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Paleo whole30 butternut squash soup is pretty straightforward. Most of the common ingredients naturally fit into these buckets. All you have to do is make your butternut squash with coconut milk, avoiding any dairy, and it’ll be both paleo and whole30 friendly.
But what about a keto low carb butternut squash soup? That’s actually a little more challenging…
How To Make Paleo Butternut Squash Soup Low Carb
If you check the low carb keto food list, you’ll notice that butternut squash is not included there. This is because, in general, it’s a fairly starchy vegetable – one cup has about 13 grams net carbs. So, it’s not usually suitable for low carb or keto lifestyle – on its own.
The good news is, butternut squash can fit into keto and low carb diets in certain instances. In part, it will depend on your personal carb restrictions, as well as what else is in your prepared dish.
And, low carb butternut squash soup is one of the easiest ways to enjoy butternut squash on a low carb diet. Basically, it’s manageable if you make the soup thin enough. You don’t get that thick texture of some other paleo butternut squash soup recipes not aiming to be low carb, but you do get the delicious fall flavor of butternut squash.
All of this being said, this whole30 butternut squash soup is not the lowest carb soup you can have. If you want a super low carb keto soup, try one of my other keto soup recipes, like broccoli cheese soup or beef cabbage soup.
But if you’re really missing butternut squash and want to enjoy some autumn flavors, try eating some extra low carb foods the rest of the day and squeeze in this delicious low carb butternut squash soup.
Still want a thick butternut squash soup? You can. Try these ways to thicken it…
Ways To Thicken Whole30 Butternut Squash Soup
There are three main methods for how to thicken low carb butternut squash soup:
1. Use more squash and less broth.
This is the most common, obvious method. Using more squash and less broth will make it higher in carbs, but is fine for paleo whole30 butternut squash soup. If you are aiming for it to be low carb, it is not the best option, though.
2. Add some cauliflower.
Is there anything cauliflower can’t do?! It’s surprisingly good at thickening soup.
For maximum flavor, roast cauliflower like this, or for a quicker option just steam or even microwave it. Then, puree it before adding to the soup to thicken.
3. Use xanthan gum or gelatin.
Xanthan gum and gelatin are both common low carb thickeners. With either one, whisk it with some broth first, before adding to the soup.
Be careful not to add too much, so that you don’t get a slimy texture, especially with the xanthan gum. To be safe, do 2 tablespoons at a time of gelatin or 1/2 teaspoon at a time of xanthan gum until you get the result you want. It still won’t be exactly like a pureed paleo butternut squash soup, but definitely thicker than without adding these.
To be honest, I decided to keep it simple and left mine as a more liquid butternut squash soup recipe – but with all the same warmth and amazing fall flavors…
How To Freeze Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
It’s possible to make paleo butternut squash soup ahead of time in various stages. You can just roast the squash ahead of time, make the whole soup ahead and refrigerate, or even freeze it.
Can you freeze butternut squash soup with coconut milk?
Yes, you can! Simply wait for the soup to cool to room temperature, then pour into quart-size ziploc bags. Place them flat in the freezer until solid, then you can move them around anywhere you’d like. Don’t use bigger bags, because it will be difficult to reheat.
When ready to use, you can place the frozen block of soup into a pot and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally. Another option is to defrost overnight in the fridge first, which reduces the chance of splitting. However, as long as you use low heat, it should be fine.
If your soup does break when reheating, you can puree it in a blender or food processor again to bring it back together.
How long does butternut squash soup last in the freezer?
A really long time! Low carb butternut squash soup with coconut milk retains its best flavor for about 6 months in the freezer, but is safe to eat beyond that.
More Low Carb Soup Ideas
- 5-Ingredient Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Instant Pot Jalapeno Popper Soup
- Beef Cabbage Soup
- Keto Pumpkin Soup
- Low Carb Taco Soup
Tools To Make Paleo Butternut Squash Soup:
Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Baking sheet – Any kind will do, but this is one of my faves.
- Dutch oven – You can use either a stock pot or dutch oven like this one.
- Immersion blender – For pureeing your butternut squash soup!
Reader Fave Keto Recipes
The recipe card is below! Readers also made these similar recipes after making this one.
RECIPE CARD
Creamy Low Carb Paleo Butternut Squash Soup Recipe with Coconut Milk
This paleo butternut squash soup recipe is so comforting for fall and winter! Creamy low carb butternut squash soup with coconut milk is dairy-free, nut-free and super easy to make.
PrintIngredients
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- 1 2-lb Butternut squash (cut in half length-wise, seeds removed)
- 2 tbsp Avocado oil (divided)
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- 6 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp Fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
- 4 cup Chicken bone broth (or any broth of choice)
- 1 13.5-oz can Coconut milk
Instructions
RECIPE TIPS + VIDEO in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!
Click on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Place the butternut squash halves open side up onto the baking sheet. Drizzle with a tablespoon of avocado oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Flip over, face down.
Roast the butternut squash in the oven for about 40-55 minutes, until a knife goes in easily.
When the squash is about 30 minutes into roasting, heat the remaining tablespoon of avocado oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg and thyme. Saute for about a minute, until fragrant.
Add the broth and coconut milk. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the squash is done.
Scoop the squash out of the shells into the soup. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.
Readers Also Made These Keto Low Carb Recipes
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
- Nutrition info assumes a 2-lb butternut squash yields 1.5 lb edible portion.
Nutrition Information Per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
More Low Carb & Keto Support
If you want to know more about how to start a low carb diet, want to substitute sweeteners, need a food list, or need support, check these guides:
Low Carb & Keto Diet Plan
Starter Guide 
Sweetener Conversion Calculator 
Keto Low Carb Macro Calculator 
Low Carb Keto Food List + Printable PDF
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26 Comments
Lori
I used coconut oil instead of avocado oil and coconut cream instead of coconut milk … it was DELICIOUS! Thank you for the recipe!
Rachel
This recipe looks awesome, and I’ve never not liked one of yours 🙂 I’m gunna make it tonight! I will sub the avocado oil for olive, since I can never find avocado oil in portugal. I would like to add some veggies in as well at the end, after its been blended, and I was thinking of some shredded kale. Do you have any other vegetable suggestions that might go well with this soup, keto or not?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Rachel, Kale sounds lovely. Get creative and let me know how it turns out!
Kris
Very nice and easy, I just made this for my busy daughter! I used fresh thyme from my garden, and substituted pumpkin pie spice for the nutmeg and cinnamon.
Wayne M Mackey
My wife loves soups and your recipes are awesome
Barb
I love squash soup my family hates it. I have resorted to making a small batch and freezing it for lunches.
Madisyn
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!! The consistency was absolute perfection (that’s the hardest part for me and soups)! I even had a little squash left over so I whipped up some treats for the pup!!! Thank you so much, I always know I can trust your recipes!
Heather Flynn
This was such an excellent soup! Absolutely loved it. The batch was quite large, so I have extra for freezing in lunch portions. Thanks for this one!
Leesuh
Very thin consistency, since there is no onion, potato, or keto starchy options (arrowroot powder) of any kind. I’ll use less broth next time probably.
Karen
How do you make it thin and flavourful?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Karen, If this soup is too thick for your taste, it can be thinned out with a good quality stock. You can use your preference – vegetable or chicken, either would be a nice compliment to the flavors.
Claire Meyers
Hi Maya! Thank you for sharing your recipe! My family and I are on Keto for over a month now and want to have hearty soup for dinner. I made it Keto friendly version. I used heavy whipping cream (but will try the coconut milk next time), added cream cheese, sprinkler with paprika, and cayenne pepper. Top it with bacon bits and pumpkin seeds. When I baked the store-bought chopped butternut squash, I added chop cauliflower as well. After blending the soup It turned out very thick, so skipped the thickening agent. I hope this helps others want to make keto butternut squash. Thanks again!
Laura Franceschi
Our squash was completely cooked after 30 minutes. We used fresh herbs from our garden. Next time I will pull them out before blenderizing. We served this yummy soup to friends. It was delicious!
stephanie moore
I followed recipe except i used organic unsweetened coconut milk in place of can it only adds four carbs and added a tad of splenda since i did that turned out great basically a bowl is ten carbs
Tamara Donnelly
This was delicious and so easy! I added cauliflower because I did want it thicker. I followed everything else though and it was a lovely soup. I topped mine with spicy, sautéed shrimp.
Terry Duncan
This soup is AAAMAZING! I used heavy cream instead of coconut milk. If I freeze it using heavy cream will it separate when thawed or will it still be fine when heated slowly ??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Terry! Yes, you should be able to freeze it just fine as long as you thaw first and reheat slowly.
Nicole
I was wondering if I could use butter it squash that’s frozen and cooked and just needs to be heated up?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Nicole, Sure, you can do that!
Kathy Heiner
I made this for dinner a couple of days ago. It was delicious! I cooked the squash in my Instant Pot instead of the oven. Then assembled the rest of the soup in the Pot. I used homemade chicken bone broth that I made in the IP too. I think it really adds to the flavor. Also added a little bit of grated fresh ginger to it. Served it with a small dollop of sour cream on top. Hubby loved it! I froze the leftovers to take to my elderly parents for a healthy easy meal.
Nikki
This was so good! The only thing I’d change it to increase the spices to 1tsp cinnamon and 1/2tsp nutmeg. I took your note about mixing xanthan gum with chicken stock to help thicken the soup. 1/2 tsp was all it needed to get the perfect consistency.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy to hear that, Nikki! Have a great day!
Serenity M Simpson
Hi! I am very similar when it comes to fall flavors. I am doing Keto. I was wondering if you could add heavy cream instead of the coconut milk? Would that pose as a thickening agent and make it higher in fat content?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Serenity, Yes, you can use heavy cream instead of coconut milk. The nutrition info is a little different, but both are high in fat. The cream would not make it any thicker, but I have some tips in the post if you want a thicker soup.
Gayle
How do you thicken the squash soup
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Gayle, I have some tips about this in the post above.