The Best and Easiest and Thriftiest Slow Cooker Beans

by Christina Reif · October 14, 2015

Beans are a regular part of our menu, especially when Mexican food (one of our favorites!) is involved. And when it comes to been, black beans are my favorite. I used to buy the cans, that is until I found this most awesome recipe for beans made in the slow cooker made from dry beans. This recipe, my friends, will change your life. So seriously. The first time I made this, I was literally eating the beans straight out of the slow cooker. They were so yummy! And I felt so “chefy” because I had mastered how to make hard, dry, tasteless beans into delectable, soft, delicious beans that put the canned variety to shame.

Now before you think, “Is she really going to do a whole post on beans?” Yes! Yes, I am! They are that good. I give you The Best and Easiest and Thriftiest Slow Cooker Beans.

So let’s get to the nitty gritty of it all. I used to buy cans of organic black beans for a little over a dollar, let’s say $1.25. And you think, hey, that’s a pretty good deal. But now I buy bulk organic black beans for $2.39 a pound. A pound of black beans makes about 4 cans worth of beans. So you definitely save making your own black beans.

But it’s the taste that will sell you! So simple ingredients and preparation yields amazing results. I wish I could convey it to you in words, but you just have to try it to see for yourself. It does not take long to prepare. In fact, I was able to make these beans one-handed while holding my feverish toddler. How’s that for an easy recipe?

You can do this with any variety of beans. I’ve personally done black and kidney, but I’m sure that it would work splendidly with many more. This recipe from Cafe Johnsonia has really opened up my eyes to the world of bean making!