Creamy, garlicky, and perfect for scooping up with warm bread, these ‘Marry Me’ white beans turn a couple of cans of beans into a gorgeous dinner. Buttery white beans are coated in a rich parmesan cream sauce with tangy sun-dried tomatoes and spinach, then get a drizzle of spicy chili oil to finish. Ready in 15 minutes, made in one pot, it’s quick, cozy comfort food for any day of the week.
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‘Marry Me’ White Beans, at a Glance
⏰ Time: 15 minutes
🍽️ Makes: 4 servings
🛒 Key Ingredients: White beans, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, parmesan, cream, spinach
🧠 Skill Level: Beginner-friendly
👩🍳 Cooking Method: One pot, stovetop
💃 Perfect For: Busy weeknights, cozy lunches, meal prep, speedy dinners
For Anyone Who Thinks Beans Aren’t Dinner
I like to think of these very lovely beans as a higher-protein, creamy gnocchi dupe 👀 You get that same, lovely, comfort-food-esque vibe, with the buttery beans swimming in the most gorgeous sauce. And my boyfriend (who swears a bowl of beans isn’t a real meal) absolutely loves this recipe and always goes back for seconds.
I’ve even had someone tell me their super-picky 12-year-old loved it too, so if that’s not a solid endorsement, I don’t know what is.
If you’ve had creamy Tuscan chicken or the original, viral ‘Marry Me’ chicken, you’ll recognize the flavors here. You’ve got that rich, garlicky parmesan cream sauce laced with sun-dried tomatoes, and a handful of baby spinach for a pop of green. I always finish the beans with a drizzle of spicy chili oil – it cuts through the creaminess and adds just the right amount of heat. Highly recommend if you like a little kick.
And while the name ‘Marry Me’ will never be my favorite, there’s no denying the flavors. If you’re into these creamy, umami-packed, tomato-and-garlic vibes, try some of my other Marry Me-inspired recipes:
- One-pot ‘Marry Me’ chickpeas (super similar!)
- ‘Marry Me’ crispy rice salad
- One-pot ‘Marry Me’ chicken gnocchi
- One-pot ‘Marry Me’ orzo
- Oozy, creamy ‘Marry Me’ chicken dip
- Speedy ‘Marry Me’ chicken pasta
“I’ve made these twice now! Omg, I want to marry myself. Lol, I’m vegetarian so I use vegetarian Asiago with a rosemary and olive oil rind. I throw the whole damn slice in! Xoxo”
Ingredients You’ll Need
- White beans. Fiber-filled and delicious, these guys are a protein powerhouse. You can use canned beans because they’re cheaper, but I love jarred ones for superior flavor. I’m using butter beans, but you can use chickpeas, cannellini beans, or even Kidney beans if that’s what you can find.
- Cream. Regular heavy (double) cream is fine, or use sour cream for a little more tang. You can also absolutely use your favorite plant-based cream – I’ve had lots of readers tell me they’ve used oat cream, coconut cream, or thick coconut milk, and it’s worked perfectly.
- Sun-dried tomatoes. Look for semi-dried tomatoes in olive oil for their superior texture and flavor (they’re a little softer), but regular sun-dried tomatoes will be absolutely fine. I also love using the marinating oil from the jar to cook with in the recipe. You can also use sun-dried tomato pesto as a little shortcut.
- Chili flakes. Skip these if you’re worried about the beans being spicy, or reduce the quantity to ½ teaspoon.
How to Make ‘Marry Me’ Beans
This is a step-by-step photo overview of how to make the creamy beans – you’ll find the full ingredient quantities and directions at the bottom of the page.
- Cook your diced onion until it’s nice and soft, then add the garlic.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, dried herbs, and chili flakes. Stir them through the onion and garlic.
- Pour in the cream, white beans, and parmesan. Stir to combine.
- Simmer the beans for a few minutes to thicken up the sauce, then scatter your spinach leaves on top.
- Stir the spinach through the creamy beans so the leaves wilt into the sauce. Add black pepper and more salt if it needs it (taste to check).
- Drizzle with lots of lovely chili oil and more parmesan to serve.
Watch How to Make ‘Marry Me’ White Beans
‘Marry Me’ Beans FAQs
You can! Much like pasta, the beans will continue to absorb liquid when they’re sitting in the sauce, so if you’re reheating them, you’ll need to add a little water to loosen things up – start with a couple of tablespoons.
You can heat this in the microwave for a couple of minutes, stirring halfway through, or reheat it on the stovetop. They also freeze brilliantly.
You could use any other bean – chickpeas (garbanzos) would be delicious, as would any other white bean (like cannellini, great northern, or Navy beans) or even Kidney beans.
Yes! I’ve had readers have fabulous results using coconut milk, coconut cream, oat cream, cashew, or almond cream for a dairy-free version. You could also skip the parmesan or use a vegan alternative (nutritional yeast works well too).
A non-negotiable for me is some lovely fresh bread on the side for dipping. I recommend this gorgeous no-knead chili cheese focaccia or no-knead rosemary parmesan bread, or you could quickly make some two-ingredient dough garlic flatbreads. They also pair well with more protein – try them with miso grilled chicken, honey harissa grilled chicken, sticky gochujang chicken, miso grilled salmon or even this juicy herb-roasted chicken.
Any other leafy green will work well – try kale or chard – or you can throw in other greens like chopped broccoli, asparagus, or even frozen peas.
You can, but the flavor will be a little different. I recommend using full-fat Greek yogurt – fat-free yogurt is more likely to split and it’ll make the sauce grainy. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool slightly before stirring the yogurt in at the end, rather than adding it at the cream stage.
Roasted red peppers or pimentos make a lovely swap for the sun-dried tomatoes. Chop them and add them at the same stage of the recipe.
Like this recipe? Try these easy one-pot ideas next
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a recipe rating and a comment below. And remember to tag @DishedByKate on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day 😊.
Creamy ‘Marry Me’ White Beans (15 Minutes, One Pot)
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the onion and garlic.Heat 1 tablespoon of the sun-dried tomato oil in a high-sided skillet over medium heat, then add the diced onion and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring, for about five minutes or until the onion is soft and starting to change color (it'll look more transparent). Add the crushed garlic cloves and stir through the onion.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes and cream.Add ½ cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon chili flakes or red pepper flakes. Stir, then pour in ½ cup of cream and stir again.
- Add the white beans.Add the white beans with their liquid (using the starchy bean juice is a great trick to create a luscious sauce – it’s like pasta water in that way – but if you want to drain your beans, you'll need to add roughly ½ cup of water or stock to loosen up the sauce). Add ½ cup of grated parmesan, then stir again. Simmer the beans for about five minutes to thicken the sauce slightly.
- Add the spinach.Scatter your spinach leaves into the pan, then mix them through the beans (they'll wilt and reduce in size drastically). Add a nice grind of black pepper and then taste and add a little more salt if it needs it.
- Garnish and serve.Finish by drizzling the chili oil all over the beans, then scatter over the remaining parmesan. Serve while hot, with fresh bread for mopping up the lovely sauce.
absolutely delicious. i skipped the cream by choice.
So pleased you loved it!! And great it works just as well without the cream xx Kate
Literally one of the most delicious dishes I’ve ever eaten! My whole family loves it too! Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
Perfect to whip up quickly , tons of flavour that blends beautifully . Family begs me to make it !
Can I swap out the cream for fat free plain Greek yogurt?
Hi Christine! You can, but it’ll be a little tangier and less rich than the cream version. Fat-free Greek yogurt can split when it’s heated, so I’d take the pan off the heat and let it cool slightly before stirring it in at the end, instead of adding it when the cream is added in the recipe. Thanks so much, Kate xx
Did the recipe change? I made it a while ago and I feel like it’s different. Maybe I’m wrong. Let me know!~
Hi Jade! I haven’t changed the recipe itself, but I have updated the design of the recipe box, so that might be why it looks a little different! Was there a particular ingredient or step you remember being different? V happy to help 😊 Kate xx
I’ve made this at least three times over the past few months, and very rarely do I leave reviews because of logging in, creating an account, etc. But this is a delicious recipe! Great for meal prep for my husband. And the flavors are even better the next day after they meld together.
This has COMPLETELY made my day Sarah!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review 🥹 So, so happy you and your husband love it as much as I do xx Kate
Delish! Thought about adding some chorizo but full of flavour without it. I’m mainly vegetarian. My husband had these delicious beans with a steak and enjoyed the combo. Will definitely make it again. Thank you.
Hi Elizabeth! This makes me so happy to hear 😍 Agree – I’m always tempted to add chorizo or bacon, but it really does work well by itself doesn’t it! Love that your husband enjoyed them with a good steak though xx Kate