With billions of cans manufactured and sold each and every year, there's no debating that canned soup is one of the most universally utilized foods worldwide. Accounting for a huge proportion of this market is one well-loved coastal favorite: canned clam chowder.
Though purists while try to convince you that real clam chowder can only come from the busy kitchen of a seafood shack in a beachside town, the fact is, buying canned clam chowder remains an amazingly easy way to get all of summer vibes you’re looking for--no beach day needed!
We've gathered together all of the best canned clam chowders we could find and settled in for our own great chowder cook off. Get ready, once we're through with you, you'll be a master of the canned soup aisle!
What is Clam Chowder?
Clam chowder, simply put, is an institution. What exactly is chowder though and why is it different from just any ol’ bowl of soup? While chowder of any variety qualifies as a type of delicious soup, not every soup is considered to be chowder.
Among the distinguishing features of chowder are: an oftentimes thick and creamy base (thanks to the inclusion of dairy ingredients or starch) and a multitude of chunky, rustic cut ingredients.
When it comes to clam chowders specifically, these ingredients of course include clams (not other shellfish like mussels or oysters, which are entirely different mollusks) as well vegetables such as potatoes, celery, onions, herbs, and sometimes even bacon or corn!
Types of Clam Chowder
Canned soups fall into 2 main camps: condensed or ready to serve. In each of our featured products below, you’ll see that we specify which type is at hand. There are also several different regional preparations of clam chowder to be aware of.
New England Style Clam Chowder has a creamy consistency as it always contains dairy products like milk, cream, and/or butter. It is sometimes thickened with a starch such as flour or cornstarch as well.
Manhattan Style Clam Chowder is not at all creamy, rather it features clams and vegetables swimming around in a tomato-based broth. This style of chowder often includes alternate vegetables like carrots and is perfumed by woodsy herbs like thyme.
Rhode Island Style Clam Chowder is neither creamy nor tomato-y. This one is clam-centric! It features a clear broth made of clam juice or stock, as well as the usual potatoes, celery, and onions and usually has bacon or salt pork as well.
Canned Clam Chowders: The Test Subjects
We spooned and slurped our way through a baker’s dozen of the most popular canned clam chowders we could find! The brands and varieties we tested include the following:
- Bar Harbor Manhattan Style Clam Chowder
- Bar Harbor New England Style Condensed Clam Chowder
- Bar Harbor Rhode Island Style Clam Chowder
- Campbell's Chunky Manhattan Clam Chowder
- Campbell's Chunky New England Clam Chowder
- Campbell's Condensed New England Clam Chowder
- Campbell's Homestyle New England Clam Chowder
- Campbell's Well Yes! New England Clam Chowder
- Progresso Light New England Clam Chowder
- Progresso Spicy New England Clam Chowder
- Progresso Traditional Manhattan Clam Chowder
- Progresso Traditional New England Clam Chowder
- Snow's Traditional Recipe New England Style Clam Chowder
Our Methodology for Ranking the Best Canned Clam Chowder
In order to come up with our top picks for the best clam chowders you can get from the canned goods aisle, we first categorized our test subjects into 7 different categories, from each of which one winner would be chosen.
These categories are:
- Best New England Style Clam Chowder
- Best Rhode Island Style Clam Chowder
- Best Manhattan Style Clam Chowder
- Best Condensed Clam Chowder
- Best Lower Sodium Clam Chowder
- Best Specialty Clam Chowder
- Best Clam Chowder with a Kick
We got each canned clam chowder good and hot according to its stovetop directions and proceeded to taste ‘em all, keeping careful track of the specifics. Each soup received a grade on the following 5 points of criteria, as well as an overall average score.
- Taste & Texture: the overall flavor and consistency of each chowder, as well as how distinct–or indistinct–that all important clam flavor is.
- Nutrition Content: specifically considering macronutrient profile as well as number of calories per serving, level of sodium, any vitamins/minerals provided, and the overall quality of ingredients used.
- Unique Characteristics: including special flavors, unique style, or anything else that sets each chowder apart from its competition.
- Value: since we are comparing condensed soups alongside ready to serve soups, we considered their value in two different ways--cost per serving as well as price per ounce.
- Production & Packaging: how readily available each product is, the type of packaging used, and whether or not the labeling contains adequate--or extra!--helpful information.
ALLERGEN NOTE: we were taken by surprise at the spectrum of allergens that were in the batch of canned clam chowders we selected for our study. In addition to shellfish, many of these products contain, or may have been contaminated by: soy, wheat, milk, crustaceans, and cod fish.
While we don’t mention these in each of our reviews, be sure to check the allergen warning of any canned soup before making your selection. You might be surprised by what’s in there!
Best New England Style Clam Chowder: Campbell's Homestyle New England Clam Chowder
Type: Ready to Serve
Here is how Campbell's Homestyle New England Clam Chowder scored in each of our criteria categories:
- Taste & Texture: 4.8 / 5.0
- Nutrition Content: 4.2 / 5.0
- Unique Characteristics: 4.4 / 5.0
- Value: 4.3 / 5.0
- Production & Packaging: 4.5 / 5.0
- Overall Score: 4.4 / 5.0
Right off the bat, we were taken with the authentic taste, rich texture, and rustic appearance of this soup. No joke, this is one seriously hearty New England clam chowder! Nicely sized hunks of potato and celery swim in a pleasantly thick and creamy broth. The clam meat, albeit in quite small pieces, is super tender and attractive bits of fresh herbs are visible throughout the soup.
While not the most nutrient packed of all, this New England chowder manages to provide a moderate quantity of healthy goodies, delivering doses of calcium, iron, and potassium as well as 5 grams of protein per 1-cup serving!
Unfortunately, like many other canned soups, Campbell's Homestyle New England Clam Chowder skyrockets in terms of sodium content, packing 890 milligrams (39% your recommended daily intake) per serving. If you are extra hungry and wind up eating the whole can--no shame, we've been guilty of doing so too!--well, go right ahead and double that. It is also on the higher end of the spectrum in terms of fat content, with 10 grams in each and every cup.
We also don’t love the list of processed and overly complicated ingredients on the nutritional panel of this clam chowder. Among them, monosodium glutamate, sodium phosphate, disodium inosinate, and disodium guanylate.
Pros:
- Has a wonderful, thick consistency which is highly reminiscent of homemade soup!
- Features large and plentiful pieces of vegetables.
- The pieces of clam meat are decadent and tender.
- Each serving contains moderate amounts of several important minerals.
- Provides 5 grams of protein per serving!
Cons:
- Is off the charts in terms of sodium content, with almost 900 milligrams per 1-cup serving.
- Contains lots of flavor enhancers, preservatives, and ingredients with complicated names.
Best Manhattan Style Clam Chowder: Progresso Traditional Manhattan Clam Chowder
Type: Ready to Serve
Here is how Progresso Traditional Manhattan Clam Chowder scored in each of our criteria categories:
- Taste & Texture: 4.2 / 5.0
- Nutrition Content: 4.6 / 5.0
- Unique Characteristics: 4.2 / 5.0
- Value: 4.9 / 5.0
- Production & Packaging: 4.5 / 5.0
- Overall Score: 4.4 / 5.0
Manhattan style clam chowder certainly marches to the beat of its own drum--it’s as if clam chowder and minestrone soup got together and produced an offspring! While personally we preferred the versions of New England and Rhode Island style chowders that we tested, we think that this Progresso Manhattan Clam Chowder is an excellent example of its category.
Generous chunks of hearty potatoes, carrots, and celery swim in a tomato-based broth, seasoned with flecks of parsley and clam pieces of course. Not only is this clam chowder the lowest in calories--with just 100 calories per 1-cup serving!--but it also boasts the lowest fat content as well, containing just 2 grams per serving. And, of these 2 grams, neither of them is saturated fat!
There are no artificial flavors nor colors from artificial sources in this soup, and this was one of only two wheat free/gluten free chowders we came across in our testing. It is also one of the best bargains around, costing just $1.50 per serving or $0.16 per ounce. It’s made in the USA and even provides 10% your recommended daily intake of potassium!
For all of this goodness in the characteristically blue-labeled can of Progresso soup, it does warn that it contains bioengineered food ingredients. It also wasn’t at the top of our score sheets in terms of taste, as overall we found the broth to be a bit watery and the (fairly small) bits of clam meat were unpleasantly chewy as opposed to tender.
Pros:
- Offers nice chunks of celery, root vegetables, and ample herbs, all in a tomato-y broth.
- Features the lowest calorie content, just 100 per 1-cup serving and the lowest level of fat, just 2 grams per serving.
- No artificial flavors or colors.
- Gluten free!
- Extremely affordable at just $1.50 per serving.
- Made in the USA.
- Provides 10% DV of potassium.
Cons:
- Contains bioengineered food ingredients.
- The tomato broth is a bit watery and not very deep in flavor.
- Pieces of clam were quite chewy, not near as tasty as other varieties we sampled.
Best Rhode Island Style Clam Chowder: Bar Harbor Rhode Island Style Clam Chowder
Type: Ready to Serve
Here is how Bar Harbor Rhode Island Style Clam Chowder scored in each of our criteria categories:
- Taste & Texture: 4.8 / 5.0
- Nutrition Content: 4.7 / 5.0
- Unique Characteristics: 5.0 / 5.0
- Value: 4.0 / 5.0
- Production & Packaging: 4.8 / 5.0
- Overall Score: 4.7 / 5.0
Finding canned clam chowder in Rhode Island style options was a bit more of a trick, but this version from Bar Harbor was so good, we had to give it a spot! We fell hard for the flavor profile of this soup, full of succulent clams and salty nitrite/nitrate free uncured bacon.
If you like pure clam flavor, this one is definitely for you! Without any dairy of tomato based ingredients to obscure the flavor, the oceanic flavor of the shellfish shines through. The clam stock itself also bears a complex flavor, with white wine and a multitude of fresh herbs including parsley, thyme, and marjoram.
This clam chowder also scored very well on our nutrition criteria, as it provides a super high dose of protein per serving--7 full grams!--and has one of the lowest fat contents, with just 2.5 grams per cup. Each serving also delivers 10% your daily value of iron, and we love that the nutritional label features whole food, fresh ingredients.
As much as we love the flavor and nutritional profiles of this clam chowder, we sadly cannot say the same for its appearance. It has an unfortunate grey coloring that makes it largely unappealing and certainly does not accurately represent how good this soup is in all of the other ways. Also, this clam chowder was the most expensive in both per serving and per ounce measures--costing us almost $2.50 per serving and $0.33 per ounce!
Pros:
- Features one of the best flavor profiles, with plenty of juicy clams in a richly flavored clam broth– the most clam-forward taste of all the soups we tested.
- Contains nitrite & nitrate-free uncured bacon.
- Is high in protein, providing 7 grams per serving but remains low in fat, with just 2.5 grams per serving.
- Each serving contains 10% DV iron!
- Is made of whole food ingredients, nothing processed or complicated.
Cons:
- Has a downright unappetizing look, with an overall grey color and porridge-like texture.
- Is the most expensive per serving as well as per ounce.
Best Condensed Clam Chowder: Campbell's Condensed New England Clam Chowder
Type: Condensed
Here is how Campbell's Condensed New England Clam Chowder scored in each of our criteria categories:
- Taste & Texture: 4.5 / 5.0
- Nutrition Content: 4.5 / 5.0
- Unique Characteristics: 4.2 / 5.0
- Value: 4.8 / 5.0
- Production & Packaging: 4.4 / 5.0
- Overall Score: 4.5 / 5.0
Condensed soup is one popular iteration of canned soup for the fact that it is generally more economical and more compact than its fully hydrated counterparts. Campbell’s has been world-famous for its condensed varieties since the turn of the 20th century, so it’s no wonder that they took the top spot here.
Campbell's Condensed Clam Chowder, though we admit, has kind of a gross look upon first cracking the can, mixes up nicely into a creamy, fully flavored chowder. We loved the texture of clam and potato pieces alike, as the clams were pleasantly tender and the potatoes had just the right bite to them.
The label instructs you to mix the condensed soup with 1 can of milk before heating, but we found this to make the soup quite runny, so we’d recommend adding a bit less liquid at first to see if the consistency is to your liking. Also, as is the case with condensed soups in general, this one is supremely affordable, costing just $0.88 per serving! Of course this is before you add in the cost of the milk, stock, or whatever liquid you choose to reconstitute your soup with. And at just 80 calories per serving, this is extremely low for a creamy New England style clam chowder. Once again though, be sure to factor in the macronutrient profile of whatever liquid you mix it with though.
Sadly, this is just about as far from a chunky clam chowder as you can get. Once reconstituted, the few pieces of potato and clam seemed to be lost in all of the liquid.
And while we love to see an ingredients panel that is free from preservatives and chemicals, this soup was at the bottom of the barrel in nutritional content. Delivering just 3 grams of protein per serving, this soup also provided very minimal amounts of minerals like iron and potassium.
Pros:
- Once mixed, this canned clam chowder has a creamy and rich flavor profile!
- Pieces of clam and chunks of potato both have great texture, not at all chewy or mushy.
- Features the lowest cost per serving of all the soups we tested.
- Also the lowest in calories per serving--before adding milk or stock, of course.
Cons:
- Not at all a hearty soup, we wish there were more potatoes and veggies in it!
- Super low in protein content, as well as minimal in the amount of vitamins and minerals it provides.
Best Lower-Sodium Clam Chowder: Bar Harbor New England Style Condensed Clam Chowder
Type: Condensed
Here is how Bar Harbor New England Style Condensed Clam Chowder scored in each of our criteria categories:
- Taste & Texture: 4.1 / 5.0
- Nutrition Content: 4.8 / 5.0
- Unique Characteristics: 4.3 / 5.0
- Value: 4.5 / 5.0
- Production & Packaging: 4.8 / 5.0
- Overall Score: 4.5 / 5.0
If you need to watch your sodium intake or simply find canned clam chowder to be overly salty, you’re not alone! Unfortunately, reducing the salt content is a bit easier said than done when it comes to canned clam chowder, or other canned foods such as canned peas or canned spinach for that matter. These items regularly rely on high levels of sodium for preserving as well as flavor enhancing purposes.
Therefore, the lower sodium content of Bar Harbor New England Style Condensed Clam Chowder was a happy surprise, as it contains just 400 milligrams--about 17% your recommended daily intake--of the stuff! This is less than half of many of the other clam chowders we evaluated. The pieces of clam meat in this one are generously sized and nicely textured as well, 2 characteristics not so common to condensed soups.
We also love the packaging and production choices that the Bar Harbor company makes. They point out that their clams are sourced from independently certified and sustainable fisheries, and they go the extra mile to make sure their packaging is recyclable in its entirety--right down to the label which is printed on eco-friendly paper! And, there is also a recipe for “Clam Chowder Pizza” featured right on the label. We can’t say we tried it out yet, but, we are so here for that kind of creative energy!
Less than ideal is the fact that the reconstitution instructions are extremely vague. They simply advise you to add milk, heavy cream, or butter to the soup until it reaches your desired consistency. We love flexibility, but a jumping off point would be nice here.
Also, even once mixed with liquid, the texture of this canned clam chowder does not shine. Rather than having satisfying chunks of potato suspended in the broth, the potato is broken down into the broth, making the overall consistency rather mealy.
Pros:
- Features the lowest sodium content of all canned clam chowders we tested!
- Has plenty of large juicy, tender clam pieces.
- Contains clams from certified sustainable and well-managed fisheries.
- Is packed in eco-conscious packaging and labeling.
- Comes with a fun recipe for clam chowder pizza!
Cons:
- Instructions for reconstituting this condensed soup are too vague.
- The potato pieces are completely broken down as opposed to being chunky, giving the soup an unpleasant texture.
Best Specialty Clam Chowder: Snow's Traditional Recipe New England Style Clam Chowder
Type: Ready to Serve
Here is how Snow's Traditional Recipe New England Style Clam Chowder scored in each of our criteria categories:
- Taste & Texture: 4.7 / 5.0
- Nutrition Content: 3.9 / 5.0
- Unique Characteristics: 4.8 / 5.0
- Value: 4.6 / 5.0
- Production & Packaging: 4.7 / 5.0
- Overall Score: 4.6 / 5.0
As per the company story on the label, Snow’s got its start in 1920. After over 100 years of canned soup and seafood production, they have clearly figured out a few secrets to good taste! As a division of Bumble Bee (yes, the same Bumble Bee as featured on our Best Canned Tuna countdown), Snow’s is of course most well-known for its tinned seafood options. But in addition to several varieties of clam chowder, it also produces corn chowder, bottled clam juice, and 2 types of clam sauce. Clam experts over here!
Right off the bat we could tell that this clam chowder was different from the other New England style chowders we examined. It is not nearly as milky white, nor does it have quite the same creamy texture as the others, but we loved it for its unique characteristics. Fresh clams and their juices come together to form the basis of this soup, while real cream and butter add a super savory quality that doesn’t leave you feeling like you need to add anything of your own.
In addition to providing the most protein of all of the chowder options we tried--8 full grams here!-- it is also enriched, meaning it provides a greater quantity of other nutrients as well. There are 60 milligrams of calcium, 180 milligrams of potassium, and a whopping 5.8 milligrams (30% your daily value!) of blood-boosting iron in each cupful.
On the downside is the fact that this canned clam chowder brand does not seem to be as available as others. We actually only found it in one of many local grocery stores, so if you want to get in on the action of this specialty soup, you may need to order online.
Also, along with that impressive protein and iron content comes unfortunate levels in the calorie and fat departments. Each 1-cup serving has 240 calories and 15--yes, fifteen--grams of fat. Even worse, 4 of these grams are saturated fat meaning just 1 serving of this soup takes you 20% of the way to your recommended daily saturated fat intake.
Pros:
- Comes from a 100+ year old seafood company--experts in the canned clam sector!
- Has an incredible taste thanks to the usage of fresh clams and real cream and butter.
- Features the highest protein content of all clam chowders we tested, 8 grams!
- Provides a bit of calcium and potassium, as well as 30% your daily value of iron.
Cons:
- Not as readily available as other clam chowder varieties, only available in limited stores and online.
- Has a very high calorie count, delivering almost 250 calories per 1-cup serving.
- Extremely high in fat, with 15 grams total, including 4 grams of saturated fat, per serving.
Best Clam Chowder with a Kick: Progresso Spicy New England Clam Chowder
Type: Ready to Serve
Here is how Progresso Spicy New England Clam Chowder scored in each of our criteria categories:
- Taste & Texture: 4.4 / 5.0
- Nutrition Content: 4.3 / 5.0
- Unique Characteristics: 4.8 / 5.0
- Value: 4.8 / 5.0
- Production & Packaging: 4.5 / 5.0
- Overall Score: 4.6 / 5.0
Looking to spice things up? Progresso Spicy New England Clam Chowder is a genius take on a classic, elevating the typically mild, creamy flavor of clam chowder to a whole new level!
We found this New England style chowder to have a wonderfully thick, velvety texture, plenty of chunky potatoes, and all the goodness of traditional clam chowder--with the addition of spicy red chili pepper of course. The hot pepper flecks add a nice appeal throughout the soup, and the entire bowl takes on a coloring like that of chipotle mayo. Who could say no to that!
Like other Progresso soups, this one is made in the USA and comes with a convenient pop-top opening. One 1-cup serving of this fiery chowder provides 15% your daily value of potassium and, surprisingly enough for such a thick and creamy soup, is gluten free.
Though the creamy flavor of the soup provides a nice counterpoint to all of that spice, something about it had an overly processed vibe to our tasters. It also is labeled as having bioengineered food ingredients and if you ask us, there weren't near enough clam pieces! Unfortunately, it eats more like a spicy potato chowder than a robustly stocked clam chowder.
Pros:
- Is at the top of the charts for texture, with a creamy, velvety texture.
- The inclusion of red pepper flakes jazzes things up in terms of taste as well as visual appeal.
- Made in the USA and packed in a convenient pop-top can.
- Provides 600 milligrams--15% DV--of potassium per serving.
- Despite its thick and creamy texture, is actually gluten free!
Cons:
- Overall flavor is very processed tasting, much more so than the other clam chowders we tried.
- Contains bioengineered food ingredients.
- Is severely lacking in clam meat, coming across more like a potato chowder than clam chowder!
Best Canned Clam Chowder FAQs
What Can I Add to Canned Clam Chowder to Make it Better?
Though we found eating each of the canned clam chowders in our winning categories to be a pleasant experience, it is possible that your taste buds disagree or that you end up with a different variety of less than yummy clam chowder! Here are a few ideas for jazzing things up a bit:
- Shower your soup with freshly cracked black pepper, or use white pepper for a slightly different flavor profile.
- Enjoy your clam chowder from a sourdough bread bowl! This is a classic serving option for chowders of all types, as the crispy chewy texture and slightly tart flavor of the bread pair nicely with the savory chowder.
- Punch it up with hot sauce, chili flakes, or chili paste!
- For a peppery bite without as much heat, try a sprinkling of paprika or one of these paprika substitutes.
- Sprinkle on some chopped fresh herbs like parsley, tarragon, or a bit of thyme.
- Add a few dashes of teriyaki sauce, oyster sauce, or soy sauce to impart some depth of flavor. Just be sure to taste for sodium content before doing so, as condiments like soy sauce can easily render a dish inedible.
What is the Crunchy Stuff in Clam Chowder?
There may be any number of crunchy components in clam chowder--from fibrous celery or crispy bacon.
If, however, you find a crunchy bite that has a gritty texture, it’s most likely that you’ve found a bit of sand. Rest assured this is completely normal to occur, as clams collect food by filtering seawater, they sometimes take on a bit of sand as well. While unpleasant, getting a bit of sand in your chowder is harmless!
Does Campbell’s Clam Chowder Have Real Clams?
You bet! All of the Campbell’s clam chowder varieties we tested include real clams--although some varieties do contain more and larger pieces of clam meat than others.
What is the Difference Between Boston and New England Clam Chowder?
You may have noticed one omission from our clam chowder categories: Boston Style clam chowder. This is because Boston Style and New England Style clam chowder are actually one and the same! No differences between these two.
Where is Bar Harbor Clam Chowder Made?
Bar Harbor clam chowder is named after the city in Maine in which it is made: Bar Harbor! This town is in a region of the state known as Downeast Maine, which is a specific section of the Eastern Coastal area.
Is Canned Clam Chowder Good for You?
It certainly can be! As pointed out in the individual reviews above, some of the canned clam chowder options, while completely delicious, are absurdly high in sodium, fat, and calorie contents.
When shopping for canned clam chowder that is more health-oriented, look for low-fat, high-protein options that have a greater proportion of vegetables and clam meat. The most unhealthy thing about canned clam chowder is the saturated-fat laden dairy ingredients and bacon that is commonly found in New England style chowder, so be sure to steer clear of that variety if you're looking for the healthiest pick.
Best Canned Clam Chowder: The Takeaway
Out of all of the canned clam chowder varieties we encountered while shopping, we found that New England style definitely had the majority of the market share, but that doesn't mean the other styles aren't worth your time! Give Rhode Island style chowder a chance, or if you really want to expand your horizons, reach for a can of hot n' spicy New England style clam chowder.
We can certainly all agree, when it comes to soup night (or afternoon!), you can't go wrong with a can or two of clam chowder. No matter your choice, we hope that it warms, nourishes, and soothes your soul in that special way that only soup can!
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