Using your slow cooker, you can transform a bag of russet potatoes into the most decadent and comforting baked potato soup you will ever taste. We love to top this soup with bacon, cheese, chives, and sour cream.
This recipe makes a big batch of soup, great for the entire week! My other favorite big-batch soup recipes are French Dip Soup and Buffalo 15 Bean Soup.
Why we Love this Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe
Loaded potato soup is my all-time favorite; I order it at every restaurant when it is available. You can’t beat how creamy this soup is and how great the toppings blend in. You will see in this recipe, I peel and dice raw potatoes; we don’t bake the potatoes. I’ve made baked potato soup before with leftover baked potatoes, which can be gluey.
This baked potato soup recipe has some prep work, but it is really worth the time. This soup is the ultimate comfort soup. Hands down one of the best and easiest slow cooker recipes you will try. This soup tastes just as good as loaded slow cooker baked potatoes!
How to make Loaded Baked Potato Soup in the Crockpot
Ingredients
- Russet Potatoes – Buy cheap russet potatoes for this recipe, it works the best.
- White Onion – Diced white onion flavors this soup, if you have people who don’t like chunks of onions, don’t worry, they will get blended up in this recipe.
- Seasonings – Whole garlic cloves and pepper. The whole garlic cloves will get blended up, so don’t fret.
- Chicken Broth – May be strange to use chicken broth in a soup with no chicken, but chicken broth adds so much flavor. You can use vegetable broth if needed.
- Cream Cheese – Lots of cream cheese in this recipe. Along with blending the potatoes, this will help thicken the soup and make it ultra creamy.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Peel and dice the potatoes, add them to the crockpot. Add the onion, whole garlic, and black pepper.
Step Two – Pour over chicken broth. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 5 hours. You’ll want to cook this until the potatoes are tender.
Step Three – When the cooking time is up, cube the cream cheese.
Step Four – Add the cubed cream cheese into the soup.
Step Five – Using an immersion, blend up the soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender; you will need to blend the soup in batches.
Step Six – Keep blending until the desired texture is achieved. I do not leave any chunks of potatoes in my soup; you can leave some if you prefer. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste.
What do I top the soup with?
Serve this loaded potato soup recipe buffet style right out the crockpot because not every guest will like all the toppings. Serve these toppings as a choice along with the soup:
- Sour cream – Buy the squeezable sour cream for easy clean up.
- Green onions or chives – This will add an onion flavor to each bowl, we don’t ever skip on this.
- Cooked and crumbled bacon – You can buy precooked bacon or bacon bits if desired.
- Shredded cheddar cheese – Bagged or freshly grated works well.
Recipe FAQS
When you think of baked potatoes, naturally, you think of using russet potatoes. The concept is no different for this recipe. Grab a cheap bag of russets for this soup.
You can substitute fat-free or low-fat cream cheese. Top with turkey bacon and low-fat sour cream and low-fat cheese (or leave off, still good without).
You can put most of my recipes in the freezer after cooking, but sadly this recipe does not work well. The texture of the potatoes turns grainy and mealy, and cream turns foamy after being thawed If this potato soup recipe seems too big for you to finish up, cut the recipe in half. Or package up right away for a family who lives in another household.
I often make this recipe for a large crowd, and cooking enough bacon is almost impossible; it goes quickly as a topping for this soup. My solution is to cook and crumble one pound of bacon and stir it into the soup after cooking (instead of serving on the side), then everyone gets an equal amount.
You can peel and dice your potatoes the night before; place them in water, and refrigerate. Drain off the water before starting the recipe. I do this in a large bowl.
More baked potato inspired recipe you will love!
- Twice Baked Potatoes – Recipe by Spend with Pennies
- Loaded Baked Potato Pizza – Recipe by Nutmeg Nanny
- Loaded Potato Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole – Recipe by the Country Cook
- Slow Cooker Baked Potato Casserole
- Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad – Recipe by the Southern Bite
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Loaded Baked Potato Soup in the Crock Pot
Equipment Needed:
- Immersion blend or regular blender
Ingredients:
- 5 lbs. russet potatoes
- 1 white onion diced
- 3 whole garlic cloves (keep them whole) or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 7 cups chicken broth (or 7 cups water and 5 chicken bouillon cubes)
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 16 oz. cream cheese 2 blocks total, ADD AT THE END OF THE COOKING TIME
- additional salt and pepper to taste
Loaded Toppings (optional but necessary)
- sour cream
- cheddar cheese grated
- green onion or chives sliced
- cooked bacon crumbled (or bacon bits)
Instructions:
- Peel, and dice your potatoes in a small dice. Add potatoes, garlic, onion, black pepper and chicken broth to slow cooker.
- Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or HIGH for 5 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time. You'll want to cook this until the potatoes are tender.
- Add the cream cheese to the slow cooker, you can cube it if you like, but it's not nescessary. Using an immersion blend up the soup. If you don't have an immersion blender you can use a regular blender, you will need to blend the soup in batches.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with desired toppings.
How to Video:
Sarah’s Notes:
- Fat-free or low-fat cream cheese
- Turkey Bacon
- Low-fat sour cream and cheese (or leave off, still good without!)
- Most of my recipes can be put in the freezer after cooking but sadly this recipe does not work well.
- The texture of the potatoes turn grainy and mealy and cream turns foamy.
- If this recipe seems too big for you to finish up, cut the recipe in half. Or package up right away for a family member who lives in another household.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Phil weeks says
I can’t wait to try this recipe today.
Send all you got.
Jamie C says
This potato soup sounds amazing! I am looking for new ways to incorporate more kale into my diet. Could I add fresh kale to this recipe? If so, at what point during the cooking process would you reccomend adding it?
Sarah Olson says
Here are my 2 ideas. Add the kale during the last 1.5 hours, and scoop around it to get the liquid and potatoes out to blend up the cream cheese with (after the cooking time is up). OR boil kale separate for about 3-4 minutes on the stove top.
Chelsea says
This looks amazing! Can it be done in a 4qt crock pot?
Sarah Olson says
I’m positive it wouldn’t fit. You could halve the recipe and it would work 🙂
Erin says
Just wondering if you have tried using pre-shredded hash browns and wondering if that would work OK. It’s what I have on hand…..thanks!
Sarah Olson says
Those may work ok. I have seen a Paula Deen Potato Soup recipe that uses the cubed frozen potatoes, and everyone raves about it.
Stevi says
I made this soup today and we loved it! So creamy and hearty. I prepped everything last night and just threw it all in this morning and tada! I used an emerson blender to blend the cream cheese and it was super easy.
Erica Burton says
when the soup is done and we blend the cheese in do we blend the garlic with it.
Sarah Olson says
Yes blend the garlic in when you blend the cream cheese 🙂
Paulette says
So it says to leave the garlic cloves whole. I’m afraid that someone will get a whole clove of garlic at the end. Please explain.
Sarah Olson says
You can place them on top, and make sure to fish them out and blend at the end.
Lucy says
Not understanding the cream cheese mixture. Do you blend and add after the soup is done and/or do you have to cook it a bit longer after you add the cream cheese mixture?
Sarah Olson says
You blend the part of the soup when it is done with the cream cheese. Stir that mixture back into the soup that’s still in the crock, stir and serve 🙂
tara says
Im making this soup this weekend. My question is, can i freeze the leftovers?
Angela says
I leave for work at 7 in the morning and am looking for recipes that I can let cook from 7 in the morning until about 6 or 7 at night. Is there any way to make this recipe in a way where it has to cook for longer?
Sarah Olson says
Is there anyone home at the 8-10 hour mark? if they could set it to warm until you get home? if not, you could try cooking for 11-12 hours, the potatoes will be pretty tender, but if you top the soup with crispy bacon it would be good!
B Paradise says
Try using a standard light timer to delay the start time. Set up the crockpot then set the timer to power it up a few hours later. Some newer models have this a programmable feature.
Only use this for short delays <3 hours. Not recommended for recipes with meat or other high perishable ingredients.
Angie says
Is it possible to substitute plain/greek yogurt for the cream cheese? If so, would the measurements be the same? While I do like cream cheese on my bagels and in cheesecakes, I’m not a huge fan of it elsewhere – also the yogurt would be a healthier alternative… so I was just curious!
Sarah Olson says
Angie, the Greek yogurt may work good. It would make for a little runnier soup, but would be healthier!
Angie says
Great, I will have to try it then. I’ll let you know how it turns out when I do 🙂
Lori says
My mom uses sour cream as her secret ingredient in her stove top potato soup. (My dad hates sour cream. It’s been a real challenge over the last 10+ years to make his favorite soup and keep him in the dark about how it’s made. She uses no more than half a container of sour cream for a large pot of soup. (Not sure if she starts with a large container or small container of sour cream.)
Sam says
Do you have to have a blender or potato masher to make this? I don’t have either any suggestions? Could I just skip the blending?
Sarah Olson says
If you need to skip blending I would microwave the cream cheese until softened, then stir it in briskly.
Jenny says
I’m making this soup today, it sounds amazing.
James Hamilton says
your recipe for potato soup was the bestest….tried it last night ….and i am about to burst…just to good to put the spoon down….thanks for shareing…..I LOVED IT!!!!