Baked beans might seem as American as apple pie, but like apple pie they are also popular in many other parts of the world. In England baked beans are served on toast as a comfort food. In France baked beans are featured in a famous dish called cassoulet. They are also very popular in Sweden. Baking beans is a gentle way of cooking them and infusing them with flavor and recipes often call for brown sugar, maple syrup or molasses to sweeten them.