Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe

By Becky Hardin

Updated Sep 4, 2025

It doesn't get more comforting than LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP. Creamy hearty soup loaded with bacon, potatoes, cheese, sour cream, and so much more. Warms the soul. - 4

This Loaded Baked Potato Soup is one of my go-to soups on a cold winter night! It doesn’t get more comforting than this soup loaded with bacon, potatoes, cheese, sour cream, and so much more. It truly warms my soul.

Pin this recipe for later!

5-Star Review

“Such an easy recipe to make and so satisfying. We will definitely have to make this again.” – Stella

Easy Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe

This Loaded Baked Potato Soup helps me survive the cold and blustery winter. It’s so warm and hearty, I can’t seem to get enough of it. It’s super creamy and filled with all the best ingredients, just like a baked potato, though there’s something about eating it in soup form that just makes it more comforting.

I like to top my soup with bacon, cheese, and sour cream—just how I’d top a baked potato !

Ingredients1x2x3x

▢ 4 large baking potatoes Yukon Gold or Russet
▢ 8 strips bacon cut into 1/4” strips & cooked crisp
▢ 4 tbsp butter
▢ 2 carrots peeled & diced, optional
▢ 1 sweet yellow onion or yellow onion diced
▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
▢ 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
▢ 1 tsp favorite herb blend basil, thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes
▢ 6 cups milk
▢ 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
▢ 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
▢ 8 oz. sour cream
▢ ½ tsp kosher salt
▢ ½ tsp ground black pepper

Optional Garnishes

▢ shredded cheddar cheese
▢ crumbled cooked bacon
▢ sliced green onions

Video

Instructions

Heat oven to 425°F. Clean the baking potatoes and pierce each with a fork. Cover in foil and bake for 1 hour or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and cool to touch. Peel the potatoes. Roughly mash two of the potatoes, and dice the other two potatoes. Set the potatoes aside. 4 large baking potatoes
While the potatoes cook, place the sliced bacon in a large skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook the bacon until just crisp and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease and save the rest for later use. (Be sure to refrigerate the excess bacon grease, if any.) 8 strips bacon
Add 4 tablespoons butter to the bacon grease and turn the heat to low. When grease/butter mixture is just hot, add the diced carrots and cook (covered) for 3 minutes. Cover and stir every 1 minute. Add the onions, cover and cook for 3 additional minutes, stirring every minute. 4 tbsp butter, 2 carrots, 1 sweet yellow onion or yellow onion
When the carrots are tender, turn the heat to low, remove the lid and add the minced garlic. Cook 1 more minute. 2 cloves garlic
Sprinkle the sautéed vegetables with the flour, stir and cook over low heat 1 minute. Stir constantly. 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
Add the herbs while stirring/whisking continuously. 1 tsp favorite herb blend
Turn heat to medium, and whisk continuously while adding the milk and vegetable stock. Cook and whisk until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until mixture thickens, 10-20 minutes. 6 cups milk, 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
Stir in the potatoes, cheese and sour cream. Taste, then season with salt & black pepper. If the soup becomes too thick, add more vegetable stock. If it is too thin, cook until it becomes the desired consistency. 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 8 oz. sour cream, ½ tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper
Garnish with your favorite baked potato toppings: crispy bacon, extra cheese, butter, sliced green onions, crushed crackers, cooked sausage, sour cream, Greek yogurt, chopped jalapeños, chopped cilantro, cooked cubed chicken, or cooked ground beef.
Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

How to Make Loaded Baked Potato Soup Step by Step

Potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil in a wooden cutting board. - 6

Cook the potatoes: Clean and pierce the potatoes with a fork, cover in aluminum foil, and bake for about an hour in a 425°F oven. The potatoes should be tender when you pierce them with a fork. Once cooked, allow to cool, peel and roughly mash two of the potatoes and dice the other two. Set aside.

Cook the bacon: Cook 8 strips of bacon over medium-high heat until just crisp. Transfer them to paper-towel lined plate. Keep 2 tbsp of the bacon grease in the pan and refrigerate and save the rest, if any, for later.

Cooking carrots in bacon grease and butter. - 8

Cook the veggies: Add 4 tbsp of butter to the bacon grease in the pan, turn the heat to low, and when the grease/butter mixture is just hot, add the 2 diced carrots and cook (covered) for 3 minutes. Cover and stir every minute. Add onion, cover, and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring every minute.

Add the garlic : Once the carrots have softened, turn the heat to low, remove the lid, and stir in 2 cloves of minced garlic. Cook 1 more minute.

Add flour: Sprinkle the sautéed vegetables with 5 tbsp of flour, stir and cook over low heat for about 1 minute or until the flour is absorbed, stirring constantly. Add 1 tsp of your favorite herb blend.

Pouring milk into the skillet with the veggies and the broth. - 9

Add the liquid ingredients : Stir in 6 cups of milk and 2 cups of vegetable broth, stirring/whisking continuously. Cook and whisk until the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat to low, and cook until the mixture thickens. This should take about 10-20 minutes.

Adding potatoes, cheese, and sour cream to the soup pot. - 10

Add remaining ingredients : Stir in the potatoes, 2 cups of cheese, and 8 oz. of sour cream. Taste, then season with ½ tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper. If the soup becomes too thick, add more vegetable stock; if it is too thin, cook until it becomes the desired consistency.

Close up of soup topped with sour cream, cheese, bacon, crackers, and cilantro. - 11

Garnish and serve: Top with crispy bacon, extra cheese, butter, sliced green onions, crushed crackers, cooked sausage, sour cream, Greek yogurt, chopped jalapeños, chopped cilantro, cooked cubed chicken, or cooked ground beef, and enjoy.

How to Store

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat over the stove or in the microwave.

If you plan to make this soup in order to freeze it, I recommend leaving the creamy ingredients out until reheating. So, make it according to the instructions, omit the milk, cheese, and sour cream, freeze, and then add them after thawing.

The potatoes may get a bit grainy, but they’ll be fine. You can always use an immersion blender to blend them up when reheating and make a creamy and thick soup.

A bowl of baked potato soup topped with bacon, cheese, and crackers. - 12

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve a light green goddess salad on the side, and this loaded soup lends itself well to this skillet bread or a no knead Dutch oven bread for dipping.

more potato soup recipes to try

This HASH BROWN POTATO CHEESE SOUP is an absolute Winter MUST MAKE! The ultimate comfort food soup made in minutes. So cheesy and delicious. Topped with sauteed carrots and bacon for extra flavor! - 13

Hash Brown Potato Soup

Cheesy Potato Soup

overhead image of creamy potato soup in a white bowl topped with shredded cheddar cheese and bacon with a spoon - 17

overhead image of creamy potato soup in a white bowl topped with shredded cheddar cheese and bacon with a spoon - 18

Instant Pot Potato Soup

Two bowls of chowder with cheese and bacon. - 19

Two bowls of chowder with cheese and bacon. - 20

Crockpot Potato Soup

Loaded Baked Potato Soup