — a perfect one-pot recipe!
Rich in protein, fiber, and other nutrients, canned beans can be a chef’s best friend in terms of whipping up simple, easy, healthy recipes.
Take, for instance, these Creamy Bacon Butter Beans. Delicious on their own or served as a side dish during family dinner, these beans are tasty and take less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
Butter beans are a type of lima bean and are silky, melt-in-your-mouth creamy, and an excellent way to sneak some extra protein into a dish.
When paired with crushed tomatoes, coconut cream, and bacon, these beans give “main character energy” without a lot of effort!
The next time you’re looking for a simple, flavorful, one-skillet meal, go ahead and make this recipe. You won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!
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Key Ingredients for Creamy Butter Beans with Bacon
A quick and easy side dish that delivers on ease and flavor! Here’s what you’ll need to whip together your next go-to bean recipe.
- Bacon: Smoky, salty bacon is always a welcome addition and makes the perfect complement to these creamy beans. I look for a brand with no added sugar. If you’re serving this to vegetarian friends, you can omit the bacon; however, it will change the taste of the dish.
- Onion and Garlic: This combo is often seen as a flavor enhancer, and they definitely do their part in this side dish recipe!
- Tomato Paste: This helps thicken the sauce and adds a rich depth of flavor, too.
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Pin It- Herbs: Fresh thyme, along with Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes, adds a subtle Italian flair. If you’re making this for children, feel free to omit the red pepper flakes.
- Coconut Cream: Your dairy friends will be surprised that the creaminess comes from a can of coconut milk! Coconut cream is the top portion of a can of unshaken coconut milk or you can buy straight coconut cream.
- Crushed Tomatoes: This acts as the base of the sauce. Canned at peak ripeness, crushed tomatoes are a pantry staple any time of year.
- Butter Beans: Mild in flavor, butter beans are a type of lima bean. If you can’t find them, you can substitute with another white bean such as navy beans, cannellini beans, or Great Northern beans. There’s no need to drain the beans as the extra liquid will be absorbed into the sauce.
- Serving Suggestions: A sprinkle of fresh parsley adds a touch of color to the final dish. I like to eat this with either toasted gluten-free bread or sourdough bread, but I’ve also been known to eat this over the stove with a large spoon, too!
How to Make Butter Beans with Bacon
Start by heating a large skillet over medium-low heat.
Add the bacon and cook until crispy, stirring often. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Discard all but 1 to 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.
Next, add the onion to the pan with the bacon grease and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and translucent.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Add the tomato paste to the skillet, stirring to incorporate it into the onions and garlic, and allow to cook for another minute.
Add the seasoning, crushed tomatoes, and coconut cream, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the beans, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. No need to drain the beans. The extra liquid will cook down into the sauce.
Remove from the heat, stir in the crispy bacon pieces, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve on toasted bread or simply devour with a large spoon. Enjoy!
More Dairy-Free Sides:
- Lemon Basil Potato Salad
- Easy, Health, Refined Sugar-Free Homemade Baked Beans
- Lemony Dill Quinoa with Roasted Shrimp
- Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes
CREAMY BACON BUTTER BEANS
Ingredients
Butter Beans:
- 4 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ½ large sweet onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup coconut cream
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- (1) 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- (2) 15 ounce cans butter beans (or substitute another white bean)
For Serving:
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Toasted gluten-free or sourdough bread
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy, stirring often. Remove from the pan and set aside. Discard all but 1 to 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.
- Add the onion to the pan with the bacon grease and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste to the skillet, stirring to incorporate it into the onions and garlic, and allow to cook for another minute.
- Add the seasoning, crushed tomatoes, and coconut cream, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the undrained beans, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the crispy bacon pieces, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve on toasted bread or devour with a spoon. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
