Enjoy the best creamy chicken dumpling soup with an easy homemade recipe. Chock full of tender veggies in a velvety creamy soup, this is a comforting dish to warm your soul. What’s the secret to an extra creamy consistency? It’s not heavy cream, but a simple ingredient you may already have right in your pantry!

a bowl of creamy chicken dumpling soup with another bowl in the background

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Making the Creamiest Chicken and Dumplings

Most chicken and dumpling soup recipes use milk, half and half, or heavy cream to achieve a creamy consistency. While these may be used, I found an easy hack yields even better results.

Using a trick from The Novice Chef, I replaced the cream with evaporated milk. It superseded any other versions. Evaporated milk makes chicken dumpling soup creamy because it is a concentrated version of milk.

Canned evaporated milk is a shelf stable product with 60 percent of the water removed, so you are left with just all that essential creaminess. It adds a superior taste while leaving out the excessive fat and calories of heavy cream.

This easy little kitchen tips not only works for many soups in my homemade soup recipe collection, but even boosts baked mac and cheese creaminess and stabilizes the sauce to stay smooth even during reheating.

This recipe took me back to my childhood! It’s perfect and creamy and filled with yummy deliciousness. My family loved it, even my husband who hates anything chicken. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

—Alice

Omg!!! Absolutely delicious 😋 my family devoured it will definitely be making again BRAVO 👏 🙌 👍

—Joann

Ingredient Tid Bits

The combo of ingredients creates a cacophony (million dollar word!) of comfort flavors. Homestyle veggies, like carrots, celery, and peas with tender chicken in a creamy soup warms the soul. Even though the tender dumplings make this a hearty meal, if you are looking for something to dip into that creamy chicken soup, try this easy quick bread fave – savory cheddar cheese loaf.

  • Veggies – The recipe calls for onions, carrots, celery, peas, and garlic. However, feel free to play around with this. Check out the recipe comments below for some other ideas of what home cooks have added.
  • Chicken – Use boneless, skinless breasts, chopped, or for more flavor and tenderness, opt for boneless, skinless thighs. As a shortcut, using rotisserie chicken works too.
  • Flour – Either all purpose flour works or for a gluten-free option, swap it out for an all-purpose gluten-free flour. My preferred blend to use is Cup4Cup gluten-free flour. See below for additional gluten-free tips.
  • Evaporated milk – Since the water content has been removed it makes ultra creamy soup without having to add more liquid, which can thin out the soup. We want thick, luscious creaminess!

Let’s Make This Together!

(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)

Cook the veggies and chicken

First melt the butter in large stockpot or dutch oven. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and sauté until tender, then finish with the minced garlic, cooking for about 30 seconds longer.

Next, add the chopped chicken, salt, and pepper to the vegetables. Cook until chicken is no longer pink and cooked through. If you opt for using already cooked chicken, you would add this at the end.

Finally sprinkle the flour over everything to coat. This will serve as our thickener once the liquid is added in.

flour being stirred into the pot with cooked chicken and vegetables.

Add broth and evaporated milk

Slowly add the broth to the pan, stirring constantly. Once all the broth has been added, stir in the seasonings. The last step for the soup is to pour in the evaporated milk. Add the peas to warm and cook until the soup has thickened slightly. Once the dumplings are added the soup will thicken more.

the evaporated milk being added to the make the soup creamy.

Time for dumplings

Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, while the ingredients are mixed together for the the dumplings. Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, melted butter, and milk until it forms a soft dough.

Use a small cookie scoop or a teaspoon to scrape the dumplings into the hot soup. Gently stir occasionally to rotate the dumplings and cook for 10-12 minutes, covering slightly.

dumplings going into the soup pot with a trigger scoop.
a ladle taking out a dumpling from chicken soup

Can I Make This Gluten-Free?

Yes, I’ve made it both ways many times! Since this chicken dumpling soup recipe doesn’t use condensed cream of chicken soup, you will only have use a different flour to thicken the soup and make GF dumplings.

Simply swap out the flour with a high quality all-purpose gluten-free flour. I tested the recipe with, and highly recommend, Cup4Cup gluten free flour.

When making gluten-free dumplings, they take a little longer to cook. I usually error on the side of overcooking because gluten-free flour takes longer for the moisture to evaporate. To check if they are done, cut into one because sometimes the toothpick trick can be deceiving.

More Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can I use canned biscuits? Separate biscuits from two 7.5 ounce refrigerated canned biscuits containers. Cut each biscuit dough circle into 8 wedges. Drop into hot chicken soup, simmering for 8-9 minutes. 
  • Why isn’t my soup thick? Don’t be alarmed if the soup isn’t thick as you’d like it at first. It will become thicker once the dumplings are added to the top. Don’t be tempted to whisk in additional thickener until after the dumplings have cooked through.
  • What can I substitute for the evaporated milk? If you don’t have evaporated milk on hand, or rather not use it, replace it with one cup whole milk, half and half, or heavy cream.
  • What size should my dumplings be? When you drop the dumplings into the soup they will double in size. To do this quickly I use a small cookie scoop, but you may also use a teaspoon and scrape it into the hot soup. They should be about one level tablespoon or less for the best soup size.
  • How can I tell when my dumplings are done? Depending on how large the drop dumplings are, they will take 10-12 minutes to cook through. To check if they are cooked through, insert a toothpick or skewer into the middle. It should come out clean without wet sticky dough attached to it.
a spoon going into a bowl of chicken soup with one of the dumplings cut open

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Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa

a spoon going into a bowl of chicken soup with one of the dumplings cut open
4.62 stars (31 ratings)

Perfectly Creamy Chicken Dumpling Soup

Melissa Erdelac of MamaGourmand headshot in patterned dress.Melissa Erdelac
Yield: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Enjoy the best creamy chicken dumpling soup with an easy homemade recipe. Chock full of tender veggies in a velvety creamy soup, this is a comforting dish to warm your soul. What's the secret to an extra creamy consistency? It's not heavy cream, but a simple ingredient you may already have right in your pantry!
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Ingredients
 

Creamy Chicken Soup

Dumplings

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Melt the butter over medium high heat in a large stock pot or dutch oven. Once the butter has melted, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook and stir for 4-5 minutes, or until the veggies are crisp tender. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute longer.
    4 tablespoons butter, 1 small onion, 3 large carrots, 2 celery stalks, 3 cloves garlic
  • Add the chopped chicken, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper to the vegetables. Cook and stir for 5-7 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and cooked through.
    1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Sprinkle the flour over everything. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Lower the heat to medium low. Slowly add the broth to the pot, about 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Once all the broth has been added, stir in the remaining ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, and thyme.
    ¼ cup all purpose flour,, 4 cups chicken broth, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • Pour in the evaporated milk and peas. Stir to combine. Cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, while the ingredients are mixed together for the the dumplings.
    12 ounce can evaporated milk, 1 cup frozen peas
  • For the dumplings, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper. Add the cooled butter, milk, and stir until a soft dough forms.
    1 ⅔ cup all purpose flour , 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 4 tablespoons butter, ¾ cup milk
  • Use a small spoon to scoop up a dumpling ball less than 1 tablespoon (NOTE: Dumplings will double in size once they are cooked). Use another spoon to scrape the dough into the simmering liquid. Repeat until all the dough has been used. Gently stir occasionally to rotate the dumplings and cook for 10-12 minutes, uncovered, or until the dumplings are cooked through.

Notes

Reheating Tips
The key is low and slow when reheating! I like to use the stovetop to control the heat and stir frequently. If you find the sauce has thickened too much, add an additional splash of milk. 
The microwave may also be used, but cook at 50% power. Start with 2 minutes, stir, and add more time at 50% power. Finish the last 30 seconds to 1 minute on full power to heat through. 
Calories: 557kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 131mg, Sodium: 1701mg, Potassium: 1161mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 6490IU, Vitamin C: 21mg, Calcium: 303mg, Iron: 4mg
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below. It helps others when searching for recipes and I LOVE feedback!