Stir up an easy recipe for CrockPot baked beans in your slow cooker. Made from scratch with brown sugar and bacon, they're the ultimate side for a crowd!
I remember many a family dinner and church potluck, and there was always a big pot of homemade baked beans at every one.
Whether you're feeding a crowd with a backyard bbq or just feeding your own family, slow cooker baked beans make the perfect side dish. They pair deliciously well with bacon cheeseburgers and grilled Chicago dogs, or your roasted turkey at Thanksgiving.
Now with this particular recipe, I choose to use brown sugar and honey as my sweeteners. I know some recipes call for molasses.
I also like to add hot dogs, but hot dogs are totally optional. My boys love hot dogs, so a pot of homemade beanie weenies is a big hit.
And then there's the bacon. You can't make baked beans without crumbled bacon; it just adds so much flavor, almost a smoky flavor to the beans.
WHERE CAN I FIND THE ACTUAL RECIPE CARD?
If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the CrockPot baked beans recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.
WHAT TYPE OF BEANS ARE USED FOR BAKED BEANS?
Before we go over the ingredients, let's talk about the beans.
You can use dried beans that have been soaked, or you can use canned beans. I wanted this to be an easy baked beans recipe, so I made CrockPot baked beans with canned beans.
I like to start with a base of pork and beans for added flavor. And then add in both red kidney beans and chili beans.
You can also use Great Northern or Navy beans. Some cooks like to use pinto beans or cannellini beans, as well.
INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED:
- Bacon
- Yellow onion
- Red kidney beans
- Pork and Beans
- Spicy or mild chili beans
- Hot dogs (optional)
- Ketchup
- Yellow mustard
- Brown sugar
- Honey
- Salt
- Pepper
Remember, all of the ingredient amounts you’ll need are in the printable recipe card below.
KITCHEN TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT YOU'LL NEED:
Can Colander – This makes it super easy to drain and rinse those kidney beans without having to get out the big strainer.
HOW TO MAKE CROCKPOT BAKED BEANS FROM SCRATCH
Before you heat up your CrockPot, gather all of your ingredients and prep them for your recipe. This means you'll need to dice up the onion and slice the bacon into crumble-sized pieces.
Then add the bacon and onions to a large skillet, and cook both 'til crispy. Drain and set aside.
Now follow these steps…
- Rinse and drain the kidney beans, and add them to the CrockPot. Also, add the pork and beans, as well as the chili beans.
- If you want to add hot dogs, slice them and stir them into the beans.
- Stir in ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, honey, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Then stir in the crispy bacon and onions.
Cover your slow cooker and cook for 8 to 10 hours on low, stirring occasionally.
Once they are done cooking and dinner is ready, you can serve them immediately, and store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
There is nothing quite like a big spoonful of CrockPot baked beans with bacon. So, so good and so much flavor!
BAKED BEAN FLAVOR ALTERNATIVES AND COMBOS
There are so many things you can do with baked beans to make them unique and give them a different flavor. Some of those options might include…
- Instead of bacon, add a different meat. Maybe try ham, smoked sausage, ground beef, or pulled pork.
- Use molasses in place of brown sugar and honey, or just in place of the honey (and keep the brown sugar). If you want the sweetness to have a spicy kick, try Hot Honey.
- Add a little bit of Worcestershire sauce.
- If you want more smoky flavor, add a little bit of Liquid Smoke.
- Add smaller chunks of pineapple for a hint of sweetness.
- Substitute bbq sauce for all or part of the ketchup.
- Want more spice? Add a little hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or jalapeño pepper.
- Speaking of peppers, try adding some minced bell pepper for added fresh flavor.
CAN YOU FREEZE SLOW COOKER BAKED BEANS?
Yes, you can freeze baked beans for up to about 6 months. Just be sure to store them in an airtight container so they don't get freezer burn.
MORE SIDE DISH RECIPES:
These are just a handful of side dishes that pair really well with baked beans.
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Easy CrockPot Baked Beans with Bacon
Equipment
- Prepworks by Progressive Can Colander , Can Strainer, Vegetable and Fruit Can Strainer, No-Mess Tuna Can Strainer
- Lodge Cast Iron Skillet, Pre-Seasoned with Silicone Hot Handle Holder , 10.25 Inch
- Crock-Pot 7-Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1/2 cup yellow onion diced
- 16 ounces 1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 22 ounces 2 cans pork and beans
- 15.5 ounces 1 can chili beans, mild or spicy
- 4 hot dogs optional
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Dice the onion, and slice the bacon into crumble-sized pieces. Then add the bacon and onions to a large skillet, and cook both 'til crispy; drain and set aside.
- Rinse and drain the kidney beans, and add them to the CrockPot.
- Add the pork and beans, as well as the chili beans (but do not rinse).
- If you want to add hot dogs, slice them and stir them into the beans.
- Stir in ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, honey, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Then stir in the crispy bacon and onions.
- Cover your slow cooker and cook for 8 to 10 hours on low, stirring occasionally.
- Once they are done cooking and dinner is ready, you can serve them immediately, and store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Instead of bacon, add a different meat. Maybe try ham, smoked sausage, ground beef, or pulled pork.
- Use molasses in place of brown sugar and honey, or just in place of the honey (and keep the brown sugar). If you want the sweetness to have a spicy kick, try Hot Honey.
- Add a little bit of Worcestershire sauce.
- If you want more smoky flavor, add a little bit of Liquid Smoke.
- Add smaller chunks of pineapple for a hint of sweetness.
- Substitute bbq sauce for all or part of the ketchup.
- Want more spice? Add a little hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or jalapeño pepper.
- Speaking of peppers, try adding some minced bell pepper for added fresh flavor.
