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.
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
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad – Recipe by the Southern Bite
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Loaded Baked Potato Soup in the Crock Pot
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker- 6 quart or larger
- 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.
- 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:
Recipe 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.
Hi Sarah, Can I cook this on high for six hours rather than low at 8-10 hrs?
Saw your earlier post and switched to high for 6 hours
What about cooking it in an instant pot? How much time?
So many soups call for low sodium chicken broth so as not to be too salty. Would this soup taste better with low sodium broth or regular? So anxious to try it!
Hi Sandy! If you are concerned I would do low sodium, then you can add a touch of salt at the end if needed.
Any idea how to convert this to the instant pot? So much faster
Can you add cheddar cheese to the potato soup, in addition to the cream cheese?
yes! that would be really good!
Can half and half be used instead of cream cheese? If so, how much?
Will the soup be thinner with half and half?
Yes it will be thinner, you can more potatoes and blend up a bit more at the end to get more thickness.
When would I add the cheddar cheese? During the six hour cook time?
I would at the end after the cream cheese.
I actually only had a block and a half of cream cheese when I made this soup, so I substituted the other half block of cream cheese with Velveeta and let it cook for another hour. It turned out SO GOOD!!!
This recipe was amazing, I was worried since I’m not a huge cream cheese fan- I used 95% fat free cream cheese and it was filling which was great but no weird cream cheese taste, just the promised delightful baked potato flavour and texture. It also lasted really well the next day for lunch and more leftovers a couple nights later which surprised me. I still have some in the freezer, i’m hoping might be ok when thawed out to but it’s pretty much the perfect recipe!
This may have been asked but is it possible to cook it on high for 4 hours instead of low for 8 hours?
I think this would work Wendy. I’ve never tried this, but I would think 4 hours on high, if the lid wasn’t opened would cook the potatoes.
I cooked on high for 4 hours, then used an immersion blender. I also substituted half a block of cream cheese with Velveeta. Very happy with the results!!
We are having a chili/soup cookoff at work and this sounds amazing! Do you think If I started it going the night before around 10 and then mixed in the cream cheese around 6 in the morning then brought it to work and let it just let it sit on warm or low it would be fine until 11-2?
I do think it would be fine on warm. I would sneak in and stir it every once in a while. 🙂
Do you know how well this work being heated up for a second day?
It does very well. I do it on the stove top over medium heat. I hope that helps!
Can this be cooked more quickly if put on high? I keep forgetting to start this earlier and we are going to be eating pretty late!
Yes! I should do fine on High. Probably 6 hours.
what’s a garlic glove? 😉
thanks for the recipe, it looks delicious.
It’s from a fresh head of garlic, just one piece of that head, peeled is a clove 🙂
This is THE best potato soup I’ve eaten. Made it without any changes to the original recipe. I will be making this often Thank you!
We have several rainy days in the forecast. I’m going to put this in the CP for one of those days. But my family doesn’t care much for cream cheese. I think I’m going to try it with Velveeta, instead. It has kind of the same consistency. Hoping it works!
I’m looking to do freezer meals for the arrival of my first baby. Would this one be able to be frozen after cooked and reheat well?
Hi Stephanie. Great question. Potatoes don’t do well in the freezer, they get really mealy. I’ve tried it with this recipe, and it was not good!
Is there an alternative for using cream cheese? (i.e. heavy cream, etc)?
You could use heavy cream, but the soup will be thinner 🙂
Is there one potato better suited for this soup?
I use Russet Potatoes 🙂