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Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans

Liz DellaCroce Avatar

LIZ DELLA CROCE

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Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans are the ideal side dish for summer grilling season and they could not be any easier to make from scratch.

Spoon in a bowl of slow cooker Boston baked beans.

It probably isn’t a huge surprise that my husband who was born and raised in Boston adores baked beans, along with hermit cookie bars and baked scallops with panko. Of course, he would be perfectly happy re-heating them from a can but that’s no fun. Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans are extremely easy to make, and delicious!

When I realized how easy these were to make, I kicked myself for not making them more often. But truth be told, my Aunt Patsy is the Baked Beans Queen of our family and serves them at almost every warm-weather gathering. She would never make a batch of beans without massive amounts of smoky and delicious bacon. I’m not anti-bacon, I just rarely have it sitting around in our fridge. To give these beans that unmistakable smoky flavor we crave, I rely on my BFF smoked paprika.

Why You’ll Love These Beans

  • This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free, and can be easily made vegan as well!
  • Slow cooker dishes are easy to plan ahead and are relatively low-stress.
  • It’s the perfect side dish for any BBQ or picnic.

Ingredients

Labeled ingredients for Boston baked beans.
  • Beans: I usually use dried navy beans, but if you’re in a bind and don’t have any dried beans, you can use canned.
  • Onion: A white onion gives mild onion flavor.
  • Molasses: Gives the beans the unmistakable rich, sweetness of Boston baked beans.
  • Worcestershire sauce: Full of umami, sweet, and savory flavor.
  • Sweet & savory spices: Brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper add a mix of smoky, rich, and sweet tastes to the beans.
  • Mustard: A little peppery and vinegary in flavor.
  • Ketchup: Acts as a mild tomato base for the sauce.
  • Vinegar: White balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar adds some needed acidity.

How to Make Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans

Soaking beans in a glass pyrex bowl

Step 1. Rinse and sort your dried beans then add to the bowl of a slow cooker and let soak over night.

Liz dicing a white onion.

Step 2. The next morning, drain the beans, and dice your onion. Add the soaked beans and onion back to the slow cooker.

Seasoning beans in the bowl of a slow cooker.

Step 3. Season with salt and pepper and paprika, then add the Worcestershire sauce, molasses, brown sugar, vinegar, ketchup, and mustard.

Stirring onions and beans with seasoning in slow cooker bowl.

Step 4. Mix all of the ingredients in the slow cooker, then add water and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

Slow cooker Boston baked beans in a white bowl.

When finished, check for seasoning, then serve garnished with fresh chives or parsley, and enjoy your Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans!

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between baked beans and Boston baked beans?

The key to Boston baked beans compared to other baked bean recipes is the use of molasses.

What kind of beans do you use for baked beans?

Navy beans are most common, and what I usually use. You can use cannellini or great northern beans as well though.

How long do Boston baked beans keep for?

Beans will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days. In fact, the flavor develops over time as it sits in the fridge!
Slow cooker Boston baked beans garnished with fresh chives.

More Side Dishes

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Serve it as a side at dinner, or bring it to your next potluck and be the talk of the party! These Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans will be your new favorite.

Your fork is waiting.

Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans

3.71 stars average
Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans are the ideal side dish for summer grilling season and they could not be any easier to make from scratch.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes
Serves8
CourseSide Dish
Calories136

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 pound dried beans (navy beans,Great Northern, pinto, etc.)
  • 2.5 cups water
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • cup brown sugar
  • cup molasses
  • ¼ cup ketchup or tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce Omit if you're looking to make vegan
  • 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar or cider vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  1. Rinse and sort dried beans then place in slow cooker covered with 2 inches of water and let soak overnight.
    1 pound dried beans
  2. In the morning, drain the beans then add back to the slow cooker along with all remaining ingredients. Add 2 1/2 cups fresh water plus a good pinch of salt and pepper.
    2.5 cups water, 1 medium onion, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup molasses, 1/4 cup ketchup or tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons yellow mustard, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste
  3. Cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours. Check for seasoning before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 136kcalCarbohydrates: 30.4gProtein: 3.8gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 153mgFiber: 4.1gSugar: 10.9g

Liz’s Notes

Beans can be made up to two days in advance. In fact, the flavor develops over time as it sits in the fridge. Canned beans work fine too if you don’t have dried beans on hand.
Cook time may vary based on the age/freshness of the dried beans.
Omit Worcestershire sauce to make recipe vegan.

Have you tried this?

Let us know how it was!

3.71 from 62 votes (47 ratings without comment)

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115 responses to “Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans”

  1. Hillary Avatar
    Hillary

    I will be trying out this recipe this weekend for Mother’s Day… I will be using an assortment of canned beans for time saving purposes. Will I still need to add the 2.5 cups of water the crock pot since I am using the canned? This may be a silly question.

    Thanks!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Hi Hillary – I’ve never made them with canned beans but you would not need the water I’m assuming!! Good luck!

  2. Jackie Avatar
    Jackie

    Hi, I can’t wait to try this recipe. Do you use a variety of beans at one time or should I just stick with one type of bean? Thanks so much!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      You can do either way!! Won’t matter!

  3. Julia Sixten Avatar
    Julia Sixten

    I had similar issues with the beans softening after cooking for 8 hours, I guess I might try the tomatoes and seasoning trick mentioned above next time.

    I’m also a little confused by the nutritional information you have posted for this recipe. A pound of dry navy beans has 1530 calories and a pound of pinto beans has 1575. This means that 8 servings of beans alone would be close to 200 . Unless of course the recipe yields 2x 1/2cup serving for 8 people (which is a little disingenuous), I think the information posted might be incorrect.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Hi Julia,

      First, I’m so sorry you had trouble with this recipe!! This is a family favorite of ours (my husband is from Boston) so I want to help make it work for you! Second, with regards to the beans softening after soaking over night – are they fresh beans? I know that older beans tend to require more time but most beans should cook perfectly with an overnight soak and proper cooking time. My beans did happen to come from a local farm so I know they were freshly harvested. Third, with regards to the nutrition facts – may I ask what makes you think a pound of dry navy beans is 1530 calories? I’ve checked over 3 sources now and my nutrition facts remain accurate. The thought is that a one pound bag of beans (2 cups measured when dry) yields 4-6 cups cooked which would technically be 8-12 servings (I kept it at 8 to be safe.) Does that clear things up a bit? Let me know. Sorry again for any confusion or trouble! We love this recipe and I want you to love it too!

      1. Julia Sixten Avatar
        Julia Sixten

        Thanks for the reply!

        No need to apologize – I wasn’t trying to fault your recipe just wanted to get some information. I’ve been working my way through your slow cooker recipes which have all turned out wonderfully thus far.

        Could definitely be an issue with the beans being a bit older – when I try this again I will be sure to try to use fresher stock!

        The confusion has definitely arisen from miscalculating 1lbs into g rather than cups on my part. Makes quite a difference!! Thank you very much for taking the time to clear this up, I appreciate it.

        1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
          Liz DellaCroce

          Oh I’m so glad to clear things up!!! Enjoy!

  4. The Cooking Lady Avatar
    The Cooking Lady

    There is such a product as Vegan Worcestershire. you can find it mostly in natural health food store. And if you eat enough beans you will no longer need Beano. I am no more or less gassy that your average Joe. I eat beans about 3-5 times a week.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Thank you for the info on the vegan worcestershire!!

  5. Ronald McCoy Avatar
    Ronald McCoy

    These beans are awesome! Sooooo yummy! The recipe goes on the regulars list. Thankyou so much. Ronald, Melbourne, Australia.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      So glad you enjoyed them!

  6. Eileen Avatar
    Eileen

    Sadly, this recipe did not work for me at all. I followed your instructions to a T but the beans never softened. I cooked them on high for 4 hours and then when they were still hard I set them for 8 more hours on low. After some research I think I should have cooked the beans without any seasoning first, and then added the tomato and salt AFTER they had softened. After about 12 hours, they are still nearly as hard as they were after soaking. I’ll have to find another recipe. :-(

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh Eileen I am so sorry to hear this recipe did not work for you! One thing I’ve learned is that the cooking time varies based on the age/freshness of the dried beans. I’ve made this recipe many times with no issues but certainly that doesn’t make your situation any better. Regardless, I am so sorry and hope you continue to try and trust my recipes. I appreciate the feedback!! I’m going to add a note about the varying time to the recipe. Thanks again.

      1. Eileen Avatar
        Eileen

        I’m fairly new to cooking with dried beans, and have also read that the age of the beans is pretty crucial. I’ll probably apply the no-tomatoes-or-salt-until-the-beans-have-softened rule going forward just to be safe, but I think I’ll give your recipe another try, maybe even today (I’m really craving baked beans!), because the house smelled incredible all day yesterday. Thanks for responding!!

    2. camilla Avatar
      camilla

      It took almost 2 days for my beans and the taste is too strong and bitter. My husband said it tasted like vinegar. I added a lot more brown sugar but i think i will try to cook the beans some first. I saw a recipe where the cooked the beans for an hour. I thought that was too much but now think it is the way to go!

      1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
        Liz DellaCroce

        Oh no…. I’m so sorry this didn’t turn out for you!! We make them all the time but I like the idea of cooking the beans for an hour. I used farm fresh dried beans and I’m wondering if that is part of it. I will re-test this with other beans soon. So sorry.

        1. Stephanie Avatar
          Stephanie

          I love homemade baked beans but often have the problem of underdone beans. I have discovered that what works for me is to soak the beans for 24 hours, then cook them for 8hours low in the slow cooker (overnight usually for me) then in the morning add all the ingredients except the water, then cook on low another 8 hours. This works especially well for recipes using tomato. I live in the dessert so my beans are probably very dry, no matter how fast I use them. I just tripled this recipe and it is in the slow cooker right now, smells amazing! Thanks for the recipe

          1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
            Liz DellaCroce

            That’s a really great tip Stephanie!! I hope you enjoy!

          2. Stephanie Avatar
            Stephanie

            I forgot to mention that I drain off the water after cooking the beans, and add fresh water if any more liquid is needed after the other ingredients are in.

          3. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
            Liz DellaCroce

            Great tip – thank you again Stephanie!! Enjoy!

    3. Jamie Avatar
      Jamie

      I love this recipe! I just cook the beans for a while with everything but the tomato based ingredients and add those when the beans are softened.

      1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
        Liz DellaCroce

        xoxo Love seeing your name!

    4. Doug Gallant Avatar
      Doug Gallant

      I love baked beans and make them often from dried. I soak overnight, change water, and simmer till almost tender. Only then do I add my seasoning, very similar to this recipe. DO NOT ADD SALT UNTIL BEANS ARE TENDER. Only add salt during the final flavouring stage. If salt is added when the beans are first cooking, no amount of simmering will tenderize them.

      1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
        Liz DellaCroce

        Ahh great tip!!

  7. The Vegan Version Avatar
    The Vegan Version

    FYI- Worcestershire Sauce is not normally vegetarian as it contains anchovies. You can find vegan Worcestershire in some stores but as written this recipe is not vegetarian.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Hi Lee – Not sure if you read my recipe but I did make a note of the Worcestershire sauce for everyone to see who might be vegan. :) Thank you!!

  8. Melanie Avatar
    Melanie

    I made this tonight. Delicious flavour! I thought I had smoked paprika in the house but had chipotle chilli powder instead. I used 1/2 tsp of that and a heaping tsp of regular paprika. I also didn’t have white balsamic vinegar and used regular instead. My beans must’ve been old as it took forever to cook even after turning it up to high for the last 4 hours. Just a note for anyone else making these- leave yourself a lot of time so beans are done!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I’m so glad you liked it!!! You’re right – the age of your beans can definitely make a difference. Thank you for noting that!!

  9. Lane Avatar
    Lane

    Omit Worcestershire if you want a vegetarian recipe. A VEGETARIAN recipe. Not Vegan. You are still being misleading since most vegetarians would not want to eat fish byproducts. Not trying to be mean but if someone wasn’t aware they wouldn’t realize they are a)not vegan or b) not VEGETARIAN like your header says. I’m aware of this, having been a vegetarian for 10+ years, but going to events people always try to make an option and if recipes are misleading, you will get some people angry and possibly even sick. Please change your heading or take out the sauce or in the least change it in the fine print to not vegetarian friendly. It would be like me labeling a bacon recipe as kosher? Most vegetarians are passionate about their lifestyle, and I am really not trying to be mean but when I came across this recipe it made me sad that someone could unknowingly be fed animal byproducts because you have mislead them and called this recipe vegetarian, and included only a small note to omit w.s. For it to be vegan.

  10. Hanan Avatar
    Hanan

    is yellow mustard like French’s or actual seeds?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Yes like French’s! :)