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Roux in a cast iron pan with ingredients on the side.

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute

Cooking, Miscellaneous, Recipes

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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.

Cream of chicken soup in a glass jar.

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.

Roux in a cast iron pan with ingredients on the side.

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.

Melting butter in a cast iron pan.

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.

  1. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter (or fat of choice).
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in salt and dash of pepper.
Cast iron skillet with green bean casserole and a wooden spoon.

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
  • 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

Melissa Norris
This homemade cream of chicken soup substitute whips up in four minutes and only uses 5 ingredients to replace store-bought condensed cream of chicken soup. It's full of flavor and can be adapted for dairy-free and gluten-free.
4.04 from 161 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 4 mins
Total Time 4 mins
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 5 servings
Calories 93 kcal

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 93kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 267mgPotassium: 48mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 250IUCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg
Keyword cream of chicken soup, cream of chicken soup recipe, homemade cream of chicken soup
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Melissa Norris

Melissa K. Norris inspires people's faith and pioneer roots with her books, podcast, and blog. Melissa lives with her husband and two children in their own little house in the big woods in the foothills of the North Cascade Mountains. When she's not wrangling chickens and cattle, you can find her stuffing Mason jars with homegrown food and playing with flour and sugar in the kitchen.

Read more about Melissa

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Comments:

  1. Michelle Yaklovich

    3 years ago

    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?

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      3 years ago

      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.

      Reply
    • Kelly

      November 14, 2020 at 8:46 am

      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!

      Reply
    • Sandy Pack

      November 16, 2020 at 6:02 am

      You could prepare this part the day before then in the morning just dump and go.

      Reply
  2. Delma Behring

    3 years ago

    To make this taste even more like store bought cream soup, add 1/4 tsp dried thyme and
    it really boosts the flavor.

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      3 years ago

      Thanks for the tip!

      Reply
  3. Linda Mickel

    3 years ago

    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.

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      November 24, 2019 at 4:22 am

      So happy you found one she can have, let me know how you guys like it!

      Reply
    • [email protected]

      January 22, 2021 at 12:01 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
  4. donna

    November 24, 2019 at 12:45 am

    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

    Reply
  5. Sara

    November 24, 2019 at 1:12 am

    Have you ever canned your creamed soups?

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      November 24, 2019 at 4:23 am

      No, you cannot safely can dairy or thickeners, so this is not a canning candidate.

      Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      November 24, 2019 at 4:23 am

      Donna, you can’t safely can this as neither dairy or any of these thickeners are safe to can, even with a pressure canner.

      Reply
  6. Catherine

    3 years ago

    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

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      November 29, 2019 at 5:15 am

      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/

      Reply
  7. Cindy

    December 1, 2019 at 2:48 am

    Melissa… Can this be canned?

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      December 1, 2019 at 3:28 am

      No, this is not a safe canning item.

      Reply
  8. Sara

    3 years ago

    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.

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      December 20, 2019 at 12:29 am

      So glad you like the recipes and can have them again!!

      Reply
    • Linda Gaines

      November 14, 2020 at 7:25 am

      I was taught that you use half as much cornstarch to substitute for flour.

      Reply
    • elizabeth

      2 years ago

      This is a condensed soup recipe.

      Reply
  9. Pat

    April 18, 2020 at 6:15 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Martha

      2 years ago

      Did you try coconut cream or coconut milk? Thanks for the heads up because I am on restricted diet.

      Reply
      • Melissa Norris

        November 19, 2020 at 11:10 am

        I’ve only used the milk but I think the cream would work too

        Reply
  10. Connie Shaffer

    3 years ago

    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

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      3 years ago

      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.

      Reply
  11. Linda

    3 years ago

    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.

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      3 years ago

      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 🙂 )

      Reply
      • Linda

        July 26, 2020 at 12:04 am

        Terrific! Thanks so much! (I appreciate the tip, too.)

        Reply
  12. Joyce

    2 years ago

    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

    Reply
  13. Gail

    2 years ago

    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.

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      2 years ago

      Yes, for xanthan gum you can start with slightly less than the flour/cornstarch and add more if needed to thicken.

      Reply
  14. Kerry

    November 14, 2020 at 5:44 am

    Hi. I know this is probably a crazy question, but when you say flour are you talking about plain flour or self rising?

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      2 years ago

      Plain flour

      Reply
    • elizabeth

      2 years ago

      Self-rising is generally for breads, or pizza crusts, etc., not for cream soups.

      Reply
  15. Alicia

    November 14, 2020 at 6:06 am

    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.

    Reply
  16. Marissa Myers

    November 14, 2020 at 9:23 am

    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.

    Reply
  17. Linda

    November 14, 2020 at 10:51 am

    Does this equal the same amount as in a recipe calling for a can of cream of chicken soup?

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      2 years ago

      Yes, I use it for a one on one replacement in recipes.

      Reply
  18. Pamella Mitchell

    November 15, 2020 at 6:04 am

    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
    .

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      2 years ago

      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?

      Reply
  19. Anneke

    2 years ago

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  20. Diane

    2 years ago

    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.

    Reply
  21. Sara

    2 years ago

    Can you make this a day before you are going to use it?

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      2 years ago

      Yes, it does great in the fridge

      Reply
  22. Julie Macewicz

    November 25, 2020 at 9:29 am

    Do you think this could be pressure canned after it’s made?

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      November 26, 2020 at 11:30 am

      No, you can’t pressure can dairy, fat, or thickeners.

      Reply
  23. Robin

    November 26, 2020 at 8:57 am

    Would vegetable broth work to make a vegetarian version?

    Reply
  24. Kathy

    December 9, 2020 at 12:11 pm

    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.

    Reply
  25. Rosalie Nitzsche

    2 years ago

    I made this for a casserole and it was delicious. I am so done with canned soups.

    Reply
  26. Crystal Gordon

    April 10, 2021 at 5:41 am

    Can you suggest where to find real cream for those who don’t have access to raw milk?

    Reply
    • Melissa Norris

      April 10, 2021 at 10:45 am

      I don’t have raw milk, real cream is just heavy cream, I only purchase organic personally.

      Reply
  27. Karen Doyle

    November 25, 2021 at 7:12 am

    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.

    Reply
  28. Rebekah

    July 21, 2022 at 7:55 am

    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

    Reply
  29. Kathie

    8 months ago

    5 stars
    Since i have canned chicken broth/bone broth, this makes up really fast! So grateful!

    Reply
  30. Donna

    August 25, 2022 at 8:14 am

    Can u freeze the soup

    Reply
  31. Lindy

    4 months ago

    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!

    Reply
  32. April

    4 months ago

    5 stars
    Loved it! Made it for green bean casserole recipe. Had to make another batch because I ate the whole thing.

    Reply
  33. Christina Beutler

    2 months ago

    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.

    Reply

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