BOURBON MAPLE SLOW COOKER BAKED BEANS (VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE)

Bourbon Maple Slow Cooker Baked Beans (vegan, gluten-free) image

These are the best baked beans I've ever had and the recipe is nearly work-free. If you've never made beans or made beans in a slow cooker, it's so easy. You do have to have some patience, but the best things come to those who wait. The flavors of bourbon, maple syrup, brown sugar, molasses, BBQ sauce and more intensify and concentrate over time, and the resulting beans have incredible depth of flavor. They're sweet with a bit of heat, robust yet smooth, and extremely satisfying.

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 1

Ingredients

1 pound dry Great Northern beans (or navy beans) 1 cup bourbon 1 cup maple syrup 1 cup barbeque sauce 1 cup light brown sugar, packed 1 cup water heaping 1/4 cup ketchup 1/4 cup mustard (I used yellow, if using stoneground or dijon, consider using sl

Steps:

Rinse and sort dry beans in a colander over the sink.
Add beans to a large pot and cover with 8 cups water and let soak overnight (about 8 hours). OR to save time....
...Use the 1 hour rapid soak method. Bring beans and 8 cups water to a boil. Allow beans to boil rapidly for 3 minutes, uncovered. Shut the heat off, cover the pot, and let stand for 1 hour.
In either the overnight soak method or the 1 hour rapid soak method, drain soaking water and rinse beans well under running water in a colander over the sink.
Return beans to pot, cover with 6 cups water, and allow to simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes, or until quite tender; cooked about 80% of the way. They'll be transferred to a slow cooker where they'll cook for 12+ hours so you don't want them or need them to be totally done, but they shouldn't be overly hard either (taste a few beans, you'll know when you bite into them)
While beans are simmering, combine all remaining ingredients in the slow cooker, and whisk to combine until smooth.
After beans are done simmering, drain them, add them to the slow cooker, and stir.
Cover and cook on low heat for about 12 hours (start checking at about 8 hours), or until beans are tender, the sauce has thickened and reduced dramatically, the flavor is concentrated and robust, and the smell in your house is intoxicating. If after 12 hours your sauce is still liquidy or on the soupy side, remove the lid, increase the heat to the highest setting, and cook uncovered until thickened to desired level (this took 4 hours for me; 12 hours covered on low and 4 hours uncovered on high, for 16 hours total). Note - Because slow-cookers and temperatures vary greatly, you can tinker with the temperature settings as you see fit. You could possibly cook on medium for 10 to 12 hours, or cook on high for 8 to 10 hours, or do a combination of settings until your sauce has thickened and beans are tender.
Serve immediately. Beans will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, and taste better on days 2 and 3 as the flavor marry even more. I would anticipate finished beans could be frozen for up to 6 months, however I have not tested it. Take care all ingredients used are suitable for your dietary needs if keeping vegan and gluten-free, reading labels and selecting specific brands that meet your needs.