This is a great baked bean recipe and what makes it great are the Rancho Gordo beans. These are heirloom beans from the Napa Valley and IMO it’s worth the effort to order them (https://www.ranchogordo.com/products/yellow-eye-beans). Here’s the recipe (http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/baked-beans-maple-glazed-bacon).
I use B&M beans for a base & have been unsuccessful replicating it to the kids satisfaction with any other brand, for one large can of B&M I:
cut into small pieces, 4 slices of bacon, saute until about 85% done, most of the white not flabby
And diced onion, about an equal amount as the bacon (maybe a cup)
cook until softened
add the beans
add two swirls of molasses, so hold the jar above the can and swirl around twice
add a small handful of brown sugar
add a small cereal spoon of coleman’s dried mustard
stir, bring up to full heat
let them cool
add more of the sweet or spicey ingredients as that batch calls for
the fam adores them
After I joked that one could make baked beans with Coca Cola I googled several recipes for, um, baked beans with Coca Cola. Which are probably delicious.
Ok, all that does sound luscious. But Fang, I’m with you on how crazy unhealthy all those adds are. I love minimalist beans. Or lightly rinse them off (ime, the beans will still be flavored,) mash some portion and mix it back in, which makes them a bit saucy. I’ve added some light broth, spices and/or yellow mustard.
Not to sound like a total party pooper, I’ll admit to adding a little Schweppes ginger ale, at times.
What we take to a party and what we eat on a daily basis are typically different. I never make that bean recipe for just us.
Mom used to make homemade baked beans with the leftover cooked Easter Ham bone.
She would add 2 12oz bags dried Navy / Pinto Beans and 1 bag lentils, and soak about 8 hrs overnight in about 4 qts water (enough to cover the bone and the beans) with 1 tsp salt, then drain all but 2 cups of the water in the morning, then would add
1/2 cup grape jelly,
1 small chopped onion,
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mustard
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
She would start baking on very low heat in the covered dutch oven around 8AM, after breakfast, and it would be ready for her lunch, but she’d keep it warm until dinner.
I think a key to not TOO much sugar, but lots of flavor is to use a good combination of sweet/savory (in the form of bacon, onion, jalapeno, etc.) creating a fair amount of liquid and then cooking slow and long to develop the flavors and have the liquid thicken.
Molasses. More flavor, when cooking from scratch.
The recipe I use, doubled or tripled for a big crowd:
1 pound dried great Northern pea beans or Navy bean
12 cups cold water
2 tsp salt
1/2 lb salt pork
1 med whole onion (I use more, I like onion)
4 TBS brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 cups boiling water or more if needed
It involves soaking overnight, then boiling, then baking. It also calls for a bean pot. 
I don’t have one, so I use a LeCreuset cast iron dutch oven of varying size, depending on how much I’m cooking. We found an oldfashioned electric bean cooker at the GoodWill last year, so for this year’s bean supper I might use that.
Past the editing deadline…
The recipe is from Durgin Park, the famous Boston restaurant.
I add some Worcestershire, as the spirit moves me.