Crockpot Baked Beans
97 Comments Mar 01, 2025
Updated Jun 03, 2025
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These Crockpot Baked Beans are packed with flavor, slow-cooked to perfection with brown sugar, barbecue sauce, crispy bacon and more.
Baked beans are a staple side dish for barbecues and potlucks, but plain canned beans can be a bit boring. Instead of serving them straight from the can, jazz them up with this easy recipe. A few pantry staples add rich, smoky, sweet, and tangy flavor—transforming canned baked beans into something everyone will want seconds of.
What you’ll Need
Here is what you need to doctor up canned baked beans. Find the full recipe in the recipe card below the images.
- Bush’s Baked Beans – I use the Homestyle or Original varieties. I avoid flavored options like maple or onion—they can be too strong and taste artificial.
- Bacon – If you’re short on time, pre-cooked bacon works fine too.
- Other ingredients: Barbecue sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray’s), light brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and diced sweet yellow onion.
- A Large Slow Cooker
How to make Crockpot Baked Beans
Making baked beans in a crockpot may be one of the easiest side dishes you’ll ever make. Cook the bacon part way, then add it along with the remaining ingredients. Cook low and slow—canned beans hold their shape well, even with the long cooking time. See the recipe card below the images for the entire recipe.
Cook’s Notes
Instead of bacon, you can use one pound of ground beef or ground sausage, 1–2 cups of diced ham, or the same amount of cooked turkey bacon. One sliced kielbasa sausage will also make the beans heartier.
For extra flavor, add a dash of vinegar, a touch of bacon grease, or Dijon mustard.
To make it vegetarian, add bell peppers and another type of bean.
Instead of brown sugar, use two tablespoons of one of the following: honey, white sugar or pure maple syrup.
What goes good with Baked Beans?
- Baked beans always pair well with delicious barbecued foods like hamburgers, hot dogs and crockpot ribs.
- They also pair well with other meals like pork chops or chicken thighs. We love to serve baked beans alongside crockpot spiral ham on Easter! Or Slow Cooker Whole Chicken for a Sunday dinner.
- Other side dishes that taste great are cornbread, crockpot mac and cheese and collard greens.
- For a leftover serving idea, you can add sliced hot dogs to the baked beans and make beanies and weenies.
Featured Comment
“My boyfriend and i are literally OBSESSED with this recipe! We’ve made it many, many times and plan to make it again tonight!”
– Brey
Crockpot Baked Beans
How to Video
Ingredients
- 8 oz. bacon, (half of a 16 oz. package)
- 56 oz. Homestyle Bush's Baked Beans
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Slice the raw bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Cook on the stove top in a skillet until HALFWAY browned, drain. Add to the slow cooker. Browning the bacon and draining prevents the beans from being greasy.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Cook on LOW for 5 hours or HIGH for 3.5 hours.
- Stir, serve and enjoy!
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Other baked bean recipes to try:
- If I’m not making these homemade baked beans, I make these sweet Hawaiian baked beans or beefy land your man baked beans.
- Baked Beans and Little Smokies make a hearty fun dish, while Apple Pie Baked Beans add a sweet and spiced twist.
- Loaded Baked Beans are packed with savory ingredients (and plenty of meat), making them a perfect addition to any meal.
- Cowboy Beans bring bold heat, and Root Beer Baked Beans offer a rich, caramelized flavor.
Hi, I have Bush’s Original Baked Beans. Would they be considered pork and beans and so should I double the BBQ sauce and brown sugar?
No, pork and beans say pork and beans – you have the correct beans for this recipe so no need to double.