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Boston Baked Beans

Name: Boston Baked Beans
Prep time: 8 h
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 8 h 10 min
Yield: 10 servings.
Ingredients: 1 pound dried navy beans; 6 cups water, divided; 1/4 pound diced salt pork or 6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled; 1 large onion, chopped; 1/2 cup packed brown sugar; 1/2 cup molasses; 1/4 cup sugar; 1 teaspoon ground mustard; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/2 teaspoon pepper

10 reviews

Contest Winner

Test Kitchen Approved

Total Time

Prep: 20 min. + soaking Cook: 10 hours

Makes

10 servings

Updated: Feb. 24, 2023

Simmered in molasses, these slow-cooker Boston baked beans are perfect to take to your next potluck. The sauce is sweet, dark and rich and they complement anything you serve with them.—Darlene Duncan, Langhorne, Pennsylvania

Boston Baked Beans Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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Ingredients

1 pound dried navy beans
6 cups water, divided
1/4 pound diced salt pork or 6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Sort beans and rinse in cold water. Place beans in a 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker; add 4 cups water. Cover and let stand overnight.
Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. Return beans to slow cooker; add salt pork.
In a small bowl, combine the onion, brown sugar, molasses, sugar, mustard, salt, cloves, pepper and remaining water. Pour mixture over beans; stir to combine.
Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or until beans are tender.

Tips for Making Slow-Cooker Baked Beans

What type of beans are best for Boston baked beans?

Navy beans work best, but other small white beans such as cannellini or great northern will do, as well.

What's the benefit of using a slow cooker?

The slow-and-low method for baked beans allows the flavors to meld together—and gives you the convenience of hands-off time. It's one of our favorite slow-cooker side dishes. What's more, making baked beans from scratch allows you to control the amount of sodium, which is typically high in prepared baked beans. Decrease the salt if you are following a lower-sodium diet.

What can I serve this with?

You can serve baked beans with classic picnic fare:

Can I freeze and store this for later?

Yes. Store cooled beans in freezer containers for 2-3 months. To reheat, warm in a skillet over medium heat, adding water as necessary.

Health Tip: Making baked beans from scratch allows you to control the amount of sodium, which is typically high in prepared baked beans. Decrease the salt if you are following a lower-sodium diet.

Nutrition Facts

2/3 cup: 331 calories, 6g fat (2g saturated fat), 12mg cholesterol, 511mg sodium, 58g carbohydrate (27g sugars, 7g fiber), 13g protein.