13 Delicious Pinto Bean Substitutes

Pinto beans are one of the most widely consumed legumes. It is medium in size and brown in color, which lightens when cooked. Pinto has a creamy, rich flavor that goes nicely with a variety of cuisines.

While pinto beans are quite common, you may find yourself searching for good pinto bean replacements if you want to create a dish that asks for pinto beans but you don’t have any on hand.

Other legumes that may be substituted for pinto beans include black beans, cranberry beans, kidney beans, black turtle beans, chickpeas, lentils, cannellini beans, navy beans, cowpeas, Adzuki great northern beans, and lima beans.

Let’s discover more about these beans and how you may substitute them for pinto beans in your recipes!

What Are Pinto Beans?

Pinto beans are one of the most common beans in North, Central, and South America. They are well-known and widely used around the globe.

Pinto beans, like all other types of beans, are of average size; these legumes have a mottled brown and beige color that is quite appealing when dried. The hue of canned or completely cooked pinto beans is a solid light brown or beige.

Since they look similar and may all be used in similar dishes, pinto beans are sometimes mistaken for other beans such as cranberry or borlotti beans.

What Does Lima Beans Taste Like?

Unlike other legumes, lima beans have a silky, buttery, regal flavor that holds its flavor.

It’s worth noting that dried or fresh lima beans are much superior than canned lima beans; they’re more delectable, and their creamy texture and earthy taste shine through when properly prepared.

Also read: Kidney Beans vs Chili Beans

Best Pinto Beans Substitutes

1. Navy Beans

Navy beans earned their moniker as the US navy utilized them for troops’ lunches in the nineteenth century. They are also known as Boston pea beans and haricot beans.

This pinto bean alternative has a flat and oval form, a mild and creamy flavor, and a distinct hue. Navy beans are white when cooked, while pinto beans are light pink. Depending on the meal, incorporating navy beans may change the final hue.

Nonetheless, navy beans may be used in purees and soups, and they provide a creamy, rich taste to any dish. Since navy beans have a high calorie content and a high index of nutritional fiber, they are a perfect vegetarian option for pinto beans.

It is advised that you soak navy beans in cold water for approximately 3 hours before boiling them; this makes them simpler to prepare.

The beans soften after approximately 20 to 30 minutes of cooking, and the process of boiling and soaking the legumes helps eliminate all anti-nutritional components and reduces flatulence symptoms.

2. Black Beans

Without a doubt, black beans are the best option for pinto beans. In size, flavor, and texture, they are quite similar to pinto beans. They are black with a prominent white patch known as a keel.

Black beans are oval in form and small to medium in size, making them somewhat smaller than pinto beans.

It is worth mentioning that the deeper colored black beans may cause issues when creating a dish that requires a certain appearance.

You don’t need to change the recipe if you replace pinto beans with black beans in your recipes. Nevertheless, since dry black beans are easily undercooked, you should cook them slightly longer than dry pinto beans.

Since black beans have more protein, antioxidants, and fiber than pinto beans, they are also more healthy.

3. Chickpeas

Chickpeas are also an excellent substitute for pinto beans. They come in two varieties: the bigger, light tan Kabuli and the multicolored desi. They are delicious, healthy, and good for your health.

Chickpeas are widely utilized in a variety of cuisines, and their rich and nutty taste allows them to integrate nicely with a variety of sauces and meals.

These legumes also provide a range of vitamins and minerals to your body. Chickpeas are a significant supplement to many vegan diets due to their high protein and fiber levels.

It aids in blood sugar regulation and the prevention of a variety of chronic illnesses such as cancer and diabetes. If you want a more compact product, use mature chickpeas and shorten the cooking time by soaking the chickpeas overnight in water.

4. Lentils

Lentils are classified according to their color and are used in a broad range of Asian and North African recipes. Brown, black, yellow, red, and green lentils are the most frequent kinds.

This provides you a broad range of alternatives and meals to utilize lentils in. Lentils are not only very flexible, but also quite tasty, and they are widely available.

Their flavor varies depending on the variety of lentil; for example, brown lentils have an earthy flavor and do not disintegrate when cooked, but red lentils have a nutty and sweet flavor.

Lentils have a higher nutritional value than pinto beans since they include more calories and protein. They also aid in the healthy functioning of your heart and vascular system, thus include lentils in your regular diet will help avoid disorders such as hypertension.

Lentils, unlike pinto beans and other alternatives, do not need soaking in cold water before cooking. Nonetheless, give the legumes a thorough rinsing to remove any dirt and grits. You may add a little olive oil to the lentils while they simmer to make them more healthy.

5. Cranberry Beans

Cranberry beans, commonly known as borlotti beans, are a convenient substitution for pinto beans. These legumes originated in Italy but are now popular in many countries like Greece, Portugal, and Turkey.

Cranberry berry beans resemble pinto beans in appearance and may be mistaken for one another at first glance. Nonetheless, cranberry beans are substantially larger than pinto beans and have a somewhat distinct flavor.

Using cranberry beans instead of pinto beans replaces their nutty and earthy flavor with cranberries’ sweet, delicate, and subtly nutty bite, giving your meal a distinct flavor.

Cranberry beans offer several advantages, including muscle building, blood sugar regulation, digestive system improvement, and so on.

To keep cranberry beans soft and fluffy, only add salt after they have been properly cooked; otherwise, their skin may stiffen, making them harder to digest.

Keep an eye on the heat setting while you cook to prevent overcooking the beans, which can cause them to dissolve and result in a mushy meal.

6. Cannellini Beans

Cannellini beans, often known as Italian kidney beans, are a prominent component in Mediterranean cuisine, particularly Italian cuisines.

This is a white bean that has a distinct form and look from a pinto bean. This legume is kidney-shaped and has a milk hue that is comparable to navy beans.

These beans have a nutty, creamy taste and may be used in a variety of Italian meals, including bruschetta and pasta.

This component is high in nutrients, making it ideal for individuals on a diet. It aids in the reduction of blood sugar and blood pressure, hence promoting heart health.

Cannellini beans also help preserve your skin since they include antioxidants, vitamins C and E, which protect against UV damage.

It is advised, however, that you soak your cannellini beans for at least 5 hours before cooking them. Without soaking, the raw beans have a thick skin that will be difficult to soften.

7. Cowpeas

Cowpeas are another kind of legume that might be used in place of pinto beans. They have a creamy tint with a huge black patch that resembles an eye, thus the name black-eyed peas. Cowpeas is radically distinct from other forms of legumes, having a strong and salty taste.

This pea is high in nutritional fiber, making it a popular addition in vegan diets. They also have a higher protein and calorie content than pinto beans, making them a good substitute.

To shorten cooking time, clean the beans completely and soak them in water for 3 to 4 hours before cooking.

8. Adzuki Beans

Adzuki beans are most well-known and widely used throughout Asia, particularly in eastern Asia. It is also known as red beans or red mung beans and has a red-wine hue, while other varieties are black or pale yellow.

This opinion beans alternative has a nutty flavor and sweet taste that works nicely with sweetened porridge or mochi, two popular east Asian cuisines.

Adzuki beans are high in nutrients as well. 100g of beans contains up to 329 calories and about 35% of the daily protein requirement. It also includes antioxidants, which have anti-cancer and anti-osteoporosis properties.

Soaking the adzuki beans in cold water for 2 to 3 hours will aid in the removal of any anti-nutritional chemicals. This is highly recommended and should be completed prior to cooking the beans for around 2 hours.

9. Soybeans

Soybeans have a milky tint and an oval form, and when cooked, they have a creamy and moderately sweet flavor. It is popular in Chinese, Korean, and other eastern Asian cuisines.

Soybeans are distinct from other types of beans, such as pinto beans, in that they may be used to produce a creamy cup of milk as well as a tasty meal. Soymilk has a pleasant and delicate taste and is high in nutrients.

Soybeans are the most nutritious legume and contain twice as many calories as pinto beans.

It is a frequent component in many vegan and vegetarian cuisines, yet unlike pinto beans, soybeans only need to soak for around 3 hours before cooking. This will significantly cut the cooking time.

10. Kidney Beans

Kidney beans are quite popular all around the globe; they are flat, red, and medium in size. They are called kidney beans because they resemble a human kidney in appearance.

These beans, like pinto beans, have a mild and nutty taste. It may be used to add flavor to a variety of meals, such as curry or soup.

Kidney beans are high in nutrients, making them an excellent nutritious component for well-balanced recipes. It is ideal for people attempting to reduce weight while also controlling their blood and heart pressure levels.

Nevertheless, you should avoid eating raw kidney beans since they contain anti-nutritional substances that might harm your digestive system. As a result, it is recommended that the component be well cooked.

11. Great Northern beans

If you want to experience a cuisine with a distinct taste, Great Northern beans are an excellent substitute for pinto beans. Great Northern beans have a deep taste and will work nicely in recipes that call for pinto beans.

These beans are often used in stews, but they may also be found in bean soup and other bean dips.

12. Black turtle beans

Black turtle beans are a dark-colored alternative to pinto beans that will give your food a completely different appearance than pinto beans but with a comparable flavor and texture.

These beans are popular in Caribbean and South American cuisine and may be used as a side dish, stew, or soup.

When using black turtle beans in recipes, keep in mind that they may take somewhat longer to cook than pinto beans.

13. Lima beans

Lima bean is a legume produced for its sweet, edible seeds or beans. It is also known as the sieva bean, butter bean, double bean, chad bean, wax bean, or Madagascar bean.

Lima beans are also a good replacement for pinto beans. Because of their particular flavor and silky texture, lima beans are sometimes referred to as butter beans.

They may be used in any kind of bean meal, although they taste best as bean dips or side dishes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are cannellini beans the same as pinto beans?

No, pinto beans and cannellini beans are not the same thing! Cannellini beans have a nutty taste and a creamy white texture, whereas pinto beans are pink-mauve in color and become brown when cooked. Cannellini beans, often known as white beans, originated in Italy, and pinto beans originated in Mexico.

Are pinto beans and kidney beans the same?

Although though they come from the same plant species, Phaseolus vulgaris, or the common bean, kidney beans and pinto beans are not the same. Pinto beans are smaller than kidney beans. Pinto beans are oval in form, while kidney beans are kidney-shaped.

Can I substitute pinto beans for black?

Absolutely, pinto beans may be used in place of black beans in virtually any recipe. Dips, salads, casseroles, and stews may all be made using pinto beans.

Can I use pinto instead of cannellini beans?

Absolutely, cannellini beans can be used in place of pinto beans since they have a comparable flavor, texture, and size. Pinto beans, on the other hand, are creamier but not as hard as cannellini beans.

What’s the difference between pinto beans and black beans?

Pinto beans are softer and creamier than black beans, with a more earthy, nuttier, and rounder taste.