Instant Pot White Beans (Great Northern, No Soaking!)

Bowl of perfectly cooked white beans made in the Instant Pot

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.

Spoon and bowl of Great Northern white beans

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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.

Pouring water over Great Northern Beans in an Instant Pot

Wooden spoon in an Instant Pot with cooked white beans

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!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Vintage spoon in a bowl of Instant Pot Great Northern white beans

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

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

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