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Baked Beans don’t have to be boring and from a can, Baked Beans in the Slow Cooker takes a classic recipe to a whole new level! The rich aroma, savory flavors, touch of sweetness and simplicity of using a crock pot make them irresistible. Perfect for all your summer cookouts!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Effortless Cooking: Just toss all your ingredients in a slow cooker and let it do the work for you! Especially if you’re making these during the summer, it’s so convenient to not have to stand over a hot stovetop!
- Versatile: Perfect as a side dish for barbecues, potlucks, or even as a main course just like my Summer Pasta Salad recipe!
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Make your baked beans in advance and enjoy later! The flavors only get better with time.
- Full of Flavor: These baked beans are the perfect balance of sweet and saucy. My kids could eat beans for every meal. They’re obsessed. If yours are too, try these Pressure Cooker Pinto Beans or Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas.
- Vegetarian: This baked beans recipe is a hearty, delicious vegetarian option that everyone will love!
The Ingredients
- Small onion: You’ll sauté the onions before adding them to the slow cooker. They provide a savory base flavor for the beans.
- Small white beans: The main ingredient! We use dried beans for this recipe and cook them low and slow. Any white or Great Northern bean variety will work fabulously in this.
- Tomato paste: Instead of ketchup we use tomato paste to add that delicious tomatoey, tangy flavor.
- Maple syrup: This adds a touch of natural, rich sweetness to the beans without being overly sweet.
- Molasses: This ingredients adds a slightly smoky, complex sweetness.
- Dijon mustard: Adds more tanginess with a little spicy note.
- Vegetable broth and water: Cooking the beans in vegetable broth and water adds more flavor to the cooking liquid.
Variations and Substitutions
- For a meatier option: Cook 4 pieces of chopped bacon with the onions for a meaty, smokier version of this recipe. You could also add cut up hot dogs in the last few minutes to cook through.
- Sweeteners: Swap maple syrup for light brown sugar or coconut sugar if you need.
- More Heat: Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a small diced jalapeño pepper (at your own risk!).
- Chicken Broth: If you don’t need this recipe to be vegetarian, you can use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth.
How to Make Baked Beans in the Slow Cooker
Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a saute pan, add the onions and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 2: Transfer the onions to a crock pot, add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Step 3: Cook on low for 8-10 hours or 6-8 hours on high or until the beans are tender.
Storing Tips
- Refrigerate: You can store leftover baked beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: To freeze baked beans, place cooled beans in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheat: Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a splash of water or broth if they need to be loosened up a bit.
Serving Suggestions
Looking for delicious ideas to serve with your next big batch of baked beans? Here are some of my favorites:
- Summer BBQs: Baked beans are the perfect side dish for summer BBQs. Serve them with juicy burgers, marinated chicken, DIY hot dogs, or southern-style pork tenderloin for a classic pairing.
- Baked Potato Topping: Add baked beans on top of a baked potato with some shredded cheese for an English-inspired “jacket potato.”
- Cornbread: Baked beans and basic cornbread are a match made in heaven, offering a comforting and hearty meal.
FAQs
Yes! This baked beans recipe can be made in a pressure cooker really easily. Here’s how: lock the lid of your pressure cooker and cook for 60 minutes at high pressure. Once the cook time is finished, allow the pressure to naturally release for at least 10 minutes. Then, release the remaining pressure, remove the lid and serve.
Absolutely! Store them in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
More Slow Cooker Recipes
Baked Beans tend to fly under the radar a bit at a potluck or barbecue, but this crockpot baked beans recipe will be the star of the show wherever you take it. If you make these, let me know what you think by leaving a rating and comment below!
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Baked Beans in the Slow Cooker
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 pound small dried white beans
- 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 32-ounce box vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a saute pan, add the onions and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes.
- Transfer the onions to a crock pot, add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours or 6-8 hours on high or until the beans are tender. See notes for pressure cooker instructions.
I used great northern beans (without soaking) and they never got soft. They ended up hard and dried. I definitely recommend soaking first. Next time I will try the white pea beans!!
I find the differing results so ODD. I also used Great Northern beans (small white beans) pre-soaked for 4 hours, and they turned out GREAT.
In the past I’ve made baked beans (again, Great Northern) in the crock pot WITHOUT soaking, and it turned out fine that way too, though I think it took a little longer for them to soften. Because of comments here, I thought I’d soak this time just to be safe. I have to say though, I think the beans are better with a pre-soak.
Thank you for a wonderful recipe – so tasty!! 🙂
Had to throw out the batch I made, hard and dry…and I quick soaked the beans beforehand. Used Great Northerns from Whole Foods. I literally cooked them for almost 24 hours in the slow cooker, and they never got soft…ugh! The sauce was tasty, though. Maybe will use canned next time. Oh well!
When I try these again I will soak them first – any tips on soaking beans? I have never done this before. ie – how long? do I add anything to the water? heat at all? Thanks!
I used small white beans from the bulk bin and they turned out just fine without presoaking.
Great recipe! You’ve done it again! Mine turned out really yummy and only took about 8 hrs before the beans were soft. I read all the previous posts about beans still crunchy and was a bit worried, but I used white pea beans and they’re terrific!
Yes but depending on how big they are , you may need to soak them. I used small white beans
Whole foods only had navy beans. Will these work Catherine?
I also used the great northern beans and it took a lot longer, but eventually they turned out great. My 10 month old loved these beans!
You didn’t miss anything Karen, I am sure you figured out.
These really need to be pre-soaked.
I didn’t think about it til after I dumped everything in, then a light bulb went off: “Wait- I didn’t soak the beans, what was I thinking?” I just blindly went along with the recipe. That was a mistake. I had these going for 10 hours on slow cook, with a couple hours extra after and the beans were still tough. I tossed the batch out, and will be re-making another time, with soaked beans. (The sauce was tasty, btw.)
Mine are still crunchy too. And they are not old… I bought them yesterday. I hope they are ready in 4 hours for dinner tonight. I’ve turned them up to high to see if that helps. I am wondering if I bought the wrong kind of bean. They didn’t have anything called a “white bean” at the store. I got “Great Northern Beans” that google said was in the “white bean” family. I am wondering if they are bigger than the ones Catherine used.
I thought it was common knowledge that you are not supposed to cook beans with salt because it is the salt that prevents them from totally cooking, e.g., staying “crunchy”. I will try again and add the salt at the end or presoak?
I have been cooking these in my dutch oven on the stove top on low for 11 hours now and the beans are still very hard. Did I miss something? The sauce tastes good but the beans are crunchy.
I can’t wait to try this recipe! My 17 month old is fairly picky, but he seems to like stews and anything sweet. This may just be the perfect combination!
This looks great! I cant’t wait to try it, it’s been so long since i’ve had homemade baked beans.
I have never had homemade baked beans. can’t wait to try them!!!