Crockpot Baked Beans and Dry Beans

This Crockpot baked beans recipe is homemade using dry beansand so much better than canned! They take longer than our Instant Pot baked beans but if you want a one pot side dish cooked all day this is the one for you. You'll never buy them at the store again after trying these.

We wish we could describe how good this Crockpot baked beans recipe from scratch is. If you could smell it now, you'd know. Make them spicy or keep them sweet, adjust to your liking until they are solid for you. Find this and more on our Crockpot recipes page.

Crockpot Baked Beans with Dry Beans

Sweet and savory packed with bacon and brown sugar, they are WAY better than buying them at the store. We guarantee you'll never buy canned again after having a few bites of these. Baked beans from scratch are a game changer. You can adjust how sweet they are with brown sugar or make them spicy with red pepper flakes.

You can use whatever type of dried beans you like for this, some use navy while others like Northern. The cook time is about the same for them all as long as you soak them overnight first. Then fold together the rest of the ingredients and let them get tender while you bbq or cook your main meal other ways.

Let's talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off we have a few different varieties and we love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

1. This is our favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it's great for bringing to a potluck too.
2. We prefer not to use liners, but rather spray olive oil inside before adding our food for easier cleanups.

Let us give you a peek of our pretty thang we bought recently. It goes with our kitchen so we can leave it out on the countertop all the time.

Yes we have a lot of easy slow cooker recipes for dinner, but side dishes are the best! Why?? Because you can keep them warm for hours during the holidays so everyone can eat, eat, eat all day long. It's handy when you're going to a potluck too. cook these at home lock the lid on your slow cooker and take it to your destination. You won't have to take room up in your hosts oven to warm it up, the pot will do all the work for you.

Slow Cooker Baked Beans Ingredients

Ideally you are going to want to use a bag of dry Great Northern beans. For this timing and the ultimate texture you MUST be soaked for 12 hours the night before!

You want quite a bit of cool Water to soak your beans the night before. You need at least twice the amount to cover them as they will soak it in and expand quite a bit overnight.

1. Bacon is optional but wonderful
2. Onions diced are optional
3. Tomato paste for a thicker sauce
4. Brown sugar to make it sweet
5. Molasses is wonderful too
6. If you'd like to add some heat, chili powder is a good choice.

What beans are in baked beans?

Canned baked beans are used as a convenience food but can be doctored up when done all sorts of ways. For instance our baked bean casserole adds meat, you could sweeten with pie filling or pineapple tidbits.. Most commercially canned baked beans are made from haricot beans, otherwise known as navy beans in a sweet sauce. Northern beans are used often too, that is what we chose for our crockpot baked beans from scratch.

Why are baked beans called baked?

Well, they were originally called this because the can was first filled with blanched beans, then the sauce, then the can was sealed with a lid and cooked. Yes, canned baked beans are cooked inside the sealed can! The original recipe for Heinz beans was based on Boston beans, so they used to contain pork too.

In this case we are going to soak them first, and then cook them in our slow cooker for a better part of the day. This process will make them super tender, and with a TON of flavor as they cook in the sauce itself.

Do you need to soak beans for the Crockpot?

Yes. Pre soaking dry beans beforehand is necessary. Most prefer this anyway because it's better for digesting purposes. There are typically instructions for this on the back of each bag but you will want a minimum of 4 hours to up to 12. That means the best way to do this is submerge yours in a bowl and you can let them sit overnight.

Then in the morning you can whisk everything together well and start cooking. That way it will take a bit less time because they've soaked longer and will be ready when the rest of your meal is ready to be served.

Can You Make Baked Beans with Canned Beans?

If you would like to make these faster use canned pork and beans or a mix of a few canned beans like Northern and Pinto. Canned will be much softer, but everyone has a preference so do what you think you'll like best.

• start from step 3 in the recipe below and get going!
• You will still want to cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat on your stovetop before adding. Then make your slow cooker baked beans from there, but decrease time to 4 -6 hours on low
• We will say that using dry beans is better as far as overall texture goes.

For a printable Crock pot recipe for baked beans, see below. It has nutritional information on it as well like saturated fat, calories and such. It is calculated by the card itself so unsure of it's accuracy but enjoy it y'all!!

REMEMBER: You MUST soak the dry beans for 12 hours the day before cooking these on low for 6-8 hours! If you use canned beans you can skip this step.

Crockpot Baked Beans Recipe with Dry Beans

By This Crockpot baked beans recipe with dry beans is homemade from scratch, and so much better than canned! You'll never buy them at the store again after trying these. Prep: 15 minutes minsCook: 7 hours hrsServings: 12 Save Recipe Saved! Pin Recipe Comment Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

• 6 cup water, for soaking beans, this is a MUST if beans are dry
• 16 oz Northern beans, dry
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cup water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 pinch salt
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 16 oz bacon, diced

Instructions

• Rinse dry beans to remove debris, soak in 6 cups of water for 12 hours. This is a must. If you use canned beans you can skip this step.
• After this time drain water from beans in bowl.
• Pour soaked beans on top in an even layer, then sprinkle diced onions on top of beans.
• In a small bowl whisk together your 3 cups of water, brown sugar, and molasses until smooth. Pour this into your slow cooker, do not stir.
• Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hours or until beans are as tender as you'd like.
• Check at 6 hours for tenderness, taste, and add salt as needed.
• Cook diced bacon on stovetop so fat renders down and it is somewhat crispy, add this into your crockpot with your tomato paste.
• Stir, set lid on for 30 minutes to warm it all together and serve.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side DishCuisine: American Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

Kitchen questions

What else can you add to baked beans to make them better?

1. A bit of maple syrup2. Liquid smoke 3. Barbecue sauce4. Some like to add precooked ground beef instead of bacon5. We actually love 1/2 cup of feta on the side to sprinkle on top

How long do homemade baked beans last?

They will remain fresh and edible for at least five days when you store them in the refrigerator. The longer they sit in the cold the thicker they will get that will likely need to be thinned out with a bit of barbecue sauce when reheated. Always use an airtight container with leftovers. In the freezer they have the ability to last for as long as six whole months.

Serve it with

For protein we love this with Traeger chicken thighs. they are nice and tender so you can enjoy everything together around the same time. Serve these beans with coleslaw or Instant Pot potato salad and air fryer cornbread.

• If you want another slightly different side dish we would go with Crockpot black eyed peas.
• Try crockpot baked potatoes for another great Crockpot side dish.