When it comes to cookbooks, crockpot and slow cooker are terms that are used interchangeably. That’s because they both “slow-cook” food, often for hours at a time, so that the meat becomes tender and steeped in flavor.
But wouldn’t it surprise you to know that they’re two different appliances. The crockpot is a stoneware pot that’s surrounded by a heating element, whereas a slow cooker is a metal pot that sits on top of a heated surface.
This means that food heats more slowly in a slow cooker because the heat is concentrated at the bottom. In contrast, a crockpot is surrounded with heating elements on its side and bottom so the food is cooked more evenly.
Home cooks should keep this in mind when cooking from crockpot cookbooks. Because most books feature recipe selections that have generic slow-cook recipes, cooking times may vary widely depending on the type and brand of slow cooker. The same is true for the recipes featured in our other lists, like American slow cooker recipes and slow cooker pasta recipes.
But if you have a crockpot, you can always use a crockpot cookbook. The recipes there have been developed specifically for the crockpot brand of slow cookers so you don’t have to worry about readjusting cooking times.
For those with the more conventional slow cooker though, there’s a lot of other slow cooker cookbooks to choose from. Most don’t use describe their selections as slow cooker recipes; in fact, they also use crockpot and slow cooker interchangeably. Rare is the cookbook that places distinctions between the two.
The best crockpot cookbooks are those that provide recipes that have been kitchen-tested on different types of slow cookers. They give estimations of cooking times so that you don’t have to worry about coming home at the end of the day to find a burned dish on your slow cooker/crockpot.
In this list, I’ve picked the best crockpot cookbooks that have reliable recipes for slow cooking. Whether you’re looking for a gourmet weeknight dish or something practical and fuss-free, these cookbooks will make your meal planning easy and convenient.
Here are my top 10 crockpot cookbooks on Amazon.
Best Crockpot Cookbooks
- The Complete Slow Cooker: From Appetizers to Desserts – Illustrated
- Adventures in Slow Cooking: 120 Slow-Cooker Recipes for People Who Love Food Hardcover
- Slow Cooker Revolution: One Test Kitchen. 30 Slow Cookers. 200 Amazing Recipes. Paperback – Illustrated
- Taste of Home Slow Cooker 3E: 278 All New Family Faves! Paperback
- Stock the Crock: 100 Must-Have Slow-Cooker Recipes, 200 Variations for Every Appetite Paperback –
- The CROCKPOT Cookbook: Crock Pot Recipes with Pictures For Easy & Delicious Slow Cooking Meals Paperback
- Art of the Slow Cooker: 80 Exciting New Recipes Paperback – Illustrated
- Crock-Pot Recipe Collection Hardcover
- The Great American Slow Cooker Book: 500 Easy Recipes for Every Day and Every Size Machine Paperback
- Slow Cook All Day: The Ultimate Cookbook of Hands-Off Slow Cooker Recipes Paperback
1. The Complete Slow Cooker: From Appetizers to Desserts – Illustrated
Kitchen-tested by the editors at America’s Test Kitchen, the 400 recipes in this book are reliable and fool-proof. They range from the familiar, like beef stew and pasta sauce, to the unconventional, like crème brûlée and wheat berry salad.
Recipes require more prep than usual; this is not the “chuck them all into the cooker and leave them to cook” cookbook. But as the ATK editors often reassure their readers, the extra steps make the dish even more flavorful. There are labels though that indicate which ones are “Easy Prep” or requires “All Day” cooking.
Readers like the usual ATK format because it presents useful information conveniently. One liked that the recipes are easy to adjust to fit a wide variety of dietary preferences. Another found the book’s tips on enhancing flavor in slow cooked dishes useful.
Recommended for new and veteran crockpot/slow cooker users.
2. Adventures in Slow Cooking: 120 Slow-Cooker Recipes for People Who Love Food Hardcover
This cookbook features elevated dishes that can easily be a highlight at any dinner party. There are 120 gourmet recipes here that range from appetizers to mains and desserts. There’s even a chapter on Warm Cocktails.
The selection includes dishes like Garlic and Rosemary Oil-Poached Shrimp, Ricotta-Spinach Polenta with Tomato Salad, Italian Wedding Soup, and Spicy Kimchi and Pork Ramen.
Recipes use ingredients from scratch and require some extra prepping. They have also been thoroughly tested in a variety of slow cookers. The directions are easy to follow and some ingredients may be hard to find in a local stores but can be ordered online.
Readers loved its inventive use of the crockpot; one mentioned that she was inspired by how it was used as a bain-marie for a pot de creme recipe. Another liked its innovative and flavorful recipes.
Recommended for gourmet home cooks and slow cooker foodies.
3. Slow Cooker Revolution: One Test Kitchen. 30 Slow Cookers. 200 Amazing Recipes. Paperback – Illustrated
In this cookbook, America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) editors test 200 recipes with different brands of slow cookers and give you tips and suggestions on how to use your slow cooker to make delicious and flavorful dishes.
Recipes have been deconstructed and rewritten to ensure its consistency with a wide range of slow cookers. They’re laid out in typical ATK format which makes them easy to read and understand. Most of the recipes require at least a 6-7 quart slow cooker and involve a lot of prepping time (1-1.5 hrs). According to the editors, these features make slow-cooked food more flavorful.
Those who’ve followed the recipes agreed that the dishes turn out really well. Some recipes have already become their regular go-to weeknight staples. Another liked that the book always has an explanation for a recipe’s extra preparation requirements.
Recommended for home cooks looking for fool-proof delicious weeknight recipes for a slow cooker.
4. Taste of Home Slow Cooker 3E: 278 All New Family Faves!
This cookbook collects home crockpot recipes featured in the issues of the Taste of Home magazine. The selection ranges from appetizers and side dishes to meaty soups and stews. There’s also a section on recipes that are ideal for potluck.
Recipes include Southwestern Shredded Beef, Spit Pea Soup, Stuffed Cabbage Casserole, Chicken and Mushroom Alfredo, and Chocolate Lava Cake.
Readers liked that most of the recipes are comfort food and use ingredients that are familiar and easy to access. Another liked that the latest edition included a section for Instant Pot users.
Recommended for anyone looking for American comfort food recipes for the slow cooker.
5. Stock the Crock: 100 Must-Have Slow-Cooker Recipes, 200 Variations for Every Appetite – Paperback
This cookbook presents 100 essential recipes for the crockpot, each of them featuring variations so that anyone can modify them according to one’s own dietary preferences. One can easily cook these recipes for one or two people or make them paleo or gluten-free.
The majority of the recipes are designed for the 5-quart round or 6-quart oval and require 6-8 hours of cooking on the low. There are photos of every dish and as well as tips and tricks to maximize the use of the crockpot. Recipes are easy to follow with clear steps.
Readers liked the baking recipes for the crockpot. Another liked that the cookbook taught her how to make two recipes at once using the same cooker.
Recommended for newbies and casual home cooks.
6. The CROCKPOT Cookbook: Crock Pot Recipes with Pictures For Easy & Delicious Slow Cooking Meals Paperback
This cookbook is a collection of recipes developed for slow cooking using the crockpot. There are both meat-based and plant-based recipes here. Samples of the recipes include familiar favorites like the Honey Mustard Pork Roast, Creamy Beef Stroganoff, Meatball Biscuits with Cheese and Butternut Squash, and Sage Beef Stew.
Recipes are easy to prepare and are accompanied with color photos and nutritional info for easy reference. They also don’t require extensive prep work. One reader went on to say that she liked the book because it did not require browning the meat ahead of time.
Recommended for crockpot-branded slow cooker users and the casual home cook.
7. Art of the Slow Cooker: 80 Exciting New Recipes Paperback – Illustrated
This is cookbook features recipes that are ideal for simple everyday meals and or for special occasions. It offers useful advice on how to choose the right crockpot for any home kitchen, plus it also includes cooking charts to help with the timing.
Most of the recipes in this book follow the basic process of braising the meat, sauteeing the veggies, and adding the broth before throwing it all in the crockpot to slow cook. The pre-cooking times generally last for only 30 minutes.
Readers found this book useful because of its tips on how to add flavor to slow cooked dishes. Another liked the handy guides on the margins of the recipes.
Recommended for beginner and experienced home cooks.
8. Crock-Pot Recipe Collection Hardcover
This is another handy reference for the tried-and-true crockpot user. There are 350 recipes here that range from main and side dishes to soup and stews and even sweets and pastries. There are meat-based recipes and vegetarian-based ones.
Recipes are easy to follow and tell you exactly what size of crockpot to use for the recipe. Cooking times are also clearly stated and there’s a metric conversion chart included for easy reference. There are also more than 200 color photographs of the dishes.
Recommended for the newbie crockpot owner.
9. The Great American Slow Cooker Book: 500 Easy Recipes for Every Day and Every Size Machine
This is a user-friendly cookbook that adapts its recipe selection for three sizes of appliances. This makes scaling recipes easy for anyone. The selection covers a range of dishes, from breakfast oatmeals, slow-braised meats, vegetables and jams, and dessert.
Recipes are labeled for its difficulty level and nutritional value. The ingredient proportions are for 2-3 quarts, 4-5 quartss and 6-8 quarts. Each recipe also comes with “Taster’s Notes” that full of information and tips about the dish.
Recommended for traditional crockpot and slow cooker users.
10. Slow Cook All Day: The Ultimate Cookbook of Hands-Off Slow Cooker Recipes Paperback
This cookbook is for those looking for recipes that merely require to dump everything into the crockpot and let it take the whole day to cook. It has 100 easy recipes that range from meat-based favorites to vegetarian and vegan staples.
Recipes are simple and only require less than 15 minutes of prepping and then can be left alone until its time to eat. All recipes take at least 8 hours to cook. There’s also a section for tips and tricks to maximize the use of the crockpot.
Readers liked that it used basic ingredients and do not require additional steps during cooking. Another liked its tips on prepping meals and maximizing leftovers.
Recommended for anyone looking for all-day, hands-off recipes for slow cooking.
Top Picks
CROCK-POT RECIPE COLLECTION HARDCOVER published by Publications International Ltd.
Developed by the company behind the original crockpot, this recipe collection is a reliable guide to maximizing the use of your crockpot slow cooker.
The recipes aren’t the hands-off variety though, but this shouldn’t worry anyone. Rather, it’s an indication that the recipes are high quality that they can be used for special weeknight meals or for entertaining. As mentioned elsewhere in other books, the extra steps make the dish even more flavorful and memorable.
This is a great starter cookbook for a crockpot owner. Slow cooker users will find the recipes here easily adaptable for their own type of appliance.
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