Slow Cooker Playdough Recipe
This easy slow cooker playdough recipe makes a big batch of super soft play dough that lasts for weeks – no stovetop needed!
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 play dough.
I can still remember the smell of that dough and how smooth it felt to smush it for the very first time! I love to make my own playdough now, to save money and recreate that perfect texture!
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 homemade playdough recipe ever!! I can’t even believe how amazing it turned out!
Why Make Play Dough in the Crock-pot?
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 and uses basic pantry staples. Just mix together a few simple ingredients, 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!
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 (you can use plant based food coloring, gel food coloring, whatever you have on hand)
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Instructions
If you want to make all one color, use this recipe:
- 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, making sure to scrape scrape the sides of your slow cooker (with a silicone spatula).
- 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!
If you want to make multiple colors of playdough from the same batch, use these directions:
- Add dry ingredients to slow cooker bowl, 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. Place each portion into a small bowl for mixing in the food dye.
- Add a small amount 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.
Caution: Play dough will be hot when you remove from the slow cooker, so allow it to cool before playing.
Video Demo:
Prep Tips:
- Don’t Have a Slow Cooker? You can also make play dough in the microwave with our super fast microwave play dough recipe!
- How to Store Homemade Play Dough – Your homemade play dough should last for several weeks if you keep it in an air tight container. Washing hands before playing will keep the dough from getting as dirty and extend its life too.
- Safety Tips – Always supervise kids when playing with playdough. Adults should always be present when using the slow cooker. Handle dough with care after cooking, as it will be hot when removing from slow cooker.
More Unique Play Dough Recipes To Try:
- Marshmallow Playdough
- Kool Aid Playdough
- Snow Dough Winter Playdough
- Fall Playdough
- Christmas Playdough
- Peeps Playdough
- Halloween Playdough
- 4th of July Playdough
- St. Patrick’s Day Playdough
- Valentine’s Day Playdough
We love making playdough for all occasions! Each of the seasonal play dough posts above actually has 3 different scented recipes!
Slow Cooker Play Dough Recipe (Free Printable Copy)
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Slow Cooker Play Dough Recipe
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
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.
Video
Notes
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- How to Store Homemade Play Dough – Keep playdough in an airtight container when not in use. Washing hands before playing will help to keep the dough from getting dirty and help it last longer.
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- Safety Tips – Always supervise kids when playing with playdough. Adults should always be present when using the slow cooker. Handle dough with care after cooking, as it will be hot when removing from slow cooker.
More of our favorite play dough recipes:
“Ice Cream” Edible Play Dough – Only 2 Ingredients!
- Christmas Trash Recipe - December 13, 2025
- Polar Bear Paws (See’s Candies Copycat) - December 12, 2025
- Chocolate Salami Recipe - December 7, 2025
Wow!! amazing! Thanx for recipe!
Do you think the cream of tartar is critical? I want to make this today and that is the only ingredient I am missing…
Cream 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.
So i made this and it looks good but so sticky and messy is that how it’s suppose to be
Mine is sticky any ways to fix?
Mine was also sticky and what worked for me was kneading it with gloves on and adding a couple tbsps of flour until it came together and was slightly cool. I then added my colour and kneaded it until the colour was incorporated. Then I wrapped it up and put it in the fridge. The stickiness was gone once I took it out of the fridge and it was fully cool.
My dough came out so so so sticky. How can i fix it?
I would try kneading a bit more flour into it. Sometimes it can take 5-10 minutes of working with the dough to get it to the best consistency. But once you’ve got it, the dough should last for weeks!
Sticky is an understatement for what came out of mine.
It is definitely sticky at first, but should firm up after you knead for a few minutes with your hands. We also made play dough in the microwave and that was even easier: https://thesoccermomblog.com/microwave-play-dough/ Hope this helps!
How many kids could I make a small portion for? I have 18 students so I need to know how many batches to make.
This makes a pretty big batch — probably enough for a golf-ball sized portion for each kid.
This dough lasts so long! I made it with 1/2 hot water and 1/2 apple cider and, not only did it smell delicious, it lasted for week over 4 weeks in my kindergarten room. The kids loved it!
Yes! We made a batch one time that lasted for like 3 months! If you wash hands before you pay and keep it sealed, it can last a really long time! So glad you love the recipe!
Substitute baby oil for the veggie oil and it lasts even longer. Veggie oil can sometimes get rancid. Smells great too
Thanks for the tip! We used vegetable oil so it would be taste-safe for little kids, but baby oil could work for the older ages.
Is this safe if it gets eaten by your 2 year old?
It’s non-toxic yes. I don’t recommend that they eat a lot of it (and they probably won’t because it doesn’t taste good), but it shouldn’t be harmful because the flour has been cooked.
Can this recipe be baked to harden /preserve designs?
I haven’t tried, so I can’t say for sure!