Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Clam Chowder is rich in flavor and amazing creamy texture. Make this delicious clam chowder recipe every time you’re craving comfort food!

Close up top down photo of clam chowder in a bowl with crispy bacon and fresh parsley on top.

Truth: I grew up not loving clam chowder.

I was always more of a chili in a bread bowl girl than a clam chowder in a bread bowl girl.

It wasn’t until one of my older brothers started making his own non-traditional version that I began appreciating it.

He adds a generous amount of bacon, a splash of white wine, and – get this – he doesn’t thicken it. In this sense, his version is more like clam soup, but I think it is for this reason I adore it so much.

Well here we are, making an easy chowder that is both dairy-free and gluten-free.

Traditional clam chowder recipes include all-purpose flour for thickening, heavy cream for that creamy texture, and sometimes butter to make the roux.

With a few simple ingredient swaps, we’re making a gluten-free, dairy-free clam chowder that is still big on flavor and luscious texture for a restaurant-worthy clam chowder.

One of the things I love about this recipe is it only requires 8 basic ingredients. Each ingredient serves a very important purpose! That’s efficiency for you!

Horizontal photo of bowl of clam chowder with crispy bacon and fresh parsley on top.

I also love the fact that this simple recipe can be made on any busy weeknight for a typically weeknight meal, but it’s also fancy enough to serve guests for a special occasion or during the holiday season.

Let’s chat about the simple ingredients needed to make this amazing recipe.

Ingredients for Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Clam Chowder:

Bacon: Thick cut bacon is chopped and cooked in order to add delicious bacon flavor to the clam chowder. The bacon fat is used to cook the onion and garlic. If you prefer a different fatty meat like prosciutto or pancetta, feel free to substitute it for the bacon and add avocado oil or olive oil for cooking the onion.

Onion & Garlic: Bringing richness of flavor to the clam chowder, onion and garlic play a crucial role in leveling up the deliciousness of this easy soup.

Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: Taking the place of regular all-purpose flour for thickening the chowder, we use a gluten-free flour blend.

Be sure to use a blend that contains a generous amount of starchy ingredients such as potato starch, rice flour, tapioca flour, etc.

I use Bob’s Red Mill’s Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour but King Arthur and Pamela’s will work great too.

Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: The key to the rich creamy texture is full-fat canned coconut milk. Taking the place of cream or whole milk, the coconut milk brings that smooth, silky texture for an amazing chowder. Brands of coconut milk vary widely in their quality so be sure to use a brand you’ve used in the past and trust.

Can you taste coconut? In my opinion, no. You’re getting so much flavor from the bacon, clams, onion and garlic that it masks any coconut flavor (which is very subtle to begin with).

Yukon Gold Potatoes: Potatoes give this yummy chowder delicious chunks of texture and also yummy carb content. You can also use russet potatoes or red potatoes.

White Wine: White wine brings depth of flavor and unique nuance to the chowder. If you don’t keep white wine on hand, you can skip it, but I recommend using it for the best results.

Clams: Canned clams are how we source the clams for clam chowder in my neck of the woods since we don’t have ample access to fresh clams.

I use six (6.5-oz) cans of chopped sea clams, which come packed in water. I dump the entirety of each can into the soup pot, as the juice is rich in clam flavor. If you use whole clams that come packed in oil, drain and rinse them and add 1 cup of clam juice to the recipe.

Salt & Pepper: Add sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste.

Close up angled shot of a bowl of clam chowder.

You can find the ingredients for this creamy chowder at any grocery store.

Recipe Adaptations:

If you prefer more of a soup-like consistency, omit the flour and add 2 cups of chicken broth or chicken stock to the recipe.
Swap prosciutto or pancetta for the bacon.
Add vegetables like carrots, celery, or bell peppers for more flavor and texture.
Toss in one bay leaf, 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme or fresh parsley.
If you’re making this homemade clam chowder as an entrée, use lots of clams (5 to 6 cans instead of 3) or add crab meat or lobster meat for more protein.
Double or triple the recipe if you’re serving more than 4 people as an entrée or more than 8 people as a side dish or appetizer. As an alternative, you can halve the recipe if serving only two people for a main course.
Add 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce for some umami flavor.
Turn this into salmon chowder by using 1 pound of fresh salmon, chopped into cubes or 3 cans of canned salmon.

Now that we’re familiar with the simple ingredients, let’s make this creamy clam chowder!

How to Make Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Clam Chowder:

Chop the bacon and place the chunks in a large thick-bottomed pot such as a soup pot or a Dutch oven. Cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until much of the fat has rendered.

Chopped bacon cooking in a large stock pot

Tip: I typically cover the pot to help heat the bacon up so that the fat renders quicker.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked bacon bits from the pot, leaving behind all of the bacon drippings. Set the cooked bacon aside to use later.

Add the chopped onion to the pot and sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and continue cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Onions sautéing in a large pot in the bacon fat.

Stir in the gluten-free all-purpose flour until it is well-incorporated with the onion.

Add in the rest of the ingredients to the pot (the cooked crispy bacon, chopped Yukon gold potatoes, the whole can of coconut milk, white wine, and clams).

Chowder ingredients in a large soup pot, ready to be boiled.

Stir well, cover, and bring everything to a full boil. Reduce the heat to low or medium-low and cook at a gentle simmer for at least 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through.

Cook clam chowder for longer (40 to 50 minutes) at a gentle simmer if you have the time. Taste the delicious chowder for flavor and add more salt or plenty of black pepper to your personal taste.

A ladle full of clam chowder taking it out of a soup pot.

Serve clam chowder in bowls with your choice of oyster crackers, rolls, cornbread, etc.

Store any leftover clam chowder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

This recipe makes 4 large servings or 8 small servings. If you’re serving it as an entrée, it will feed four people, and if you’re using it as a side dish or appetizer, it will make 8 small servings.