Clover Valley Baked Beans (Dollar General)

Baked beans are a staple of many cookouts, barbecues, and picnic events. They go well with burgers, hot dogs, brats, and more. While you can make them from scratch, many people prefer to use canned baked beans because of their convenience.

Of course, the most commonly known name brand is Bush’s, which is my favorite, and which I use when I make homemade chili in my slow cooker. I can find Bush’s baked beans in any major grocery store, or if I want to go with off brands, Aldi sells baked beans under its own private label. Some dollar stores also sell their own baked beans. I recently picked up several types of canned baked beans at Dollar General under their Clover Valley private label.

Clover Valley Baked Beans cost $1.45 for a 28-ounce can at the time of publication. They come in three varieties: Original, Brown Sugar, and Homestyle. They’re made in the U.S. The cans are on the larger side, so if you’re serving only one or two people, these might be too big. (Although leftovers can be frozen for later.)

These are easy to heat, either in the microwave or on a stove top.

To microwave, empty the contents of a can into a microwave-safe container, cover, and heat on high for 2-3 minutes. Stir before serving.

To heat on the stove, empty the contents of a can into a saucepan and heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally.

Nutrition-wise, these have between 130-170 calories per 1/2-cup serving. They have little to no fat, no cholesterol, 400-580 mg of sodium (17-25% DV), 29-32 grams of total carbohydrates (11-12% DV), 6 grams of dietary fiber (21% DV), 10-14 grams of added sugars (20-28% DV), and 5-7 grams of protein.

These were surprisingly good baked beans. They’re not Bush’s, but they’re good enough that if I spooned them onto my plate at a cookout, I wouldn’t know that they were Dollar General brand baked beans.

My family liked the Original flavor the best, with the sweeter-flavored Brown Sugar beans coming in a close second. I thought the Brown Sugar beans had a bit of a strange aftertaste, but no one else in my family thought so. The Homestyle beans are fine, but we tend to prefer beans with a little sweeter sauce, and the Homestyle beans have the most savory flavor of the three types of baked beans.

The Original beans taste a bit like a mix between Homestyle and Brown Sugar, both savory and sweet, and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy the Original version again if I needed baked beans for a meal and happened to be at Dollar General.

The Verdict:

Clover Valley Baked Beans come in Original, Brown Sugar, and Homestyle flavors. They’re not Bush’s baked beans, but they’re all good on their own merits. My family preferred the Original flavor. These are all a solid choice if you need baked beans for a meal at home or for a picnic or cookout.