Creamy Crock-Pot Pinto Beans

I often get asked for the recipe for my Skinny Scallop Potatoes and my No-Meatball recipe usually gets lots of compliments, but without a doubt, my most often commented-on dish is my Creamy Crock Pot Pinto Beans.

“WHAT is your SECRET to such creamy and delicious beans!?!?”

“I’ve never eaten beans that were this delicious and tender and creamy!!”

And it always makes me giggle because these crock pot beans are soooooo EASY that it never occurred to me to actually write a recipe for them.

How to Make Creamy Crock Pot Beans

Making these luscious beans is as simple as 1, 2, 3. (Plus one little secret.)

1. You simply put your sorted and rinsed pinto beans into a slow-cooker.

2. Add some water.

3. And turn the slow cooker on high.

Five minutes and you are DONE! (The slow cooker does the rest for you :))

The Secret for Creamy Pinto Beans

The secret for the very best, lusciously creamy, always delicious, slow-cooked beans is to always cook the beans on high for at least 10 hours (even up to 18 hours).

You can’t overcook beans in a slow-cooker. (Well, I suppose you can, but I’ve never accomplished this and a couple times I cooked my beans for 22 hours.)

Fast and Easy Healthy Meals

That may sound like a lot of time, but don’t worry. It’s all hands-off time! You don’t have to do a thing after you put your beans in the slow cooker.

There’s nothing quite like home-cooked beans. And it really is that easy.

Once you try them, you may never want to buy a can of beans again.

Delicious Ways to Eat Creamy Crock Pot Pinto Beans

These creamy beans are so yummy, I often just eat a bowl of them by themselves.

You could also top them with tomatoes and avocado.

Or serve them with rice.

Or use them in these Healthy Vegan Bean Burritos.

Or with this 6-Ingredient Avocado Slaw.

Or with this Cilantro Lime Rice.

Or have them on top of a baked sweet potato.

Or serve them with a large salad. (Try one of these oil-free vegan salad dressings.)

Health Benefits of Beans

Beans are a nutritional powerhouse, providing slimming fiber (great for weight loss) plus an abundance of other health-giving nutrients that have been shown to help to prevent and treat diabetes, lower cholesterol, and lower blood pressure. They also promote gut health!

Read more about the health benefits of beans!

Creamy Crock-Pot Pinto Beans

5 minutes and done! These delicious beans are so deliciously creamy.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 hours hrs

Course Main Course

YIELD 6 cups

All recipes on jenniferskitchen.com are property of jennifer’s kitchen and cannot be republished without written permission.

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry, uncooked pinto beans
• 6 to 7 cups water - (See note #4)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

Instructions

• Sort through beans, removing any stones and dirt. Place beans in a large colander and rinse very well under running water.
• Transfer beans to a 3-quart slow cooker. Add water and bay leaves.
• Turn slow cooker on high and cook for at least 10 hours or up to 18 hours.
• When beans are done, add seasonings. Stir very well.

  (All slow cookers cook differently, but you can determine how long your beans need to cook by testing them. If they are very soft, tender, and starting to fall apart, they are done.)

OPTIONAL STEP FOR EXTRA CREAMY BEANS:

• Gently smash some of the beans against the side of the slow cooker with the back of the spoon or large fork, then continue stirring until desired creaminess is reached.
• If you prefer thicker beans (like I do), remove lid and allow to cook on high for an additional 30 minutes stirring frequently. They will also thicken as they cool.

  Serve hot.

Notes

1. Many raw beans contain a toxin that is destroyed by boiling for at least 10 minutes. Most slow cookers get hot enough to bring beans to a good boil for several hours. Make you’re your slow cooker gets hot enough by checking your beans at the end of the cooking time to see if they are gently boiling.

2. The cooked beans should be very, very tender before serving. If your beans are not soft after 8 hours of cooking, they may be too old or your slow cooker may not be working correctly.

3. This recipe is for a 3-quart slow cooker. If using a larger slow cooker, you can increase ingredient amounts.

4. All slow cookers cook differently. Some lose a lot of steam during cooking while others do not. Adjust water amount accordingly.

5. Reheating Instructions:

These beans will thicken significantly as they cool. Leftovers will be very thick. To reheat, place a small amount of water in the bottom of a saucepan. Turn heat to medium. Add beans and cover but do not stir. Heat over medium heat until water begins to boil. Reduce heat, stir beans and continue to cook until beans are hot.

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Keywords: beans, gluten-free, healthy, oil-free, plant-based, vegan, weightloss

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