Ingredients:

2 x 12 ounces bottle of quality root beer with pure cane sugar
3 tablespoons McCormick root beer concentrate *(see important note at bottom)
1 cup Kansas City style BBQ sauce
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
2 cans, 16 ounces Bush’s vegetarian baked beans
2 cans, 15 ounces Bush’s chili beans
3 cans, 15 ounces great northern beans

Directions:

1. In a large 5 quart Crock Pot add and stir in the bottled root beer and root beer concentrate. Set Crock Pot temperature to high.

2. Add and stir in BBQ sauce, molasses, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard, Cajun seasoning and brown sugar.

3. Add and stir in the sweet onion and all the beans. Put lid on Crock Pot and cook for 3 hours. Take Crock Pot lid off and set it back on ajar so that there is about a 1/2 inch open gap on both ends of the top of the Crock Pot. This will release steam and cook down the liquid resulting in a thick baked bean mixture. Continue to cook on high, stirring occasionally for another 7 to 9 hours depending on how thick you want your baked beans. When stirring, (a wooden spoon is recommended) be sure to stir the upper sides of the crock pot and the top of the beans back into the mixture. When taking the lid off in between stirs, drain the liquid that collects on the lid in the kitchen sink. Mixture should be about the consistency of a gravy. If mixture gets too thick just stir in some water.

Note: I like the bean mixture pretty thick which brings out the root beer flavor. So if you like the bean mixture having more of a liquid texture you might have to add some more root beer concentrate.

*If using a different brand of root beer concentrate or extract. Start off just using a couple teaspoons, some brands can be very powerful in flavor. Near the end of the cooking time, taste test, then you can add more as needed.