I’m a New England girl – though I now live in Los Angeles, my childhood was spent in Connecticut and Massachusetts which meant lots of clam bakes, crab cakes, lobster, and other delicious seafood on every corner. Clam chowder in a bread bowl was one of my favorite decadent meals – however loaded with potatoes and stuffed into a sourdough loaf, that’s not going to fly these days for me. This keto clam chowder recipe – made in the Instant Pot is a satisfying low carb alternative to this classic soup.
The Instant Pot is a must-have in my book – a cross between a slow cooker and a pressure cooker, there are unlimited ways it comes in handy in the kitchen—I use it for making batches of hard boiled eggs, for soups and dips and for making homemade bone broth. One of my favorite one pot keto meals is my Low Carb Beef and Broccoli which is delicious and simple in the Instant Pot.
I have this one which can be found on Amazon, however right now for the holidays, Costco also has a great deal on a 6 qt. Instant Pot.
Back to the keto Clam Chowder recipe – I substituted cauliflower (surprise, surprise!) for potatoes and combined with the heavy cream, herbs and chunks of fresh clam, this is a Sunday favorite in our house.

Keto Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 3 sugar free bacon slices diced
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon pink salt
- ? teaspoon black pepper
- 1 head cauliflower cut in small pieces (about 1")
- 1?? cup water
- 1 cup clam juice
- 1?? cups heavy cream
- 16 ounces canned chopped clams in juice
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot on the Saute setting and add bacon. Cook, stirring often, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
- Add onion, celery, garlic, and butter to bacon drippings in the Instant Pot and cook until onions are translucent.
- Stir in thyme, salt, and pepper and stir well.
- Add cauliflower, water, and clam juice to instant pot, and cover.
- Set the steam release value to "Sealed" position and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- After the pressure cooking has ended, quick release the steam and remove lid.
- Add heavy cream, and blend with an immersion blender - don't blend completely, You still want some chunks of cauliflower.
- Stir in clams and set the Instant Pot back to the Saute function and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally.
- Serve immediately, topped with crumbled bacon.
[…] Instant Pot Keto Clam Chowder […]