1 lb dried beans to cups

2 cupsHow many cups of pinto beans are in a pound? There are approximately 2 cups of dry beans in a pound, but it’s okay to not be exact! As long as you have enough water to cover the beans by ~1 inch, you don’t have to be precise with the amount of beans you use.

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How much does 1 cup of dried pinto beans make?

about 3 cups
As a general rule, 1 cup dried beans makes about 3 cups cooked. Above, from left: cranberry beans, lentils, black beans, chickpeas, red kidney beans, split peas, pinto beans and cannellini beans.

How many cups is 16 oz dry pinto beans?

Most Read Life Stories. A 16-ounce bag of dried beans yields roughly 5 or 6 cups of cooked beans, while a 15-ounce can of cooked beans yields roughly 1½ cups.

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How many cups is 1lb of beans?

3 cups
1 pound of dried beans = 3 cups of dried beans = 6 – 7 cups of cooked beans.

How many cups is 1 lb of dry beans?

2 cups
Bean Counting: The Bean Yield Chart

One pound bag of dry beans=2 cups dry beansOne pound bag of dry beans=6 cups cooked beans, drainedOne cup of dry beans=3 cups cooked beans, drained½ cup cooked beans, drained=1 serving of beansOne 15-oz. can of beans=1.75 cups cooked beans, drained

How many cups is 1 lb dry beans?

3 cups
1 pound of dried beans = 3 cups of dried beans = 6 – 7 cups of cooked beans.

How do you measure dry pinto beans?

Use these helpful average conversions and general rules of thumb to measure dried beans: 2 cups of dried beans = 1 pound of dried beans.

The beans conversion calculator provides measurement conversions between cooked and dried, cups, ounces, grams, and cans. It also converts between the volumes and weights of dried, cooked, and canned beans. This calculator requires JavaScript enabled in your browser, so if all you’re seeing is a blank screen, use this website to check if JS is enabled.

How to Use this Beans Conversion Calculator

Simply enter a number into the Input box, select the measurement you are using, and the program will automatically calculate converted values.

Notes

  • An approximation of the US imperial system is used for these measurements (ie. 1 cup = 240mL).
  • Oz refers to ounce (28g), not fluid ounce (30mL).
  • Data sourced from USDA FoodData Central where possible, or else from my personal experience.
  • Conversions to and from cans are unavailable at the moment. I am working on improving the accuracy of the conversions. Everything else is fully functional!

How to Cook Dried Beans

When cooking from dried, I recommend a 1:4 ratio of beans to water (by volume) for cooking on the stove-top, and a 1:2 ratio for cooking in the Instant Pot.

Example: Cook 1 cup (190g) of chickpeas in 4 cups (960g) of water on the stove, or in 2 cups (480g) of water in the Instant Pot.

Beans Cooking Time

Rule of thumb for cooking most dried beans in the Instant Pot:

  • For unsoaked beans, use the Beans/Chili function on More mode or the Manual/Pressure Cook function on High Pressure for 40 minutes.
  • For pre-soaked beans, use the Beans/Chili function on Normal mode or the Manual/Pressure Cook function on High Pressure for 30 minutes.
  • Small beans such as mung beans and adzuki beans can be cooked without soaking using the Beans/Chili function on Less mode or the Manual/Pressure Cook function on High Pressure for 25 minutes.
  • Most lentil varieties are very delicate and become mushy or fall apart under pressure. I recommend using stovetop for cooking lentils.

Up to this point I have mainly cooked beans using the Instant Pot but I am slowly testing out cooking beans using the Dutch oven. I will update this post with stovetop and oven cooking instructions when I finish testing.

Cooking dried beans saves you money and ensures you have cooked beans on hand at all times! This post explains how to cook dried beans three ways and how to freeze them for later.

1 lb dried beans to cups
1 lb dried beans to cups

Why Bother Cooking Dried Beans? 

Buying canned beans at the store is quicker than buying and cooking dried beans at home, but it’s also more expensive and creates unnecessary waste. Not to mention that dried beans cooked from scratch taste so much better. (Really! Canned beans have a slightly metallic flavor from being stored in metal cans for who knows how long.) 

Although I still buy canned beans on occasion — who doesn’t! — I prefer keeping a stash of dried beans on hand so I can replenish my cooked beans supply throughout the month. 

Dried beans keep for many months in your pantry and take up less space than canned beans. Since you’ll be cooking them yourself, you can control the amount of salt in the beans and there are no extra preservatives to worry about. 

Cooking dried beans takes extra time on your part, but there’s minimal hands-on prep work required. Best of all, cooked dried beans freeze wonderfully — no need to can them yourself! 

Ingredients Needed for Cooking Dried Beans

Cooking dried beans requires just three ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to cook dried beans: 

  • Dried beans: Any variety will work for the methods I’m sharing in this post. 
  • Water: Regular tap water is fine, so long as the tap water in your area is safe for cooking. 
  • Aromatics or Seasonings of choice: You don’t have to add any. Using just beans and water will result in plain beans that can be added to many different dishes. However, you can also flavor the beans with kosher or sea salt, a quartered onion, whole garlic cloves, and / or bay leaves.  

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

Types of Dried Beans for Cooking 

You can cook any type of dried bean you find at the grocery store. The most types of dried beans you’ll find include: 

  • Black Beans 
  • Cannellini Beans 
  • Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) 
  • Pinto Beans 
  • Fava Beans 
  • Lima Beans 
  • Kidney Beans 

How Many Cups of Dried Beans in a Pound? 

Dried beans are often sold in 1-pound (16 oz.) bags. You can certainly find larger bags at bulk food stores and at some grocery stores, but the instructions shared in this post are specifically for a 1-pound bag of beans. 

A 1-pound package of dried beans equals roughly 2 cups of dried beans. After being cooked, the 2 cups of dried beans will expand to equal roughly 6 cups of cooked beans. 

How to Cook Dried Beans 3 Ways 

You can cook dried beans on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, or in an Instant Pot (any pressure cooker will work, not just the Instant Pot brand). 

Before discussing how to cook them, you first need to know how to prepare dried beans. I recommend pouring the beans into a large bowl and sifting through them with your fingers. Discard any beans that are broken, as well as any pieces of stone or debris. 

Then, you’ll need to soak the beans (I’ve given more details on soaking dried beans later in this post). Rinse the beans under running water, then cover them with 2 to 3 inches of tap water. 

Let the beans soak for 8 hours to overnight. Then, prepare the dried beans as instructed below. 

1. Stovetop Dried Beans 

  1. Drain the soaked beans, then transfer them to a large pot and cover with 3 inches of water. 
  2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
  3. Simmer for about 30 minutes, then add salt (if using) and any other aromatics you’d like. 
  4. Continue cooking, checking every 30 minutes to test for doneness (size of beans will affect cook time, as will whether or not you soaked the beans).
  5. When done, remove the aromatics and let the beans cool before transferring to storage containers. Do NOT drain the beans, the cooking liquid will prevent them from drying out. 

2. Slow Cooker Dried Beans 

  1. Add 1 pound pre-soaked dried beans to a slow cooker. 
  2. Next, add any aromatics you’d like to use. 
  3. Cover the beans with 2 inches of water. 
  4. Then, cover and cook on low for 3 to 6 hours. After 3 hours have passed, start checking the beans every 30 minutes to test for doneness. 
  5. When done, remove the aromatics and let the beans cool before transferring to storage containers. Do NOT drain the beans, the cooking liquid will prevent them from drying out. 

Tip: If you don’t pre-soak the beans, they’ll need to cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. 

3. Instant Pot Dried Beans 

  1. Rinse 1 pound of beans, then place in Instant Pot. 
  2. Add 8 cups water, as well as any aromatics you’d like. 
  3. Cook the beans on high pressure until done (cook times are listed below). 
  4. Natural release for 20 minutes, then quick release the rest. 
  5. When done, remove the aromatics and let the beans cool before transferring to storage containers. Do NOT drain the beans, the cooking liquid will prevent them from drying out. 

Tip: This is the only cooking method where it’s not strictly necessary to soak the beans prior to cooking. However, you’ll still need to rinse the beans. 

How Long to Cook Dried Beans 

The dried bean cook times will vary widely depending on the amount and type of beans you use, as well as the cooking method you choose. 

Stovetop Dried Beans Cook Times

The size of the beans, whether or not you pre-soaked them, how long you pre-soaked them, and the quantity of beans you’re trying to cook will all affect cook times. 

As a rule of thumb, most dried bean varieties will cook in 30 minutes to 2 hours. Continue checking the beans every 30 minutes and jot down the final cook time for future reference! 

Slow Cooker Dried Beans Cook Times

If you soaked the dried beans prior to cooking them in a slow cooker, they’ll cook in roughly 3 to 6 hours on low. 

But, if you didn’t pre-soak the dried beans, they’ll cook in roughly 6 to 8 hours on low. 

Instant Pot Dried Beans Cook Times 

  • Black beans and black eyed peas: 20 to 25 minutes
  • Great Northern beans, navy beans, and pinto beans: 25 to 30 minutes
  • Cannellini beans and chickpeas: 35 to 40 minutes

Red kidney beans also take 25 to 30 minutes to cook. However, you need to boil them on the stovetop for 10 minutes prior to pressure cooking them! This breaks down a toxin they contain called phytohemagglutinin. While the toxin isn’t poisonous, it causes gastric discomfort in many people. 

Is Soaking Dried Beans Necessary? 

No, but soaking dried beans in water prior to cooking them significantly reduces cook times and prevents the beans from “blowing out” (i.e. the skin breaking and the beans turning to mush). 

If you’ll be cooking dried beans on the stovetop, I highly recommend pre-soaking them. Without soaking, the beans may need to cook for an extra hour or more. 

If you’ll be cooking dried beans in a slow cooker or Instant Pot, pre-soaking them isn’t strictly necessary but it’s still helpful for reducing cook times. 

Whatever you do, just remember that if you don’t pre-soak the beans you MUST rinse them thoroughly before cooking them. Dried beans are quite dirty, and you don’t want any dirt or debris in your final product. 

How Long to Soak Dried Beans 

To soak dried beans, pour them into a large bowl and cover them with 2 to 3 inches of water. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and soak the beans at room temperature for at least 8 hours. 

However, if you can’t wait 8 hours, you can reduce the soak time as needed. Any amount of pre-soaking will help reduce the dried beans cook time! 

Dried Beans to Canned Beans Conversion

A 1-pound bag of dried beans contains 2 cups dried beans. Dried beans triple in size when cooked, so those 2 cups of dried beans will turn into 6 cups of cooked beans. 

A 15-oz. can of beans contains roughly 2 cups of cooked beans. So, a 1-pound bag of dried beans will yield about 3 cans worth of cooked beans. 

How to Freeze Beans

Can you freeze cooked beans? Yes! 

Prior to freezing cooked beans, you’ll need to let them cool to room temperature. This is especially important if you plan on freezing the beans in glass jars. Piping hot beans that are immediately stored in the freezer will cause glass jars to crack. 

To freeze dried beans: 

  • Portion the beans into smaller storage containers or freezer bags. I like to freeze 2-cup portions, or one can’s worth of beans, per container. 
  • Be sure to ladle some of the cooking liquid into the container. This will help prevent the beans from drying out. 
  • Seal the container or freezer bag. Then, date and label it. 

Tip: Reusable glass jars are a great option for freezing dried beans, but freezer bags work just as well. If using freezer bags, I recommend laying them flat on a cookie sheet and then standing them up on their sides once frozen to save freezer space! 

Recipes to Make Using Dried Beans

Now that you know how to cook dried beans, you can begin cooking with them! Here are my favorite recipes that call for cooked beans. Remember that 2 cups of cooked beans equals one 15-oz. can! 

1 lb dried beans to cups
1 lb dried beans to cups

Easy Black Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage

This Easy Black Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage is a dinner you can whip up quickly on a busy weeknight!

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1 lb dried beans to cups
1 lb dried beans to cups

Southwest Protein Breakfast Bowls with Sweet Potato and Black Beans

Breakfast Bowls like these Southwest Protein Breakfast Bowls with Sweet Potato and Black Beans are a great way to enjoy a quick protein-packed, creative meal at home on busy weekday mornings.

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1 lb dried beans to cups
1 lb dried beans to cups

Black Bean Hummus

This black bean hummus is made with black beans instead of chickpeas, and is flavored with lime and cumin. This is a great dip to make for parties and potlucks!

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1 lb dried beans to cups
1 lb dried beans to cups

Black Bean and Egg Breakfast Tacos

Eggs are so quick to cook up and this recipe really doesn’t make much of a mess at all in the kitchen. I love other tacos too and there are so many different variations to cook up.

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1 lb dried beans to cups
1 lb dried beans to cups

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Jalapeños add a little heat to this Spicy Black Bean Soup. This is a flavor-packed vegetarian soup you'll want to make all winter long!

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1 lb dried beans to cups
1 lb dried beans to cups

Warm Chickpea Salad with Tomatoes

Trying to think outside the box of green salads, I recently made this super quick Warm Chickpea Salad with Tomatoes. It was perfect for a quick lunch paired with some toasted pita bread.

You can cut the pita bread in wedges and toast them, eating this like chips and dip. Or, you can toast pita pockets and stuff this tasty salad inside.

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1 lb dried beans to cups
1 lb dried beans to cups

Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Chicken Lettuce Wraps are perfect for satisfying your next Taco Tuesday craving while helping you stick with the inevitable New Year's Resolution to eat healthier.

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1 lb dried beans to cups
1 lb dried beans to cups

Sausage Kale White Bean Soup

Fresh kale, cannellini beans, and sweet Italian sausage combine to make the best Italian Sausage Kale White Bean Soup. This is an easy one-pot soup recipe that takes just 30 minutes to prepare!

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1 lb dried beans to cups
1 lb dried beans to cups

White Bean Chicken Chili

Shredded chicken, white northern beans, corn, and fire-roasted chiles flavor this quick and easy White Bean and Chicken Chili. Serve with cornbread for a hearty weeknight meal!

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1 lb dried beans to cups
1 lb dried beans to cups

Black Bean Taco Salad with Lime Dressing

Drizzled with a homemade citrus vinaigrette and loaded with black beans, corn chips, and veggies, this Black Bean Taco Salad is a quick and easy meatless dinner idea!

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Try Cooking Dried Beans at Home!

Next time you’re planning a recipe that uses beans, try this tutorial and cook dried beans instead of using canned beans! When you do try it, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below and give this tutorial on cooking dried beans a review for others to see.

On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see your recipe photos!

More Useful Kitchen Tutorials: 

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Come learn how to make these easy homemade croutons! Who needs expensive bags of store-bought ones when you can make your own croutons exactly how you like them. 

Homemade bacon bits are super easy to make at home, and way better tasting than store-bought! You can enjoy them atop salads, soups, wraps, and more! 

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1 lb dried beans to cups
1 lb dried beans to cups

How to Cook Dried Beans

Yield: 6 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes

Cooking dried beans saves you money and ensures you have cooked beans on hand at all times! This post explains how to cook dried beans three ways and how to freeze them for later.  

Print

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (2 cups) dried beans, any kind
  • Water
  • Aromatics of choice

Instructions

  1. Pour the beans into a large bowl and sifting through them with your fingers. Discard any beans that are broken, as well as any pieces of stone or debris. 
  2. Rinse the beans under running water, then cover them with 2 to 3 inches of tap water. 
  3. Let the beans soak for 8 hours to overnight. Then, prepare the dried beans as instructed below. 

Stovetop Dried Beans 

  1. Drain the soaked beans, then transfer them to a large pot and cover with 3 inches of water. 
  2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
  3. Simmer for about 30 minutes, then add salt (if using) and any other aromatics you’d like. 
  4. Continue cooking, checking every 30 minutes to test for doneness (size of beans will affect cook time, as will whether or not you soaked the beans).
  5. When done, remove the aromatics and let the beans cool before transferring to storage containers. Do NOT drain the beans, the cooking liquid will prevent them from drying out. 

Slow Cooker Dried Beans 

  1. Add 1 pound pre-soaked dried beans to a slow cooker. 
  2. Add any aromatics you’d like to use. 
  3. Cover the beans with 2 inches of water. 
  4. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 6 hours. After 3 hours have passed, start checking the beans every 30 minutes to test for doneness. 
  5. When done, remove the aromatics and let the beans cool before transferring to storage containers. Do NOT drain the beans, the cooking liquid will prevent them from drying out. 

Tip: If you don’t pre-soak the beans, they’ll need to cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. 

Instant Pot Dried Beans 

  1. Rinse 1 pound of beans, then place in Instant Pot. 
  2. Add 8 cups water, as well as any aromatics you’d like. 
  3. Cook the beans on high pressure until done (cook times are listed below). 
  4. Natural release for 20 minutes, then quick release the rest. 
  5. When done, remove the aromatics and let the beans cool before transferring to storage containers. Do NOT drain the beans, the cooking liquid will prevent them from drying out. 

Instant Pot Dried Beans Cook Times

Black beans and black eyed peas: 20 to 25 minutes

Great Northern beans, navy beans, and pinto beans: 25 to 30 minutes

Cannellini beans and chickpeas: 35 to 40 minutes

Red kidney beans also take 25 to 30 minutes to cook. However, you need to boil them on the stovetop for 10 minutes prior to pressure cooking them! This breaks down a toxin they contain called phytohemagglutinin. While the toxin isn’t poisonous, it causes gastric discomfort in many people. 

Tip: This is the only cooking method where it’s not strictly necessary to soak the beans prior to cooking. However, you’ll still need to rinse the beans. 

Notes

Soaking the Beans

If you’ll be cooking dried beans on the stovetop, I highly recommend pre-soaking them. If you don’t, the beans may need to cook for an extra hour or more. If you’ll be cooking dried beans in a slow cooker or Instant Pot, pre-soaking them isn’t strictly necessary but it’s still helpful for reducing cook times.

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    1 lb dried beans to cups

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Nutrition InformationYield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 30Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 110mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 1gSugar 3gProtein 2g

GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy. This provided information is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.

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How many cups is 1 lb of dry pinto beans?

How many cups of pinto beans are in a pound? There are approximately 2 cups of dry beans in a pound, but it's okay to not be exact! As long as you have enough water to cover the beans by ~1 inch, you don't have to be precise with the amount of beans you use.

How much is 1lb dried beans?

2 cups of dried beans = 1 pound of dried beans.

How many cups are in a 1 lb bag of beans?

Bean Counting: The Bean Yield Chart.

How many cups of beans does 1 cup of dried beans make?

One cup dry beans = three cups cooked beans, drained. One pound dry beans = six cups cooked beans, drained One pound of dry beans makes about 9 servings of baked beans or 12 servings of bean soup.