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As far as inexpensive, nutritious plant foods go, legumes are hard to beat! They’re perfect in this vegan slow cooker baked beans recipe. This dish is budget-friendly, easy to make, and packs a serious nutritional punch.
This hearty and delicious slow cooker vegan baked beans recipe is perfect for weeknights! Serve them up on their own or use them as a side dish for bbq jackfruit, bbq cauliflower wings, or your favorite vegan burger!
If you enjoy cooking in your slow cooker, you’re going to love this slow cooker red curry with tofu and slow cooker jackfruit carnitas.
Why This Recipe Works
- Cooking with dried beans is a great way to eat plant-based on a budget!
- Vegan baked beans are a comfort food dish the whole family will love!
- Cooking in the slow cooker is almost completely hands-off.
What Goes Into This Recipe
Cooking beans in the slow cooker uses simple, easy-to-find, and wholesome ingredients. Here are the highlights and you will find the full list and quantities of each in the recipe card.
- Dried white beans: I like using cannellini beans because they cook up creamy while still holding their shape but you can make this recipe with any white beans you prefer.
- Onion: Adds flavor to the vegan baked beans.
- Vegetable broth: Gives the beans more flavor than cooking them in just water.
- Sugar: Just a touch of brown or white sugar to balance the acidic flavors of the tamarind.
- Tamarind concentrate: You can pick this ingredient up at your local Asian market. One can of concentrate only costs a couple of dollars and lasts for quite a while. It adds a pleasant acidity to the baked beans in lieu of cider vinegar.
- Liquid smoke: Adds smoky flavor to the beans.
- Cornstarch: An optional ingredient in this recipe but it helps the sauce in the beans thicken up after cooking.
Substitutions
- Apple Cider Vinegar: While I highly recommend tamarind, if you can’t get any, use apple cider vinegar instead. Start by adding one tablespoon and then adjust as desired.
- Liquid smoke: My two favorite swaps for liquid smoke are smoked paprika and chipotle chilies. The downside to the chipotles is that they will definitely add spiciness to the beans but they have a rich, intense smoky flavor that’s so delicious. Use smoked sweet paprika for a non-spicy alternative. Add one-half teaspoon and then more to taste.
- Vegetable broth: Swap it out with vegetable bouillon and water instead.
How To Make Slow Cooker Vegan Baked Beans
Here are the steps involved when making this slow cooker baked beans recipe. See the recipe card further down the page for detailed instructions.
- 1) Prep the beans. Rinse them in a colander and place them in a medium bowl. Cover with water and soak overnight. In the morning, drain, and rinse them.
- 2) Combine the beans, onion, vegetable broth, sugar, tamarind concentrate, and liquid smoke in the slow cooker. Cook covered for 10 to 12 hours on low.
- 3) Once the beans are tender, check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
- 4) If you’d like a thicker sauce, make a slurry of a tablespoon of cornstarch and a couple of tablespoons of water. Add to the beans, mix in well and bring the beans to a boil until the sauce has thickened.
Expert Tips
- Soaking the beans is an essential step when using the slow cooker to prepare dried beans.
- Cannellini beans cook up creamier than other varieties of white beans.
- Store leftovers. In the fridge for up to five days or freeze for up to three months. Reheat them in a pot on the stove over medium heat.
FAQs
If you don’t own a slow cooker, this recipe can be adapted to the oven. Combine the soaked beans with the same ingredients and cook in a lidded casserole dish in a 250° F oven for 6-8 hours. Stir occasionally.
Dried beans will cook better in a slow cooker when they are soaked first. The temperature isn’t high enough to destroy or break down ingredients in beans that may cause stomach discomfort. Soaking them helps with the process of making beans easier to digest and is essential when cooking them in a slow cooker.
Ingredients such as smoked paprika, liquid smoke, soy sauce, and miso all help add savory flavors to the beans. Vinegar, mustard, brown sugar, and other seasonings will also help add more complex flavors to make them taste better.
Variations
- Spicy: Add chopped jalapeno peppers, cayenne peppers, or even chipotle peppers for an even smokier flavor.
- Sweeter baked beans: Add maple syrup or molasses to add additional sweetness.
- More veggies: Dice up some bell pepper, celery, or carrots and cook with the onions.
More Vegan Bean Recipes
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
Vegan Slow Cooker Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound of dried white beans
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 cups of vegetable broth
- ⅔ cup of sugar (brown or white)
- ¼ cup of tamarind concentrate
- 1 Tablespoon of liquid smoke
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cornstarch optional
Instructions
- Rinse beans in a colander and then transfer to a medium bowl. Cover with water and soak overnight.
- In the morning, drain, and rinse the beans. Combine beans, onion, vegetable broth, sugar, tamarind concentrate, and liquid smoke in the slow cooker.
- Cook beans, covered, for 10 to 12 hours on low.
- Once beans are tender, check for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- If you'd like a thicker sauce, make a slurry of a tablespoon of cornstarch and a couple of tablespoons of water. Add to beans, stir well and bring beans to a boil until sauce has thickened.
Notes
- Soaking the beans is an essential step when using the slow cooker to prepare dried beans.
- Cannellini beans cook up creamier than other varieties of white beans.
- Store leftovers. In the fridge for up to five days or freeze for up to three months. Reheat them in a pot on the stove over medium heat.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Making beans in bulk change the game completely
So true! Such a time saver!
Savory and satisfying! Delish!
So delicious!
These vegan slow cooker baked beans smell so good and taste ever better … thanks for the great recipe!
Yess – they leave the kitchen smelling amazing!
Love the idea of making your own baked beans!
Yess – nothing like homemade beans!
This is my new favorite way to make baked beans!
Right?! So easy and delicious!
Love how easy this yummy beans recipe is to whip up. So tasty!