The Best Slow Cooker Baked Beans Recipe

Name: The Best Slow Cooker Baked Beans Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: slow cooker
Ingredients: ½ lb uncooked bacon (chopped); 1 small yellow onion (diced); 2 28oz. cans Bush’s vegetarian baked beans; ? cup molasses; ½ cup light brown sugar; ¼ cup coke; ¼ cup dijon mustard; 3 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar; Salt (to taste); Black pepper (to taste)

This recipe is a spin off of our popular Bean Bakerecipe – but with a bit of a sweet kick thanks to a can of Coke, Dr Pepper, or root beer! If you’re looking for the ultimate easy, simple, and totally delicious bean side dish, this is it!

At Ajpal, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

picture of baked beans in a blue bowl with a spoon on the table next to it

Slow Cooker Baked Beans With Bacon

If you’re cooking up some burgers, brisket,ribs, or grilled pork tenderloin and looking for the ULTIMATE side, you need these easy slow cooker beans!

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For this recipe, we’re adding lots of smoky, crunchy bacon to give even more flavor to our baked beans! If you want to make a meat-free baked beans recipe, please simply omit bacon.

If you want an even meatier baked beans recipe, please check out ourBest Ever Baked Beansrecipe.

Slab bacon or salt pork may also be used in this recipe – you might need to adjust salt to your liking depending on the flavor.

For super crispy bacon (perfect to crumble on the top of baked beans when they are done), you can find our perfect baked bacon recipe here.

How to Make Slow Cooker Baked Beans

We’re using Coke to sweeten our baked beans and help keep the classic baked beans sauce nice and runny – the perfect combination! You can use diet Coke or Coke Zero to reduce the sugars in this baked beans recipe.

Soda doesn’t need to be carbonated for this to work – I always seem to have a can of coke that a kid opens and forgets and it goes flat – which can be used in this recipe. We’re using Coke for the flavor, not the carbonation.

For a different flavor, you can swap the Coke in this recipe for Dr Pepper – the cherry flavor of Dr Pepper gives baked beans a great complex flavor that isn’t too sweet. You can also use Diet Dr Pepper to reduce the sugar in your slow cooker baked beans. If you love this twist, be sure to check out our Dr Pepper Pot Roast, too!

Bacon – bacon brings out a smoky, rich, meaty flavor in baked beans that is a cookout classic.
Yellow onion – onion’s earthy, pungent kick adds a layer of vegetal flavor to baked beans that helps cut through the richness from bacon and sweetness of the molasses and coke.
Baked beans – using canned baked beans is a great starter for this recipe – they already contain some seasoning from brown sugar, garlic, and other spices to save you time and kick your flavor in overdrive!
Molasses – the sweet but not sugary flavor of molasses brings a rich, deep flavor to baked beans that is unforgettable – it is perfect paired with bacon and onion!
Brown sugar – brown sugar brings a more caramelized flavor that isn’t intensely sweet, but offers a more complex taste.
Coke or Dr Pepper – a bit of soda (it can be flat) brings a unique sweetness to these beans that majorly ups the addictive flavor!
Dijon mustard – dijon brings a spicy heat that adds a rich layer of intensity to these beans, and brings you back for more!
Bay leaves – bay leaves bring an earthy taste with notes of pepper and mint.
Apple cider vinegar – apple cider vinegar is acidic to help balance overly sweet and fatty flavor.

Tips to Perfect Slow Cooker Baked Beans & FAQs

This recipe is super simple – brown onions and crisp bacon then dump in a slow cooker and cook – but there are a couple modifications and tips to make this perfect!

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
You can also prepare the whole batch in advance of a party or potluck and reheat in the crockpot.
Slab bacon or salt pork may also be used in this recipe
Coke can be omitted from this recipe or replaced with dr pepper or root beer.
These beans are on the sweeter side, feel free to add in a jalapeno pepper or two to add some heat or reduce the light brown sugar to ? cup.

Recipe FAQs

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Omit bacon for a vegetarian/vegan version of baked beans.

You can use Dr Pepper, root beer, or Coke for this recipe – go for the flavor you love the most!

You can skip the mustard if you are allergic or don’t have any on hand.
I’m allergic to mustard, and skip it when I make it – but my husband likes mustard in his baked beans so sometimes I’ll make them both ways.

You can find our entireBBQ side dish recipe index here.

Other BBQ Recipes

If you like lots of rich, meaty grilled, smoked, baked, and pan fried BBQ flavor, you’re going to love our recipes below!

Our top rated smoked pork ribs, smoked brisket, and crispy pulled pork are knockouts that can’t be missed – but these beans are also delicious alongside meaty classics like our baked pork tenderloin and air fried chicken legs, too!