Crockpot Baked Beans with Bacon and Brown Sugar

Overhead view of a wooden spoon in a crockpot full of baked beans.

5 from 7 votes

Crockpot Baked Beans with Bacon and Brown Sugar

These Slow Cooker Baked Beans are smoky, savory, and loaded with rich bacon flavor. This easy baked beans recipe uses a beautiful trio of navy, pinto, and red beans for incredible texture and color. It is the ultimate hands-off side dish for barbecues, potlucks, or weeknight dinners.

Prep Time5

Cook Time8

Total Time8 5

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: servings

Calories: 267kcal

Author: Nora from Savory Nothings

Ingredients

3 (15-oz) cans white, brown or red beans rinsed and drained (I like to use 1 can navy beans, 1 can pinto beans and 1 can red beans because it looks and tastes really great)
1 medium onion diced (about 1 cup)
1 ½ cups ketchup or more to taste (you can also use BBQ sauce, or a mix of both if you prefer)
3 tablespoons brown sugar or more to taste (my husband doesn’t like his beans too sweet, so if you do you’re going to want to add more)
1 tablespoon mustard
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
6 slices smoked bacon chopped

Instructions

Combine: Combine all ingredients in a 4-5 quart slow cooker.
3 (15-oz) cans white, brown or red beans, 1 medium onion, 1 ½ cups ketchup, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, 6 slices smoked bacon
Slow cook: Cook on LOW setting for 6-8 hours, until thickened and bubbly.
Serve: Check for seasoning and adjust to taste before serving.

Video

Notes

Be sure to completely rinse and drain the canned beans before adding them to the slow cooker so your homemade sauce doesn’t taste starchy or watered down.

If your family prefers a sweeter baked bean style, taste the sauce during the last 30 minutes of cooking and stir in an extra 1 to 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.

For an extra-thick texture, leave the slow cooker lid open during the final 30 minutes of the cook time to let the excess moisture evaporate.

Nutrition