Homemade Slow Cooker Baked Beans

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/29/21
Tested by
Carrie Parente
Carrie Parente
Tested by Carrie Parente
Carrie is a food stylist and culinary producer who loves having a table full of guests.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Slow Cooker Baked Beans
The Spruce
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 8 hrs
Total: 8 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 12 to 16 servings

These slow cooker navy beans are flavored with a combination of ketchup, brown sugar, and molasses, along with chopped onion and seasonings. It's a very easy recipe to make in the slow cooker, and they go well with pulled pork barbecue, hot dogs, or chops.

The beans are soaked overnight. You could also use the quick-soak method described on the package of beans. If you have difficulty with beans in your slow cooker, it could be the acidic ingredients or salt, or it could be the hardness of the water or age of the beans. To avoid tough beans, simmer them on the stovetop in water until they're just tender and then drain them and add them to the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for an hour or two.

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Ingredients

  • 3 cups dried white navy beans, soaked overnight

  • 4 to 6 ounces raw salt pork, or bacon, about 6 strips, diced

  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped

  • 8 cups water

  • 1 cup ketchup

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

  • 1/4 cup molasses

  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Homemade baked beans ingredients
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  2. Drain the soaked beans and put them in the slow cooker with the salt pork or bacon, the onion, and 8 cups of water.

    Add beans, bacon, and water to slow cooker
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  3. Cover and cook on LOW for about 5 to 6 hours, or until tender.

    Cook beans in slow cooker until tender
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  4. In a bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, mustard, and salt.

    Combine ketchup, mustard and sugar in bowl
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  5. Remove and discard any excess liquid from the slow cooker with a ladle or large spoon so that the beans are just barely covered with liquid. Pour over the ketchup mixture and stir to blend. Continue cooking on LOW for 1 to 2 hours. Serve the beans with coleslaw and cornbread, if desired.

    Pour ketchup mixture over beans into crock pot
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Tips

  • When soaking beans, it is important to use a container that is large enough. Dry beans expand to 2 or 3 times their volume when rehydrated, so they will need much more space than is immediately apparent.
  • To soak your beans, cover your cleaned dry beans with abundant water (3 or 4 cups of water per cup of beans). Allow them to soak for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight, then drain and rinse them before cooking.
  • If you live at an altitude of 1,000 meters (about 3,300 feet) above sea level, your beans will take a little more soaking time to rehydrate than they will at sea level.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
223 Calories
9g Fat
31g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12 to 16
Amount per serving
Calories 223
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 9mg 3%
Sodium 628mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 7g 24%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 2mg 8%
Calcium 67mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 390mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)