Crock Pot Northern Beans & Ham

Crock pot Northern Beans and Ham with a touch of sweetness from brown sugar, creating a creamy and delicous bowl of beans. Don't for the cornbread! (originally posted in 2011 with updated photos added in 2026). 

Good morning everyone and Happy Super Bowl Sunday!!! Last week Texas received ice and then some snow. It's hard to believe we got both in the same week, but it does occasionally happen. This is the first time that I can remember that school was closed for 4 days straight! All I can say is I'm glad all that stuff is finally melted cause it sure was cold outside. We stayed indoors for the most part and only ventured out a few times for milk and few essentials.  

We enjoyed lots of tummy warming meals, soups, beans, and oatmeal for breakfast. I had made a post on facebook that I cooked up a crock pot full of Northern Beans & Ham for dinner, and a few folks asked for the recipe.  

I grew up eating many of pots of beans. Most likely because they were considered a struggle meal and could feed a crowd. But for me, it was just good ole country food that was a staple in our house. I love the convenience of canned beans for certain recipes, but for a meal it's dry beans all the way. 

My beans of choice for melas are Pinto beans and Northeren Beans. Pinto Beans have been my bean of choice for a very long time but over the last couple years, I've been leaning more towards Northern Beans. I think it's because I love their creaminess. Plus it is such a nice change from regular pinto beans. 

When I'm cooking up a dry benas for dinner I always use my crock pot for slow cooking. My meat of choice is a big leftover holiday ham bone, neck bones or ham shanks. Ham shanks and neck bone are more meaty so I don't have a leftover bone that is what I get at the grocery store.  

This recipe has a bit of brown sugar added, but it is not sweet. For me th brown sugar balances the salty and smoky flavor, cuts the acidity, and adds a light carmelized depth of flavor. I have seen some folks use molasses but I prefer brown sugar. The beans are in no way sweet. Just enough to give them a good flavor. So there you have it my simple version of Northern Beans and Ham. Lets get started!

INGEDIENTS: 

• 16 ounce bag Dried Northern Beans 
• Ham bone, neck bones, ham hock, or ham shanks
• Medium size onion  
• Seasonings: pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and brown sugar
• Goya Ham seasoning packet 
• 2 - Bay leaves 
• Water 

Start by sorting the beans for any pebbles or broken beans and rinse them under cold water. 

Soak the beans for at leave 3-4 hours. I like to add baking soda to my beans when they are soaking to break down the gases so the beans are more digestible. Drain and rinse the beans. 

Add the the rinsed beans, onion, seasonings, brown sugar, bay leaves, ham shanks, hocks or neck bones into the crock pot. Add enough water to cover the beans by about 2 inches.

Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours, checking the beans oftern. 

About the last hour of cooking, remove the neck bone, shanks or ham hocks, and pull off all of the meat from the bones. 

I prefer neck bones because they have a lot of meat, but when I have a good leftover holiday ham bone that works even better. Look at all that ham I got off those meaty neck bones. 

Cook until the beans are tender and creamy. I like to remove some of the beans juices so it is not so watery.

Ladle beans into bowls and serve with a wedge of Skillet cornbread, Mexican cornbread or Pepper-Jack Cornbread.