Homemade cream of chicken soup substitute is a must-have in your recipe wheelhouse! This homemade soup whips up in less than 4 minutes, takes only six ingredients to make, and beats running to the store every time.
Why I Love This Recipe
Your health and taste buds will thank me and you’ll never buy a can of glue that is masquerading as soup again!
This healthy homemade condensed version for cream of chicken soup works wonderfully in casseroles, soups, the Instant Pot, slow cooker, and rice recipes without any of the junk found in store-bought versions.
Plus, it’s extremely frugal and fast to make with the standard pantry ingredients you already have on hand. (Read more of the pantry staples I always have on hand.)
Health Benefits of Homemade Soup
I have to confess until I had a health scare and started to read ingredient labels, I cluelessly had no idea the junk that was in so much of the processed items I was buying from the store.
Case in point, Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup contains 22 ingredients, including Monosodium Glutamate (aka MSG), Soy Protein Concentrate, soy protein isolate, and “natural flavoring” which doesn’t tell you anything about what it actually is.
Put down the can and just say, “NO!”
I’m sad to say it took me more years than I’d care to admit in my early twenties to realize you could even make these items at home. But I can proudly say, since I learned how to make this old-fashioned cream of chicken soup recipe I haven’t purchased it in the store since, going on over 10+ years now, and you’ll soon be able to say the same thing.
Who else loves scratching off a store-bought item they never have to buy again? You can make a wholesome delicious cream of anything soup mix with just 5 ingredients, all of which are normal and made from whole foods.
Ingredients Needed
- Butter – I prefer to use salted butter for this recipe, but unsalted works as well.
- Flour – This is the thickener that works together with the butter to thicken the milk. Organic cornstarch or xanthan gum works for gluten-free options.
- Chicken Broth – learn how to make your own bone broth. I like to have jars of home-canned bone broth on my pantry shelf for quick and easy recipes like this one.
- Milk – I like to use whole milk, or if I want a really decadent sauce (like for a white sauce on pizza) I’ll use heavy cream. Half-and-half works as well.
- Salt & Pepper – always to taste!
- Chicken – diced up really small (if you’re trying to mimic the canned variety), but really the size is preferrential.
Seriously, this blends together to make a delicious and very creamy homemade version.
Want to make this the most decadent rich cream of chicken soup you’ve ever had? Use heavy cream in place of the milk; you’re welcome!
Need a dairy-free version? I’ve got you! Instead of milk, use all broth or full-fat coconut milk, unsweetened of course, and replace the butter with lard or coconut oil.
You can thin it down if you need more of a sauce, or keep it thick for a wonderful white sauce for pizza.
Best part is, you can make it your own with easy swaps or add-ins to fill your need for any cream of soup recipes like cream of mushroom, cream of onion, cream of celery, or gluten-free cream of anything soup.
Directions
Making cream of chicken soup couldn’t be easier, as I said, this only takes four minutes to whip up (yes, I actually timed it once!). Grab a pan, a whisk, and all your ingredients and let’s get going.
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter (or fat of choice).
- Whisk in flour. It will make a thick paste, continue stirring for a couple of minutes while the flour flavor cooks out, but don’t let it brown.
- Slowly whisk in liquids. Bring to a simmer (barely a boil), adding more liquid if it becomes too thick. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Remove from heat and stir in salt and dash of pepper.
Recipes for Cream of Chicken Soup
My favorite made-from-scratch recipes for using my homemade cream of chicken soup are the following:
- Green Bean Casserole – From Scratch
- Healthy Chicken Broccoli Casserole Recipe
- Click here for more delicious recipes plus bonuses with your copy of Hand Made, and see what other’s have to say!
Want more from scratch homemade versions of pantry staples?
Get over 100 from scratch recipes in my book Hand Made: The Modern Guide to Made-from-Scratch Living from easy skillet meals, old-fashioned favorites like molasses sugar cookies, and flaky biscuits (you’ll never go back to the canned kind again), to overnight pancakes (mix up the batter the night before and fry up in the morning), you’ll find hand made has never been easier.
Other Posts You May Enjoy
- 13 Pantry Items to Always Have on Hand
- 37 Ingredient Substitutions Everyone Should Know
- How to Can Chicken (SAFE & Easy Raw Pack Method)
- Does Pressure Canning Ruin Bone Broth
- Homemade Pancake Mix
- Building a Great-Depression Era Pantry
- Homemade Tomato Soup
- Keeping a Well-Stocked Pantry for Easy Weeknight Meals
- Slow-Cooker Cream of Broccoli and Ham Soup
Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons butter for dairy-free use lard or coconut oil
- 3 to 4 Tablespoons flour organic cornstarch or xanthan gum works for gluten-free thickeners
- 1/2 cup milk or cream
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- dash of pepper
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter (or fat of choice).
- Whisk in flour. It will make a thick paste, continue whisking for about a minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
- Slowly whisk in liquids. Bring to a simmer (barely a boil), adding more liquid if it becomes too thick. It will thicken up more as it cools.
- Remove from heat and stir in salt and dash of pepper.
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).
- Need a cream of celery substitute: saute a 1/4 cup of finely diced celery in butter before adding flour and other ingredients.
- Need a cream of mushroom substitute: saute a 1/4 cup of finely chopped mushrooms in butter (or fat source) before adding flour and other ingredients.
I just made this recipe and it maybe took 4 minutes. Melting the butter took the longest! It is so yummy. Adding “cream of whatever” soup to the list of things I’m never buying from the store again!
Can you can this recipe after making it???
Unfortunately no. So, the reason they have it canned in stores is the company industrial canners actually reach a much higher pressure and temp than home canners do (this is done so the heat can go through all of thickness of something like cream of chicken soup) so for their machinery it is safe to can. Home canners however don’t have enough pressure and heat to penetrate through all of that so there is a high risk for spoilage and infection. Plus, industrial plants still have to add preservatives to it as well because of the milk and fat contents. So! It’s should be made fresh whenever your recipe calls for it. The same is said for ingredients like pumpkin puree, that one also isn’t safe to can at home for the same reason. I hope this helps! Check out her podcasts/youtube videos about canning safety if you want to hear the exact research. It was super helpful!
I am so so so excited to try this tomorrow. I absolutely love casseroles but as a recovering vegetarian I never know what to make. I used to love cream soups but definitely don’t want the canned crap at the supermarket!! I will let you know how it turns out, cannot wait to try it!!!!! Thank you!
Can you freeze this soup? If so, is taste affected. I have more broth in the fridge than i need at the moment and curious if I can make a large batch and freeze for later use.
Loved it! Made it for green bean casserole recipe. Had to make another batch because I ate the whole thing.
How would I make this to be the consistancy of the condenced soup right out of the can. I use cream of mushroom over venison and some vegetables in the crockpot. As it cooks the meat and veggies release juices into the condenced soup to reconstitute it so I don’t want to start with soup.
Thank you!
Can u freeze the soup
Since i have canned chicken broth/bone broth, this makes up really fast! So grateful!
Can a batch be made and frozen? I have mushrooms now, but I’m not planning on using this recipe this week. Hoping to use it next week, but I’m unsure
Made this dairy-free, mushroom and loved it in green bean casserole. My daughter and husband cannot have dairy so I used vegan butter (miyoko brand cultured) and chobani extra creamy oat milk. So good.
I’ve found that you can also use olive oil in place of butter and chicken broth in place of milk. I tried it this way because milk alternatives often give a sweet taste so using all broth keeps a savory flavor. Any thick sauce or soup can be made with any kind of fat (butter, oil, etc), flour, and liquid.
Can you suggest where to find real cream for those who don’t have access to raw milk?
I don’t have raw milk, real cream is just heavy cream, I only purchase organic personally.
I made this for a casserole and it was delicious. I am so done with canned soups.
Thank you so much. My son can’t have dairy products anymore. I used this recipe with mushrooms yesterday in the crockpot for a chuck roast. It was awesome, never know I hadn’t used the store bought canned soup. I love that there aren’t all those additives.
Would vegetable broth work to make a vegetarian version?
Do you think this could be pressure canned after it’s made?
No, you can’t pressure can dairy, fat, or thickeners.
Can you make this a day before you are going to use it?
Yes, it does great in the fridge
Thanks for bringing condensed soup back in my life! It’s not the quickest thing for me (after all my years of cooking I’m still so, so slow) but now I can make recipes that I couldn’t since my husband developed a weird allergy. I especially appreciate the note about using cream – he can have cream but not milk.
I have been doing this for years, because it was so much healthier than canned soups with so much sodium and other questionable ingredients. Works so well for green bean casserole, scalloped potatoes, tater tot casserole, etc.
Dear Melissa,
Love your blog; However, your email opt-in message pops up all the time. It is huge and covers the article. I already subscribe, and I many times I read your blog on the phone. Once the pop up begins that’s the end of my reading, as I don’t and usually cannot get it to go away, so how about adding an X to the top right corner of the pop up?
Thank you,
Pam
.
Pam there is an X in the top right corner of the pop-up. What device are you on that it’s not showing that?
Does this equal the same amount as in a recipe calling for a can of cream of chicken soup?
Yes, I use it for a one on one replacement in recipes.
You may know this tip, for gluten free, xanthan gum, mixed with a little of the oil, will thicken like a champ. We love cream based soups, and may use this for a green bean casserole on Thanksgiving, with wild mushrooms. God bless! We are so blessed to live in this state.
Might I add, if you are looking for more protein you can substitute beans in place of the flour. Of course the dry beans will need to be run through a flour mill to turn it into a flour like substance. I typically use white beans when making cream of chicken or cream of mushroom. They act as the thickener and take on the taste of the flavors you add.
Hi. I know this is probably a crazy question, but when you say flour are you talking about plain flour or self rising?
Plain flour
Self-rising is generally for breads, or pizza crusts, etc., not for cream soups.
Thank you for another great recipe, Melissa! Quick question, to make this keto would need to sub cream and xanthan gum, are the measurements for the xanthan gum the same as the flour and cornstarch? Thanks in advance.
Yes, for xanthan gum you can start with slightly less than the flour/cornstarch and add more if needed to thicken.
Thank you so much for this easy to make chicken soup mix. We are on a a low salt diet so this really fills the bill. I can use low sodium broth and use some spices. I appreciate it very much
Thank you for the great recipe. Can’t wait to try it! Would you say this is equivalent to one can of cream soup? I’d like to substitute this in an old family recipe.
Yes, I use this in place of 1 can (and don’t add other liquid until this is added if the recipe calls for the condensed can plus other liquid 🙂 )
Terrific! Thanks so much! (I appreciate the tip, too.)
Melissa,
I think I’ve seen you make up enough Cream of Chicken soup to can . What adjustments need to be made, and I’m assuming it should be pressure canned?
Thank you
No, you cannot can cream of chicken (or cream of anything soup) at home, even in a pressure canner. Commercial pressure canners reach much higher temps than home models. Honestly, this whips up so fast I probably wouldn’t even can it if you could.
Another dairy-free substitution is cashew cream – like cashew milk, but thicker. A quick internet search will give you easy directions for making it from raw cashews. I tried it in this recipe and it works great. It has a better texture and taste than coconut milk for this soup.
Did you try coconut cream or coconut milk? Thanks for the heads up because I am on restricted diet.
I’ve only used the milk but I think the cream would work too
I just made a jar of cream of chicken soup and a jar of cream of mushroom soup. It was so easy and it was delicious. I used cornstarch so it would be gluten free. The mushroom could have used less cornstarch than 3 T. I just had to add more milk. Thank you so much for sharing! This recipe will be used often. Now I can make and eat foods that call for cream of chicken soup!!! So excited.
So glad you like the recipes and can have them again!!
I was taught that you use half as much cornstarch to substitute for flour.
This is a condensed soup recipe.
Melissa… Can this be canned?
No, this is not a safe canning item.
Melissa, you are a gift from God! You have come about in my life at at time when I have to relinquish some foods and didn’t know how to substitute them. I have watched your video on sour dough starter, and I’m going to dig out my brand new, never used, grain grinder and MAKE BREAD! YAY!!! Thank you! I hope you have a bread making video because many years ago I was not good at kneading dough. Can you tell me a good source for ancient grains, please?
Can’t wait to try making my own cream of chicken soup, vegan style.
You are a breath of fresh air, and I am grateful for your presence! God bless.
Catherine
Hi Catherine,
I’m so glad you’re starting to grind your own flour and do bread!! I have full bread making videos inside my bread and baking course here https://melissaknorris.lpages.co/homemadebread/
Which ancient grains are you looking to get, if Einkorn, then I really like the small family farm from this website https://www.einkorn.com/
Have you ever canned your creamed soups?
No, you cannot safely can dairy or thickeners, so this is not a canning candidate.
Donna, you can’t safely can this as neither dairy or any of these thickeners are safe to can, even with a pressure canner.
I would love to can the cream of chicken soup.can u tell me do i need to waterbath or pressure can the soup? And for how long at what temp? Thank you
Thank you for this. I have been unable to use cream of anything soups as all the ones I have looked at (that I needed) all have potato starch/flakes or something in them.(even homemade recipes I have looked at) My daughter is actually highly intolerant to potato everything. She gets physically and violently sick. She used to be able to eat them but not the past 8 or 9 years. So many things that have potato something in them that you wouldn’t ever think about. Many Shredded cheeses for one(to prevent sticking). So, I can’t wait to make this. She can’t even take communion at Church since they went gluten free 8 or 9 years ago. They use gluten free matza and it has potato.(we have brought our own with us)LOL. It’s actually how I figured out what was making her so sick. Lots of prepared foods have potato somethings(not all) which is why I started to cook from scratch. Thank you again.
So happy you found one she can have, let me know how you guys like it!
My husband is violently allergic to all nightshades, and potatoes are the worst! We have worked hard to heal his gut, as we discovered he had leaky gut, several years ago. That potato starch is insidious! I find it in the most unlikely places! Grrrrr!
To make this taste even more like store bought cream soup, add 1/4 tsp dried thyme and
it really boosts the flavor.
Thanks for the tip!
Because of the flour and milk, I don’t suppose you could can this so it’s on hand at a moment’s notice — like when I have to get something in the slow cooker in five minutes before work?
Michele, it will be fine in the fridge for a few days, but seriously, I’ve timed it and had readers email me they had 5 minutes before heading out the door and needed to make this and it makes up in 4 minutes, so really no need to make it ahead though you can for a few days.
I make the green bean casserole for our family’s Thanksgiving dinner every year. I started making my own cream of mushroom soup for the casserole because a few members of my family cannot have gluten. I couldn’t in good conscience make it with store bought canned cream of mushroom soup after reading the ingredient list which lists wheat flour, so I came up with my own recipe, which is basically like the one here. Easy Peasy. I even make my own gluten-free version of onion topping. Put a splash or two or three of sherry in the soup. Trust me!
You could prepare this part the day before then in the morning just dump and go.