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With the holiday season in full swing, you must be up to your ears right now in cookies and treats. As much as I’m enjoying them too, it’s nice to have healthy meals sprinkled in there. Your body just feels so much better when you do! At this time of year, what better way to do that than with a big bowl of soup? This gluten-free, low carb clam chowder recipe is my latest favorite.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been craving more comforting soups as the days get colder. This is the first week that temperatures have dropped below zero (Fahrenheit). No matter how many years I live in Minnesota, I’m never ready for the sudden jolt each year when this happens. Whether we like it or not, it’s finally (unfortunately) starting to actually feel like winter around here.
To put it lightly, winter and I have never been friends. You’d think a girl that grew up in Minnesota would be more accustomed to it, but nope. It doesn’t help that most of the best fresh produce is out of season, either. All I want to do is curl up under a blanket and hibernate until spring comes!
Tempting as that may be, my way to make the most of it is a warm bowl of soup. Even better when it’s a warm bowl of creamy, New England clam chowder. Which may or may not be followed by a cup of fancy low carb hot chocolate by the crackling fireplace.
This low carb clam chowder recipe is one of the easiest recipes I have ever posted on the blog. Five ingredients and fifteen minutes are all it takes to make it! And, it’s a one-pot recipe, which equals convenience. Seriously, it doesn’t get any easier than this. When you’re tired of all the holiday baking and just want a soothing, healthy meal on a weeknight, this is the one.
The secret to this gluten-free clam chowder is making one of my favorite healthy, low carb swaps… Substituting cauliflower for white potatoes! The cauliflower provides a similar smooth, starchy texture and easily takes on the flavors of any dish without overpowering it. Since clam chowder is one of my favorite soups, it comes as no surprise that I decided to create a healthier version of it using cauliflower.
Aside from cauliflower, and of course clams, the bulk of the soup is comprised of chicken broth, unsweetened almond milk, and heavy cream. This surprisingly simple combination creates a deliciously creamy base. No thickeners required!
By the way, the ingredients are easy enough to customize if you have any food intolerances. It’s already a low carb and gluten-free clam chowder recipe to begin with, but you can address others, too.
A paleo (or whole 30) version would simply replace the heavy cream with coconut cream. If you have a nut allergy, the unsweetened almond milk could be swapped with coconut milk, or regular dairy milk if you don’t mind the extra carbs.
If you prefer a different kind of clam chowder altogether, try Manhattan clam chowder from Low Carb Maven. It has a tomato base instead.
I’ll definitely be making this low carb clam chowder all through the winter. It’s perfect to incorporate into lighter dinners now, but I know people will love it even more come January, when clean eating is fresh on everyone’s mind. Either way, this creamy soup is light enough to make your body feel good and soothing enough to feel like a satisfying treat.
Who knew a healthy clam chowder could be so simple and taste so good?
Tools To Make Low Carb Clam Chowder
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- Cookware Set – If you are in need of a great cookware set, you should get this one. It includes the perfect sized pot for making this delicious keto soup recipe.
- Silicone Cooking Utensils – These cooking utensils are my favorites. They are high heat resistant and BPA free.
Gluten-Free Low Carb Clam Chowder
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5-Ingredient Low Carb Clam Chowder (Gluten-free)
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Ingredients
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Instructions
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- Combine all ingredients, except heavy cream, in a large pot. (Make sure you pour the retained liquid from the clams in there, too.) Bring to a boil.
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Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until cauliflower is tender.
- Stir in the heavy cream. Heat just enough for the soup to be hot again.
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Recipe Notes
- Recipe is five ingredients not including salt and pepper.
- If you prefer a thicker soup, you can puree part of it (including the base and cauliflower pieces), then return to the pot. Alternatively, you can whisk in a thickener like 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum or 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder, then simmer until thickened.
Serving size: 1 cup
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64 Comments
Margaret Bonicelli
Good recipe! I made a few adjustments based on our personal tastes. I finely minced one shallot & three cloves of garlic and sautéed them in butter until soft. Then added the remaining ingredients plus some minced fresh parsley, EXCEPT for the clams, & simmered for 15 minutes. Used an immersion blender to purée everything, then added the clams & the cream (I added extra) plus three shakes of Tabasco. Absolutely delicious!
Brian
Loved loved loved the flavor in this! It was a bit thinner than I normally prefer, but the cauliflower was the *perfect* substitute for potatoes. Had the same texture and bite as the soft potatoes normally found in good clam chowder. Next time, to up the fat (I’m keto) and thicken it a bit, I’ll either double up on the heavy cream or use coconut milk instead of the almond milk. Will definitely be making this again.
Norris
Has anyone tried substituting parsnips for the cauliflower? I’ve used parsnips in stews and they really take on the taste and feel of potatoes!
Wholesome Yum D
Hi Norris, That sounds like it would be a great substitute for this recipe.
mj
That sounds like a great alternative! I’ll definitely give that a try, thank you 🙂
Dolores
I’ve made this several times and really like it. It is a great lunch and easy to make.
Tammy
I posted earlier… but oh my gosh the left overs today are soooo good!!! Maybe you want to make a double batch like I did. And I sprinkled a little fresh chive on top and some shredded cheddar. Holy Molies!!! So yummy!!!!
Tammy
I made this for the first time last night. My husband and I loved it! I saw that some people added bacon but I didn’t see how much. I suggest 3 slices, diced up and cooked in the first, and leave it and the grease and add ingredients into it. I also added 1/2 celery. If using frozen riced cauliflower like I did, cook it per cooking instructions, then drain and dry it. Super excited about leftovers today! Oh… and I made keto cheddar biscuits to go with it! YUM!!! Oh…. and I added the clams last, right before serving, so they didn’t get tough. Great tip someone gave!
Tammy
For those of you adding bacon…. how much? 6 slices, diced and cooked prior to starting the recipe instructions?
Joyce
Excellent tasty recipe with a great consistency! I like my clam chowdah to be rich, thick, full of flavor. , I enjoyed making this and it was a very fast to prepare and eat. I steamed a package of cauliflower in the microwave while the clams, juice, broth, and almond milk were heating up. I was afraid to over cook the clams.
Overall a very tasty and satisfying New England Clam Chowder! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!
Suggestions (subject to the author’s thoughts)
adding sautéed onion, bacon, butter
Melissa
This recipe is a game changer! I’m from New England and chowder is a winter staple. I just have one question. Can this be frozen? I always make too much food and don’t want any to go to waste.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Melissa, I don’t recommend freezing this recipe, as the cream could separate.
Laureen C Viets
I loved how these simple ingredients came together and tasted so good. Tbh, I didn’t think it tasted much of clams – or the chowder I used to make & love – but it’s such a great tasting base, I think I could use it for a LOT of low-carb soups. I made substitutions using what I had on hand: unsweetened soy milk instead of almond milk. (I know, it’s that awful soy thing, but I like the Ca++ and low-carb content, if not the taste, and I have lots in storage.) I don’t much like its flavor, but in this chowder it tasted great. Like others, I added some bacon, and I used my carb-free, home-made chicken broth. I haven’t used cauliflower much as a potato or rice substitute, and I don’t think it actually tastes much like a potato substitute here, but it seems the perfect thing for this chowder and I’m happy with it. I used canned clams, tasteless IMO; frozen or fresh would be better. I believe this would be a great base for salmon or other fish chowder, also for shrimp, probably chicken, too. I am so pleased I can use my burgeoning supply of bone-broth and Soy Silk in such a great tasting meal. Many thanks.
Cindy
I loved this! It was a little bland so I dumped in a full packet of made bacon bits and it turned out great! I will be making this on a regular basis. It is also super simple.
Tammie Stockley
Can you make this the day before? Would like to make it and then take it camping with us. Does it reheat well?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Tammie, Yes, this will reheat well! Have a great camping trip.
Laurie V
Hey, you can freeze just the broth and milk, then add the cream later; take it frozen and it will help keep stuff cold. on your camping trip. I use this delicious recipe for a bunch of high fat chowders; most times I add bacon and homemade breakfast sausage, maybe small amounts of cabbage, cilantro and other chopped condiments; sometimes i leave out the califlwoer and use shirataki noodles instead, especially when I need something filling with zero carbs; sometimes I add small amounts of other chopped meats/fish. They all taste great with this recipe.
Bernadette Ebert
I’m excited to try this recipe. I’m planning on using different types of seafood in it. My question is whether there is something I can use besides the heavy cream to cut down on the fat?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Bernadette, You can swap the heavy cream with half & half. Keep in mind you will be trading off the fat for a higher carb count though.
Mary
Really enjoyed this recipe. I did take some suggestions from the comments, (clam juice instead of chicken broth, added celery salt, bacon) and also found I didn’t quite care for the cauliflower texture so I pureed it. I still also added some xanthan gum just to thicken it up a bit more. Delicious!
Keri
I did everything the recipe called for, maybe a bit more clams. I did add 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks, as well as two cloves garlic. At the end, when you add the heavy whipping cream, I added about 2 tbsp. butter. SO good! Probably won’t make the “regular” chowder again!
Victoria
One other change we made is to use a 50/50 mix of heavy cream and water. We don’t use almond milk in our house.
Victoria
Really enjoyed this recipe but made one change. In traditional chowder fashion in our house, we start with bacon in the bottom of the chowder pot and let that cook. Once that was done, we partially cooked the cauliflower in the bacon fat and then added all other ingredients. Everyone loved it and no one missed the potatoes one little bit! We’ll probably use this recipe to make our traditional fish chowder, too. Thanks so much!! Truly delicious!
Bryan
This is a great recipe. I live on Cape Cod, MA, and I dig fresh clams for chowder all the all the time (yes, people actually still do dig their own clams around here). I made this while switching to a lower carb diet, but wasn’t sure my kids would like it, so I made this version side by side with my traditional version with potatoes and milk along with the heavy cream. I was amazed how much this tasted like my standard version. The texture with the cauliflower is a little different, but the flavor was great. My wife actually preferred this version. The one charge I made was that I only used the clam broth from steaming the fresh clams and didn’t use any chicken broth. We will definitely make this again.
Darlene
I have been wanting to make a fish chowder…..I am going to use this for a jumping off point. Using HWC instead of almond milk and clam juice instead of chicken stalk. Will also add celery and a small amount of diced carrots for colour. Lobster, haddock, clams, and salmon……can’t wait. I will also try freezing it as there is just my hubby and I.
Rhonda
Super easy. Super tasty. Added some Old Bay Seasoning and celery salt, and of course, bacon. Will be making this a lot! I have avoided making clam chowder for so long and never thought to replace potatoes with cauliflower. My husband actually liked the consistency better. Brilliant!
Jules
I make homemade clam chowder the old fashioned way of course with small diced potatoes. But, now I will be using your new version. With one big difference. Instead of Chicken Broth!!! lol
To get a fuller clam flavor in my soup I add two bottles of real clam juice, like what is in the can, but more of it!! Usually found where the canned minced clams are found.
You have to try it. You will never go back!
Let me know what you think!
I have never added cheese to my chowder, but, it sounds like a great add, I like cheese in everything! BACON TOO!
Still do not like to take away from the real Clam flavor. Ty from a 68 yr old beginner.
Ann Mendoza
Where do the carbs come from in this recipe? It seems a little high in carbs for one cup. I was wondering if there was something I could adjust to make it lower carb. I love cream soups.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Ann, The carbs come from the cauliflower mostly.
AJ
This turned out amazing! I tried it with the riced cauliflower that I had in the freezer! I used 2 cups of broth and one cup of heavy whipping cream instead of adding almond milk. I also used an immersion blender with half the cauliflower to make it a bit thicker.
Does anyone know if this would freeze well?
Wholesome Yum
Hi AJ, glad you liked it! I wouldn’t recommend freezing this recipe, though, since the heavy cream could separate.
Nathan Floyd
I freeze it all the time. Although not as good as just made if you slowly recook on the stove mine came out fine.
Megan
We made this today and loved it. We did use the emulsifier to thicken at the end. Didn’t miss the potatoes at all!!! New favorite soup recipe.
Brandon
Is it 1 cup + half a cup of broth and milk, or is it one half cup?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Brandon, it’s 1 1/2 cups, as in 1.5.
Val
Mmm, mmm good! I added some bacon, onion powder and thyme, and used half scallops and half clams, and did thicken it just a bit with some xantham gum. The chowder turned out way better than expected! Thanks for the recipe!
Maria
I skipped the milk entirely and added double the cream. I puréed the cauliflower and I also added shredded mozzarella to thicken. Mozzarella is perfect as it is so mild in flavor and doesn’t add a cheesy flavor to chowder. Thanks so much for this recipe. Love it so much.
Nathan Floyd
This was amazing. I cooked it a lot longer to soften the cauliflower as much possible and added an extra can of clams – what can I say, I like clams. I also added celery. Awesome. Thanks so much.
Habeas Humor
I just made this for the first time, and I love it. It tastes just like any other good bowl of clam chowder I have had. The clams and the cauliflower add a nice texture so that I didn’t even miss the traditional potatoes. They never were my favorite part of clam chowder anyway. I eat keto and therefore don’t worry about fat, so next time I might try increasing the cream and decreasing the almond milk. Then again, to me this tastes plenty creamy as is. I bought prepackaged riced cauliflower and minced canned clams to make it easy, because I am a terrible chopper. In addition to salt and pepper, I put in paprika, basil, oregano, and a little bit of onion powder.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Habeas! I’m so glad you liked it. The riced cauliflower sounds like a nice time saving idea.
Jerry Franklin
Can I substitute coconut milk in place of almond milk? Can’t have nuts.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jerry, Yes, you definitely can!
Lauren
This was so dang tasty! I did add in a couple of ingredients though. Bacon, 1/4 onion and 2 stalks of celery. Know it ups the carb count a little bit but its nutritious and delicious! Can’t wait to make this again for sure <333
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you for sharing your additions, Lauren! I am so happy you liked it!
LeAnne
If I purée it, do I take out the clams first? Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi LeAnne, Yes, I probably would.
Daphne
Clams get rubbery if cooked too long. I always add them last and just let them heat up, not cook.
Anne Everett
This sounds great but I can’t use almond milk. Any idea what I could substitute?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Anne, Heavy cream, half & half, or coconut cream should all work.
Anne Everett
Thanks Maya!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
You are welcome, Anne!
Brian
Maya, would coconut milk substantially change the flavor? I definitely don’t want it tasting coconutty, but I would like to up the fat and thicken it more.
Wholesome Yum D
Hi Brian, Usually coconut milk has a light coconut flavor so it may change the flavor of the soup.
Sonya
What’s the serving size?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Sonya, The serving size is 1/6 of the recipe.
Annie M.
I made it with clam juice instead of chicken broth, used the coconut cream substitution for heavy cream, added 1/2 cup celery, and puréed some of the cauliflower to thicken the base a bit, as suggested. It is fabulous!!! My BF and I like it even more than “traditional” NE Clam Chowder.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Annie!
Kelsey
I used the puree method you recommended and it worked great! Thanks so much!
Kelsey
I just made this – the flavor is awesome, but my soup came out thin. Did I miss something, or is there something I can do to thicken it up at this point?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kelsey, I’m glad you liked the flavor! This version does come out a little thinner than some clam chowders, but should still be creamy. If you prefer a thicker soup, you can puree some of it (both the cream/broth base and the cauliflower) at the end, then return the puree to the rest of the soup. You could also whisk in a teaspoon of arrowroot powder or 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum, then simmer more until it thickens. I added these notes to the recipe card, too.
Katrin
This soup looks absolutely delicious. This is a must try!
Kim | Low Carb Maven
I love how easy this recipe is and the photos are beautiful. Thanks for the great recipe.
Georgina
LOVE clam chowder! And love how easy this looks to make!
Sarah
I love how simple your recipes are to follow! We finally dipped below zero here in Montana this week – so cold, but the snow is gorgeous!