Slow Cooker Baked Beans
88 Comments Mar 01, 2025
Updated Apr 03, 2025
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These Slow Cooker Baked Beans are packed with flavor, slow-cooked to perfection with brown sugar, barbecue sauce, and crispy bacon. This is my go-to recipe for crockpot baked beans—simple, delicious, and always a crowd-pleaser.
Baked beans are a staple side dish, especially for barbecues and potlucks, but plain canned beans can be a little underwhelming. Instead of serving them as-is, jazz them up with this easy and flavorful recipe. With just a few simple pantry staples, you can add richness, depth, and the perfect balance of sweet, smoky, and tangy flavors to turn ordinary baked beans into something truly irresistible.
If I’m not making these homemade baked beans, I make these sweet Hawaiian baked beans or beefy land your man baked beans.
Ingredients Needed:
- Bush’s Baked Beans – I use the homestyle or original variety. I prefer not to use any flavored varieties such as maple or onion, for they can be overpowering and taste artificial.
- Bacon – cook the bacon halfway (not completely done and crisp). Doing this will give the beans a browned flavor and also allow the bacon to release some of its juices into the beans. If you are short on time, pre-cooked bacon works fine.
- Barbecue – Use your favorite BBQ sauce here. I like Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce for this recipe.
- Brown sugar – I only add one tablespoon of light brown sugar so the beans aren’t too sweet. (You can use dark brown sugar, works well too!). Double the brown sugar if you like sweeter baked beans.
- Yellow Mustard – Adds a contrast to the sweetness in this recipe, don’t skip this.
- Sweet Yellow Onion – Just one cup of diced will do.
- Worcestershire Sauce – this is the secret ingredient! Adds a little tang to the beans.
- {The full recipe is in the recipe card below the images}
How to make Baked Beans in a Crockpot
Step One – Slice the raw bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Cook bacon on the stovetop in a skillet until HALFWAY browned, drain. Add to the crock pot. Add the remaining ingredients and stir.
Step Two – Place the slow cooker lid onto the pot. Cook on LOW for 5 hours or HIGH for 3.5 hours. If your slow cooker cooks hot, be sure to stir these once or twice at the end of the cooking time. Serve and enjoy!
Variations
- 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, include bell peppers and extra beans.
- Instead of brown sugar, use two tablespoons of one of the following: honey, white sugar, coconut sugar, or pure maple syrup.
My Serving Ideas
- Slow cooked baked beans always pair well with delicious barbecued foods like hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken.
- They also pair well with other meals like baked pork chops or baked chicken. We love to serve baked beans along side crockpot spiral ham on Easter!
- Other side dishes that taste great are cornbread, mac and cheese and collard greens.
- For a leftover serving idea, you can add the beans on top of white rice or baked potatoes.
Recipe FAQS
If you choose to use pork and beans instead of baked beans in this recipe I would double the brown sugar and barbecue sauce in this recipe for they are less sweet than baked beans.
Leftover slow cooker beans can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to three months.
Reader Reviews:
“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
“My family demands I make these for every special occasion. I use a mustard based bbq to make them extra tangy.” – Sarah
“My neighbor brought over your baked beans to share. Honestly, they are the best beans I have ever had! And so easy to make! I’m taking them to the potluck on Father’s day. I know they’ll be a hit.” – Bee
Other baked bean recipes to try:
- Baked Beans and Little Smokies make a hearty fun dish, while Apple Pie Baked Beans add a sweet and spiced twist.
- Spicy Cowboy Beans bring bold heat, and Root Beer Baked Beans offer a rich, caramelized flavor.
- Loaded Baked Beans are packed with savory ingredients (and plenty of meat), making them a perfect addition to any meal.
Slow Cooker Baked Beans Recipe
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.
- 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!
- Note – If your slow cooker cooks hot, be sure to stir these once or twice at the end of the cooking time. Mine had no problem, but often on thick and sweet recipes they tend to stick on the edges.
Sarah’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, include bell peppers and extra beans.
- Instead of brown sugar, use two tablespoons of one of the following: honey, white sugar, coconut sugar, or pure maple syrup.
- Slow cooked baked beans always pair well with delicious barbecued foods like hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken.
- They also pair well with other meals like baked pork chops or baked chicken. We love to serve baked beans along side crockpot spiral ham on Easter!
- Other side dishes that taste great are cornbread, mac and cheese and collard greens.
- For a leftover serving idea, you can add the beans on top of white rice or baked potatoes.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
I have used this recipe many many times however I have managed to leave one of my crock pots somewhere leaving me with only two. I attended a party last week where a girl had baked them. If I double this recipe and bake them in an aluminum foil pan, What temperature and how long should I bake them for?
It’s hard to say without testing it My guess is about 30 minutes at 350.
Can I make day before…refrigerate and warm up in slowcooker on low next day for maybe 2 hrs?
Yes, that will work fine. But personally, I would prepare the night before (don’t cook) and cook fresh for the meal.
My boyfriend and i are literally OBSESSED with this recipe! We’ve made it many, many times and plan to make it again tonight!
My family demands I make these for every special occasion. I use a mustard based bbq to make them extra tangy.
Love your recipe and planning on doubling next time. What is the recommended slow cook time for the extra quantity or is it the same?
For this type of recipe, the same amount of cooking time should be fine.
Did you use the prepared mustard or dry yellow mustard?
Prepared mustard.
What size slow cooker would you use to double the recipe?
When doubled, it will still fit in a 6 quart.
Thank you! Happy 4th!