With an Instant Pot and less than 1 hour, you can make perfectly cooked Great Northern white beans every time! Let us show you how.
Instant Pot White Beans
The Instant Pot is our preferred method for cooking Great Northern (white) beans because it’s quick & easy (no soaking required!) and yields perfectly tender beans!
Here’s what you need to know:
- Ratio = 1 part Great Northern (white) beans : 3 ½ parts water
- Cook Time = 30-32 minutes
- Release = 15 minute natural release, then release any remaining pressure
They go well in stews, soups, white chili, and salads, or as a sub for some of the cashews in vegan alfredo sauce.
Did you find this helpful? If so, be sure to check out our Instant Pot Cooking Times Guide for perfectly cooked grains and beans every time!
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Prep Time 23 minutes
Cook Time 32 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4 (3/4-cup servings)
Course Helpful How-to, Side Dish
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 5 Days
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1 cup white beans (Great Northern // see notes for cannellini or white kidney beans)
-
3 ½ cups water (or vegetable broth for more flavor)
Add white beans and water (or vegetable broth) to the Instant Pot and stir to prevent sticking. Pressure cook on high for 27-32 minutes (27 minutes for more firm, 32 for more tender – see notes for additional details // it will take about 8 minutes for the Instant Pot to pressurize before cooking begins).
Once the timer goes off, allow to naturally release for 15 minutes, then release any remaining pressure. Carefully remove lid once steam has fully escaped and strain off any excess cooking liquid.
Enjoy immediately in stews, soups, white chili, or salads, or as a sub for some of the cashews in vegan alfredo sauce. Store cooled leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop, adding a little water, as needed, to prevent sticking.
*After a few reader reports of the beans being overcooked at 30-32 minutes, we retested this recipe multiple times with Great Northern beans from Natural Grocers and SunRidge Farms. We continually had success at 30-32 minutes with most beans being perfectly tender and just a few that were broken open or a bit mushy (though not in an unpleasant way). 27 minutes was the shortest amount of time we were able to cook the beans without getting some that were too firm in the centers. We suspect that different sizes of beans may cook differently and explain reader reports of mushy beans. Other factors that could explain differences in cooking time include water hardness and altitude. *If using cannellini (white kidney) beans, we suggest soaking them for 6-8 hours, draining the water, and adding the soaked beans to the Instant Pot with ~3 cups (710 ml) fresh water. Then pressure cook on high for 5-7 minutes (5 for more firm beans, 7 for more buttery) and natural release for 15 minutes as specified in instruction 2. *Nutrition information is a rough estimate. *Total time includes active cook time, release time, and the time it takes for the Instant Pot to heat up (~8 minutes).
Serving: 1 three-quarter-cup serving Calories: 185 Carbohydrates: 33.3 g Protein: 12.9 g Fat: 0.5 g Saturated Fat: 0.1 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 8 mg Potassium: 745 mg Fiber: 8.4 g Sugar: 0.5 g Vitamin A: 0 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 119.48 mg Iron: 4.91 mg