Easy roasted butter beans are vegan and perfect to add to your next plant based buddha bowl or have as a side dish. This simple dish takes only 20 minutes to roast in the oven!
What Are Butter Beans?
Butter beans also go under the alias name of lima beans! They are actually one and the same thing. But even though they are from the same ‘bean family’ there are different varieties and the younger the bean is the more green in color it will be.
The difference in the name comes from the region of the country (or part of the world) you reside in. If you live in the Southern United States or the U.K. you are probably more familiar with the name butter beans. For the rest of us, lima beans are a more common household name. Regardless of the name and whether you call it a butter bean or a lima bean the bean is mildly flavored in tastes and can range in color from pea-green (baby lima beans) to off-white (butter beans).
Cooked butter beans without seasoning are blend yet tender and rich. This rich taste along with their creamy white appearance lends itself to why they are called butter beans!
Are Butter Beans Healthy?
Despite these beans having the name ‘butter’ in them, they contain no dairy! They get that name due to their creamy white appearance and their mild yet rich taste profile.
Butter beans are a healthy choice for those following a plant based diet! Each 1/2 cup serving contains 5+ grams of protein. Butter beans are also low calorie and low fat containing approx 77 – 100 calories and 1 gram of fat per serving. Butter beans also provide almost half your daily requirements of manganese and are a great source of Vitamin B containing thiamine, riboflavin and folate which are necessary to turn the carbs from the butter beans into energy! Butter beans are also a great way to increase your intake of fiber and contain roughly 3g of fiber per 1/2 cup serving.
Butter beans are considered a low energy dense food, which means that these beans have a low calorie count when compared to their serving size. Consuming more low energy dense foods, can aid in maintaining a healthy weight and help you stay full longer!
Ingredients in Roasted Butter Beans
I love when I can share a happy accident like these roasted butter beans that turned out recipe worthy! A few weeks ago, I wanted to make crispy roasted garlic chickpeas but realized I was all out of canned chickpeas. I had butter beans in my pantry and an idea was born that I could roast butter beans, just like roasting chickpeas! All the ingredients you need for this vegan bean recipe is:
- Butter Beans
- Garlic Salt
This recipe for butter beans could not be any simpler to make! All you need is a can of butter beans and garlic salt. Two ingredient butter bean recipe that turns out delicious every time. I love easy plant based dinner options!
How to Make Easy Roasted Butter Beans
Just like the easy ingredient list, the directions to make these beans are very simple!
You will need a large rimmed baking sheet that has been prepped with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Next, drain and rinse your butter beans. Toss with garlic salt, place on prepared pan and roast.
A few words about the roasted butter bean and what they looked like in appearance and texture! After roasting your butter beans, they will get shredded in appearance.
In fact, the first time I roasted these, I had them sitting on the stove to cool down. My husband walked in and asked what they were because he thought it was shredded chicken! When I laughed and told him no, he responded that he had thought it funny I was making shredded chicken!
Perhaps I should’ve called these roasted butter beans shredded beans?
How to Serve this Butter Bean Recipe
So how do you eat butter beans? While these beans are very delicious right out of the oven roasted, I love to meal prep them and then eat them in a salad bowl!
I often pair these butter beans with a bowl of fresh greens, avocado slices or our avocado dill dressing, fresh tomato slices, roasted pickled beets and grilled vegetables!
Roasted butter beans are a great plant based protein option!
I would love to know if you make these easy roasted butter beans! Tag @badtothebowl on social media.
Easy Roasted Butter Beans
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups can butter beans , 15 oz. can rinsed and drained
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Line 9×13 rimmed baking sheet with foil (or parchment paper or silicone baking mat) lightly spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Drain and lightly rinse beans.
- Spread on prepared baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with garlic salt.
- Roast in oven 20-25 minutes, stirring with spatula after 10 minutes.
Thank you for this recipe, I love these beans in the snack packets. I will definitely save lots of money by making my own now.
Glad to hear it!
🙋🏼♀️ Thanks , Looking forward to try this recipe 😋
Can’t wait to hear how it goes!
I have been roasting chickpeas for a long while as a snack. I use a variety of spices. It occurred to me that I could use other varieties of beans and get similar results. I also enjoy the Bada Bean Bada Boom products. Have you ever tried soaking dried beans, then boiling, then roasting?
I have not tried that with dried beans have been cooked! Great idea!