Creamy Butter Beans

These creamy butter beans are the perfect one-pot, easy recipe for when you want something quick, healthy, and delicious on the table after a long day. They're packed with protein and fiber, are ready in less than 20 minutes, and contain just six ingredients.

Beans are one of my favorite ingredients to cook with. They're a good source of protein, high in fiber, and so versatile. You can make creamy one-pot dishes like these creamy butter beans or my homemade baked beans, you can use them in hearty veggie chillis and winter casseroles, or as a base for a range of dishes such as these pinto beans!

Make sure you try these Marry Me butter beans and these red pesto butter beans for more bean-y goodness!

Ingredient Notes

The exact quantities of the ingredients you need for this recipe are included in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

Here, I've added a few notes on the ingredients you need, plus a few potential substitutions you could make if you can't eat/find a certain ingredient.

• Butter Beans: I use jarred butter beans in this recipe, as you need the stock water the beans are stored in. If you can't find jarred butter beans, just use tinned butter beans. Drain and rinse the beans and use about 150ml water or vegetable stock instead. If you can't find butter beans, cannellini beans will also work well - note that butter beans are labelled as lima beans in some locations.
  
• Garlic: I use two large cloves of garlic for this recipe. Use however much you prefer, though!
  
• Cherry tomatoes: Fresh cherry tomatoes are added to this recipe for color, flavor, and texture - I like to halve them before adding so they cook down quicker and release their juices into the sauce. You could use diced plum tomatoes as an alternative - I wouldn't recommend using tinned chopped tomatoes, though.
  
• Seasonings: I keep the seasonings simple for this recipe. Just a pinch dried basil, salt, and black pepper. Some red pepper flakes at the end also works well for a touch of spice.
  
• Lemon: Use the juice of a whole fresh lemon for this recipe. The zestiness of the lemon is essential for giving the recipe a freshness that cuts perfectly through the garlicky, creamy taste of the beans. You could also add lemon zest on top for extra zing!
  
• Cream Cheese: A generous dollop of cream cheese adds to the creamy texture of the beans. Readers who have tried this recipe have substituted in heavy cream, goat's cheese, and creme fraiche instead of the cream cheese, and all would work great!
  
• Spinach: Chopped fresh spinach adds color, texture, and extra nutrients to this recipe. You could use frozen spinach instead, although I've not tried this yet. Kale or cavalo nero would also work if you can't eat spinach.

Substitutions & Variations

• If you want to veganise this recipe, simply substitute the cream cheese for a plant-based cream cheese alternative or add a splash of coconut milk.
  
• If you want to increase the vegetable content in this recipe, you could add red peppers, thinly sliced courgettes (I think this would be a lovely addition!), leeks, or even some cubed and roasted butternut squash at the end.
  
• A lot of my readers have added bouillon (stock) instead of the stock from the beans, and that would also work really nicely!
  
• Other readers have added shredded chicken or Italian sausage - this would work well if you wanted to add more protein. Vegetarian sausages crumbled and fried until crispy would also be great.

How To Make This Creamy Butter Beans Recipe

Again, the exact step-by-step instructions and ingredient quantities will be in the recipe card at the bottom of this page. 

Below is an overview of making this recipe, plus some process shots to help you visualize how this recipe should turn out.

Step 1) Add The Garlic

First, heat your oil in your pan, and then add the minced garlic. Saute until it's fragrant but not brown.

Step 2) Add The Butter Beans and Cherry Tomatoes

Next, add your jarred butter beans along with the stock water they're stored in. Tip in the cherry tomatoes and seasonings, too. Stir everything to combine and allow it to simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the tomatoes have softened. Gently use your spoon to break them apart.

Step 3) Add The Cream Cheese, Spinach, and Lemon Juice

Add your dollop of cream cheese and the chopped spinach to the dish, stirring it in until the cream cheese has melted and turned the sauce creamy. Squeeze over the lemon juice and sprinkle your parsley and (if using) chili oil over the dish.

Expert Tip/Chef's Note

I first published this recipe in 2024 - and I still make it, or a variation, on a very regular basis. Plus, this recipe has garnered millions of views on social media since I posted it - which means I've had the benefit of lots of taste testers who have shared their feedback! Here are a few tips we've all picked up along the way:

• The stock water from the jarred beans helps to make these beans creamy, so I would highly recommend using beans from the jar if you can. If you can only use dried or tinned beans, substitute the stock water with stock (better than bouillion is very popular!) for a lovely flavor.
  
• If you would prefer to omit the cream cheese, you can. Other options are goat's cheese, lighter creme fraiche, or heavy cream for a lovely indulgent touch.
  
• If you can't find butter beans, swap in any white bean such as cannellini beans! Chickpeas would also work great.
  
• To add something to cut through the garlicky, creamy beans, I love combining diced olives and parsley along with some lemon juice and topping the beans with it.

What To Serve With These Creamy Butter Beans

For me, my favorite way to serve these creamy beans is with a few slices of crusty bread to dip and mop up all the sauce! You could also serve them with mashed potato or even some cooked pasta!

Storing

Here's what to do if you have leftover creamy butter beans:

• Refrigerator: Store your butter beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 - 5 days. Reheat them in the microwave before serving.
  
• Freezer: Freeze your butter beans in an airtight container for up to three months. Defrost fully in the refrigerator before reheating. Note, that the cream cheese may change in texture slightly once frozen/defrosted.

FAQs

Is it safe to eat the water from jarred beans?

Yes, it's safe to eat the water from jarred beans. If you read the ingredients on the jar, it's typically just water and stock, which helps to add flavor to your recipe. Bean stock serves as an instant stock or broth for soups, creamy bean dishes, and other dishes with beans.

Can I use the stock from tinned beans?

You can use the bean stock from tinned beans, but I prefer to rinse my tinned beans and substitute the bean stock with fresh water or vegetable stock.

Can I use dried butter beans for this recipe?

Yes, you can use dried butter beans for this recipe. Soak and cook your butter beans according to your packet instructions before using them in this recipe. Of course, this will add significant cooking time to this recipe.

Can I use chopped tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes?

Using chopped tomatoes will make the recipe much less creamy than using cherry tomatoes, and will change the overall flavor significantly. I would recommend using fresh tomatoes (diced fresh plum tomatoes will also work) or omitting them altogether.

Other One-Pot Recipes You'll Like:

• Caramelized Onion Butter Beans with Feta Yoghurt and Zhoug
• Cheesy Baked Gnocchi With Vodka Sauce
• Vegetarian Taco Bowl
• Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Creamy Butter Beans

Author: By The Forkful

482kcal

4.5 from 26 votes

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Cook 20 minutes mins

Total 20 minutes mins

These easy creamy butter beans are ready in under 20 minutes and contain just six ingredients. The perfect one-pot recipe!

Servings 2 portions

Course Main Meals, One-Pot

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1x2x3x

MetricUS Customary

• ▢ 570 g butter beans jarred - (keep the bean stock!)
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 10 cherry tomatoes halved
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ▢ 1 lemon
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoon cream cheese
• ▢ 30 g spinach chopped

Equipment

• ▢
  Shallow Cast Iron Casserole Dish

Method

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1. Heat the oil in a saucepan, then add your minced garlic and saute for 1 minutes until fragrant.
   1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cloves garlic
2. Add the butter beans and their stock to the pan, along with the tomatoes, dried basil, salt, and pepper.
   570 g butter beans, 10 cherry tomatoes, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 0.5 teaspoon salt, 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
3. Let everything come to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the tomatoes have softened. Use the back of your spoon to gently crush the tomatoes.
4. Add the cream cheese and chopped spinach, and stir it into the beans. Squeeze over the lemon juice.
   1 lemon, 2 tablespoon cream cheese, 30 g spinach
5. For a little hint of spice, top with chili oil and lots of fresh parsley!

Nutrition

Serving1gCalories482kcalCarbohydrates71gProtein25gFat13gSaturated Fat4gPolyunsaturated Fat2gMonounsaturated Fat7gCholesterol15mgSodium656mgPotassium1842mgFiber23gSugar12gVitamin A2036IUVitamin C53mgCalcium120mgIron9mg

Notes

Expert Tip/Chef's Note

I first published this recipe in 2024 - and I still make it, or a variation, on a very regular basis. Plus, this recipe has garnered millions of views on social media since I posted it - which means I've had the benefit of lots of taste testers who have shared their feedback! Here are a few tips we've all picked up along the way:

• The stock water from the jarred beans helps to make these beans creamy, so I would highly recommend using beans from the jar if you can. If you can only use dried or tinned beans, substitute the stock water with stock (better than bouillon is very popular!) for a lovely flavor.
• If you would prefer to omit the cream cheese, you can. Other options are goat's cheese, lighter creme fraiche, or heavy cream for a lovely, indulgent touch.
• If you can't find butter beans, swap in any white bean such as cannellini beans! Chickpeas would also work great.
• To add something to cut through the garlicky, creamy beans, I love combining diced olives and parsley along with some lemon juice and topping the beans with it.

Store your butter beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 - 5 days. Reheat them in the microwave before serving.

Watch The Recipe Video:

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