Can baked beans be made ahead of time?

Yes! This slow cooker recipe tastes even better when it’s made ahead of time. You can make it the day before and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight, or you can make it several days or weeks ahead of time and store them in the freezer.

What pairs well with baked beans?

This side dish is a requirement for summer dishes, making them pair well with burgers , potato salad, and pasta salad .

What’s the difference between baked Boston beans and Heinz baked beans (or Bushes baked beans)?

The traditional recipe uses brown sugar as the sweetener, while Boston baked beans rely on molasses. I opted to skip the brown sugar and use maple syrup instead, but also added a bit of molasses for that depth of flavor.

Slow Cooker Beans - Easy and Healthy

Slow Cooker Baked Beans

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Baked beans are a must-have dish at any cookout or barbecue. These slow cooker beans use pantry staple ingredients and cook in that old-fashioned slightly sweet and smoky sauce that everyone enjoys. These beans can be made ahead of time, are freezer-friendly, and taste even better the next day!

Author: Tiffany
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 4-8 hours
Total Time: 0 hours
Yield: serves 14 1x
Category: Sides
Method: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

¼ – ½ lb bacon (optional)
4 cans navy or great northern beans, drained and rinsed well
1–½ cups chicken stock
¼ cup ketchup
2 Tbsp mustard (yellow or spicy brown)
3–4 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 ½ tsp molasses
2 Tbsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

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Instructions

1. Drain and rinse the canned beans at least three times. This will help eliminate the oligosaccharides, which are difficult for people to digest and often lead to bloating and gas.
2. Cook bacon (if using), drain the bacon drippings and set aside for later, and dice the bacon into small pieces.
3. Combine the beans, bacon, and the remaining ingredients in a slow cooker, stir well, and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Do not disturb the beans while they are cooking!
4. Gently stir the beans and taste. Adjust the seasonings and spices if you want it sweeter (maple syrup), more tomato-y (ketchup or tomato paste), more tangy (mustard), or smokier (smoked paprika).

Notes

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Baked Beans (in the Oven)

Follow steps 1 through 3 above, except combine the ingredients in a Dutch oven rather than a crock pot. Bake the beans at 325F for about 2 hours or until the sauce thickens like pancake syrup. A baking dish can also be used; be sure to cover it with aluminum foil.

BBQ Baked Beans Recipe (in the Instant Pot)

Follow steps 1 through 3 above, except cook the bacon on the Instant Pot saute function. Then combine the ingredients in an Instant Pot rather than a slow cooker. Cook on HIGH pressure for 15 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.

Nutrition

Calories: 118

Find it online: https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/slow-cooker-baked-beans/