These Crock Pot Baked Beans are made from scratch, super easy, and loaded with bacon. Delicious navy beans are loaded with bacon, onions, bell peppers, tomato sauce, spices, and of course bacon to give you a delicious side dish that’s perfect for barbecues!
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Crock Pot Baked Beans
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I’ve never been too crazy about baked beans but will eat them with my burger if served at a barbecue. With this crock pot baked beans recipe, I like to sometimes even add a spoonful onto my burger! Unheard of, right?
Sometimes baked beans are made with what seems like a gallon of sugar or just taste like they’re from a can. Is it too much to ask for baked beans that don’t taste like a dessert and are made from scratch?!
With this Crock Pot Baked Beans recipe, the answer is no! These are perfectly sweetened, are loaded with bacon, and they’re made using dried beans. No cans here and still super easy.
So, despite being called “crock pot baked beans”, these aren’t actually baked which is awesome because then you don’t heat up the whole house when it’s already 100+ degrees outside!
If I am planning a barbecue, I like to throw these in the crock pot in the morning while I make potato salad and my other side dishes. Once it’s time to grill, your crock pot baked beans will be ready to serve! It could not be easier.
Which Beans Do You Use to Make Baked Beans?
This crock pot baked beans recipe uses dried navy beans which means you’ll need to prep the beans by rinsing and then soaking them overnight. Or if you’re forgetful like me, you can do the quick method where you boil them for an hour!
Then all you have to do is cook the bacon with the onion and green pepper, add in the other ingredients and place it all in the slow cooker to work it’s magic. Eight hours later, your home will smell of sweet beans and bacon and you won’t be able to resist stealing a spoonful or three!
I find the addition of onions and green peppers to really finish off the dish and bring everything together.
Even if you are not barbecuing, baked beans make a great side dish for Mexican night, or even as a quick snack! Try adding some hot dogs for a delicious treat.
This easy baked beans recipe is bound to impress at your next barbecue. Serve your Crock Pot Baked Beans alongside some juicy burgers or Baby Back Ribs and you’ll be in barbecue heaven. Enjoy!
Crock Pot Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 3 cups dried navy beans
- 1 pound bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced, optional
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup molasses
- 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
Instructions
- Rinse the beans and then soak overnight (at least 8 hours) or boil for 1 hour. Drain and then add to the slow cooker.
- In a large skillet, cook bacon, onion, and bell pepper (optional) over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until bacon fat renders enough to soften the onion.
- Stir in the salt, mustard, black pepper, cayenne pepper, tomato sauce, brown sugar, and molasses and then add it all to the slow cooker with the beans. Mix in the broth and then cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until beans are tender. Stir occasionally if possible.
- If you want the sauce thicker, let the beans cook on high uncovered for the last 30 minutes
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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More sides to enjoy at your barbecue:
Do I drain the bacon or does all the bacon grease go into the beans?
No need to drain the bacon Gord. Enjoy!
Made this yesterday. Excellent recipe. Beans were tender and not mushy. Very flavorful – not sweet. Only changes: Used smoked pepper.
That sounds like a delicious change, Rose! Thanks for sharing.
Just made the beans, turned out very good!! I know everyone will love them tomorrow at our cookout. Thank you for the recipe
I really liked this recipe and will definitely use it again Made 2 slight changes. Although I love bacon, my daughter was visiting and is vegetarian, so I decided to substitute one large turkey sausage link. I squeezed the meat from the casing, and browned in a bit of olive oil. Then continued with the onions etc. After about 7 hours on low in the slow cooker, the beans were close to being cooked, but was quite soupy. Since I had a pot luck to go to, I decided to finish them in the oven. Put the crock pot with lid on, into a preheated 325 oven or @ 90 minutes. They were perfect, thick, slightly browned and delicious. There were zero leftovers
So glad to hear that everyone loved the beans! We really enjoy them. They’re definitely perfect for a pot luck!
These were not done in 8 hours very disappointing had to cook something else for supper..
Oh no Earl, how disappointing! I can’t say why that may have happened, as ours have cooked in the 8 hours. Hope you were able to enjoy them the next day!
can I cook these beans on high on my crockpot? If I can how long will it take to cook? If I can cook it on high will the beans have the same flavor as if I cooked it on low?
We’ve only made the recipe as listed Yolanda. If you try cooking them on high, I would reduce your time by half and watch them carefully. It may affect the flavor but let us know how it turns out.
The video shows chicken broth, the recipe says veggie broth. Which is right or can be either or?
For this recipe, I use both interchangeably. I’ve noted that. Thank you Cathy! Enjoy the beans, they’re so easy and delicious!
can i substitute northern beans for the navy beans.
While I haven’t tried it, I think that will work just fine.
It doesn’t say what the temperature is set at on the crockpot. Is it cooked for 8 hours on low or on high?
In step 3, it indicates to cook on low for 8 hours.
used honey as the sweetener and no molasses . hope it takes good still 🙂
I’m sure it will Chrissy!
Wad wondering if you have come up with an instant pot version of this ?
I haven’t tried it in the Instant Pot yet Wendy. Let us know if you try it!
I am surprised that the beans don;t have to be fully cooked before adding them to the recipe. My understanding is that anything acidic will halt the cooking process of the beans, I have had it happen to me. Recipe looks good thpugh 🙂