Grilling season is well under way, and there might not be a better side to something hot off the grill than crock-pot baked beans!
In our never-ending quest of lowering the grocery bill, I knew I needed to start buying dried beans and cooking them from scratch. I bought dried beans about a half a year before I did anything with them. Sometimes I know what I want to do but have a hard time digging into the project at the forefront of my mind. I put up a mental road block, thinking it’s a hard task in front of me. Then when I finally get to it, I find out it’s SUPER easy!! I am so glad that I started buying and making navy beans from scratch. I still have yet to make re-fried beans, but that is coming!! ** Post/pictures updated 5/14-I now make refried beans often, they are so economical, tasty, and easy to make.
We used to be avid eaters of Bush’s Baked Beans until this summer. I loved opening up a can because it is so easy and serving it with whatever meat my husband was barbequing at the time along with a big salad. The Bush’s Baked Beans were part of a quick summer meal. Well, this is the first summer I haven’t bought the canned beans since they’ve been going up in price, and I can control all of the ingredients that goes into the beans. It was time to start making homemade beans!
The biggest challenge about making the beans is to think ahead the night before and soak the beans. It’s not hard at all, especially if you have a crock-pot. This recipe is adapted from Squawk Fox.
The Verdict: I can’t believe it’s been such an easy process, and I haven’t attempted it until this year! The family loves beans and love this recipe!! Sometimes we will just eat the beans as the main course with a salad to have a meatless meal.
After cooking, if your beans get too dry you can add a 1/4-1/2 cup at a time of water, pasta sauce/tomato paste or broth. I sometimes need to do this the day after with leftovers.
Crock-pot Baked Beans Recipe
Ingredients
-
3
cups
1.5 lbs dried navy beans or small white beans
-
1/4
pound
bacon
I used a Trader Joe's Nitrate Free Bacon or ham-omit for vegan
-
2 1/2
cups
water or broth
-
1
T
sea salt
-
6
ounce
can tomato paste
I have used pasta sauce before
-
1/2
cup
molasses
-
1/2
cup
honey
or maple syrup for vegan
-
1 1/2
T
dried mustard
-
3
garlic cloves
minced
-
1
medium onion
chopped, and optional sautéed (since the onion will slow cook all day, I don't always take the time to saute the onions separately, although this add even more flavor.
Instructions
-
Sort the beans, making sure there aren't any rocks or discolored beans.
-
Soak the beans overnight in water, covering them 2 inches. I soak them in the crock-pot and cover them with the lid overnight.
-
In the morning drain and rinse the beans.
-
Place the beans back in the crock-pot with the remaining ingredients.
-
Cook on low all day (about 10-12 hours), or on high (about 6-7 hours) or until the beans are tender.
-
Stir, serve, and enjoy!
Crock-pot Baked Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups 1.5 lbs dried navy beans or small white beans
- 1/4 pound bacon I used a Trader Joe's Nitrate Free Bacon or ham-omit for vegan
- 2 1/2 cups water or broth
- 1 T sea salt
- 6 ounce can tomato paste I have used pasta sauce before
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup for vegan
- 1 1/2 T dried mustard
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium onion chopped, and optional sautéed (since the onion will slow cook all day, I don't always take the time to saute the onions separately, although this add even more flavor.
Instructions
-
Sort the beans, making sure there aren't any rocks or discolored beans.
-
Soak the beans overnight in water, covering them 2 inches. I soak them in the crock-pot and cover them with the lid overnight.
-
In the morning drain and rinse the beans.
-
Place the beans back in the crock-pot with the remaining ingredients.
-
Cook on low all day (about 10-12 hours), or on high (about 6-7 hours) or until the beans are tender.
-
Stir, serve, and enjoy!
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Looks great , can you substitute great northern beans instead of navy beans ?
I love beans!!! Your recipes looks healthy and delicious. Your ingredients are also good I want to try this at home. Can’t wait to try this. 🙂 Amazing
Do your beans taste like one of the grocery store brands of baked beans. I have been trying to find a recipe like Bush’s Original Baked Beans. Your recipe looks very good. Thank you.
HI Sue. I wouldn’t call this a copycat recipe as I didn’t compare the ingredients. I used to buy Bush’s all the time, and now I only make these. I am sorry. Thanks for inquiring, and I hope you can find a good copycat recipe!
Hoping to feature this recipe…the link to “other parties” is broken though…let me know…I love homemade beans….i never really loved them until I started making my own!
Hi Tessa. Thanks for considering to feature my beans. We LOVE these beans. Thanks for visiting!
Does the bacon get cooked before it’s placed in the crockpot?
I’ll be making chicken stock this weekend, so this is something I could make during the week. There are few crockpot recipes I’m comfortable making while at work all day (gone 10 hours), so I’m always on the lookout for recipes that have long enough cooking times I don’t HAVE to do them on the weekend and CAN do them during the work week.
Hi Andresa, If you just throw raw bacon in, it will get cooked. If it cooks before you can add some of the bacon grease which would give the food more flavor. Making a pork roast overnight or starting it at the beginning of a long day is another safe crock-pot idea. Thanks for asking and visiting!
I recently discovered how easy it is to do beans in a crock pot and I love it! I think people don’t even realize how easy it can be to do it yourself!
Hi Rhonda, I totally agree. It really just takes making your own beans once or twice to see how easy it is to do it myself. Thanks for visiting!
Thanks for this recipe! I love finding out that I can make things we love, cut it from our grocery bill and then it’s homemade.
Hi Michelle, You are welcome, and thanks for visiting!
Great timing since the weather has heated up we are BBQing much more often now. I have beans sitting in my cupboard that want to be used but not sure how. I know what I’m making this weekend!
Hi Shelly, Yep! This is a perfect way to use those beans. Have a great weekend, and thanks for visiting!
In order to make these Baked Beans vegan, the honey needs to be omitted. Any suggestions as to what to substitute with?
Yep, sorry. You are right. I would use maple syrup. Thanks, and I’ll change that!
Oh, how I love baked beans and thank you for the recipe. I use my crock pot when I can and I’ll surely make these. Be a sweetie, Sheila 😉
Hi Sheila, Making the beans in the crock-pot is really so easy! Thanks for visiting!
This was first tume I tried baked beans. The only thing I had to change, was to omit onion. My husband is highly allergic. They smelled anazing, but after 9hrs on low, beans were touch hard, but sauce was great. Turned to high for hour,beans soft, but sauce had vinegar taste. Put in fridge overnight, to see if was just me. Worse next day. Throwing away, afraid something may have been bad, perhaps? Bought the bacon day before, was in date. Paste in date. Any suggestions?
Hi Joanne, For whatever reasons, some people have a hard time using soaked beans, so you can try this recipe. It’s a baked bean recipe using canned beans and barbecue sauce. Even faster prep and tasty! Hope this helps!
I just took out some pulled pork from the freezer. Looks like we’ll be having some baked beans for dinner tomorrow night! Love the idea of using the crock pot, and am real excited to try your recipe. Thanks for sharing! I found your blog from the Prairie Homestead. ~~Lori
Baked beans are a staple here (I do live in New England after all), but I have never heard to put tomato paste or tomato sauce in. What an interesting flavor to add! I usually do mine vegetarian and leave out the bacon. And I also use several onions, there is something about the molasses and slow cooking that make the onions my favorite part of the dish 🙂 I make a crockpot chili too.
Mmmm theses look so good. I love the addition of meat! And the slow cooker makes everything better! Thanks for sharing at Church Supper. Have a blessed week & come back soon!
I am so glad I found this recipe! I found your through the Everyday Mom’s Meals link party and it is perfect timing. I was thinking about this all summer. I’m in AZ so even though I am diving into as much pumpkin as I can get my hands on the pool is still calling to us all. Thanks for sharing!