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Creamy Slow Cooker Beans | ![]() |
Real Food, Fresh & Comforting. Hearty & Filling. Year-Round Kitchen Staple. Budget Friendly. Weeknight Easy, Weekend Special. Great for Meal Prep. Easy DIY. Low Fat. Weight Watchers Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real. Naturally Gluten Free.
If you're used to canned beans, you know how convenient they are. And relatively inexpensive and handy to keep on hand ...
But it's really easy to cook dried beans in the slow cooker and the results are incredibly good. I usually make a double or triple batch and then freeze the beans in the equivalent sizes of a standard 15-ounce can. Meal prep for the win!
So introduce your family to the nothing-like-canned taste of home-cooked dried beans. It's super easy to cook dried beans from scratch.
But First ... Are Your Beans Old?
The number one mistake with dried beans is attempting to cook with old beans.
It's so easy to happen. We stock up on bags of dried beans but then never get around to cooking them. Soon it's been a few months, even a year or two or three. Don't be afraid to admit it, we've all done it.
But old dried beans just won't cook. Here are all the details, Why Dried Beans Won't Cook.
CREAMY SLOW COOKER BEANS
Time-to-table: 4 hours
Makes about 3 cups cooked beans
Red kidney beans may be cooked in a slow cooker but must first be boiled for at least 10 minutes beforehand. Why? Red kidney beans contain a compound that can cause great intestinal distress if it's not properly cooked. This is a little-known fact, spread the word, especially as more and more of us are cooking beans at home. It came up in a food blogger group recently and 99% of us were shocked. Source: Kansas State Extension Service.
- 8 ounces (212g) dried beans (black beans, navy beans, cannelini, etc.)
- 1 white (or yellow or even red) onion, chopped small
- 1 tablespoon fat (vegetable oil for vegan, otherwise bacon fat of butter)
- 5 cups hot water
- Salt to taste
- Additional water, if needed
Rinse the beans well under running water. Place the beans, onions, fat, water and salt in a slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours until the beans are cooked, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the salt. Reduce the heat to keep warm until ready to serve, adding water if needed.











Adapted from a favorite new cookbook, Mexican Everyday (affiliate link) by Rick Bayless. Authentic Mexican ingredients are increasingly easy to find and worth seeking out!
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