Slow-Cooker Maple Baked Beans
Navy beans cooked low and slow with maple, molasses and salt pork make a classic Boston-style pot that feeds a crowd for pennies.
Prep20 min
Cook8 hr
Total8 hr 20 min
Yield8 servings
LevelEasy
Slow-Cooker Maple Baked Beans
Ingredients
US measurements with metric in parentheses.
Instructions
- Fry the bacon in a skillet 4 minutes until it begins to crisp. Add the onion and cook 3 minutes.
- Scrape the bacon and onion into a slow cooker with the beans, maple syrup, molasses, tomato paste, mustard, salt and water.
- Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours until the beans are very tender.
- Stir in the vinegar, then taste and add salt if needed.
- Leave uncovered 15 to 20 minutes on high to thicken before serving.
🌡 Food safety: Cook pork to at least 145°F (63°C) inside, then let it rest 3 minutes; ground pork needs 160°F (71°C). Wash hands and surfaces after handling raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Tips for success
- Add salt after the beans soften if you worry about tough skins; old beans may need extra time.
- Always soak beans first and discard the soaking water.
Substitutions
- Skip the bacon and add smoked paprika for vegetarian beans.
- Brown sugar can replace maple syrup.
Storage & reheating
Refrigerate up to 5 days; freezes well for 3 months.
Estimated nutrition per serving
Estimate only. Calculated roughly from typical ingredients; real values vary by brand and portion.
| Calories | ~290 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | ~13 g |
| Carbohydrates | ~48 g |
| Fat | ~6 g |
Frequently asked questions
Can I use canned beans?
Yes. Use 4 cans, drained, and cook on low 3 hours.