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Bowl of Slow Cooker Baked Beans made from scratch
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Slow Cooker Baked Beans

This is an easy Baked Beans Recipe however it is imperative that you boil your beans to a tender consistency!

Baked Beans go really well with Tourtiere, Ham, Eggs and BBQ Beef. Slow Cooker Baked Beans is a make ahead recipe that is easy to make; especially when hosting large gatherings for family and friends during special occasions and holidays.
Prep Time2 days
Cook Time7 hours
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Slow Cooker Baked Beans
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 240kcal
Author: admin

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker
  • Large Pot with Lid
  • Large Bowl
  • Strainer

Ingredients

  • 2 cups White Pea Beans
  • 5 cups Cold Water
  • 1 Onion Large, Chopped
  • 1/2 tbsp Salt
  • 2 tsp Cider Vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp Prepared Yellow Mustard
  • 1/4 cup 100% Pure Maple Syrup AMBRY ACRES Grade A
  • 1/2 tsp Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Ketchup
  • Pinch Black Pepper
  • 1/4 pound Bacon, uncooked cut into 1/2"- 1" cubes

Instructions

  • Steps to take two nights before –
    Rinse beans with cold water. Place the beans into a large bowl and cover with cold water, soak overnight in fridge.   
  • The next day -
    Drain.  Place beans in a large pot, and add 5 cups of water.  Cover and heat to boiling then simmer for 30 – 75 minutes or until tender. 
    This is the most important step to making good baked beans.  It is imperative that you taste the beans to ensure that they are as tender as you like them. If you drain your beans before they are nice and tender, they will not soften in any other of this recipe’s steps.  This is the KEY step with this recipe.
    Once tender, drain
    The beans are cooked at this point however still requires seasonings and sauce to cook in for 7 hours. 
    This is where I prefer to place the cooked beans into a large bowl, cover and place into the fridge until the next morning.  That’s it for now.  And, my reasoning is that when I am serving these baked beans for a family gathering, I tend to serve an early dinner which doesn’t allow me adequate time to complete the steps all in one day.  I don’t like to be rushing and there are generally many other things to attend to when hosting a large family gathering and this allows me to manage my time well.
  • The following day -
    Slice onion and place onto the bottom of a oven-proof casserole dish or slow cooker and set aside.
    In a large bowl, add salt, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, ketchup and pepper.  Mix together and add beans to this mixture.  Combine together.  Pour this mixture into the casserole dish or slow cooker.  Add enough water to cover just to the top of the bean mixture.  Be careful not to add too much water; you will need approximately ¼ cup. Mix the beans to allow the water to distribute evenly and this will allow you to only add the necessary quantity of water.
    Add slices of bacon on top.  Cover and bake in oven at 250 F for 7 hours or on low in slow cooker.  Add extra water, if needed. 
    If cooking your beans in the oven, remove lid and continue to cook for another hour as this will darken the beans.

Notes

Tip – when boiling the beans, taste to ensure they are tender.  Simmer longer if needed.  If you want to make delicious tasting baked beans, it’s imperative that this step is taken. 
They need to be tender at this point because the beans will not soften in the oven.  Trust me on this one!  I am speaking from experience