It's Stampede time again, and baked beans are a staple around Cowtown during Stampede. And this Slow Cooker New England Baked Beans recipe is the perfect summer side dish because it's so easy! You dump everything into a crockpot and go. It uses canned beans, so you don't have to worry about fussing with boiling or soaking dried beans. You can make it in advance, and because it's made in the crockpot, you don't have to heat up your house either!

Crockpot Baked Beans are also great for bringing along to potluck dinners, BBQs, family gatherings, or for feeding a crowd. This recipe pairs perfectly with my Slow Cooker Pulled Pork on a Bun, Sparkling Strawberry Punch (non-alcoholic), and carnival carnival-style mini donuts for dessert!
Jump to:
🥘Ingredient Notes
Although this baked bean recipe was adapted from a slow cooker cookbook and called New England Baked Beans, it's really more of a combination of Boston Baked Beans and traditional New England (specifically Vermont) baked beans.
Traditionally, Boston Baked Beans have salt pork and molasses, but no maple syrup, whereas Vermonters have their own version of Baked Beans with bacon instead of salt pork and maple syrup instead of molasses. This recipe uses both maple syrup and molasses for a sweet flavor, with bacon. You can read more about the history of baked beans HERE.
You'll need the following ingredients for this New England baked beans with navy beans recipe:

- Navy beans (canned). Navy beans are traditionally used for baked bean recipes. I use canned because they are much more convenient.
- Bacon. I buy pre-cooked bacon at Costco. I keep it in the freezer and take out the slices I need. Because it's pre-cooked, you don't have to deal with a bunch of bacon grease, and that's why it's perfect for this recipe!
- Canned diced tomatoes. I use canned diced tomatoes because they are convenient and economical.
- Molasses and Brown Sugar. Both molasses and brown sugar enhance the flavor of these beans, with the perfect level of sweetness
- Maple syrup. I use low-sugar because I don't want to limit the sugar in the recipe.
- Dry mustard. Dry mustard gives these beans a slight tang.
- Bay leaf. Not only do bay leaves add complexity to the flavor of these beans, bay leaves can also help reduce the unpleasant gas-inducing effects of beans (for canned beans as well).
- Maple extract (optional). Maple extract adds a welcome burst of maple flavor to these beans. The maple syrup alone doesn't add enough maple flavor.
*See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Beans - you could use a different type of bean, such as Great Northern beans.
- Bacon - I use bacon instead of salt pork, which many recipes call for. And I use pre-cooked bacon because it's faster. However, you could use regular bacon or lighten it up with turkey bacon
- Vegetarian - leave out the bacon, but add a little seasoning salt (½ tsp) and skip the regular salt
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes or chili powder while cooking to imbue heat into the dish
- Syrup - if you don't have maple syrup, use regular syrup and add more (½ tsp) maple extract at the end of the cooking process
- WW friendlier - lighten it up using turkey bacon, a sugar substitute, and sugar-free maple syrup
- Molasses -If you don’t have molasses, you can substitute it with an equal amount of dark corn syrup, honey, or additional brown sugar, though the flavor will be slightly different.
🔪How to Make New England Baked Beans
This is the best baked bean recipe because it is so easy to make! These slow cooker baked beans don't require any slaving over a hot stove- just put everything in the slow cooker and walk away for 5+ hours!

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker.

Mix until combined.

Cooking Time: Cover and cook on LOW for 5.5 hours or until mixture is thickened. Remove the bay leaf and add maple extract (optional) before serving.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Rinse canned beans thoroughly. Rinsing canned navy beans under cold water removes excess starch and sodium, helping prevent the beans from becoming too thick or overly salty.
- Use real maple syrup for depth of flavor. While low-sugar syrup works, real maple syrup brings a richer, more authentic New England flavor. If using a substitute, balance with a little maple extract, as recommended.
- Don’t skip the bay leaf. Bay leaves not only add subtle depth but also help reduce the gas-producing compounds in beans, even canned ones.
- Taste and adjust the sweetness. If your tomatoes are particularly acidic, add a touch more brown sugar or syrup after cooking. Conversely, cut the sweetness slightly with a splash of vinegar or lemon juice.
- Let them rest before serving. Let the beans sit for 10–15 minutes after cooking. This allows the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken further.
- Freeze in individual portions. Freeze leftover beans in smaller containers for quick sides or breakfasts—perfect for toast, burritos, or baked potatoes *See Top Tip -what to do with leftover baked beans (below).
🥗 What to eat with baked beans?
These beans are great for bringing along to a summer cookout or potluck and go great with sandwiches like my Beef on a Bun (shown) and grilled meats such as BBQ Beer Butt Chicken, Marinated Grilled Maple Pork, and Sirloin Burgers!

Top Tip
What to do with leftover baked beans?
If you find yourself with leftover baked beans, there are a lot of things you can do with them:
- Beans on toast with eggs- makes a great breakfast! (shown below)
- Baked bean aioli
- Beans with brown bread
- Spicy bean dip
- Add to baked potatoes (and top with bacon and cheese)
- Use in breakfast burritos instead of refried beans

🌡️Storage
Store these baked beans in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
You can freeze these slow cooker baked beans for up to 3 months in a sealed container.
👪 Serving Size
This Slow Cooker Baked Bean recipe makes 6 servings, so a serving is ⅙ of the recipe. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the blue serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. A 6-quart crock pot will hold 3x the recipe!
🔢WW Points- Weight Watchers Baked Beans
To make this into a Weight Watchers Baked Beans recipe, use turkey bacon instead of regular bacon, replace the brown sugar with monk fruit, but only use half the amount ( 2 tbsp), leave out the molasses, and use sugar-free maple syrup. Navy beans are 0 ww points!
Making these small changes will bring down this dish to 3 points per serving (whole recipe divided by 6)

❔ Recipe FAQs
Yes, if you're short on time, you can cook the beans on HIGH for about 2.5 to 3 hours. Keep an eye on them toward the end to ensure they don’t dry out.
Yes! These baked beans can be made up to 3–4 days in advance and stored in the fridge. The flavor actually develops more over time, so they're even better the next day.
Yes, you can transfer all ingredients to a covered casserole dish or Dutch oven and bake at 325°F (160°C) for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally until thickened.
Slow cooking gives this delicious baked beans recipe a depth of flavor like no other. So if you are looking for an easy baked beans recipe, you'll love this traditional side dish!
📋More Stampede Recipes
Did your family❤️this recipe? Did you know that commenting and⭐rating recipes is one of the best ways to support your favorite recipe creators? If you LOVED this recipe, please comment and rate it in the recipe card or share photos on social media using the hashtag #foodmeanderings or tagging @foodmeanderings !


📋Slow Cooker New England Baked Beans Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 15 ounce -cans navy beans
- 4 slices pre cooked bacon * use chopped
- ⅔ cup diced tomato drained
- 1 medium onion chopped
- ¾ cup water
- 4 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon molasses
- 4 tablespoon maple syrup * I use low sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon maple extract (optional)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Drain beans and rinse under cold water.3 15 ounce -cans navy beans
- Place beans in slow cooker, then add all other ingredients.4 slices pre cooked bacon * use, ⅔ cup diced tomato, 1 medium onion, ¾ cup water, 4 tablespoon brown sugar, 3 tablespoon molasses, 4 tablespoon maple syrup, 2 cloves garlic, minced, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon dry mustard, 1 bay leaf, ¼ teaspoon maple extract (optional), ¼ teaspoon black pepper (optional)
- Mix together.
- Cover and cook on low for on 5.5 hours or until mixture is thickened (like a very thick stew). Remove bay leaf and add maple extract (optional) before serving.
Notes
- Rinse canned beans thoroughly. Rinsing canned navy beans under cold water removes excess starch and sodium, helping prevent the beans from becoming too thick or overly salty.
- Use real maple syrup for depth of flavor. While low-sugar syrup works, real maple syrup brings a richer, more authentic New England flavor. If using a substitute, balance with a little maple extract, as recommended.
- Don’t skip the bay leaf. Bay leaves not only add subtle depth but also help reduce the gas-producing compounds in beans, even canned ones.
- Taste and adjust the sweetness. If your tomatoes are particularly acidic, add a touch more brown sugar or syrup after cooking. Conversely, cut the sweetness slightly with a splash of vinegar or lemon juice.
- Let them rest before serving. Let the beans sit for 10–15 minutes after cooking. This allows the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken further.
- Freeze in individual portions. Freeze leftover beans in smaller containers for quick sides or breakfasts—perfect for toast, burritos, or baked potatoes *See Top Tip -what to do with leftover baked beans (below).
Joseph
These were great, but I'm not sure how the calories were calculated. The beans alone are around 280 calories per serving
Terri Gilson
Hi Joseph,
Glad you loved them and thanks for commenting and letting me know about the error in calculation. You are right - it should be 342 calories per serving, not 169! I have fixed it. My calculator is fussy and the way it was entered, the beans were being counted as 1 can of beans, not3!
Terri
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady
I grew up with my Mom making baked beans and fresh bread for dinner. It was one of my favourite nights for dinner. Her recipe is very simple, minus the garlic, since my Dad isn't a big fan. Thank you for reminding me that I should make these very soon!
Asha
Such a flavourful baked beans recipe! Making it in the slow cooker was so easy. Made an excellent side dish.
Bernice
You just reminded me that I haven't had baked beans yet this stampede. I haven't even been to the grounds!
I had no idea there were different styles of baked beans...to me these are usual recipe (except for the tomatoes).