Slow cooker baked beans
- Preparation 12 h
- Cooking 10 h 30 min
- Servings 8 to 10
- Freezing Absolutely
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🫘 The best baked beans I’ve eaten in my life
Definitely the best baked beans I’ve eaten in my life. And I’m not the only one saying it: everyone who tries them goes nuts over them.
I make them for breakfast, at sugar shack time, during the holidays. All the time, really. And they freeze well.
🌙 Soak by day, cook overnight
I soak the beans during the day, then they cook in the slow cooker overnight. Nice surprise when I wake up. The soaking happens in maple syrup and beer: if the beans have to soak anyway, they might as well soak in something that has flavor.
🍁 Yes, there’s a lot of sugar, and it’s on purpose
Maple syrup, molasses and brown sugar, all in the same pot. It’s a nicely sweet recipe, and that’s how I like it. For the beer, any strong dark ale does the job.
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🫘 Dried beans, never canned
Canned beans? Never in my life. The whole point of homemade baked beans is that they’re homemade.
🍺 Any strong dark ale
No need for one particular bottle, any strong dark ale does the job. And if the beans soak for twelve hours anyway, they might as well soak in maple and beer instead of plain water. No beer? Use the same amount of beef broth.
⏱️ Don’t skip the 30-minute boil
After soaking, the beans boil before they go into the slow cooker. Skip it, and they won’t be cooked enough at the end. No shortcut here.
🥓 Salt pork at the bottom and on top, half an onion in the center
Half of the salt pork goes at the bottom of the slow cooker, the other half on top, and half an onion gets pushed into the center each time. It gives flavor. No mystery there.
🔥 And in the oven?
I’ve never made them in the oven. My recipe is the slow cooker version, and that’s the one I’ve tested. An oven can work, as long as it cooks slowly and for a long time, but I won’t give you a temperature or a time: I haven’t tried it.
❄️ They freeze well
Leftovers keep 4 to 5 days in the fridge, and the beans freeze very well. Make the full recipe and freeze what’s left.
✅ What to serve with my slow cooker baked beans?
I serve them for brunch, with eggs, bread and bacon. For the bread, my homemade cretons spread very nicely on the side. If you like white beans that simmer for a long time, also try my smoked ham and white bean soup and my cassoulet toulousain.
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Ingredients for the soaking
- 4 cups (1 L) small white navy beans, uncooked
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) strong dark ale, lukewarm (or the same amount of beef broth)
- Lukewarm water
Ingredients for the slow cooker
- 1 medium Spanish onion, peeled and cut in half
- About 250 g salt pork (belly), cut into large chunks
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) dry mustard
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste
- 200 ml brown sugar
- 200 ml molasses
- 250 ml maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) strong dark ale, lukewarm (or the same amount of beef broth)
- Lukewarm water
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Preparation
- In a large pot, place the beans and add the maple syrup and the beer. Then pour in enough water to cover the beans by 5 cm (2 in). Stir everything well. Let soak for 12 hours, covered, stirring from time to time. Add water as needed so the beans stay under the liquid at all times.
- After soaking, put the pot on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring gently once in a while. Remove from the heat and drain the beans.
- In a large slow cooker, place half of the salt pork at the bottom and half of the onion in the center. Pour the beans over everything.
- In a bowl, combine the dry mustard, tomato paste, brown sugar, molasses, maple syrup and beer and stir well until smooth. Pour over the beans, all over.
- Spread the rest of the salt pork on top and push the remaining half onion into the center, under the beans. Add just enough water so the liquid barely covers the beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Put the lid on and cook in the slow cooker on low for 10 hours. You can stir the beans once, toward the end of the cooking time. Enjoy!
For me, it’s this one: definitely the best baked beans I’ve eaten in my life, and everyone who tries them goes nuts over them. It’s made in the slow cooker, with salt pork, maple syrup, molasses, brown sugar and a strong dark ale. It’s a sweet recipe, and that’s on purpose.
I’ve never made them in the oven: my recipe is the slow cooker version, and that’s the one I’ve tested. It can be done in the oven, as long as it cooks slowly and for a long time, but I can’t give you a temperature or a time.
Small white navy beans, dried and uncooked. Never canned: the whole point of homemade baked beans is that they’re homemade.
Yes. After soaking, the beans boil for 30 minutes, then you drain them. If you skip that step, they won’t be cooked enough at the end.
4 to 5 days in the fridge. And yes, they freeze very well.
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