Homemade Slow Cooker Baked Beans are a tasty and inexpensive dinner menu addition. Skip canned baked beans and try this DIY side dish that's infused with bacon.

Slow cooker baked beans in a small white bowl.
Table of Contents
  1. Recipe ingredients
  2. Ingredient notes
  3. Step-by-step instructions
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Slow Cooker Baked Beans Recipe

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for slow cooker baked beans.

Ingredient notes

  • Navy beans: Baked Beans are traditionally made with navy beans, but you can use small white beans or super-size with great northern beans. To soak beans overnight, add 4 quarts water to a large bowl and add 1 pound of rinsed beans. Soak at least 8 hours. To quick-soak beans, add 1 pound of rinsed beans to a large saucepan and cover with 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes, then remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.
  • Molasses: This robust, sweet syrup accentuates the sweetness of the brown sugar (brown sugar is a mixture of cane sugar and molasses). I love the flavor that results from using brown sugar and molasses in a 2:1 ratio.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Drain soaked beans well. In small bowl, whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, and molasses.
The ingredients for homemade baked beans in a slow cooker before cooking.
  1. In the bottom of a slow cooker, add beans, water, bacon, celery, onion, and bay leaf. Add sauce and stir to combine.
The ingredients for homemade baked beans in a slow cooker before cooking.
  1. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours or LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or until beans are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Homemade baked beans in a slow cooker.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This Slow Cooker Baked Beans recipe makes 12 generous side dish servings.
  • Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Make ahead: Baked beans can be made up to 3 days in advance. Reheat over the stove until an internal thermometer reaches 165 degrees.
  • Oven-baked beans: Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. In the bottom of a Dutch oven or large saucepan, add all ingredients except salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cover and and bake, stirring every hour, until the beans are tender, about 4 to 5 hours.
  • Ham bone: Instead of bacon, add a meaty ham bone and 1 cup chopped leftover ham to your slow cooker. Remove the ham bone before serving.
  • Fun flavors: For a different flavor, add 4 cloves minced garlic or 1 tablespoon brown mustard to the slow cooker. Or, substitute half of the ketchup for your favorite barbecue sauce.
Slow cooker baked beans in a small white bowl.

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Slow Cooker Baked Beans

Homemade Slow Cooker Baked Beans are a tasty and inexpensive dinner menu addition. Skip canned baked beans and try this DIY side dish that's infused with bacon.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 6 hrs

Total Time 6 hrs 10 mins

Servings 12 servings (½ cup each)

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Calories 273

  • 1 pound dried navy beans picked over and soaked overnight (see note 1)
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons molasses (see note 2)
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/2 pound bacon chopped
  • 1 cup celery diced
  • 1 cup onion diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • Drain beans well. In small bowl, whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, and molasses. In the bottom of a slow cooker, add beans, water, bacon, celery, onion, and bay leaf. Add sauce and stir to combine.

  • Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours or LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or until beans are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  1. Navy beans: Baked Beans are traditionally made with navy beans, but you can use small white beans or super-size with great northern beans. To soak beans overnight, add 4 quarts water to a large bowl and add 1 pound of rinsed beans. Soak at least 8 hours. To quick-soak beans, add 1 pound of rinsed beans to a large saucepan and cover with 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes, then remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.
  2. Molasses: This robust, sweet syrup accentuates the sweetness of the brown sugar (brown sugar is a mixture of cane sugar and molasses). I love the flavor that results from using brown sugar and molasses in a 2:1 ratio.
  3. Yield: This Slow Cooker Baked Beans recipe makes 12 generous side dish servings.
  4. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  5. Make ahead: Baked beans can be made up to 3 days in advance. Reheat over the stove until an internal thermometer reaches 165 degrees.
  6. Oven-baked beans: Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. In the bottom of a Dutch oven or large saucepan, add all ingredients except salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cover and and bake, stirring every hour, until the beans are tender, about 4 to 5 hours.
  7. Ham bone: Instead of bacon, add a meaty ham bone and 1 cup chopped leftover ham to your slow cooker. Remove the ham bone before serving.
  8. Fun flavors: For a different flavor, add 4 cloves minced garlic or 1 tablespoon brown mustard to the slow cooker. Or, substitute half of the ketchup for your favorite barbecue sauce.

Serving: 0.5 cup Calories: 273 kcal Carbohydrates: 37 g Protein: 15 g Fat: 7 g Saturated Fat: 2 g Trans Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 19 mg Sodium: 521 mg Potassium: 702 mg Fiber: 10 g Sugar: 13 g Vitamin A: 148 IU Vitamin C: 2 mg Calcium: 80 mg Iron: 3 mg

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I'm the Executive Chef and head of the Culinary Hill Test Kitchen. Every recipe is developed, tested, and approved just for you.

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