Crockpot Baked Beans Recipe with Dry Beans

This Crockpot baked beans recipe is homemade using dry beans, and 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. 

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. I 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 I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

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

Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉

Slow Cooker Southern Baked Beans

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. Just 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

1. Dry Northern beans – MUST be soaked for 12 hours the night before!
2. Water to soak your beans
3. Bacon
4. Onion
5. Tomato paste
6. Brown sugar
7. Molasses
8. Water to add into the sauce

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. 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.

Can I put canned beans in a slow cooker?

1. Yes, just drain and pour the canned beans into the slow cooker.
2. Add the onion, brown sugar, tomato sauce, cooked crumbled bacon, etc.
3. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 4- 6 hours.

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.

What to Serve with Crockpot Baked Beans

• 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 pressure cooker potato salad and air fryer cornbread.
• If you want another slightly different side dish I would go with Crockpot black eyed peas recipe.
• Try slow cooker baked potatoes for another great Crockpot side dish. 

Can You Make Baked Beans with Canned Beans

If you would like to make these faster just 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.

• Just 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.
• I will say that using dry beans is better as far as overall texture goes.

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

1. A bit of maple syrup
2. Liquid smoke 
3. Barbecue sauce
4. Some like to add precooked ground beef instead of bacon
5. I actually love 1/2 cup of feta on the side to sprinkle on top

Want to make Instant Pot baked beans in your pressure cooker instead? You can follow the link at the top of this post for these made in a fraction of the time.

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.

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 just 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.