This easy Crock Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup is rich, creamy, and loaded with tender broccoli and real cheddar cheese. It’s simple homemade comfort food with very little work.
Use cheddar for the classic broccoli cheddar soup or another favorite cheese to make it your own. Fresh or frozen broccoli both work well.
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- ⚡ TL;DR—Recipe Summary
- 🥦 Ingredients
- 👨🍳 Quick Overview: Crock Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- ⏲️ How Long to Cook in the Crock Pot?
- 🥦 What Broccoli to Use
- 🧀 Best Cheese for Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- 🔄 Variations
- ↕️ Scaling the Recipe (Mini, Small, & Full-Size Crock Pots)
- ❄️ Storage and Reheating
- ♨️ Other Crock Pot Soup Recipes You Will Like
- ❓ FAQs
- 📖The Recipe Card
- Crock Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Featured Comment by Amy:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This is awesome! The broccoli and onion was nice and tender-crisp, and the cheese sauce was just right."
⚡ TL;DR—Recipe Summary
- What: Rich and creamy broccoli cheddar soup made in the crock pot with tender broccoli and real cheddar cheese.
- Why: Easy, hands-off comfort food with simple ingredients and very little prep.
- How: Cook the broccoli with the soup base until tender, thicken with a cornstarch slurry, then stir in the cheese at the end.
🥦 Ingredients
- Broccoli – Fresh or frozen broccoli both work. Cut fresh florets into spoon-size pieces; a 12–16 oz bag of frozen florets is convenient.
- Broth – Chicken or vegetable broth for the soup base.
- Milk – Whole milk works well, or use half & half or cream for a richer soup.
- Pantry ingredients – Onion, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Cheddar cheese – Sharp cheddar is my first choice for classic broccoli cheddar soup. Shred your own from a block for the smoothest melting.
- Velveeta or other cheese – Replace some or all of the cheddar with Velveeta for an extra-smooth, creamy soup, or use another cheese you enjoy.
- Cornstarch – Added near the end to thicken the soup. Skip it if you prefer a thinner soup.
- Panera-style option – Add matchstick carrots and a little celery with the broccoli for a Panera-style broccoli cheddar soup.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: Crock Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Prep the vegetables – Chop the onion. Trim broccoli (fresh or frozen) into spoon-size florets.
Combine in the crock pot – Add chicken or vegetable broth, onion, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and milk (or half & half/cream). Stir in frozen or fresh broccoli and mix well.
Slow cook – Cook on low for 4–5 hours or high for 2–3 hours, until the broccoli is tender. For a smoother texture, mash some with a potato masher or use an immersion blender.
Thicken the soup – Whisk cornstarch with cold water to make a smooth slurry. Stir it into the hot soup, turn the crock pot to high, and cook for about 30 minutes until thickened.
Add the cheese – Stir in shredded sharp cheddar. You can substitute cubed Velveeta or another cheese you like.
✅ Pro Tip: Add the cheese at the end and stir until melted. Avoid further cooking, which can cause some cheeses to separate or become grainy.
Serve – When the cheese is fully melted, serve warm with bread, rolls, or crackers.
👇 Scroll down for the printable recipe card and complete step-by-step photo instructions—or keep reading for tips and variations.
⏲️ How Long to Cook in the Crock Pot?
Cook until the broccoli is just tender—it will cook for another 30 minutes after adding the cornstarch slurry.
- Low: 4–5 hours
- High: 2–3 hours
All slow cookers run differently, so check tenderness toward the end of the cooking window.
Stovetop Broccoli Cheese Soup
This quick and easy Broccoli Cheese Soup uses fresh or frozen broccoli and cheddar, Velveeta, or other cheeses. Make it a copycat of Panera's Broccoli Cheese Soup or one of the other variations.
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🥦 What Broccoli to Use
This recipe works great with fresh or frozen broccoli. You’ll need about 3 cups of florets, but anywhere from 2–4 cups will work.
- Fresh broccoli – One large head usually yields 3–4 cups of florets. Trim stems and cut florets to spoon-size.
- Frozen broccoli – A 12–16 oz bag is perfect. Some pieces may be large, so chop them smaller before adding.
No matter which you choose, make sure the pieces fit easily on a soup spoon for the best texture in every bite.
🧀 Best Cheese for Broccoli Cheddar Soup
.Sharp cheddar is my first choice. It gives broccoli cheddar soup the classic flavor you expect. For the smoothest melting, shred a good-quality block of cheese yourself.
Velveeta is a good option for a smoother, creamier broccoli cheese soup. Replace some or all of the cheddar with cubed Velveeta, or combine the two. Other good melting cheeses can also be used.
Avoid overheating the cheese. Add it at the end and stir just until melted. Pre-shredded cheese may not melt as smoothly because of the anti-caking coating, although a brand you know melts well is fine.
🔄 Variations
- Panera-style broccoli cheddar soup – Add matchstick carrots and a little celery with the broccoli. For a smoother texture, replace some of the cheddar with Velveeta.
- Bacon broccoli cheese soup – Stir cooked, crumbled bacon into the finished soup.
- Other substitutes – Chopped cauliflower or potato can replace part or all of the broccoli—just cook until tender.
↕️ Scaling the Recipe (Mini, Small, & Full-Size Crock Pots)
This recipe makes a bit over 6 cups of soup — four servings of about 1½ cups each — and fits nicely in a 2½-quart or larger crock pot.
- Smaller batches – A half recipe works in a 2-quart mini crock pot.
- Standard small crock pot (3–4 quart) – A full recipe fits with no changes needed.
- Full recipe in a 2-quart – Leave out 1 cup of broth until the last hour of cooking.
- Larger batches – A double recipe fits in a 5-quart or larger crock pot.
Cooking times and doneness checks remain the same—the broccoli should be just tender before adding the cornstarch slurry.
❄️ Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months, although the texture may change slightly after freezing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently to prevent the cheese from separating.
♨️ Other Crock Pot Soup Recipes You Will Like
For a small crock pot, try:
For a larger crock pot, see the classic Crock Pot Ham Bone and Bean Soup.
This recipe is part of Our Best Soups and 25 Recipes for Small and Mini 2-Quart Crock Pots.
❓ FAQs
Texture is a personal preference. Some like it pureed; others prefer a chunkier soup. Use an immersion blender for a smoother finish, or just mash some of the broccoli with a potato masher for more texture.
Two common causes:
The cheese didn't melt smoothly – Pre-shredded cheese can sometimes become grainy or clump. For the smoothest results, shred cheddar from a block or use a brand you know melts well.
The cheese overheated – High heat or prolonged cooking can cause cheese to separate. Add the cheese at the very end, stir until melted, and avoid further cooking.
📖The Recipe Card
Crock Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
- 3 cups broccoli (fresh or frozen) - A medium or large head or a bag of frozen.
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups milk - low fat is fine
- 1 onion - small or ½ medium
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons corn starch - in a slurry of cold water
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese - other cheese like Velveeta
- 1 cup carrots- cut matchstick
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 3 strips bacon-crumbled
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Chop one small or ½ medium onion.
- In a smaller crock pot (3-4 quarts), mix 1 can (about 2 cups) of chicken broth, the chopped onion, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and 2 cups of milk.
- Add approximately 3 cups of frozen or fresh broccoli, cut into spoon-sized pieces. Mix well and cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Check that the broccoli is tender. If not, extend the cooking time by 30–60 minutes. All crock pots cook differently.
- Optional: Blend part of the broccoli with a potato masher or immersion blender while still in the crock pot. The exact amount is more to your taste.
- In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with about an equal amount of cold water. Stir until smooth with no lumps.
- Stir the cornstarch mixture slowly into the hot soup. Increase the crockpot to high and cook, covered, for another 20–30 minutes, or until the soup has thickened.
- Turn off the crock pot and stir in 8 ounces (2 cups) of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. You may substitute Velveeta or another good melting cheese. Stir until melted; do not cook further to prevent separation.Serve when the cheese is melted.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Cheese: Sharp cheddar is the classic choice. Velveeta or another good melting cheese may be substituted. Add cheese at the end and do not cook further.
- Panera-style: Add 1 cup matchstick carrots and 1 stalk thinly sliced celery with the broccoli. Replace some of the cheddar with Velveeta for a smoother texture.
- Broccoli: Fresh or frozen broccoli works. Cut large pieces small enough to fit easily on a spoon.
- Cooking time: Cook until the broccoli is tender. Crock pots vary, so add more time if needed.
- Storage: Refrigerate for 3–4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Lower carb: Skip the cornstarch. The soup will taste the same but will be thinner.
- Nutrition: Nutrition is calculated using 1½-cup servings, skim milk, and cheese made with 2% milk.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally Published September 20, 2019. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Katrina Stirn says
What size crockpot are your recipes made in? 1.5 Qt, 2 Qt?)
JamesAdam says
Yumm, mmmmm, heavy grunt!
Translated from Caveman to English:
"The Broccoli Cheese Soup is pretty good"
April says
Disappointed with this recipe. The cheese didn’t melt, and was just clumpy. I see in the comments now that it was the brand that I must have used, but I’d recommend adding that to the notes. The soup also didn’t thicken, even though I added the cornstarch. There were also too many onions for my liking.
Taylor says
I followed the recipe EXACTLY but somehow my cheese ended up chunky and gross ... any idea what happened? I’m fairly new to cooking so I have no clue!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Taylor,
Welcome to the blog.
That is caused by the type/brand of cheese you are using. Things like generic, store-brand shredded cheese are the most common. They have too much wax and some are coated to keep them from clumping in the bag and can make some of them unpredictable. Also, those cheeses have an experation date and that does matter some. But it can happen with other cheese. I tend to use 50% Velvetta that is made to melt and then a brand name shredded cheddar and never have a problem.
As a side note, the reason I add the cheese at the end is to prevent this sort of thing. Some cheeses don't cook well.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Donna Bowlin says
Absolutely DELICIOUS! We added some cauliflower as we didn't have enough broccoli and it's the perfect balance. Next time I'll use my older smaller crockpot since this big one I used was I think too big & it didn't get hot enough fast enough but still it was SUPER easy and tasty. A WINNER WINNER BROCCOLI DINNER
Asraf abid says
Can i make this recipe without broccoli, as i like to use cauliflower?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Asraf,
Welcome to the blog.
On the stovetop version of this recipe, somebody did if I remember correctly. I have not do it but it should work and cook about the same.
Dan
Amy in MI says
This is awesome! The broccoli and onion was nice and tender-crisp, and the cheese sauce was just right. We added the bacon, too. A great, warm, hearty soup for a cool autumn day.