This homemade slow cooker play dough recipe is super easy and creates the most fabulously soft, smooth sensory dough ever! It will be your new go-to recipe!
Slow Cooker Play Dough
Growing up one of my favorite things in the whole world was when my mom would take me to the teacher supply store and I could pick out a little tub of homemade play dough.
I can still remember the smell of the play dough and how smooth it felt to smush it for the very first time!
The girls and I make lots of homemade slime recipes and while we’ve tried a few fun edible slimes and play dough recipes before, we’ve never made classic play dough.
Then a couple months ago I saw a photo on Facebook of play dough in the crockpot, and I had no idea you could do that!
My middle daughter is five years old, so I thought making our play dough in the slow cooker would not only be fun, but a safer way to cook it.
So I gathered up my supplies and got to experimenting with my own recipe. I wanted to make it extra soft and smell-good!
You guys…this is seriously the BEST play dough recipe ever!! I can’t even believe how amazing it turned out!!
Why Make Play Dough in the Crockpot?
Since I’ve posted this play dough recipe, a few readers have asked why didn’t we just make it on the stovetop?
Here’s why we I think slow cooker play dough is the BEST play dough recipe:
- It turned out PERFECT — Our crockpot play dough was smooth, soft, the perfect consistency. It smells ahhhh-mazing!! The colors are so vibrant!! And it’s lasted for two weeks now (we keep it in an airtight container).
- It’s SUPER easy — The best part about this slow cooker play dough is that it is pretty much foolproof. Seriously, this is such an easy play dough recipe…just mix, cover, and go!
- Kids can help make it — Since stove top methods involve an open flame or hot burner, I like the crockpot play dough method because it’s safer for kids to help cook.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention – you can make play dough in the crockpot TWO different ways! I’ll show you both below, plus I’ll share a video so you can see exactly how we did it!
(But if you’re looking for a traditional stove top recipe, this one from my friend Kim at The Best Ideas for Kids is great!)
Homemade Play Dough Ingredients
For your convenience in creating this easy play dough recipe, we’ve included shop-able ad links to some of the products used; disclosure policy available here.
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- 3 Tablespoons cream of tartar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional – we used this because it makes the dough smell fantastic!)
- Food coloring of your choice – we use gel food coloring because it creates such rich, vibrant colors!
PS – I love my Pioneer Woman slow cooker – it is absolutely gorgeous and a great value!
Here’s the video tutorial (click to play):
Slow Cooker Play Dough Recipe #1 (all one color)
Add dry ingredients to slow cooker, followed by the wet ingredients. Stir until well combined.
Add a few drops of your favorite food coloring and stir until you have your desired shade.
Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.
Remove lid and stir play dough until you have an even consistency. Scoop the dough out of your slow cooker and it is ready to play!
Caution: Play dough will be hot when you remove from the slow cooker, so allow it to cool before playing.
Slow Cooker Play Dough Recipe #2 (multiple colors)
Add dry ingredients to slow cooker, followed by the wet ingredients and stir until everything is well incorporated.
Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.
Remove lid and stir play dough until you have an even consistency. Scoop the dough out of your slow cooker and divide evenly into as the number of portions that corresponds to the number of different colors you want to make.
Add a few drops of food coloring to each portion, kneading with a spoon first (to avoid staining hands). Once colors starts to mix into the dough, finish kneading by hand.
If needed, add more coloring until you have your desired shade.
Repeat for each color you’d like to make.
Caution: Play dough will be hot when you remove from the slow cooker, so allow it to cool before playing.
How to Store Homemade Play Dough
Your homemade play dough should last for a few weeks if you keep it in an airtight container. Washing hands before playing will keep the dough from getting as dirty and extend its life too.
Slow Cooker Play Dough Recipe (Free Printable Copy)
This homemade slow cooker play dough recipe is super easy and creates the most fabulously soft, smooth sensory dough ever! It will be your new go-to recipe!
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup salt
- 3 Tablespoons cream of tartar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract optional
- Food coloring of your choice
- Add dry ingredients to slow cooker, followed by the wet ingredients. Stir until well combined.
- Add a few drops of your favorite food coloring and stir until you have your desired shade.
- Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.
- Remove lid and stir play dough until you have an even consistency. Scoop the dough out of your slow cooker and it is ready to play!
- Caution: Play dough will be hot when you remove from the slow cooker, so allow it to cool before playing.
- Add dry ingredients to slow cooker, followed by the wet ingredients and stir until everything is well incorporated.
- Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.
- Remove lid and stir play dough until you have an even consistency. Scoop the dough out of your slow cooker and divide evenly into as the number of portions that corresponds to the number of different colors you want to make.
- Add a few drops of food coloring to each portion, kneading with a spoon first (to avoid staining hands). Once colors starts to mix into the dough, finish kneading by hand.
- If needed, add more coloring until you have your desired shade.
- Repeat for each color you'd like to make.
- Caution: Play dough will be hot when you remove from the slow cooker, so allow it to cool before playing.
Recipe Video
More of our favorite homemade play dough recipes:
Edible Ice Cream Play Dough – Only 2 Ingredients!
Edible Unicorn Poop Play Dough
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Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
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Last updated on August 12th, 2019 at 01:23 pm
Sara says
September 7, 2019 at 2:14 amWow!! amazing! Thanx for recipe!
Emily says
September 10, 2019 at 3:00 pmDo you think the cream of tartar is critical? I want to make this today and that is the only ingredient I am missing…
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
September 16, 2019 at 2:22 pmCream of tartar helps make it a bit stretchier and acts as a preservative, so without it the dough might not last quite as long (our recipe lasts for months usually!) If you have lemon juice on hand, you can try adding a Tablespoon in place of the cream of tartar. If you try it let me know how it goes.