Easy Slow Cooker Pineapple Baked Beans (Sweet and smoky!)
This Pineapple Baked Beans recipe is a hit at every event I take them to.
Seriously.
The pineapple and other ingredients help add a tangy sweetness, the bacon adds a nice smoky element, and I love that they’re deliciously saucy! Making these in the slow cooker has the added benefit of becoming a one-pan side dish that you can take the whole thing to the party and serve right out of the cooker!
Easy Slow Cooker Pineapple Baked Beans
If you love baked beans like my family does, they are pretty much a staple at any gathering. What’s so amazing with this recipe is that it’s really just adding most of the ingredients to the crockpot and then letting the flavors meld all together.
In this recipe, I always start with store-bought baked beans as the base, and then add all the extra tasty elements that take these baked brown beans to a whole new level.
The Ingredient Lineup
- ✅Baked Beans: I used commercially prepared baked beans as an easy base for this recipe. There are other recipes out there for making your baked beans from scratch – soaking and cooking the beans way ahead of time. I just like the convenience.
- ✅Kidney Beans: I used Red kidney beans here for added nutrition and to bulk up the recipe a bit. 1 can will do it, but if you want to serve even more people, add two.
- ✅Pineapple: Again, to make things easy, use canned pineapple here. You’ll need crushed and sliced pineapple for this recipe.
- ✅Chili Sauce: Heinz has a great chili sauce (not sponsored) that’s nice in this recipe. It’s not spicy at all and adds a great depth of flavor. If you prefer not to use the chili sauce, you can use ketchup instead.
- ✅Bacon: You can use maple bacon here, as it will go well with the baked beans. I like hickory-smoked bacon, and it imparts a nice smoky, salty flavor, which goes really well with the sweet, sour, tangy, delicious flavor of the beans!
Directions At A Glance For Pineapple Beans
- Open all the beans and put them in your crockpot.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except only half the bacon. (The reason is that as it cooks, the bacon can lose some of its crispy texture, so I like to add the remaining super crispy bacon at the end of the cooking time.)
- Cook on low for the day and serve! Easy Peazy my friends!
Please refer to the printable recipe card below for exact amounts, detailed instructions, and helpful tips to make this recipe perfect every time.
Serving
I’ve served this crockpot baked beans side dish at many barbeques and cookouts, and they’ve been a hit every time because they can be served with pretty much anything else that’s being served at the event.
They go well with hot dogs, hamburgers, steaks, and smokies. You can even serve them up in the dead of winter, where they would go nicely with pot roasts or beside a casserole.
Oh, they’re also perfectly served next to roasted corn on the cob! I could literally make a meal with just those two ingredients.
And if you’re looking for something different to do with the beans, they can be served on top of fresh biscuits as well.
The Freezer Plan
These beans freeze like a dream. I portioned mine into silicone Souper Cubes so they’re already in perfect single-serving sizes … ideal for quick lunches or tossing beside a weeknight meal later on.
If you don’t have Souper Cubes, no worries. You can use muffin tins, small foil containers, or freezer-safe jars instead. Once they’re frozen solid, just pop the portions out and store them in an airtight bag or container. They’ll keep well for about four months without losing that rich, smoky flavor.
When you’re ready to eat, thaw a portion overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove or in the microwave until bubbly.
👉 Why bother portioning? It’s the whole magic behind my blog – you cook once, freeze in individual servings, and always have a “just-enough” meal waiting for you. No waste, no repeats, no boring leftovers.
If you’re refrigerating instead, they’ll last up to five days in a covered container.
Recipe Tips
- Just a few tips when making this delicious side dish: make sure to add half the bacon while cooking, and then the other half before serving to preserve the textural crunch of the bacon in the beans.
- You can also add extra beans if you want to stretch the recipe even more. You can add more kidney beans, black beans, etc., according to your taste.
- I add just a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla to the beans. I know it sounds crazy, but the vanilla just provides a hint of something deliciously different to the recipe. If you start out using the baked beans in a maple sauce, then please omit the vanilla.
And that’s it – smoky, sweet, slow-cooked magic you can enjoy now or later. I love having a few of these pineapple baked bean portions stashed in the freezer – they make any random weeknight meal feel like a backyard BBQ.
If you’re into this kind of “cook once, eat smart later” style, stick around! That’s exactly what The Salty Pot is all about – easy freezer meals, single portions, and keeping dinner simple for tired humans everywhere.
Easy Slow Cooker Pineapple Baked Beans
Sweet, tangy and smoky, these slow cooker pineapple baked beans are a hit every time I'm feeding a crowd and they're incredibly easy to make!
Ingredients
- 4 cans Beans with pork and tomato sauce (see notes), 14oz
- 1 can Kidney beans, red, rinsed, 14oz
- 1 package Bacon, cooked and crumbled, approx 10-12 strips
- 1/2 Onion, large, diced
- 2 cans, crushed pineapple, lightly drained, juice reserved, 13oz
- 1 can, pineapple rings, drained
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 2 Tbsp Brown sugar
- 1/2 c Chili Sauce (see notes)
- Optional: 1/2 tsp vanilla (see notes)
Instructions
1. Precook the bacon to a crispy texture. You can also saute the onions before hand, but this is optional.
2. In the slow cooker, add all the ingredients except the pineapple rings and half the crumbled bacon.
3. Mix well and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. During the cooking time, if the beans seem not as saucy as you'd prefer, add some of the reserved pineapple juice.
4. In the last half hour of cooking, sprinkle the remaining bacon over the top of the beans, and add 3-4 rings of pineapple on the top. Replace the lid and let cook for the remaining time.
5. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
1. You can saute the onions beforehand, or add them raw.
2. Add only half the bacon during the cooking time, and then add the remaining later.
3. I used pork and beans in tomato sauce, but you can also use pork and beans in a maple sauce. If you use ones in the maple sauce, omit vanilla.
4. If you can't find chili sauce, use ketchup instead. You may want to increase the brown sugar after using the ketchup, but please taste the beans before you add more.
5. If you can't find the 14oz cans of crushed pineapple (Dole brand is what I used today), feel free to use bigger cans that come to approximately the same number of ounces. Just drain them more before adding them to the recipe.
🧊 Freezer Plan
- Portion & Freeze: Spoon cooled beans into Souper Cubes, muffin tins, or small foil containers for easy single-serve portions.
- Storage: Once frozen solid, pop out the portions and seal them in airtight freezer bags or containers. Label and date.
- Shelf Life: Keeps beautifully for up to 4 months.
- Reheat: Thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm on the stove or in the microwave until hot and bubbly.
- Why It Works: Portioning ahead means you only thaw what you need..... no food waste, no boring leftovers, and dinner’s ready in minutes.
Hi, What size is the can of the crushed pineapple? Thank you!
Hi Kelly! I used the 14oz cans. If you can’t find the 14oz cans of crushed pineapple (Dole brand is what I used), feel free to use bigger cans that come to approximately the same amount of ounces. Just drain them more before adding them to the recipe. I’ve updated the recipe, so thank you for pointing that out! I hope that helps! ~J.