Step 1

Place the rinsed pinto beans into the slow cooker. I used my large crock pot. If you have the option to use a large, or small crock pot, use the large.

Step 2

Fill your slow cooker 3/4 full with water, about 8-10 cups of water (it might vary depending on your particular slow cooker).

Step 3

Sprinkle the crushed bouillon and garlic salt over the water.

Step 4

Place the sweet onion into the slow cooker.

Step 5

Cook on high for 6-8 hours or on low for 9-10 hours.Stir occasionally. If you need to add more water during the cooking process, be sure to do that.

Step 6

Once the beans are soft, use a slotted spoon to transfer the beans to a large bowl.  Keep the bean juice. Discard the onion.

Step 7

Add 1/2 cup butter, onion powder, cumin (if using) and 1/2 cup of the reserved bean juice to the beans.

Step 8

Using a hand blender, or a potato masher, mash the beans until they reach your desired consistency. Add more bean juice to make them less thick if you'd like. I added about 1 1/2 cups of bean juice total. The beans will thicken and set with time so keep that in mind.