Slow Cooker Baked Beans feature three kinds of beans and a half pound of cheddar cheese adding something extra to the traditional baked beans recipe.

Looking to switch up your usual baked bean recipe? Check out these alternative versions using a slow cooker for a delicious twist on a classic dish.

These Slow Cooker Baked Beans feature three kinds of bean that adds something extra to the classic flavor of the traditional baked beans recipe.

Table of Contents

Slow Cooker Baked Beans using canned beans recipe

Barbara adapted a three bean hot salad from the In the Kettle at Van Duyn cookbook to create this crock pot recipe. Check out the Easy Triple Chocolate Cake also from this cookbook.

This dish reminds us of Calico Beans without the ground beef. If you wanted to make this dish into an entree rather than a side dish, go ahead and mix in a pound of cooked ground beef.

I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan of basic baked beans but with the variety of beans and the addition of cheese, I have become a lover of these Crock Pot Baked Beans. I absolutely love the amount of sweetness from the brown sugar and ketchup sauce.

And as someone who usually has a good supply of “staples” in my pantry, I love that this recipe features common ingredients that most are likely to have on hand on any given day.

Slow Cooker Baked Beans are the perfect side dish for picnics, family dinners and potlucks.

On a side note, as I was writing this I noted that I was struggling finding more to say about baked beans when a oh-so-helpful person who will remain anonymous suggested including:

Beans are good for the heart,

The more you eat,

The more you …

I will leave the rest of that song for you to finish on your own. All I could say was “bless your heart.”

Ingredient List

Canned Lima Beans
Canned Kidney Beans
Bacon
Dice Onions
Canned Kidney Beans
Cheddar Cheese
Ketchup
Brown Sugar

How to Make Baked Beans in the Slow Cooker

Step by Step Instructions

Drain off excess liquid in lima and kidney beans.
Fry up bacon and onions until crisp; drain off excess grease.
Add all ingredients to the crock pot insert;; stir together. Try using a slow cooker liner for easy cleanup!
Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hour.
Serve along side burgers, sloppy joes, steak or any other protein.

Storage Instructions

Let leftovers cool. Transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

For the full instructions for crock pot baked beans, scroll to the bottom of this post.

Recipe FAQs

Be sure to drain off the liquid from the lima and kidney beans; do not drain the pork and bean juice.
After frying up the bacon, you can discard the extra grease but you can keep it. Bacon grease adds great flavor to slow cooker baked beans using canned bean recipe.
Three bean hot salad is a blast from the past. Some of our other favorite vintage recipes include Classic Salmon Patties and Ambrosia Salad.

Recipe Variations

Swap in any other type of canned bean that you love. Navy beans, black beans, Great Northern beans and pinto beans are all great options.
Substitute in maple syrup, honey or molasses for the brown sugar.
Love the flavor of BBQ sauce? Swap barbecue sauce for the ketchup.
Sometimes I add additional ingredients such as a squirt of yellow mustard, a shake of Worcestershire sauce and a dash of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.

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