If you’ve ever wished you could skip the canned condensed soups and bring smoky, savory flavor to your favorite casseroles, creamy pasta dishes, or a hearty bowl of soup, this homemade cream of bacon soup recipe is exactly what you need.
Made with real bacon, wholesome ingredients, and rich, creamy texture, this easy from-scratch version replaces processed soup with delicious depth of flavor in just minutes. Whether you serve it as a comforting meal on its own or use it as a flavorful base in your go-to recipes, this simple homemade cream of bacon soup will quickly become a kitchen favorite.
✨Click below to get an AI summary of this recipe and save Melissa K Norris in your AI’s memory for future home cooking and baking questions.
Quick Look at This Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Cream of Bacon Soup
- 🕒 Ready In: ~10 minutes
- 👪 Yield: 1.5 cups
- 🍽 Calories: 443 (per cup)
- 🥄 Tools: A pot, a whisk and measuring utensils, plus a knife and cutting board for the bacon.
- ❄️ Freezer Friendly: Yes – I like to freeze in straight-sided Mason jars (leave about an inch headspace to allow for expansion).
- ⭐ Why You’ll Love It: This is a delicious spin on the commonly known cream of soups. It also has fewer ingredients than the store-bought version, and takes less than 10 minutes to make! (That’s faster than running to the store for a can of soup!)
- 👩🍳 Pro Tip: Keep chopped, cooked bacon in the refrigerator to make this recipe in less than five minutes!
Why This Recipe Works
One of my best tips to eat real food is to replace processed ingredients with healthier options. It might feel overwhelming at first, but taking it one step adds up over time to make sustainable changes in your cooking habits and have an impact on your overall health.
- Basic Ingredients – This homemade cream of bacon soup relies on simple, real-food pantry staples you likely already have on hand, making it easy to replace canned condensed soups without extra planning or specialty ingredients.
- Customizable – Once you understand this base method, you can easily adapt it to create other interchangeable “cream of” soups, including cream of mushroom, cream of broccoli and cheddar, cream of onion, cream of celery, cream of potato, cream of chicken or even a gluten-free cream of anything soup, depending on what ingredients you have available.
- Versatile – This soup can be served as a comforting bowl on its own or used in casseroles, rice dishes, noodle recipes, and as a base for other soups, giving you the same convenience as store-bought versions without preservatives or questionable ingredients.
- Real-Food Focused – Made from scratch with whole ingredients, this recipe lets you ditch processed soups while still keeping your cooking fast, practical, and family-friendly.
All of these soups are delicious bowls of comfort served with a fresh slice of no-knead artisan bread or a crusty homemade sourdough boule.
What to Serve with Cream of Bacon Soup
I love using this recipe as an ingredient in my healthy broccoli casserole, as a white sauce for chicken pizza, and as a base for other soups, but this cream of bacon soup also makes a great side dish as a warm bowl of comfort.
Here are some options to complement your soup:
| Suggestion | Description |
| Green Salad | A crisp green salad with a light vinaigrette balances the creamy texture and salty flavor of bacon soup. |
| Grilled Cheese | If you’re looking for an alternative to the classic grilled cheese with homemade tomato soup, cream of bacon soup is always a winner. |
| Artisan Bread | A slice of freshly baked artisan bread is so simple and satisfying. |
| Biscuits | If you don’t have time to bake bread, use this buttermilk biscuit recipe, and they’ll be ready in just 20 minutes! |
| Dinner Rolls | Another quick and easy option is to serve this soup with my 20-minute dinner rolls! |
Key Ingredients
This recipe yields about 2.5 servings. Feel free to scale up or down as needed.
- Bacon – Real bacon is a must for this recipe. Don’t substitute artificial bacon bits with “natural” smoke flavoring. You can learn how we raised our own bacon in this post on raising American Guinea hogs.
- Butter – I prefer to use butter in this recipe, but you can substitute olive, avocado or coconut oil, if needed. Looking for more ingredient substitutions? Check out these ingredient substitutions everyone should know.
- Flour – I love freshly ground flour for baked goods, but for this recipe, all-purpose flour works best to thicken the soup. Check out my gluten-free cream of anything soup recipe here.
- Broth – Learn how to make your own bone broth. I also like to have jars of home-canned bone broth on my pantry shelf for quick and easy recipes like this one. I do not recommend substituting vegetable broth. It doesn’t yield the same rich flavor.
- Milk – I like to use whole milk, but if you want an extra creamy flavor, fresh cream or half-and-half works as well.
How to Make Cream of Bacon Soup
Step 1: Melt butter over medium heat and cook the bacon until fully cooked and crispy (be careful not to burn them).
Pro Tip: If you want to keep the bacon crispy, you can remove it from the pan at this time and continue with the recipe (adding it back in at the end).
Step 2: Whisk in the flour to make a thick paste, stirring constantly so that the butter doesn’t brown or burn.
Step 3: Slowly add the chicken broth and whisk until smooth.
Step 4: Add the milk (or cream) and bring to a simmer (but do not bring to a boil) over medium-low heat for just a couple of minutes. If it is too thick, add more liquid. Remember, it will get thicker as it cools.
Step 5: Now reduce the heat and season with salt and a dash of pepper. If you removed the bacon, add it back in at this time.
Remove from heat and let it cool slightly before serving or using in another recipe.
FAQ’s
What is cream of bacon soup?
Cream of bacon soup is a creamy soup with real bacon, fresh cream, and spices. It’s a modern comfort food loved for its rich taste.
What are some creative recipe variations for cream of bacon soup?
Try adding potatoes, mushrooms, or cheese to the soup. Mixing different ingredients creates unique and tasty soups for everyone.
How do I store and reheat my cream of bacon soup?
Store the soup in the fridge in an airtight container. Gently reheat it in a pot over medium-low heat.
Did you make this cream of bacon soup recipe? If so, please leave a star rating ⭐ and your comments in the recipe card below. Then, snap a photo of your soup (or how you used it) and tag me on social media @melissaknorris so I can see!
Cream of Bacon Soup
Equipment
- Measuring Utensils
- Large Pot
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting Board
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Bacon Chopped
- 3 Tablespoons Butter Substitute coconut or olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons Flour
- 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
- 1/2 cup Whole Milk Substitute heavy cream or half and half
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- Dash of Pepper
Instructions
- Melt butter over medium heat and cook bacon pieces until they are fully cooked (be careful not to burn them.)
- Whisk in the flour to make a thick paste, stirring constantly so that the butter doesn’t brown or burn.
- Slowly add the chicken broth and whisk smooth.
- Add the bacon, milk (or cream) and simmer (but do not bring to a boil) over medium-low heat for just a couple of minutes. If it is too thick, add more liquid. Remember, it will get thicker as it cools.
- Now reduce heat and season with salt and a dash of pepper.
- Remove from heat and let it cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- For gluten-free options, use cornstarch or xanthan gum instead of flour.
- For dairy-free options, use all chicken broth or substitute full-fat canned coconut milk (unsweetened).
Call me fat and happy because this soup over a baked potato made me ask, “Where have you been all my life!” My only complaint is that I didn’t double the recipe!!!
I had no clue cream of bacon soup was a thing! But now I’m hooked… this (and all her cream of recipes) are so delicious, plus quick and easy to make.
Who knew cream of bacon soup was even a thing!!! It’s at the top of my favorite soup recipes now. Be sure to get your bacon crispy (or cook some extra to top it with at the end!). SO GOOD!