Need a cozy dinner that’s mostly hands-off? This healthy baked potato soup is loaded with tender potatoes, onion, and celery in a rich, creamy broth made with evaporated milk, cream cheese, and sharp cheddar. Everything cooks right in the crockpot, making it an easy comfort-food dinner for busy days. {Gluten-free}
Table of Contents
Best Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Elysia’s Recipe Recap
I love finding simple ways to make comfort food a little more nutritious without sacrificing the flavor my family expects. This healthy loaded baked potato soup gets its rich, creamy texture from evaporated milk, a little reduced-fat cream cheese and sharp cheddar instead of a heavy dose of cream. Plus, starchy russet potatoes that naturally thicken the broth once mashed. It’s gluten-free as well and cooks right in the slow cooker, so it’s mostly hands-off.
We usually turn potato soup night into a topping bar with Greek yogurt or sour cream, cheddar, bacon, and green onions, so everyone can build their own bowl. It’s always a win with kids, and allows me to start the soup earlier in the day and mostly forget about it until dinner.
We love it with homemade healthy cornbread or high protein pita bread to mop up every last drop!
Before You Get Started:
A few simple tips will help you get the best texture from this healthy crockpot potato soup.
- Stick with russet potatoes if possible. Russets contain plenty of starch, which helps them break down and naturally thicken the soup as they cook. Other potatoes can work, but the finished soup may be a little thinner.
- Creamy without the added fat. My favorite hack for adding creaminess without loads of fat is to use fat-free evaporated milk.
- Add the dairy near the end. Let the potatoes and vegetables become completely tender before stirring in the evaporated milk, cream cheese, and cornstarch. This prevents the dairy from cooking unnecessarily for hours.
- Prep the potatoes ahead of time. If peeling and chopping potatoes first thing in the morning isn’t happening, do it the night before! Keep the cubed potatoes completely submerged in cold water in the fridge, then drain them before adding them to the slow cooker.
- Taste before adding more salt. The broth, cheese and any bacon you add as a topping all contribute sodium, so adjust the seasoning once everything has come together.
For more healthier potato recipes, you’ll also want to check out these Healthy Roasted Potatoes and this Dill Potato Salad!
What Makes This Potato Soup Lighter?
Classic loaded potato soups are often made with a generous amount of heavy cream, cheese, and bacon. This version uses fat-free evaporated milk along with a smaller amount of reduced-fat cream cheese and sharp cheddar to give the soup its creamy texture and cheesy flavor!
I also add onion and celery to the base and use Greek yogurt as one of my favorite toppings. The result is a cozy, satisfying, healthy baked potato soup that still feels like comfort food rather than a completely different version of the original.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Russet potatoes: Russets are a classic option for loaded potato soup because they are high in starch, so they’ll become soft and tender while cooking and can be mashed for a thick, creamy soup.
- Fresh thyme: Fresh thyme adds subtle savory flavor without overpowering the potatoes. You can substitute dried thyme if needed.
- Fat-free evaporated milk: This is my secret ingredient! Because some of the water has been removed from the milk, it has a richer consistency than regular milk and works really well here as a substitute for heavy cream. We always have several cans in the pantry!
- Reduced-fat cream cheese: Technically you could skip this, but it adds extra richness and tanginess that really brings the whole soup together.
- Cornstarch: Towards the end of slow cooking, you’ll add cornstarch with the other dairy products, and it will help thicken the soup for the perfect texture.
Optional Toppings
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt, crispy bacon crumbles (pork or turkey), shredded cheese, green onions, or chives for garnish
How to Make Healthy Crockpot Potato Soup
- Slow cook the potatoes and vegetables. Add the potatoes, onion, celery, garlic, thyme, broth and seasonings to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the potatoes are very tender. Remove the thyme sprigs.
- Make it creamy. In a small bowl, whisk the evaporated milk and cornstarch together until smooth. Stir the mixture into the crockpot along with the cubed cream cheese. Cover and cook on high for another 30-40 minutes, or until the broth thickens.
- Adjust the texture. Stir in the cheddar cheese. Use a fork or potato masher to mash some of the potatoes directly in the crockpot for a thicker consistency. For a smoother soup, give it a few quick pulses with an immersion blender. If it becomes thicker than you’d like, stir in a splash of broth or milk until it reaches your preferred consistency.
- Add your toppings. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed, then ladle into bowls and top with your choice of Greek yogurt or sour cream, bacon, cheddar and chives or green onions. Enjoy!
A note on cooking time: Slow cookers can vary quite a bit, so use the potatoes rather than the clock as your best indicator. They should be completely fork-tender before you add the dairy mixture. You can also cook the soup on high for about 3-4 hours if you’re short on time.
Scroll to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Storage Guidelines
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing potato soup, as the potatoes can have a strange texture when frozen and thawed.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm the soup in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Add a small splash of broth or milk if needed to loosen the consistency.
Serving Suggestions
This crockpot potato soup is hearty enough to serve on its own, though the potatoes make up most of the base, so I often add a little extra protein.
Greek yogurt, bacon, and additional cheddar are easy ways to add some right to your bowl. You can also pair the soup with grilled chicken nuggets or healthy beef meatballs for a more protein-rich meal.
To keep it light, it’s really nice alongside this simple tossed salad recipe.
Recipe Variations
- Add Southwestern flavor: Add 2-4 ounces of green chiles for a smoky flavor and a little extra heat.
- Make it vegetarian: Use vegetable broth in this healthy baked potato soup recipe instead. And skip the bacon.
- Use baby red potatoes: If you don’t have russets, baby red potatoes can be used and don’t necessarily need to be peeled. Keep in mind that they’ll hold their shape more during cooking and release less starch, so the finished soup may be slightly thinner.
- Use mashed potatoes: If you have leftover mashed potatoes (we love these healthy mashed potatoes), use them to replace the raw potatoes. Slow cook the veggies without the potatoes, then add the mashed potatoes, cream cheese, evaporated milk, and cornstarch at the same time. So easy!
- Add a little heat: Stir in 2-4 ounces of diced green chiles or add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes.
- Make it extra smooth: Instead of simply mashing some of the potatoes, use an immersion blender to briefly blend the soup until it reaches your preferred consistency. Avoid over-blending; otherwise, the texture can turn gummy.
More Healthy Creamy Soup Recipes
If you’re craving more creamy, cozy soups without all the calories, you are absolutely in the right place!
- Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup
- Butternut Squash Apple Carrot Soup
- Cottage Cheese Tomato Soup
- Chicken Potato Soup No Cream
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Healthy Loaded Baked Potato Soup {Crockpot}
Video
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 ribs celery, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 12 ounce can fat free evaporated milk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 ounces reduced fat cream cheese or neufchatel, cubed
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Optional Toppings
- Sour cream, greek yogurt, turkey or pork bacon crumbles, shredded cheese or chives for garnish
Instructions
- In a slow cooker, mix together the potatoes, onion, celery, garlic, thyme, broth and spices. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the potatoes become tender. Remove thyme sprigs.
- In a small bowl combine the evaporated milk with the cornstarch, add to the slow cooker along with the cream cheese cubes, cover and cook on high for 30-40 minutes, until the broth thickens.
- Stir in the cheddar cheese and use a fork or potato masher to mash up some of the potatoes for a thicker texture or pulse with an immersion blender for a smoother texture.
- Top with sour cream or Greek yogurt, bacon, chives and additional shredded cheese if desired.
Notes
- All slow cookers cook differently so times may need to be adjusted to your specific slow cooker. You could also cook this soup on high for 3-4 hours to speed up the process. Just check to make sure the potatoes have become fork tender.
- Baby red potatoes are a good substitute for the russet potatoes and you can skip the peeling process. However, they will hold their shape more during cooking and might make for a slightly thinner soup, as not as much starch will be released from the potatoes.
- The neufchatel cheese can be omitted, but it adds lots of creaminess to the soup.
- If you prefer a really smooth slow cooker potato soup with cream cheese, you can use an immersion blender in the slow cooker to get a super smooth texture or use a potato masher to break down the potato chunks.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in September 2023, and the text, formatting and some photos were updated in January 2026. The post was updated again in October 2026.
My soup looks much more yellow is there a reason for that?
Hmmm, the only thing I can think of is if your potatoes had a more yellow tinge to them. I can’t really think of why else it would be more yellow. Hope you still enjoyed the soup!