Vegan Chicken Pot Pie

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This vegan chicken pot pie has flaky puff pastry with fresh vegetables and vegan chicken in a savory cream sauce. Hearty and comforting!
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Chicken pot pie is an absolute classic when it comes to comfort food, and this Vegan Chicken Pot Pie tastes every bit as delicious as I remember. It’s packed with fresh veggies and plant-based chicken, all swimming in a delicious creamy gravy and topped with flaky, buttery puff pastry.

Whether you’re searching for the perfect entrée for your holiday dinner spread, or are just craving something hearty and cozy on a regular weeknight, Vegan Chicken Pot Pie is sure to hit the spot! Because I didn’t grow up eating pot pies that often, I always thought it was difficult to make and only for “special occasions.” But it’s actually a fairly simple recipe, and it can be a one-pan meal if you use a cast iron skillet!

An overhead shot of vegan chicken pot pie. In the bottom left corner, there's a baking tray with the pot pie with a big slice taken out. In the top right, there's a slice of pot pie on a small white plate.

Table of Contents

Ingredients for Vegan Chicken Pot Pie

  • Onion, garlic, celery + carrot. Also known as mirepoix, this mixture creates a flavorful aromatic base.
  • Frozen peas. If you’re not a fan of peas, feel free to omit them and bump up the quantity of the mirepoix instead. You could also add another kind of vegetable, such as mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, frozen corn, etc.
  • Butter + flour. Together, these form a roux which will thicken your vegan chicken pot pie filling. You can technically use olive oil (or another kind of oil), but I think vegan butter contributes the most delicious, nostalgic flavor to this dish. Miyoko’s Creamery makes my favorite nondairy butter (it’s a little pricey but I will splurge for special occasions like the holidays). But there are plenty of options on the market these days!
  • Vegan chicken-style strips. See the section below for more info about vegan chicken substitutes on the market. If you want a more whole-foods based protein option, feel free to substitute in a two cans of beans (I like white beans or chickpeas in this recipe), drained and well-rinsed.
  • Vegetable broth. If you can, I highly recommend using a chicken-style veggie broth. Edward & Sons make my go-to chicken-style bouillon cubes (1 cube per 2 cups liquid). Better Than Bouillon also makes a Not Chicken style veggie broth. It will make your recipe more savory.
  • Cashew cream OR unsweetened, plain plant milk. This makes the pot pie filling extra creamy and luscious. I love to use homemade cashew cream (1/2 cup soaked raw cashews blended with 3/4 cup water), but you can use a store bought vegan heavy cream substitute, or your favorite plain, unsweetened dairy-free milk. Just make sure it’s something you think would taste good in a savory dish. Oat milk would be my choice if I wanted to go the store-bought route.
  • Poultry seasoning. I use this as a shortcut when I don’t want to shell out for several different kinds of fresh herbs. You’re welcome to substitute in a few tablespoons of your favorite fresh chopped herbs, such as thyme, rosemary and sage!
  • Puff pastry. There are many options to top your vegan chicken pot pie! I usually use a sheet of puff pastry. However, you can whip up a homemade pie crust, or even top it with biscuit dough. More details on this below.
  • Salt and black pepper. To taste, as always.
An overhead shot of all of the ingredients for vegan chicken pot pie.

How to Make Vegan Chicken Pot Pie

  1. Sauté veggies. You’re going to start out by sautéing all of your veggies in a generous amount of vegan butter. (If you want to add in mushrooms as well, add those now, so they have a chance to shed the excess moisture.)
  2. Coat with flour and thicken. Sprinkle your flour over your filling, stirring to make sure everything gets coated. Optionally, deglaze with a splash of dry white wine. Then pour in your broth and plant milk. Stir in the poultry seasoning.
  1. Add the vegan chicken and peas. Stir in the vegan chicken pieces and frozen peas. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook over low heat until thickened to your preference. Give it a taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Different brands of veggie broth have different sodium contents, so the exact amount of salt will depend.
Step-by-step instructions for vegan chicken pot pie. It reads: - Sauté vegetables. - Make the gravy. - Add in chick'n and peas. - Transfer to pie pan. - Cover with puff pastry. - Bake until golden.
  1. Transfer into baking pan. Pour your filling mixture into your preferred baking pan, whether it’s a pie pan or a casserole pan. If you prepared the filling in a cast iron pan or other ovenproof skillet, you can leave it in there for baking.
  1. Cover with puff pastry. Lay your defrosted puff pastry over top and tuck along the sides of the dish. Cut a few slits in the top for ventilation and brush with a touch of plant milk to get that nice browning on top (like a vegan egg wash). Alternatively, you can top it with a regular pie crust or with biscuit dough.
  2. Bake until puff pastry is puffed up and golden brown. This usually takes around 40-45 minutes if you’re using puff pastry. It’ll take less time if you’re topping it with biscuit dough — usually only around 25 minutes. The filling should be nice and bubbly.

Vegan Chicken Options for Pot Pie

The Best Vegan Chicken

  • Abbot’s Chopped Chick’n Pieces are my current favorite. (I buy them at Sprouts.) They have a texture very similar to seitan, slightly more spongey than the Daring, but they absorb sauce and flavors a little better as a result. I use these all the time in my Vegan Chick’n Paprikash. You’ll need more than one pack.
  • Daring Original Plant Chicken Pieces are a good chicken substitute, available at a lot of grocery stores like Sprouts and even some Wal-Marts. They have a convincing, shreddable texture and they don’t get soggy or rubbery. These would be my choice if I wanted to make this vegan pot pie for non-vegan guests or a holiday dinner. Use one and a half of these bags to make this pot pie nice and meaty. (They’re also gluten-free.)

Other Options

  • Gardein Chick’n Strips are usually easy to find at regular chain grocers in the frozen section. The texture of these is not my favorite for dishes with a lot of moisture because they tend to get a little soggy. To help with that, you could consider searing them in a separate pan before adding to the dish.
  • Morningstar Farms Veggie Chik’n Strips are another widely available option. The flavor is not my favorite on its own, but I think there are enough other flavors in this pot pie to make this a good option. It has a nice firm texture.
  • Alpha Plant-Based Grilled Chik’n Strips are available at many Sprouts stores and certain other chains. I haven’t tried this exact product but I have enjoyed other products by this brand.

Budget-Friendly Option

  • Butler Soy Curls are a staple for me. Typically I’ll spend extra for a more convincing chicken substitute for a special occasion or when serving guests, but I love soy curls for regular weeknight dinners. You can order them online or find them at select health food stores (for example, Natural Grocers). They come dehydrated and you simply need to reconstitute them with boiling water. Then drain them and squeeze out the extra moisture and roughly chop them before adding to your vegan pot pie.
A close-up overhead shot of a bowl of vegan chicken pieces.

How to Top Your Vegan Chicken Pot Pie

  • Puff Pastry. This is my personal favorite way to top my chickenless pot pie because it’s super easy and delicious. Not all brands of puff pastry are vegan-friendly, but Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets are “accidentally” vegan. Just make sure you leave them in the fridge the night before, or set them out on the counter a few hours before, so they are defrosted enough to roll out.
  • Pie Crust. This is a more classic option, and is great if you want a more classic pie configuration (with a top and bottom crust). For a store-bought option, Marie Callender’s Deep Dish Pastry Pie Shells are accidentally vegan. Wholly Wholesome also makes vegan crusts, but they are less widely available (you can check out their store locator). You can also make your own using your favorite pie crust recipe and vegan butter or shortening.
  • Biscuit Dough. Another fun and easy way to top a chickenless pot pie is with store-bought biscuit dough! Lots of brands are accidentally vegan, including the Pillsbury Grands! Southern Homestyle Biscuits or Annie’s Organic Flaky Biscuits. Just make sure to double-check the ingredients since Pillsbury has so many different varieties of biscuits with similar names. You can consult this helpful blog post by IAmGoingVegan.com to double-check.
A close up cross-section of vegan chicken pot pie.

Frequently Asked Questions

I don’t have poultry spice. Help!

If you don’t have poultry seasoning on hand, you can substitute in 1/2 teaspoon each of dried sage, dried thyme, and dried rosemary.

Can I use fresh herbs instead?

Sure thing! Chop up about 1/2 tablespoon each of fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary. (Or add as much as you like.)

Can I make this without faux meat?

Of course! For an all-veggie pot pie, 16 ounces of mushrooms is a great substitution. Regular button or cremini mushrooms would work fine, or get a little fancy and use a gourmet blend with oyster, shiitake, and dry porcini mushrooms. Simply slice them up and and add them in with the aromatic veggies. Adjust the sauté time to allow the mushrooms to shed their extra moisture before adding the flour.

You can also sub in your favorite beans! (White beans are my favorite in this recipe because they’re so creamy, but chickpeas or butter beans would be tasty too.) Drain and rinse 2 cans of beans and add them in when the recipe directs you to add in the chicken.

How do I store and reheat chick’n pot pie?

Leftovers should ideally be stored in the baking dish that you used to make the pot pie. Just cover it tightly with a reusable cover or plastic wrap. This way, when it’s time to reheat your leftovers, you can just pop the entire dish back into a 350°F oven, loosely tented with foil, for 15-20 minutes, or until warmed all the way through.

If not storing in the baking dish, put your leftovers in an airtight container and stick in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can microwave any leftovers as you normally would. When you microwave your leftover pot pie, the puff pastry won’t be crispy anymore, but it’ll still be delicious!

More Vegan Comfort Food

  • Vegan Beef Stew – A classic, hearty cold weather comfort meal. This stew will warm you right up!
  • Chili Mac – This one-pot dish is the combination of two of the coziest dishes: mac and cheese and chili.
  • Marry Me Tofu – Pan-fried tofu in a creamy, garlicky sun-dried tomato sauce. Serve over pasta or rice.
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A slice of vegan chicken pot pie on a small white plate. The full baking dish with the pot pie is blurry in the background.

Vegan Chicken Pot Pie

This vegan chicken pot pie has flaky puff pastry with fresh vegetables and vegan chicken in a savory cream sauce. Hearty and comforting!
5 from 33 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Sarah Sullivan

Video

Equipment

  • deep dish pie pan, casserole pan, or large oven-proof skillet
  • Rolling Pin
  • high-speed blender to make homemade cashew cream

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet nondairy puff pastry thawed; see notes
  • 4 tablespoons vegan butter
  • 1 small white or yellow onion diced
  • 2-3 stalks celery diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
  • 3-5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine or sub vegetable broth
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth I use chick'n style bouillon
  • 1 cup cashew cream recipe follows; or sub unsweetened plant milk
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning see notes for substitutions
  • 12 oz vegan chicken defrosted, chopped; see notes for brand recommendations
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Homemade Cashew Cream

  • 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked 4+ hours or overnight
  • 2/3 cup fresh water

Instructions

Ingredient Prep (do this ahead of time)

  • Homemade cashew milk: Ahead of time, drain the soaked cashews and add to a blender with 2/3 cup hot water. Blend until completely smooth (this can take several minutes), and set aside.
  • Prep the chick'n: If your vegan chicken comes frozen, make sure to defrost it overnight in the fridge, or ahead of time on the counter. Chop it into small pieces.
  • Thaw the puff pastry: Make sure to thaw out 1 sheet of puff pastry overnight in the fridge, or ahead of time on the counter (it usually takes about 40-60 minutes on the counter). If the pastry is too cold, it will not be pliable enough to unfold without breaking. When taking it out of the box, make sure to keep it covered in plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel while defrosting so the dough doesn't dry out.
    If you forget to thaw the puff pastry, you can quick-defrost it in 15-second bursts in the microwave, flipping it every time, JUST until it is pliable enough to unfold. Don't let it get too warm as this can melt the butter and make the pastry less flaky. Pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes if it gets too soft.

Prepare the Pot Pie Filling

  • Preheat: Preheat oven to 400°F with the rack in the middle.
  • A note: You can prepare the entire recipe directly in an oven-safe skillet, such as cast iron skillet or an enameled braiser. Alternatively, you can prepare the filling on the stove and then transfer it to a deep-dish pie pan or casserole dish.
  • Sauté the mirepoix: Melt vegan butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté diced onions, celery and carrot for 4-6 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
  • Form the roux: Sprinkle vegetables with all-purpose flour and stir to coat. The flour will form a paste with the butter (a roux). Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, to cook out the raw flavor of the flour.
  • Deglaze: Deglaze the pan with a splash (about 1/3 cup) dry white wine. (You can substitute vegetable broth or even water in a pinch.) Give it a stir and let it simmer till almost all of the liquid cooks off, just about 1-2 minutes.
  • Make the sauce: Pour in the vegetable broth and give it a good stir to dissolve the roux. Use your spoon to scrape up any fond from the bottom of the pan. Pour in the prepared cashew cream (or plant milk) and add the poultry seasoning (or fresh herbs). Stir to combine. Then fold in the chopped vegan chicken and frozen peas.
  • Simmer to thicken: When the sauce starts to bubble, reduce heat to low or medium-low and allow it to simmer till it reaches your preferred consistency.
    The exact time will vary. Homemade cashew cream should thicken quickly (almost right away). Store-bought plant milk tends to have less thickening power, so it may require a few extra minutes. You can also add an extra splash of water or broth to loosen the consistency.
  • Taste and adjust: Remove the filling from the heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Top with Puff Pastry

  • Transfer to baking dish: If you prepared the filling in a cast iron or other oven-proof skillet, you can bake it directly in this. Otherwise, transfer the pot pie filling into a deep dish pie pan or casserole dish.
  • Top with pastry: Remove 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry and place on a lightly-floured surface. With a rolling pin, lightly roll it out to ensure it will cover the entire top of your baking dish. Place the pastry sheet over the pot pie and tuck in any overhang along the edges of the dish. Cut a few slits in the top of the pastry to release steam.

Bake and Enjoy

  • Important note: I highly recommend baking the pot pie on top of a cookie sheet — sometimes a little filling can bubble over and it can get smoky if it hits the bottom of your oven. (Learn from my mistakes!)
  • Bake: Bake for 30-40 minutes, until pastry is puffed up and evenly golden brown and edges are bubbly.
  • Cool and enjoy: I recommend allowing your pot pie to cool for about 20 minutes before serving. This will give the filling a chance to set so it doesn't spill out when you cut into it, making it much easier to dish up. Enjoy!

Notes

Vegan chicken: Daring makes our favorite — look for their Original Plant Chicken pieces in the freezer section. They come in 8 oz bags, and I use 1 1/2 for this recipe. Check the blog post for notes on other vegan chicken alternatives like soy curls.
Chicken-style veggie broth: Use a chicken-style bouillon paste (I like the Zoup! brand from Sprouts, or the Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken Bouillon) or bouillon cubes (like the one from Edward & Sons).
Regular vegetable broth: You can use regular veggie broth if needed. You will need to add plenty of extra salt. You can add in a splash of soy sauce and/or a few tablespoons nutritional yeast to make it taste more savory. A teaspoon each of onion and garlic powder can also boost the umami.
Plant milk: I use homemade cashew cream for the creamiest texture and most neutral flavor. However, you can use your favorite store-bought plant milk instead. Just make sure it’s something you think will taste good in a savory context — oat milk or cashew milk come to mind. Almond milk can be a little watery.
Vegan-friendly puff pastry: Some brands of puff pastry, such as Pepperidge Farm, are “accidentally” vegan.
Pie crust option: You can also prepare this with refrigerated or homemade pie crust. You can do a top and bottom crust, or just a top crust. If using a bottom crust, I recommend increasing the temperature to 425°F to help it get crisp rather than soggy. Then just adjust cook time as needed till the pie crust is golden brown.
Biscuit option: You can top the pot pie with canned or homemade biscuit dough. Use about 8 biscuits. Just adjust the cook time as needed till your biscuits are perfectly golden brown.
Poultry spice: You can substitute in 1/2 teaspoon each of ground dried sage, dried thyme, and dried rosemary. If you’d like to use fresh herbs, you can use 1/2 tablespoon each of chopped sage, thyme, and rosemary. (Or make your own combination based on your favorite herbs.)
Did you make this recipe?We’d love for you to leave a review on the website! You can also share a photo on IG and tag @sarahsvegankitchen_ or #sarahsvegankitchen.

The recipe developer and voice behind SVK. I love sharing simple plant-based recipes that feel cozy and nostalgic.

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31 Comments

  1. Pingback: Vegan Chicken Pot Pie – Sarah’s Vegan Kitchen – My Blog

  2. Joan rose
    December 18, 2022 at 4:20 am  ·  Reply

    Can I make the mixture a day early to save time on Christmas Day?
    Thanks

  3. Indira
    January 3, 2023 at 12:52 am  ·  Reply

    Amazing!! So good!!

    • Emelem
      February 20, 2023 at 7:49 am  ·  Reply

      We had this last night, hubby cooked. It was delish! Best I ever had. First since going vegan (hadn’t had CPP since 1990??!) You are our new teacher! ☺️

  4. Diann McBee
    April 2, 2023 at 1:42 pm  ·  Reply

    Absolutely delicious! Used what I had — Butler Soy Curls rehydrated in Better Than Bouillion no chicken broth, 2 cups frozen soup veggies instead of carrots and peas. Deglazed cast iron skillet with a little white wine before adding 2 cups chick’n broth (instead of veggie broth). Covered in Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust (at room temp). Baked for 30 minutes. My husband and I had heaping helpings. Can’t wait for leftovers.

  5. Alexa
    April 25, 2023 at 9:50 pm  ·  Reply

    Made this today and it was great!! I added broccoli instead of corn as my choice of veggie and it was so good!! I baked mine in 9×9 casserole dish for 30 min and the puff pastry came out golden! Using the morningstar chickn was a great rec!

  6. Nikki
    October 22, 2023 at 11:25 pm  ·  Reply

    So good! I used chickpeas instead of faux chicken. Thank you so much!

  7. Vana
    November 15, 2023 at 1:26 am  ·  Reply

    Absolutely delicious!! My husband liked even better than Marie Calendar’s vegetarian pot pie! Definitely a keeper

  8. Kate Steeper
    November 23, 2023 at 3:06 am  ·  Reply

    I’m currently sick and I can’t smell and therefore taste anything. However, my husband who isn’t vegan can. He ate half the pot pie. So hopefully my smell will return soon so I can properly taste this, but I’m not sure that’ll happen before the leftovers are gone. Added about 5 baby Bella mushrooms and 2 small Yukon gold potatoes.

  9. SE
    November 24, 2023 at 1:05 am  ·  Reply

    Delicious. No leftovers.

  10. Gi
    November 25, 2023 at 8:56 pm  ·  Reply

    I used chestnut mushrooms instead of chicken pieces and it was sooo nice! Super simple to make too!

  11. A.M.
    February 17, 2024 at 4:10 pm  ·  Reply

    Yummie & easy!

  12. Olga
    February 29, 2024 at 4:59 pm  ·  Reply

    We loved it!!!

  13. Jasmine
    April 27, 2024 at 8:18 am  ·  Reply

    This was so easy and made dinner feel like an occasion! I made mine with spinach and mushrooms in place of peas and used sherry cooking wine because I didn’t have white. It was marvellous. Thank you so much for this recipe Sarah!

  14. Kim
    September 11, 2024 at 11:55 pm  ·  Reply

    I’ve made this repeatedly and LOVE it. Easy, and delicious. I am wondering if this could be made gluten free for dinner with GF friends? I can find GF pie crusts to top with, but I’ve never tried GF flour, especially not for a roux. Have you tried? Any thoughts or tips? Thank you!

  15. Zep
    November 21, 2024 at 7:18 am  ·  Reply

    Looks delicious! Could the chicken be subbed for a can of chickpeas? Would it be 1 or 2 cans? Probably wouldn’t be as tasty but it would be a bit cheaper

  16. Jen
    December 5, 2024 at 1:15 am  ·  Reply

    Wondering if this could be made with frozen puff dough on top and pie on the bottom? Has anyone tried this before? Wondering what to know if I do. This recipe looks amazing I’m excited to try it!

  17. Jess
    December 17, 2024 at 5:18 pm  ·  Reply

    This was absolutely incredible. Hearty and flavorful. I made it for my family and my mom said it was the best pot pie she’s ever had. She’s also a vegan skeptic BTW. She didn’t mind for this dish. Haha LOVED it, will make again. Thank you!

  18. Judy
    January 31, 2025 at 12:11 am  ·  Reply

    This was fabulous! I used the ALPHA homestyle chik’n strips- which I had never used before and they were great. I had to quickly microwave them so I could chop up the strips to bite size and for veggies used a small bag of frozen mixed veggies. Felt strange using poultry seasoning since I don’t eat poultry 😉 but it worked great.

  19. Kim
    August 29, 2025 at 12:27 am  ·  Reply

    I LOVE this recipe. It’s become a regular. I haven’t used a pie crust bottom yet – I’m wondering what you suggest: If I use a store bought frozen crust – pre bake it at all before adding the filling?

    Thanks!

  20. Anjie
    November 19, 2025 at 1:18 am  ·  Reply

    Easy to prepare and delicious! Thank you!

  21. Jen
    November 30, 2025 at 6:29 pm  ·  Reply

    I made this for Thanksgiving and it was absolutely incredible! This pot pie will be in my regular dinner rotation.

  22. Jilly
    November 30, 2025 at 7:25 pm  ·  Reply

    This recipe is flawless, no notes. My family enjoyed this pot pie for Thanksgiving and even the omnivores were in love. The ingredients were accessible, the prep was streamlined with the instructions, and the seasoning was simple but flavorful. I did use Daring chicken and Edward and Sons not chicken bouillon (perfect choices) and I did use cashew cream as well; I’m going to try the Country Crock plant cream next time to see how it goes. Sarah, you’ve been feeding me for ten years almost and this is my first review. Thank you for all you’ve done for veganism!

  23. Donia
    December 1, 2025 at 2:17 am  ·  Reply

    Delicious comfort food! Used oat milk and it thickened up just fine. The Daring chicken was great in this—thanks for the suggestion! This was a hit and we will make it again!

  24. Sandy
    December 13, 2025 at 1:09 pm  ·  Reply

    One of the best recipes for a delicious hearty, not to mention, healthy meal. I’m not a fan of peas, so I replaced them with mushrooms and potatoes. My husband loves this dish and has asked for it several times this year.

  25. Amanda
    December 24, 2025 at 5:11 am  ·  Reply

    Hi! You mentioned puff pastry on the top or the option to do a regular pie crust (bottom & top). But could I just do puff pastry on top and then more puff pastry as a bottom layer? Maybe this is an obvious question. What should I do differently if baking with puff pastry on both top and bottom? Thank you!!!

  26. Sarah
    December 26, 2025 at 8:38 pm  ·  Reply

    Literally 10/10 such an incredible recipe!!!! Made it for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year!!!! Fan favorite!!!!👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

  27. Carrie
    March 8, 2026 at 8:23 am  ·  Reply

    This was amazing! I’m usually very wary of recipes I try for the first time but this was a hit!

  28. Ramona
    March 13, 2026 at 7:25 pm  ·  Reply

    This was delish! I will definitely be making it again! Thank you.

4.97 from 33 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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