Crockpot Baked Beans
92 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 there, I’m not much of a cook but need to make some baked beans. I found this recipe and it sounds wonderful. I was just curious…do you have to fry the bacon halfway or can you just put it in the crockpot raw. Will the bacon cook thru if put in the crockpot totally raw? I want the flavor of bacon but would rather take it out before serving. Thank you
If you add uncooked bacon to the beans they just get a greasy flavor instead of a browned bacon flavor.
Ok..thanks so much
I was just wondering what type of BBQ sauce. I always use Sweet Baby Rays Honey Chipotle. Would that be too spicy?
That may be on the spicy side. I usually use original sweet baby rays.
So good and easy! I had several people ask for the recipe
Great recipe! I don’t cook much, however this is a family favorite that everybody likes.
I get so many compliments about these baked beans. Love them!!
This recipe is a keeper! I was looking for just the right recipe that didn’t involve cooking overnight in the oven the old-fashioned way (like I used to do) with a long list of ingredients. I printed this recipe back when the ingredients stated 1 TBSP of brown sugar instead of 2. In my opinion, 1 is enough. These beans have a sweet taste that is just right. I used 1 medium onion and I subbed the bacon for diced pancetta.
Thanks! I will change it back to one, and people can add another if they want after they taste.
I had to up the brown sugar to two tbsp. We like our baked beans on the sweeter side.
In the description next to brown sugar it says 2 tablespoons but in the actual recipe ingredient part it says 1 tablespoon. Just wondering which one it is? Thanks!
It’s 2! Thanks for letting me know.
I added a cup of diced green peppers and left the bacon out.
If I made this with dried if I made this with dried beans, after soaking overnight, what extra ingredient would I add to the rest of the recipe.
to really amp up this recipe, add a 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple, undrained – a tablespoon of molasses would also help,,,bob