These Slow Cooker Baked Beans are smokey, slightly sweet, savory, and so easy to make. Just prepare your ingredients in the morning, then walk away and leave them to cook until dinner time. They’re a perfect side at your picnics and potluck, but delicious any time of year!
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I love baked beans! Whether eating them with a delicious veggie burger, a veggie dog, or with some homemade corn bread, these beans are wonderful addition to your meal. This homemade baked beans recipe makes a perfect side for a summer barbecue or potluck. But they’re also a comforting dish for the cooler parts of the year. The recipe makes a lot, so there’s plenty to feed a crowd.
You won’t miss the bacon in these baked beans. I’ve added smoked paprika to give them that pleasant smoky flavor. They’re sweet, savory, smoky, and have plenty of sauce. And you don’t have to be vegan or vegetarian to enjoy them, even meat eaters will love this delicious recipe!
Baked beans are usually baked in the oven for hours, which really heats up the house in the summer. But cooking the in the slow cooker keeps the kitchen cooler on those hot summer days. And if you’re making them in the cooler seasons, cooking the beans in a crock pot frees up the oven for cooking other menu items.
These slow cooker baked beans are made from simple ingredients that you probably have in your pantry. They’re also a wonderful source of protein and fiber.
And the recipe is so easy! You only need a tiny bit of prep time. Then the slow cooker does all the magic! Turning those simple ingredients into the creamiest, tastiest, vegetarian baked beans.
Ingredients in this baked beans recipe
- Navy beans – I’ve also made this with Great Northern Beans, but prefer the smaller Navy beans
- Low sodium vegetable broth
- Onion
- Tomato paste
- Maple syrup
- Brown sugar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Yellow mustard
- Smoked paprika
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
Variations
- If you want more smoky flavor, add a bit of liquid smoke.
- For spicy flavor, add a little cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or hot sauce.
How to make vegan slow cooker baked beans
First, soak the beans. Place the dried beans in a large pot and pour water over them to about two inches above the level of the beans. They will expand as they soak. It is fine to leave them soaking pot on the counter, but if it’s hot, it’s probably a good idea to place the pot in the refrigerator overnight.
If you forget to soak your beans overnight, you can do use a quick soak method by covering the beans with two inches of water. Bring the pot to a boil, then boil them for 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover it, and let the beans soak for one hour.
Drain the soaked beans and transfer them to a crock pot.
Add the remaining ingredients, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
Leftover beans will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and also freeze well.
Serving Suggestions
- These beans are a perfect side for my Quinoa and Black Bean Burgers or my Chickpea Burgers.
- You can also make an absolutely delicious meal by pairing them with some Vegan Corn Muffins and Sauteed Kale.
- How about serving them over toast for breakfast?
- They are a wonderful side dish for my Vegan Glazed Ham!
You sure can. You can also switch up the beans you use in this recipe by using red beans, pinto beans, black beans, or a combination of them.
Some varieties of canned baked bean are vegan, but some contain bacon or other animal based ingredients, so be sure to read the label.
Yes! Once cooled, transfer the beans to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Here are more delicious picnic and BBQ sides:
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Slow Cooker Baked Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound white beans
- 3 cups vegetable broth I used Better than Bouillon
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons organic brown sugar or molasses
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Soak the beans overnight.
- The next day, drain and rinse the beans.
- Place the beans in the slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Cook on the high setting for 4 to 5 hours, or the low setting for 6 to 8 hours, until the beans are soft and the sauce is creamy.
Nutrition
Nutrition calculations are approximate.
