Best Haricot Beans in the UK (2026)

Haricot beans are small white beans with a mild flavour and soft, creamy texture once cooked. They are especially familiar in the UK because they are the bean traditionally used for baked beans, but dried haricot beans are also useful for soups, casseroles, chilli-style dishes, salads and homemade bean purées.

For UK shoppers, the main differences are pack size, whether you want an organic option, and whether dried beans suit your cooking routine better than ready-cooked tins or jars. Haricot beans are also often called navy beans, so those names can overlap when you shop.

Quick Picks Box

• Best overall: Wholefood Earth Haricot Beans 1kg
• Best smaller pack: Wholefood Earth Haricot Beans 500g
• Best organic option: Sussex Wholefoods Organic Haricot Beans 500g
• Best for straightforward ingredients: Infinity Foods Organic Haricot Beans 500g

How we judged these

Bean type

We looked for products clearly sold as haricot beans rather than cannellini beans, butter beans or mixed white beans. Haricot and navy bean terminology can overlap, but other white bean varieties should not automatically be treated as identical.

Pack size

A 500g bag suits occasional cooking and smaller cupboards. A 1kg pack is more practical if you regularly make soups, stews, casseroles or homemade baked bean-style dishes.

Ingredient simplicity

Plain dried haricot beans should be a straightforward grocery product. Products with clearly stated dried haricot beans are easier to compare and more flexible across recipes.

Cooking versatility

Haricot beans have a mild flavour and absorb seasoning well, so they should work across tomato-based dishes, soups, casseroles, salads and bean purées.

Storage practicality

Smaller packets are easy to store and finish. Larger bags reduce repeat purchases but need more cupboard space and suitable dry storage once opened.

Preparation

Dried haricot beans need more preparation than ready-cooked beans. Clear cooking guidance is useful, particularly if you usually buy canned beans.

Availability and substitution

Haricot bean availability varies between mainstream and specialist grocery ranges. We therefore considered how easy it is to replace one pack with another similar dried haricot bean.

Wholefood Earth Haricot Beans 1kg

Best for: Regular cooking and households wanting a practical larger bag.

Why it’s good

• The 1kg pack suits shoppers who regularly use white beans in soups, stews and casseroles.
• Haricot beans have a mild flavour that works well with tomato sauces, herbs, stock and vegetables.
• The larger pack reduces the need to keep replacing smaller 500g bags.
• Dried beans give you more control over the final texture than a ready-cooked format.

Trade-off

A kilogram takes up more cupboard space and is unnecessary if haricot beans only appear in occasional recipes.

How to use

• Sort and rinse the beans before preparation.
• Follow the current packet instructions for soaking and cooking.
• Use in homemade baked bean-style dishes, soups, casseroles or white bean purées.

Substitution

Another plain dried haricot bean is the closest replacement. A 500g pack is the easiest alternative if you want a smaller quantity.

Wholefood Earth Haricot Beans 500g

Best for: Smaller households and occasional haricot bean cooking.

Why it’s good

• The 500g bag is easier to store than a larger pulse pack.
• It provides enough beans for several meals without leaving a large quantity unused.
• The smaller format suits households that keep several different beans and lentils in rotation.
• The mild bean works across soups, stews, chilli-style dishes and salads.

Trade-off

Frequent users may find themselves replacing a 500g bag quite often.

How to use

• Rinse before cooking.
• Follow the packet preparation instructions carefully.
• Cook until tender for soups, casseroles or recipes where you want a creamy white bean texture.

Substitution

Move to a 1kg bag if haricot beans become a regular cupboard staple. Another clearly labelled 500g haricot bean also provides a straightforward replacement.

Sussex Wholefoods Organic Haricot Beans 500g

Best for: Shoppers who prefer an organic dried option in a manageable pack.

Why it’s good

• The 500g pack is practical for most household cupboards.
• The beans are sold as organic haricot beans, which helps shoppers specifically comparing organic-labelled pulses.
• Their mild flavour works well in soups, chilli-style dishes, salads and pâté-style bean spreads.
• The smaller pack makes sense if you use haricot beans alongside several other dried pulses.

Trade-off

A 500g organic pack may cost more per kilogram than a larger conventional bag.

How to use

• Rinse and prepare according to the packet guidance.
• Use for soups, casseroles and tomato-based dishes.
• Cook until the beans reach the softness needed for your recipe.

Substitution

Infinity Foods Organic Haricot Beans 500g is a similar organic-format alternative. If organic status is not essential, another plain dried haricot bean can also work.

Infinity Foods Organic Haricot Beans 500g

Best for: Shoppers wanting a straightforward single-bean organic option.

Why it’s good

• The listed ingredient is dried haricot beans.
• The 500g bag is easy to store and practical for occasional home cooking.
• Haricot beans absorb seasoning well, which makes them useful in casseroles, soups and tomato-based sauces.
• The product format is simple and easy to understand when you want plain dried beans without a mixed pulse blend.

Trade-off

The 500g size is less convenient for households that regularly cook large batches.

How to use

• Soak and simmer according to the current packet instructions.
• Use in homemade bean dishes, casseroles, salads or soups.
• Cook until soft enough for the dish rather than relying on one universal cooking time.

Substitution

Another 500g dried haricot bean is the closest replacement. Sussex Wholefoods is a practical alternative if you want to remain with an organic format.

How to choose haricot beans

For occasional cooking

A 500g bag is usually the best starting point. It gives you enough for several recipes while keeping cupboard storage simple.

Wholefood Earth, Sussex Wholefoods and Infinity Foods all offer the kind of pack size that suits this use.

For regular soups and casseroles

A 1kg pack is more convenient because haricot beans work well in large, batch-cooked dishes. Wholefood Earth’s larger format is the better fit when you already know you use them regularly.

For homemade baked bean-style dishes

Haricot beans are particularly suitable because this is the small white bean commonly associated with baked beans in the UK.

Starting with dried beans gives you control over the sauce, seasoning and final texture. Allow enough preparation time because dried beans are not a direct substitute for a ready-cooked tin.

For organic shopping

Sussex Wholefoods and Infinity Foods are both presented as organic options. If certification matters to your purchase, check the current pack for the latest certification information before buying.

For smaller kitchens

A 500g bag is easier to accommodate and can be decanted into a compact dry-food container once opened.

For batch cooking

Choose 1kg if soups, casseroles and white bean dishes are part of your regular meal planning. A larger bag saves repeated restocking and gives you enough beans for several batches.

Haricot beans versus navy beans

Haricot beans and navy beans are often used as overlapping names in the UK grocery market.

The small white bean commonly used for baked beans may be described as either haricot or navy beans. Some suppliers also use the haricot name for closely related white bean types, so checking the actual product description remains useful.

For most UK recipes asking for haricot beans, a clearly labelled small white haricot or navy bean is the closest match.

Haricot beans versus cannellini beans

They are not exactly the same.

Cannellini beans are usually larger and more elongated, with a slightly different texture. Haricot beans are smaller and are especially useful in baked bean-style dishes, soups and casseroles.

Cannellini beans can substitute in flexible white bean recipes, but they will change the size and texture of the finished dish.

Haricot beans versus butter beans

Butter beans are considerably larger and have a broader, flatter shape.

They can work in some stews and casseroles, but they do not replicate the smaller, creamier texture of haricot beans. Use another haricot bean if the recipe depends on the bean remaining small and evenly distributed.

Dried versus ready-cooked haricot beans

Dried haricot beans suit shoppers who want a long-life cupboard ingredient and regularly cook larger batches.

Ready-cooked beans are faster because most of the preparation has already been done. They make sense for quick soups, salads and weeknight meals.

The formats should not be compared by pack weight alone because dried beans increase substantially in weight during cooking.

Availability and substitutions

Haricot beans are available through UK wholefood shops, supermarket marketplace ranges and specialist dried pulse sellers, although exact brands and pack sizes can change.

The safest substitute is another clearly labelled dried haricot bean. Moving between 500g and 1kg is usually easier than changing bean variety.

Navy beans can also be a practical substitute because the names commonly overlap. Cannellini beans are a secondary option for flexible soups and casseroles, but they will give a different size and texture.

FAQs

What are haricot beans used for?

They work well in baked bean-style dishes, soups, casseroles, stews, chilli-style meals, salads and bean purées.

Their mild flavour makes them particularly good at taking on tomato, herb and spice-based seasonings.

Are haricot beans the same as navy beans?

The names are commonly used for the same or very similar small white bean in UK grocery contexts.

If a recipe asks for one and you find the other, check the pack description to make sure the beans are the same small white type.

Are haricot beans used for baked beans?

Yes. Haricot beans are the classic small white bean associated with baked beans in the UK.

Do dried haricot beans need soaking?

Preparation instructions vary between products. Follow the current directions on the packet you buy.

Are haricot beans the same as cannellini beans?

No. Cannellini beans are generally larger and have a somewhat different texture.

They can work as substitutes in some flexible dishes, but they do not give exactly the same result.

Are haricot beans the same as butter beans?

No. Butter beans are much larger and have a different texture and appearance.

Should I buy 500g or 1kg?

Choose 500g for occasional cooking, smaller households or limited cupboard space.

A 1kg bag is more convenient if you regularly make soups, casseroles or other bean-based meals.

Can I use ready-cooked haricot beans instead of dried?

Yes, in many recipes, but the cooking method and quantity will need adjusting because ready-cooked beans have already absorbed water and softened.

What should I check before buying?

Check the bean variety, pack size, ingredient list, preparation instructions and storage guidance.

If organic status or specific dietary requirements matter to you, check the latest label rather than relying only on the front of the pack.

How should dried haricot beans be stored?

Keep them somewhere cool and dry according to the packet instructions. Once opened, a suitable airtight container can make larger packs easier to manage.

Conclusion

The best haricot beans depend mainly on how often you cook with them and how much cupboard space you have. Pack size, bean clarity, preparation requirements and recipe versatility are more useful buying criteria than simply choosing the largest bag.

Wholefood Earth Haricot Beans 1kg is the strongest overall option for regular users because the larger dried format suits soups, casseroles and batch cooking.

Wholefood Earth Haricot Beans 500g is the better fit for occasional cooks, while Sussex Wholefoods Organic Haricot Beans 500g and Infinity Foods Organic Haricot Beans 500g are useful alternatives for shoppers specifically comparing organic options.

If your preferred pack is unavailable, another clearly labelled dried haricot bean is the safest substitute. Navy beans can also be worth checking because the two names commonly overlap in UK grocery ranges.