Sometimes Aldi sells some things you might not expect. Like piñata cakes or macaroni and cheese pizza. I’m often up for trying new foods and novel combinations, especially if I can buy them without spending a lot of money, which is usually the case at Aldi.
One of the latest unusual food combos to grace the shelves at my favorite discount grocer were these canned baked beans with a Dr Pepper twist.
Serious Bean Co. Dr Pepper Baked Beans cost $1.45 for a 16-oz. can at the time of publication. They were sold alongside some Serious Bean Co. Buckin’ Buffalo Beans at the same price.
These are an Aldi Find, which means they’re only in stores for a short time.
However, the Serious Bean Co. brand is not exclusive to Aldi. A quick search indicates I can purchase their products in some of my local regular, larger chain grocery stores as well as at Walmart, and they’re available in from other retailers in other flavors, including Jalapeno & Bacon, Southern Mustard BBQ, and Sweet & Smoky Chipotle. Whether beans at Aldi are a bargain compared to other stores’ prices is up for debate: the same Dr Pepper beans in a 16-oz. can cost $1.48 at Walmart (just three cents more) at the time of publication.
The Dr Pepper beans are gluten free and vegan, with no high fructose corn syrup. Also, the can lining was produced “without the intentional addition of BPA.”
Ingredients are: prepared white beans, water, sugar, brown sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, fructose, and les than 2% of seat salt, black pepper, dehydrated garlic, chili pepper, spices, natural flavors, salt, molasses, citric acid, and maltodextrin.
Notice there is no actual Dr Pepper in the ingredients.
Nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)
One can contains about 3.5 servings, with one 1/2-cup serving netting you 180 calories, 0.5 grams of total fat (1% DV), 430 mg of sodium (19% DV), 37 grams of total carbohydrates (13% DV), 5 grams of dietary fiber (18% DV), 19 grams of total sugars, 17 grams of added sugars (34% DV), and 7 grams of protein.
The can includes heating directions, but they’re pretty intuitive:
- Open can.
- Pour beans in a saucepan or microwave-safe container.
- Heat to desired temperature.
- Share (or don’t) & savor!
Serious Bean Co. Dr Pepper Baked Beans, heated and ready to eat.
A few family members had trouble getting past the idea of combining beans and a soda like Dr Pepper, and they were hesitant to try the baked beans at first. These have an initial sweet flavor with a slightly spicy aftertaste. No one in my family thought these tasted like Dr Pepper. The baked beans are good on their own merits, although I’m not sure anyone in my family liked them as much as our favorite Bush’s baked beans. Your own taste preferences may be different, but these are probably a one-and-done thing for us.
The Verdict:
Serious Bean Co. Dr Pepper Baked Beans are not exclusive to Aldi and can be found at other grocers, including Walmart. These have a sweet taste with slight spicy afternotes. We didn’t think these tasted like one of our favorite sodas, but if you want baked beans they’re all right on their own merits.
