Brown sugar baked beans are a simple and delicious side dish that’s cooked all day in the crockpot. This recipe uses dry beans and makes enough for a large group or you can freeze the extras. Gluten-free.
There’s not much that goes better with a summer BBQ than crockpot baked beans. Paired with a few of our other potluck favorites like our Gluten Free Potato Salad, Gluten Free Pasta Salad and Apple Fruit Salad with Cool Whip, you will be set with the ultimate spread!
This kid-friendly classic doesn’t need to be complicated or take a lot of time. With minimal ingredients and a 10-minute prep time, you’ll quickly find this recipe replacing canned baked beans!
Easy Baked Beans
Crockpot baked beans can easily be assembled in the morning then left to cook all day, making this side dish a simple addition that doesn’t take much time or effort.
Similar to our Fruit Salad for Kids, Broccoli Salad without Mayo and Brussels Sprout Apple Salad, it is a quick, easy and affordable recipe that the whole family will love.
This recipe for baked beans uses dry beans which are inexpensive, simple to use, and taste amazing! Did you know you don’t need to soak dry legumes? Saves time and money! Read more about it here.
To get started, gather the equipment and ingredients then follow the written instructions or printable recipe card below. Enjoy!
Equipment
- colander
- crockpot
- measuring cups and spoons
- stir spoon
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bag dry Great Northern Beans, rinsed
- 2 29 ounce cans tomato sauce ✅
- 8 cups water
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup molasses ✅
- 2 tablespoons dry mustard ✅
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar ✅
- 1 tablespoon onion powder ✅
- 1 tablespoon salt
Gluten-Free Guide: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten.
How To Make
Place the beans into a colander and rinse well. Pick out any bad beans or small stones.
Combine the ingredients
Add all ingredients to the crockpot then stir.
Cook
Cook on high for 8-10 hours.
Serve
Serve hot or cold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. This is one of our favorite recipes to prep in advance and then freeze in small portions. We then reheat these vegetarian beans and serve on a weeknight.
Place in an airtight container or Ziplock bag once completely cool, label and freeze.
Microwave in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments until hot.
Kids In The Kitchen
Cooking tips and suggestions for kids making this recipe.
- Add bacon to cook with the beans or crumble crispy bacon on the top before serving
- Turn the slow cooker on high and let cook overnight instead of during the day
- Serve alongside grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, pork chops or our popular Cheese Curd Burger
More Bean Recipes
- Crockpot Refried Beans
- Ground Beef and Bean Burrito
- Taco Dip with Refried Beans
- Black Bean Brownie Recipe
- Gluten-Free Black Bean Burgers
- Bean and Cheese Burrito
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
Brown Sugar Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bag dry Great Northern Beans, rinsed
- 2 29 ounce cans tomato sauce ✅
- 8 cups water
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup molasses ✅
- 2 tablespoons dry mustard ✅
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar ✅
- 1 tablespoon onion powder ✅
- 1 tablespoon salt
Instructions
- Prep the beans. Place the beans into a colander and rinse well. Pick out any bad beans or small stones.
- Combine the ingredients. Add all ingredients to the crockpot then stir.2 pounds bag dry Great Northern Beans, rinsed, 2 29 ounce cans tomato sauce, 8 cups water, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup molasses, 2 tablespoons dry mustard, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon salt
- ⭐️Cook. Cook on high for 8-10 hours.
- Serve. Serve hot or cold.
Notes
- Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- This is one of our favorite recipes to prep in advance then freeze in small portions. We then reheat these vegetarian beans and serve on a weeknight.
- To reheat, microwave in 30-second increments until hot.
Nutrition
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Melissa says
These beans were a hit at our grill out last weekend! I loved how easy there were to make.