Enjoy the rich, savory flavors of Boston Baked Beans. They’re slow-cooked to perfection with bacon, molasses, and brown sugar for a comforting classic.
This recipe serves 12 and costs just $5.67 to make.
Table of Contents
I love Boston Baked Beans
This recipe has been adapted from Cook’s Country, and the first time I made the recipe, it came out too sticky and not saucy enough for my taste.
I love my Boston Baked Beans thick but still saucy, so I tinkered with the boiling water amount added to the slow cooker. The original recipe called for 2 cups, but that wasn’t enough, in my opinion.
I then tested batches with 3 and 4 cups of boiling water, and 3 cups were the clear winner- the beans were thick, saucy, and tender.
Next, I played with sweetness. My family and I prefer slightly sweeter baked beans, so I increased the molasses and sugar slightly and added a touch of maple syrup.
After all the testing and adaptations, I can confidently say this is the best slow cooker baked beans recipe out there!
This homemade baked beans recipe is made in a slow cooker and is much better than canned baked beans from the grocery store. Plus, their incredible aroma will waft through your house something fierce!
My easy step-by-step directions will walk you through how to make these baked beans in your slow cooker so they come out perfectly sweet, thick, savory, and saucy every time.
What readers are saying about this recipe:
Millie:
“I would consider my family a bean expert and this is by far the best beans we’ve had.”
Gretchen:
“These beans were such a hit the first time I made them! I plan on making them again for our memorial day BBQ! Thanks for a great recipe.”
What are Boston Baked Beans?
The answer to this question is a bit of a history lesson. According to Wikipedia, in the 18th century, during slave trading, Boston became an exporter of rum. The rum was sent to West Africa to buy more enslaved people. The distillation makes rum of fermented molasses. So, with all that molasses, Bostonians began adding it to their baked bean recipes, giving it a sweeter flavor and thus creating Boston baked beans!
Ingredients and Estimated Cost
Per Serving Cost: $0.47
Recipe Cost: $5.67
NOTE: I calculate the recipe prices using name-brand grocery prices on grocery store websites. The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.
- 1 pound navy beans $1.25
- ½ teaspoon baking soda $0.01
- 2 bay leaves $0.06
- 4 ounces thick-sliced bacon $1.12
- 1 medium onion $0.62
- ⅓ cup mild molasses + 2 additional tablespoons $2.21
- ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar $0.16
- 3 cups boiling water $0.00
- 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup $0.18
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard $0.04
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar $0.01
- Salt and pepper $0.01
How To Cooke Boston Baked Beans In A Crock Pot
Boil Beans:
- After soaking the beans for 8-12 hours, drain and add them to a large Dutch oven.
- Add 8 cups of water, baking soda, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming the foam with a slotted spoon. Boil for 15 minutes.
Cook Bacon and Onion:
- While the beans cook, add bacon and onion to a large non-stick skillet and sauté over medium-high heat until the bacon fat renders and the onion edges begin to brown about 7-8 minutes.
- Transfer the bacon and onion to the slow cooker and stir in ⅓ cup of molasses, brown sugar, and 3 cups of boiling water.
Slow Cook Beans:
- Drain the beans and transfer them to the slow cooker, discarding the bay leaves. Stir until combined.
- Place aluminum foil directly on the surface of the beans, and cover the slow cooker with the lid.
- Set the slow cooker to LOW and let it work its magic. The beans will slowly become creamy and tender over 10-12 hours. It’s a slow process, but the result is worth the wait.
- Turn off the slow cooker, remove the lid, and discard the aluminum foil. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of molasses, maple syrup (optional), mustard, and vinegar—season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with the lid and let the beans sit until the sauce slightly thickens about 15-20 minutes. Serve.
How to Thicken Baked Beans
To thicken baked beans, you can use a few different methods.
- One way is to simmer the beans uncovered for a bit longer, allowing some liquid to evaporate and naturally thicken the sauce.
- Alternatively, you can create a slurry by mixing equal parts cold water, cornstarch, or flour. Stir the slurry into the baked beans and cook for a few more minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Another option is to mash a small portion of the beans against the pot’s side, releasing their natural starches to help thicken the sauce.
What To Serve With Boston Baked Beans
The beans are the perfect side to any summer bar-b-que without heating your kitchen! I love to serve these with my Slow Cooker Root beer Pulled Pork. They would also go well with Grilled Chicken Breasts or other grilled meat.
Whenever I make this recipe, I also want some salad to go along with it. A few ideas that come to mind are my Macaroni Salad, Spinach Salad, and Creamy Cucumber Salad. Any of these recipes will be the perfect complement to this recipe! I can’t wait to hear what you pick!
Recipe Notes
- You can double this baked beans recipe. But first, make sure you use a large slow cooker with at least 6.5 quarts.
- Maple syrup is optional in this recipe. I know it’s not authentic, but I love my baked beans with a little shot of maple syrup. So try it, and I think you’ll like it, too!
- Traditional Boston Baked Beans recipes use salt pork. I opted for bacon because that is readily available in stores near me. If you use salt pork, use a 4-ounce chunk and remove the rind. Follow these directions instead of in step 2:
- While the beans are boiling in the Dutch oven, score the fatty side of salt pork and cut it into 2 pieces. Place scored side down in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook until fat is rendered, 8-10 minutes. Turn salt pork over, add onion, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a slow cooker. At the end of cooking, remove the rind, shred (removing any fat), and return to the slow cooker.
- Using the aluminum foil on top of the beans ensures that the heat stays at the bottom of the slow cooker and in the beans themselves instead of the heat rising to the lid. DO NOT SKIP THE FOIL! If you do, you run the risk of your beans not softening.
- As the directions indicate below, I like to cook these beans on low, but you can cook them on high for 5-6 hours.
- Another great side dish for cookouts is my baked mac and cheese recipe!
Recipe FAQs
To cook beans in a crock pot, set it to low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high heat for 3 to 4 hours, depending on your preferred texture.
The short answer is chemistry! If there is a high calcium level within the water the beans are cooking in, they may take an extremely long time to cook and remain hard. There are pectins between cells in the beans, which then combine with the calcium, resulting in a tightened bond that makes the beans firmer. Acidic ingredients typically added to the recipe, such as ketchup and vinegar, can also impede the beans’ softness.
Sugar can act in the same manner as calcium, so molasses is very tricky to cook with because it contains sugar, is acidic, and contains calcium. Yikes! So, the trick is soaking the beans before cooking. Beans should be covered in three times as much water as there are beans. You can slowly soak or quickly soak them on the stove. Either way, the soaking water should be drained off the beans before beginning the Baked Beans recipe.
Maple syrup is optional in this recipe. I know it’s not authentic, but I love my baked beans with a little shot of maple syrup. So try it. I think you’ll like it, too!
More Slow Cooker Bean Recipes
- Crock-Pot Tuscan White Bean Soup
- Restaurant Style Refried Beans Recipe
- Crock Pot Green Chile Pinto Beans
Save The Recipe
Enter your email below & we’ll send a link to this recipe to your inbox & you’ll subscribe for new recipes
Boston Baked Beans (Crock Pot Recipe)
Video
Equipment
- slow cooker
- Large Dutch oven
- Slotted spoon
- Large nonstick skillet
- Large colander
Ingredients
- 1 pound navy beans picked over and soaked in cold water for 8 to 12 hours
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 ounces thick sliced bacon
- 1 medium onion minced
- ⅓ cup mild molasses + 2 additional tablespoons
- ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 3 cups boiling water
- 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup optional
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- After soaking the beans for 8-12 hours, drain them and pour them into a large Dutch oven along with 8 cups water, baking soda, and bay leaves.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and use a slotted spoon to skim the foam off of the top. Boil for 15 minutes.
- While the beans cook, chop bacon into 2-inch pieces. In a large non-stick skillet, sauté bacon and onion over medium-high heat until fat is rendered from the bacon and the edges of the onion begin to brown slightly, for about 7-8 minutes.
- Place bacon and onion in the slow cooker. Stir in ⅓ cup molasses, brown sugar, and 3 cups of boiling water.
- Once beans are done boiling, drain them and transfer them to the slow cooker, discarding bay leaves.
- Give everything a good stir and place aluminum foil directly on the surface of the beans, then cover the slow cooker with a lid.
- Set the slow cooker to LOW and cook until the beans are creamy and tender for 10-12 hours.
- Turn off the slow cooker and, remove the lid, and discard the aluminum foil.
- Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons molasses, maple syrup (optional), mustard, and vinegar—season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover the slow cooker lid and let beans sit until the sauce slightly thickens about 15-20 minutes. Serve.
Nutrition
did you love this recipe?
Share it with me on Facebook and find more recipes on foodfolksandfun for more!
subscribe for new recipes
Get all the latest recipes in your inbox!
connect with us
Make sure to tag #foodfolksandfun on instagram!
I have made a lot of crock style beans But these beans are the best that I have made and tested try them you wont be disappointed
This turned out amazing!
Why does this start with “drain the beans”? Was I soaking them? How long etc?
yes, the recipe says “1 pound navy beans picked over and soaked in cold water for 8 to 12 hours”
I’m surprised you can taste the beans at all with that much sugar in the Boston Baked Beans recipe. Also, A thick slab of SALT PORK is really required for an authentic taste. Omit the bay leaves, the brown sugar and use powdered dry mustard instead of the runny stuff and you’ll have a decent pot of beans that would have been served during Abraham Lincoln’s lifetime.
The best baked beans ever! Family loved them – great recipe.
Thanks!
These must be pre Covid prices 🙂
I’m making this weekend! Looks good and I have most of the ingredients already!
Can you cook these on med or high for part of the time to reduce the cooking time?
Yes, you can adjust the cooking temperature of the slow cooker Boston baked beans to reduce the overall cooking time. Typically, slow cooker recipes that are designed to cook on low for a long duration (like 12-14 hours) can be cooked on high for a shorter period (about 6-8 hours).
However, it’s important to keep in mind that altering the cooking time and temperature can affect the texture and flavor of the beans. Cooking beans slowly at a lower temperature allows them to soften properly and absorb flavors evenly. If you decide to cook them on high for part of the time, you might want to check the beans periodically to ensure they don’t become too mushy or overcooked.
For best results, consider starting the beans on high for the first few hours to kickstart the cooking process and then switching to low for the remainder of the time. This method can help balance the cooking time with the desired texture and flavor development.
Very good recipe. Made them this weekend. I tweaked it a tad though. I used home triple smoked bacon and omitted the maple syrup (which I usually put in) and opted for a jigger of top shelf bourbon. Honestly…try it with the bourbon. It ads an incredible depth to them. Everyone will ask what you put in your incredible beans! I also always use Jacobs cattle beans as my grand mum always swore by. They also make a huge difference. Thanks again!
The BEST beans I ever made! I didn’t use the maple syrup but used maple bacon, added some minced garlic with the onions and at the end with the last ingredients I added worcestshire sauce and smoked paprika!
Can’t find the video. Is it no longer available?
The video is in the recipe card. 🙂
Thank you for the reply. Plan on making this for Labor Day party. Figured out what was wrong. Ad blocker turned on preventing the video from displaying. Fixed for you site. I know you say 12 servings but can’t seem to locate the serving size.