Slow Cooker Baked Beans

Ultra simple to prepare, this baked beans recipe is made almost like the old-fashioned way... but in the slow cooker!

Once cooked, the beans take on the sweet flavor of molasses and the salty taste of bacon pieces. A classic little delight to rediscover! And you'll see that these baked beans are really better than all the prepared brands you can buy in a can.

Serve them with meals cooked on the barbecue or during brunches.

The recipe yields 10 servings of 450 calories each.

Ingredients

• 3 cups (750 ml) dried white beans
• 1 lb (454 g) bacon cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 onion diced
• 1 green bell pepper diced (optional)
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) salt
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) cayenne pepper
• 1 15 oz (425 g) can tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (65 ml) molasses
• 4 cups (1 L) vegetable broth

Preparation

Rinse the beans, then let them soak overnight (or at least 8 hours) OR boil for 1 hour. 

Drain and add to the slow cooker.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon.

Then, add the onion and bell pepper (optional) and heat over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until the bacon fat is enough to soften the onion.

Incorporate the salt, mustard, black pepper, cayenne pepper, tomato sauce, brown sugar, and molasses, then add everything to the slow cooker with the beans. 

Add the vegetable broth and mix.

Then cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours or until the beans are tender. 

Stir occasionally if possible.

For thicker sauce, let the beans cook uncovered for the last 30 minutes