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This homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute is creamy, flavorful, and SO much better than what you get from a can. Best part is, it only takes 10 minutes to make!
Looking for more from-scratch cooking staples? Try my homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix, Taco Seasoning, Ketchup, or BBQ Sauce!
Why I love this recipe:
- Quick – This cream of chicken soup substitute only takes 10 minutes. That's faster than a trip to the grocery store!
- Healthy – You know exactly what ingredients are added, including fresh pantry ingredients, nothing artificial, and it's definitely lower in sodium than the canned version.
- Delicious – The taste of this homemade cream of chicken soup is outstanding! It's creamy, full of flavor, and will make any meal that calls for canned cream of chicken soup, taste way better.
Ingredients Needed:
- Milk
- Cornstarch
- Butter
- Chicken Bouillon Paste or Cube
- Seasonings
How to make Cream of Chicken Soup:
Combine Ingredients: In a small saucepan whisk together milk and cornstarch. Add butter, bouillon, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and parsley.
Boil: Bring to a gently boil, stirring frequently. Once boiling, simmer for 30 more seconds to thicken.
Use this cream of chicken recipe in any recipe to replace one 10.75 oz can of cream of chicken soup. For other flavors, look at the recipe variations below.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: This is a great recipe to make ahead for quick dinner prep. Make the recipe as directed, and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
To Freeze: The texture may change a little bit through the freezing/thawing process. Store in a freezer safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw completely in the fridge before using in a recipe.
Recipe Variations:
- Cream of Mushroom: Stir in one (4 oz) can of mushroom pieces to the finished recipe. Use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken, if desired.
- Cream of Celery: Stir in ½ cup sautéed, chopped celery to the finished recipe. Use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken, if desired.
- Cream of Broccoli: Stir in ½ cup of finely diced steamed broccoli. Use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken, if desired.
- Add Chicken: Stir in chopped cooked chicken at the end, if desired.
- Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free butter, and your favorite plant based milk. The flavor will be a little different depending on what milk you use.
Use Cream of Chicken Substitute In:
- Easy Beef Stroganoff
- Funeral Potatoes
- Easy Instant Pot Stroganoff
- Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Pork Chops
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Beef Noodle Soup
- Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Loaded Chicken Enchiladas
Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk, , cold
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon paste, , or one cube
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
Instructions
- In a small saucepan whisk together milk and cornstarch. Add butter, bouillon, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and parsley.
- Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Once boiling, simmer for 30 more seconds to thicken.
- Use in recipes to replace one (10.75 oz) can of cream of (anything) soup.
Notes
- Cream of Mushroom: Stir in one (4 oz) can of mushroom pieces to the finished recipe. Use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken, if desired.
- Cream of Celery: Stir in ½ cup sautéed, chopped celery to the finished recipe. Use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken, if desired.
- Cream of Broccoli: Stir in ½ cup of finely diced steamed broccoli. Use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken, if desired.
- Add Chicken: Stir in chopped cooked chicken at the end, if desired.
- Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free butter, and your favorite plant based milk. The flavor will be a little different depending on what milk you use.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe March 2015. Updated September 2022.
My husband is dairy free. I made this soup with coconut milk. Then, I didn’t have any bouillon cubes or paste so I used 1 cup of low sodium chicken broth. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! It came out beautifully! I’m so happy to have a dairy free cream of any kind of soup now. 🙂
I followed your recommendation and I agree WOW!!! Delicious!
Hi I haven’t made this yet but I was wondering could I use a rue instead of cornstarch?
It’s the same idea, you would just use flour instead of cornstarch 🙂
I’m diabetic and eat no grains. Do you think arrowroot will work instead of cornstarch?
I’ve never tried it so I couldn’t say for sure, but it’s worth a try!
I use Arrowroot all the time because of a corn allergy. It works great!
I made this without and bullion just added little more salt and turned out great ! Do you have any recipes for golden mushroom ?
Very good and very easy to make with ingredients most of us have in the pantry. It was a bit too salty so I will omit salt next time. I used Better Than Bouillon chicken base.
I’m on a strict low sodium diet. Can I leave out the bullion and the salt? I’m trying to find a replacement for canned cream of soups because they are so salty.
Hi Carol, The texture would be fine, but I’m afraid leaving out the bullion would greatly reduce the flavor.
Use low or no sodium vegetable boullion cubes! Amazon sells the Rapunzel brand, which is great!
Love it! I made it today for the first time Almond milk worked well. Glad to find a gluten free recipe
Thank you!
Thanks for this tasty and healthy alternative to purchased creamy soups. I have mostly stopped buying them and try to substitute something healthier, so this was perfect! I linked over from your funeral potatoes recipe, and was so pleased to see this soup recipe offered! It is delicious and I will definitely be using it again.
Do you know the sodium content and calories of this recipe?
Hi Tasha,
The base recipe is estimated to have about 1442mg of sodium. That is for the entire amount, not for an individual serving. Calories are estimated at 337 for the entire amount.
I’ve made this several times and love the versatility of this recipe. My new fave is adding two cups of shredded cheese with about a cup of milk to thin it, and have perfect cheese sauce for macaroni. I use unsweetened almond milk and it works well, was very glad to read in the comments that it can be frozen so I can make several batches ahead. Thanks for this great, easy recipe!
I never use canned soups and this was wonderful…thank you ?
Happy you liked it! Thanks for your comment 🙂