On May 20, I saw that Bush’s Baked Beans was selling a three-pack of limited edition summer flavors: apple pie, dill pickle, and rocket pop. Right away, I knew I had to try them. I’m not overly enthusiastic about baked beans per se: I’ll eat them at the potluck, but I don’t seek them out. But I am enthusiastic about all the new apple pie and rocket pop flavors coming out this summer, and I enjoy pickles. So I went on the Bush’s website and bought the box that morning. It was very generously priced at $5.25 to commemorate Memorial Day on 5/25.

The box sold out on the website, but never fear if you missed out. The apple pie and dill pickle flavors are available exclusively at Walmart stores, and the rocket pop flavor is available from the Walmart website. (You will, however, miss out on the snazzy can opener and can sleeve that came in the Bush’s box.)

All three flavors have the usual comforting texture of Bush’s Baked Beans, with soft navy beans and a viscous syrup. The flavor is the only thing that’s innovative here. Interestingly, the apple pie and dill pickle are both labeled as vegetarian, but the rocket pop includes pork stock.

Apple Pie

When I open the can of apple pie beans, it smells like my mother’s mince pie on Thanksgiving. It’s a combination of spice, fruit, and a little bit of savoriness.

The taste, on the other hand, is not as strong. There are definite spices and a hint of apple flavor, but nothing about it really tastes like apple pie. It’s much less hearty than original Bush’s Baked Beans. It’s not bad; it’s just a little bland.

Dill Pickle

The scent on the dill pickle one isn’t very strong, but there’s no mistaking the dill pickle flavor. It works well with the beans, and the saltiness and the slight sourness give it a robust quality. It’s not as sour as a real pickle, thankfully. I think this should be a permanent option.

I’m looking forward to eating the leftovers!

Rocket Pop

Rocket pop flavor consists of cherry, lime, and blue raspberry. When I open this can, it smells like candy. Oh no, what am I in for?

Baked beans are already sweet, since they’re made with brown sugar. But this flavor is sickeningly sweet. It tastes like a kid dropped their lollipop in the pot while the beans were cooking, and not even a good lollipop. There’s no way I could detect the individual cherry, lime, and raspberry flavors. They do not play well with the beans, so it’s just a generic fruity flavor, closer to a cough drop than an actual rocket pop.

I understand why they decided not to sell this flavor in stores.

Conclusion:

The box with the baked beans also includes pictures of hot dogs and lemonade. I’m not confident in Bush’s ability to make lemonade beans that would actually taste good, but a hot dog version could work. Maybe for 2027?

I love the creativity behind this project, and Bush’s got me to buy its beans, which I don’t normally do. I’m happy the brand did this, even if only one of the three flavors was successful.

Purchased Price: $5.25
Size: 27.9 oz can (Apple Pie), 26.9 oz can (Dill Pickle), 28 oz can (Rocket Pop)
Purchased at: Bush’s Beans website
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Apple Pie), 7 out of 10 (Dill Pickle), 3 out of 10 (Rocket Pop)
Nutrition Facts: (1/2 cup) Apple Pie – 160 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 360 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of dietary fiber, 13 grams of sugar including 10 grams of added sugar, and 7 grams of protein. Dill Pickle – 120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 500 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of dietary fiber, 4 grams of sugar including 1 gram of added sugar, and 7 grams of protein. Rocket Pop – 160 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 250 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of dietary fiber, 14 grams of sugar including 10 grams of added sugar, and 7 grams of protein.