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
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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
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This was an excellent recipe! Even my picky eaters gobbled this up!
Our family loves baked beans! Great tip on the foil, never tried it that way before.
This recipe is going to the star of the show at all my summer potlucks this year! I love how easy it is, and makes such a great sauce! We will never buy canned baked beans again!
These baked beans were outstanding! The perfect sauciness and easy instructions. My husband went wild for them!
Question: do you put the fat from the bacon into the slow cooker with the beans?
Hi KJ, it’s all a matter of taste. I personally drain off the fat by transferring the bacon and onions to a paper towel-lined plate before placing them into the slow cooker.
can use use jarred northern beans and put bake soda right in crock with rest of ing. to soften or should I not?
I wouldn’t because canned/jarred beans are already soft.
I have canned baked beans. I use small jars, 1/2 pint and 1 pint. Put hot beans into sterilized, hot jars leaving an inch at the top. put lids on and screw down. Process in boiling water for 80-90 minutes.
Note: I use beans that are not quite cooked as the processing finishes it for me. It produces softer beans if fully cooked before canning.
Good recipe but a little sweet 🙂
Hi Sue, thanks for including the canning instructions. I’ll have to give it a try the next time I make these!
So good! I only made baked beans once years ago and they were awful! Decided to try again and I picked your recipe because you put in a ton of research to get them right. You really did get them right. I followed the recipe to the teaspoon. Perfect beans! Thank you!
Yay, I’m so glad you loved this recipe!
What’s the baking soda for?
Great question, the baking soda helps to soften the beans as they cook in the slow cooker. Sometimes beans don’t soften easily or evenly in the slow cooker, so that little bit of added baking soda helps to soften the beans.
I can use this recipe as a starting point. My beans were done in less than 6 hours, but I forgot to start the timer when they first boiled, so they may have boiled a tad longer, and they soaked 12 hours. These are WAY to sweet and bland for my tastes, but the texture reminds me of beans when I went to college in Boston. Next time I’ll leave out the brown sugar, maybe add some BBQ sauce. Thank you so much for the technique – ridiculously easy! And for anyone who needs to know, this recipe fit in a 4 quart slow cooker. I also did not get 12 servings (1/2 cup servings), more like 8.
Can you tell us, please, what size crockpot you use for this recipe?
Back 40 years ago, crockpots were just 4 quart. Would mine work for this?
The crockpot that I use is a 6.5 quart pot. This recipe should work in your slow cooker.
How many servings, as a side dish, does this recipe make?
This recipe makes 12 side dish servings.
How to remedy the water cooking out overnight? Flavor is awesome…just no sauce. Thanks for sharing this recipe
Hey Ralph, Every slow cooker is different so it’s hard to gauge. With that said, start by adding an extra cup of water while the beans cook and adjust as needed. I hope this helps!
I think that maple syrup is indeed authentic. If you look at old Maine recipes, maple syrup is often used. I think it’s preferable to plain brown sugar because it adds a lot of flavor other than just sweetness.
Growing up I always hated baked beans because they were sweet and gloopy. I never realized how different home made beans are.
I personally love real maple syrup in my beans and that’s how I make mine every time. And I agree, homemade beans are SOOOOOOO much better than the canned variety.
Oops, forgot the rating. 5 stars for sure!
Thank you!
Thank you for this awesome recipe! Next time, I’ll have to make a double batch as 3 of us devoured 2/3 in one sitting. Have you ever tried canning this recipe? There is a very similar recipe in the Ball canning book – without the vinegar and maple syrup and using dry mustard instead of Dijon, but the whole cooking process and times are different.
I’ve never tried canning this recipe, sorry.
Hi Jillian. You have a real winner here. After returning from a short New England getaway last week I came home ready to make some beans. But it’s been so hot and humid here lately I didn’t feel like dragging out the old bean pot and firing the oven up all day long. So I looked for a slow cooker recipe and luckily found yours. I made them according to your recipe with just two minor changes. I added a dash of ground cloves and I used the water that I boiled the beans in to replace the three cups of boiled water. Cooked them for 12 hours on low and they came out nice and soft, silky, smooth, and saucy. Now I’ve been making beans in that old bean pot for over 40 years and people have always told me my recipe was one of the best. But when my wife told me tonight these were the best beans I’ve ever made I realized it’s probably time to retire that old bean pot recipe. These beans are fantastic! I certainly will be making them again. Thanks for sharing with us.
Charlie, I am thrilled you loved these beans! Thanks for stopping by!
Can you use kidney beans – makingng them for my husbad, who is the cook in the family and from Boston, and says he prefers kidney beans
Hi Suzanne, I have never used kidney beans myself for this recipe so I’m not sure. If you give it a go, let me know how it turns out for you!
I’ve used kidney beans as well, and it was fabulous, if you like kidney beans
Yum, I bet it’s delicious!
these baked beans are so good and the recipe was so easy to follow. Only thing that I did different was baking them in my Cast Iron Dutch oven in the oven at 250 instead of the slow cooker. By doing it this way it only took 5 hrs. I will not be buying the canned baked beans again.
Diane, I am SO glad these worded for you in the oven. Thanks for letting me know, I know this will come in handy for other readers!
I just made this baked bean recipe for my daughter’s 4th birthday party, delicious! This recipe is a keeper, thank you for a delicious recipe
Yay, SO glad you liked it!
I would LOVE to try this but unfortunately we can not use the foil in our family. Bummer! Anyone have any suggestions for an alternative?
Hi Deb, you can still make the recipe as is, you just will need to increase the cooking time by a couple/few hours. I would say start checking the beans around 12 hours.
You could use parchment paper instead.