If you’re a pineapple lover, you cannot miss this Pineapple BBQ Crock Pot Baked Beans recipe—it’s got the sweet, smoky, tangy thing going on in the best possible way. All you do is brown some bacon, dump everything in the slow cooker, and walk away!
This is one of the best summer recipes I make!
These pineapple BBQ baked beans are my forever favorite. I first made them back in 2017 during the Great Hawaiian BBQ Trend™—when the internet was tossing pineapple and barbecue sauce into everything from pulled pork to pizza. I figured, why not try it in baked beans? And wow. The pineapple melts into the barbecue sauce, making everything taste a little brighter, a little bolder, and a lot more fun.
Plus, this is truly one of those “dump and go” slow cooker recipes once the bacon and onions are done. I toss it all in the slow cooker and set it on my covered back porch (because I am not cooking beans in the house when it’s 90°F). It’s the perfect hands-off recipe for summer dinners, parties, or when you’re just not in the mood to turn on the oven!
Let’s talk ingredients
The beans: I use a mix of cannellini (or navy), pinto, and kidney beans for variety in color and texture. You could use all of one kind if needed—this recipe’s not fussy.
The bacon: Thick-cut, smoked bacon adds tons of depth. You’ll brown it with the onion for max flavor. You can leave the bacon out if you want to make this vegetarian. You can also use diced ham instead of bacon – especially great if you’ve got holiday leftovers to use up!
The BBQ sauce: It’s one of the main flavors here, so you want want to use one you like. I use Stubb’s Hickory Bourbon for this recipe, because that’s what I used the first time I made this and I don’t want to mess with the recipe, haha! If BBQ sauce is too spicy for you (or your kids), you can just use ketchup instead!
The pineapple: I use canned chunks, drained, and reserve some of the juice for the sauce. It’s subtle but makes a huge difference in balancing the smoky flavor!
Real-life cooking tips
I’ll be honest—I don’t usually drain the bacon after cooking it. You can if you want to, but that extra fat adds so much flavor and richness to the beans that I almost never bother unless it’s way too much.
If you want thicker beans, just crack the lid open during the last 30 to 60 minutes of cooking time. Some of the liquid will evaporate and the beans will turn wonderfully sticky and saucy. Always taste before serving—depending on your BBQ sauce, you might want to stir in a pinch of brown sugar or a splash of vinegar to balance things out.
And real talk? I don’t even cook this in the house. If it’s hot outside, I set the slow cooker on my covered back porchand let it bubble away out there. No extra heat in the kitchen, no thank you. You can also cook this in the oven if you do want the heat. Place all ingredients in a ~5-6 quart Dutch oven and stir well. Cover with the lid and bake in the oven at 300°F for 1.5 – 2 hours.
Printable recipe
Pineapple BBQ Crock Pot Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 8 slices thick-cut smoked bacon (diced)
- 1 medium yellow onion (finely diced)
- 1 (28-oz) can cannellini or navy beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 (28-oz) can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 (14-oz) can red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 (20-oz) can pineapple chunks (drained (reserve juice))
- 1 ½ cups BBQ sauce (I used Stubb’s Hickory Bourbon)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Cook bacon and onion in a large skillet over medium heat until onion has softened, about 5-6 minutes. Drain if desired (I don’t :D) and place in a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
- Add the rinsed and drained beans to the slow cooker, along with all other ingredients plus 3-4 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice. Stir well, taking care that everything is coated in sauce and nothing sticks to the bottom of the cooker.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or on LOW for 5-6 hours. For thick beans, open lid and cook uncovered for the last 30-60 minutes. Check for seasoning and serve warm.
Video
How I serve these
We bring these to pretty much every summer potluck—and if we’re not going anywhere, I serve them at home with grilled sausages or burgers. They’re also great with grilled meats (try a steak with my perfect steak marinade!) or with sloppy joes. Pulled pork is a classic with beans!
They’re also weirdly delicious with mac and cheese (don’t knock it ‘til you try it). Leftovers keep for up to 4 days and reheat beautifully in the microwave or on the stove. As other side dishes, we like honey butter cornbread and sautéed green beans.
Baked bean FAQs
Navy beans (also known as haricot beans) are most commonly used in commercial canned baked beans. But most beans can be use in baked beans – butter beans, great Northern, white kidney, pinto… I have used all of these in baked beans before and they’re all fine. You can also use a mix!
If you want to make your beans thicker, you can smoothly blend up to 1 cup of the beans, then stir them back into the dish. This should thicken the sauce up nicely if it was too thin for you.
Watch the recipe video
I first published this post on September 1st, 2017. I updated it with a slightly improved recipe (more flavor!), new photos and better text on 07/03/2025.
Pat Nugent says
Made with Pork ‘n Beans (Showboat brand) and cut the brown sugar by half. I did double the recipe and I’m glad I did. It was a tremendous hit.
Bruce says
Has anyone tried substituting Lima beans for this recipe?
Bruce says
I just made this recipe today, but I changed it a little. I used two cans of beans instead of just one, and I chopped a whole yellow onion instead of just half a one. I also used the thickening method of the sauce by removing a can of beans and then adding it later. It was good, but next time I`ll not use the pineapple juice and probably add a third can of beans. Also, I`ll use more bacon as well. This is one of those dishes that a little experimentation works better for me. I`ll continue to tweak it even more in the future.
Michelle says
Is the baccon cooked when adding to pot?
Nora says
Michelle, I used smoked bacon but I didn’t pre-cook it. Hope this helps!
Bruce says
I didn`t pre-cook the bacon, but just cut the raw strips of it and then added them to the crockpot with the rest of the ingredients
Kim Bee says
What are those black flecks in the picture?
Nora says
Cracked black pepper ? it’s an old recipe with old pictures, due for a revamp though!
Nancy says
Do you cook the bacon first ?
Nora says
Hi Nancy, no I don’t. It will fully cook in the crock pot!
Leah says
Just curious if you think you could double the recipe, or would that be too large for the crock pot? Thank you!
Nora says
I would definitely use a larger crockpot for a double batch! Hope that helps.
Katia says
This looks like the type of baked beans dish my kids would love! I really hate buying canned baked beans with HFCS and extra nonsense. I think I’ll try making it tomorrow. Thanks for sharing.
Nora says
Right there with you, Katia. I generally try to avoid canned baked beans and making them at home tastes so much better anyways. Hope you try the recipe and your kids love it!
Karl @ Healthy Kreation says
Glad I came across this this slow cooker recipe that is not only unique but has a wide appeal as well. The only problem is finding the ideal bbq sauce. I’ve never tried the bbq sauce you have used so it may be hit or miss. Thanks for sharing this.