Slow Cooker Baked Beans

In just a few minutes, get this Slow Cooker Baked Beans recipe into the crock pot to set it and forget it. Tender, sweet and perfectly flavored baked beans in no time at all.

 

Aw, beans. I know what song you are singing in your head because I am singing the same one! Beans are a traditional cookout side dish.

While it is super easy to pop open a can of baked beans, but it is equally easy to make your own.

Slow Cooker Baked Beans breaks my “10 minute set it and forget it” rule, but not by much. Only because of making delicious bacon and I’ll do just about anything for bacon.

However, I guess if they are made in a slow cooker, they are really simmered beans instead of baked beans, but you get the drift.

A medley of 4 different types of beans are slow cooked with bacon, brown sugar and mustard to make a flavorful side dish.

Slow Cooker Baked Beans Ingredients

• Beans – I use a medley of white beans, pinto beans, light red kidney beans and black beans. See my notes below for variations on different beans you can use.
• Ketchup – Most baked bean recipes have some sort of tomato base. I like to use ketchup because it’s always readily available at our house, plus it adds an element of sweet.
• Light brown sugar – We need to capture that signature sweetness that the best baked beans have. Brown sugar gives both that sweetness and a little flavor.
• Yellow mustard – To bring some acidity and brightness to our beans, I like to add a little yellow mustard. You could use Dijon for a different flavor if you’d like.
• Apple cider vinegar – You can really use any vinegar here, however I just love the flavor that apple cider vinegar has. It balances nicely with the other flavors of the dish.
• Worcestershire sauce – No matter how you pronounce it, Worcestershire has an incredible flavor that really sends this easy recipe over the top.
• Maple bacon – I love the flavor that the maple adds to the beans, but you can use regular bacon too. You can also omit the bacon, but this adds saltiness to the dish, so I would recommend adding a little salt to balance it. There’s no such thing as too much bacon.

How to Make Slow Cooker Baked Beans

1. Pour ingredients into slow cooker. Add white, pinto, light red kidney, black beans, ketchup, light brown sugar, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, water, Worcestershire sauce and bacon to slow cooker. 
2. Stir and cook. Give it a couple of quick stirs and then cook on low.

Variations

• Make on the stovetop – Just place all of your ingredients into a large saucepan or Dutch oven and simmer for 2 hours.
• Use dry beans – Start with 2 cups of each type of dry beans. Put them all in a large bowl, cover with water and set in the fridge for 6-8 hours. Pick up where the recipe starts off for the same results!
• Change up the beans – You can use one, four or anything between. I like to use a variety because it looks prettier and each bean as its own unique texture and taste. These are some great options: Great Northern beans, White Beans, Pink Pinto Beans, Pinto Beans, Kidney Beans, Black Beans, Navy Beans
• Flavor – If you’d like even more maple flavor, try adding a little maple syrup to your easy baked beans recipe. Alternatively, bay leaves, chili powder, dijon mustard or barbecue sauce would each make a great addition that changes the flavor up a bit.
• Make it heartier – To make this a little heartier, you could even throw in some ground beef. In addition to the beef, you could chop up a medium onion and throw that in as well.

Storage and Freezing

Beans are such a sturdy ingredient and can withstand a lot, including being made ahead and reheating. However, as with most recipes, they are best eaten within 24 hours of cooking. 

Store leftover beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week or freeze for up to 6 months. You take your pick of how to reheat them. Saucepan, crock pot, skillet, cast iron, baking dish, oven or even the microwave. It is pretty hard to hurt them! 

More slow cooker recipes

• Slow Cooker Beef Stew
• Crock Pot Chicken Tacos
• Slow Cooker Garlic Dill Mashed Potatoes
• Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken