My vegan stuffing pot pie is the perfect centerpiece for any holiday table or cold weather meal, combining classic vegetables, vegan chick’n, savory herbs, a flaky bottom crust and it’s topped with my delicious stuffing recipe that everyone will love, vegan and non-vegan alike! This recipe is also something to consider making with leftover stuffing and your vegan holiday roast. Whether you’re looking for a make-ahead recipe, something that reheats beautifully, or simply a comforting dish to feed a crowd, this pot pie delivers.
Why pot pie?
- Comforting and Hearty: The combination of a warm, flaky crust, a savory filling and a stuffing topping creates a comforting meal that’s perfect for chilly days or as the star of your holiday meal!
- Nostalgic Appeal: Many people associate pot pie with family gatherings and home-cooked meals, evoking a sense of nostalgia and warmth and this recipe fits the bill perfectly.
- Convenience: It can be made ahead of time and easily reheated, making it a practical choice for busy holiday seasons or weeknight dinners.
- It’s versatile: Pot pie can be customized with different ingredients based on personal preferences or seasonal availability, allowing for endless variations!
What do I need to make this?
- A vegan pie crust. I used a premade whole wheat vegan pie crust but you can certainly go all out and make your own from scratch. You’ll only need a bottom crust for this recipe.
- Vegetables like carrots, celery, peas and onions which you probably have on hand already. You could add others like potatoes, green beans, corn, sweet potatoes or even butternut squash for a little variety and sweetness.
- Vegan cream and broth. There are a number of vegan heavy cream options out there including Silk brand, Califia, Country Crock and Violife. Some have also used coconut cream and have said they didn’t taste it in the final dish. For broth, you can use a canned or packaged veggie broth, one reconstituted from bouillon powder or homemade if you have it.
- Vegan chick’n pieces. I used Gardein ultimate chick’n pieces but there are other options for plain pieces from Daring Foods, Just, Tofurky, Morningstar, Abotts and others. I also think cubing up your leftover vegan holiday roast would be great in this pie.
- Vegan stuffing. This is the star of the dish and I used my recipe for a classic version here or you could use accidentally vegan premade stuffing mixes from Pepperidge Farm or Stovetop (their pork flavor is actually vegan friendly.) Leftover stuffing will work too!
Pot pie FAQs
- How do I store leftover pot pie? Leftover pot pie can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. It can also be frozen for longer storage; just make sure to wrap it well.
- Can I freeze pot pie? You can definitely freeze leftovers but I tried making, baking and freezing the pie in advance to serve a week later and thawed it in the fridge before heating up in the oven to serve and I found both the texture and flavor suffered greatly. Both the stuffing and crust were soggy and the flavor seemed diminished. I would suggest making the stuffing and filling separately then storing in containers in the fridge then assembling in the pie crust right before baking. If you must freeze then make sure both the filling and stuffing are completely cool before putting it together and bake from frozen and do not thaw. This is very important to keep the crust crisp. See my tips to make in advance section below.
- What can I serve with pot pie? Pot pie pairs well with a variety of sides, including salads, roasted vegetables, or mashed potatoes. A simple green salad can provide a fresh contrast.
- Can I skip the bottom crust? Sure, just add the filling and top with the stuffing and bake.
- What other topping options are there? You could use traditional pie crust, a sheet of puff pastry trimmed round or biscuits from a can or homemade as some ideas if you don’t want to use stuffing. A layer of mashed potatoes inside or even topping the pie like a shepherds pie would be a great twist on the recipe!
Tips to make in advance:
Yes, you can freeze an assembled, unbaked pot pie and bake it later. It can be one of the best ways to meal-prep pies because baking from frozen helps the crust stay crisp. The key is how you assemble, freeze, and bake.
- Assemble in a metal or disposable pie tin if possible as metal conducts heat better from frozen when baking.
- Freeze uncovered until solid (4–6 hours). This keeps the crust and stuffing topping from getting smushed.
- Wrap tightly! First in plastic wrap, then in foil or a freezer-safe bag to prevent freezer burn and moisture absorption.
- Label and freeze up to 3 months. After that, the crust and flavor quality declines.
How to bake the frozen pot pie:
- Do not thaw.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.
- Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 45–65 minutes, depending on size. Add foil to the edges if browning too fast.
- Internal temp should reach 165°F (74°C).
- Let rest 10–15 min to set before cutting and serving.
Use your holiday meal leftovers to make this pie!
One of the best parts about this pot pie is how effortlessly it transforms leftovers into something completely new and comforting. Instead of letting bits and pieces linger in the fridge, you can add them right into the filling for a richer, more flavorful pie. Got a vegan roast? Cut it into small cubes for hearty texture and protein. A layer of leftover mashed potatoes would be great while any extra veggies like green beans, carrots, peas, corn, or roasted Brussels sprouts can be tossed right in as long as they’re not coated in heavy sauces.
Then comes the magic, adding leftover stuffing on top. Since it’s already fully cooked, it can brown quickly in the oven so to prevent it from burning, loosely cover the pie with foil for the first part of baking, then uncover it toward the end so the stuffing gets perfectly golden and crisp without going too dark. It’s an easy way that turns holiday meal leftovers into a showstopper.
Check out my other holiday sides and dessert recipes!
- Perfect vegan mashed potatoes.
- Vegan Leftover Stuffing and Potato Cakes.
- Vegan No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake.
- Perfect Vegan Pumpkin Pie.
- Curried Roasted Vegetable Soup.
- Vegan Pumpkin Whoopie Pies.
My stuffing pot pie with its savory topping is the ultimate cool weather comfort food. Instead of a traditional crust, the golden, flavorful stuffing bakes up on top of a creamy, veggie-packed filling for a festive twist everyone will love. It’s hearty enough to be the main event, yet pairs beautifully with all your favorite sides. Whether you make it ahead or serve it hot from the oven, this dish brings all the cozy fall flavors together in one pan. For an easy variation, try using a gluten-free stuffing mix or swap in cornbread stuffing for extra flavor. However you make it, this pot pie is sure to be a fall and winter favorite (and great for Thanksgiving!). Don’t forget to rate and review if you try it!
Vegan Stuffing Pot Pie — A Thanksgiving-Inspired Classic
8
servings30
minutes40
minutesThis vegan stuffing pot pie is cozy, hearty, and perfect beyond Thanksgiving as it’s an easy comfort-food dinner using classic stuffing flavors.
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Ingredients
1 9-10” vegan pie crust, store bought or homemade
2 cups vegan chick’n pieces, cooked and set aside
- Pie Filling
2 medium sized carrots, sliced in half and sliced into semi-circles or diced
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 medium to large onion, chopped medium sized dice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 tablespoons vegan butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 1/2 cups vegan vegetable broth
1 cup frozen peas
2/3 cup vegan heavy cream (see notes)
- Stuffing Topping
2-3 cups vegan stuffing, homemade (my recipe here) or packaged and prepared, but do not bake as it will bake on top of the pie
Directions
- If using a store bought crust you can use it from frozen. If using homemade, make sure it’s well chilled.
- Prepare the stuffing according to my recipe or if using store bought, prepare and let cool.
- Cook the chick’n pieces separately (cooking them directly in the filling might make them too mushy). I cooked mine in the air fryer but you could pan fry them as well. If you want to season them a little, feel free. Set aside.
- Filling
- To make the filling, start by melting the vegan butter in a heavy bottomed pan large enough to hold all of the ingredients. Over medium heat, add the onions, carrots and celery and cook until translucent for about 5 to minutes stirring occasionally so they don’t burn. Add the garlic, salt, pepper and thyme and cook for a minute longer.
- Add the flour to the pan and cook for a minute or two to remove the raw flour taste then add the broth slowly stirring constantly until combined and the mixture starts to thicken. This should take a few minutes. Add the heavy cream and peas then turn the heat to low and simmer for 5-8 minutes until thick. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Add the chick’n pieces and combine then set aside to cool slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil to catch any drips.
- Add the cooled filling mixture to the pie shell. Spoon the stuffing mixture over the top pressing in slightly and mounding it as you go. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 45-40 minutes. Check at around 25 minutes and if the stuffing and crust edges are browning too quickly, cover with a piece of foil. You should see some gravy bubble along the edges inward when done. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.
- Reheat as desired. Any leftovers should keep well in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- A lot of frozen pie crusts are accidentally vegan. Just look at the ingredients and avoid anything with lard.
- Vegan heavy cream options are offered from brands like Country Crock, Violife, Califia, Silk and even coconut cream could be used (some have commented that they couldn’t taste the coconut in the final dish but some are more sensitive to the taste than others).
- You can use a plain vegan chick’n or even chopped up vegan holiday roast would be great in this.
- I use Diamond Crystals kosher salt for my recipes which is a bit softer in flavor. If using regular salt you may want to reduce it a bit or to your own taste.
- I used dried thyme but you could substitute poultry seasoning.
- You can use any stuffing mix you’d like as a lot are accidentally vegan. Just prepare according to the package directions but do not bake obviously as it will bake on top of the pie. Same goes for my homemade stuffing. Just prepare then add to the top of the pie to bake.
- Want to make this ahead in advance? See my tips in the recipe post above for freezing and reheating.
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This looks great. Since thanksgiving is just my excuse to eat stuffing, I might make this with a stuffing crust bottom. 🙂
Haha love it!
Easy to make and delicious.
So good. I made the stuffing as well. Highly recommend doing that. Taste like the holidays
My non vegan husband loved it.
One note my grocery store didn’t have the whipping cream so I used soy milk and worked perfect.
Love that you used a regular vegan milk and that it worked fine so I appreciate the review and recipe testing!
Can one make the pie filling a day ahead and then combine and bake the next day?
Absolutely! I would assemble right before baking though so the crust doesn’t become soggy. Great question, thanks!
How delicious! Made this as a test run to see if it’s what I’ll have for Thanksgiving this year, and I definitely will be! I’m looking forward to trying more recipes! (Side note: if you’re having leftovers, definitely take the time to reheat it in the oven as a microwave will render the stuffing quite chewy)
Thanks so much for the great review and am so glad to be a small part of your Thanksgiving celebration!
Hi. What brand of “chicken” did you use?
It’s in the post. I mention I used Gardein Ultimate vegan chicken strips and also mention other brands you might want to consider. Enjoy!
Instead of vegan chicken, could one use potatoes? I am not a big fan of the vegan “meats.”
Thank you!
Sure that’s a great idea! Mushrooms would also be great in this too I think!
I think chopped soy curls marinated in some Better than Bouillon no chicken broth base and water and baked (at 375 degrees for 15 minutes) first would be delicious in this recipe. Will make for our family “Black Friday” vegan Thanksgiving!
Love soy curls and great choice!
Absolutely delicious!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for the review.
To make gluten free would a tofu work?
You can use whatever protein substitute you’d like but tofu can get spongy so I would cook it first separately before adding to the filling like I did with the vegan chickn I used. Some people press tofu to remove moisture so it’s meatier and firmer so that might be advised as well. Enjoy!
So easy and SO delicious! While I didn’t use vegan options, I did go vegetarian. Can’t believe how easy this to make it. It will definitely be a staple in our house!
Thanks so much for the kind review! So glad you enjoyed it!
How do you think homemade sourdough would work instead of white bread?
I just made this and my non vegan husband thought it was great. I used soy curls for my chicken. I also made mashed potatoes and used that as a layer before the stuffing. I didn’t have vegan cream so I set aside one half cup of cooked potatoes before making the mashed potatoes, and blended them with half cup of water and half cup of almond milk to make a creamy liquid that thickened up the chicken. This was a 10 out of 10. All the best parts of a holiday meal in one. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Wow that’s fantastic! Love the remix and that it worked so well! Appreciate the great review!
Do you think I could substitute Coconut milk from the can for the vegan Heavy cream. I won’t be able to find the cream where I live
You could, but it will lend a coconut flavor to it so if you’re ok with that by all means use it. You could alternately thin out some vegan sour cream as a substitute as well with plain vegan milk if you can find that near you. Hope that helps!
Hi! I used coconut milk and it did not change the flavor at all!
That’s great to know, thank you!
Quick question- if I’m making your stuffing to use for this, would I do the full baking step in that recipe, then bake again with this recipe?
No, if baking on top of the pie don’t bake it first. You’d only bake the stuffing on its own if you were only making stuffing as that’s a separate recipe. Hope that helps!
I also made this ahead of Thanksgiving! It was so good. I used soy curls marinated in vegan chicken stock, then cooked them like you suggested in the air fryer.
Thanks for the wonderful recipe!! Will be making this again.Everyone loved it!
Love soy curls! Great idea and so glad you enjoyed it. Happy Thanksgiving!
I ended up using store bought crust and stuffing but this was amazing. 10 out of 10 would make again and recommend to everyone.
Thank you so much for the great review! So glad you enjoyed it!
SO good – made it for my hubby for Thanksgiving …PERFECT!!
I’ll take perfect! Thanks so much for the kind review!
Made this for Thanksgiving dinner and it turned out amazing!! I am gluten free so I made the stuffing with schar brand baguettes and wholly wholesome pie crusts. My partner and I are obsessed with how tasty these are. Highly recommend making!!
Love that you made it gluten free. So happy you liked it and so appreciate the kind review!
Made for Friendsgiving and it was amazing. Actually made 2 so we could have one for leftovers at home 🤤 I used the Gardein Ultimate “chicken” strips and air fried them before adding to the pot pie mixture and added some fresh sage as well.
Love it. Making two was a good call! So glad you enjoyed it!
Delicious. I ended up using 1/3 of a cup of vegan heavy cream because I was afraid the coconut taste was going to be overpowering (I used silk heavy whipping cream). Came out so TASTY. My stuffing came out a little too browned, so I woke definitely use a very most stuffing on top just check earlier than the 20 minute mark
I think the heavy cream works best as well. So glad you enjoyed it!
Great recipe! I made this as my main Thanksgiving dish and it came out perfect, no changes to the recipe. I used a store-bought crust so it was quick to make with minimal dishes to clean. Will make again as a regular pot pie without the stuffing. It looked great on the table!
So happy you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for the great review!
This was super simple and so delicious. I made it for a bunch of meat-eaters and everyone had a very large second helping! Added extra veggies for more nutrition for the kids who usually eat only the pie crust and they ate every last bit of it too. Thanks for the recipe!
Love it and cheers to extra hidden veggies! Great idea! Thanks for the lovely review.
This recipe is absolutely delicious I will definitely be making this again and again!! I added garbanzo beans and mushrooms and a large potato 😋 thanks for the easy and delicious recipe!!!!!
That sounds like a delicious remix! Thanks for the nice review.
This was a perfect Thanksgiving centerpiece – delicious! I didn’t see the earlier comment and I baked the stuffing so it got twice baked, but still came out great!
Haha love it. Well now we know that works too! So glad you enjoyed it.
OMG! I absolutely love this recipe! It turned out so great. It will be my go to vegan Thanksgiving dish going forward. Thank you for a great dish.
Wow thank you. So glad you enjoyed it and that I was a small part of your celebration. Appreciate the love!
Wow so nostalgic tasting & delicious!!
It reminded me of the little pot pies I ate as a kid. Some of my stuffing was still a little soggy. I think I may have layered it in too thick.
So glad you enjoyed it!
I had some ingredients leftover from the holidays and since I travel in an RV I needed to use them up. This recipe is killer. I will not have some leftovers for the week!
It’s such a comforting dish and not only for the holidays! So glad you enjoyed it.
Soooo delicious!! Will definitely be making this again!
Thanks for the kind review, I appreciate it!
Hi, this recipe sounds amazing and really looking forward to making it! Can I make this pie 2 weeks ahead and freeze it for thanksgiving?
I think that should be fine! This freezes really well so I would either make it up to the point of baking, place a piece of parchment on top of the stuffing then wrap well in plastic or foil then in a plastic bag to freeze. If you bake it off then you could also freeze it but I think it would be better to freeze before baking then let it thaw in the fridge for a day or two then bake it off. Hope that helps!
Made this last Thanksgiving, and it was a huge hit. So tasty, and evoked the total Thanksgiving flavor profile. I used soy curls that I rehydrated in veggie broth seasoned with poultry seasoning and the Trader Joe’s cream. So worth it! Thank you!
Love that! Soy curls are a great choice!
You wanted my honest opinion so here it is. Two days after making this for the first time, I am enjoying the last serving of it for breakfast. Let’s call it lunch. This is my new definition of comfort food. I crave this taste and today I will make my second dish of it. I love it that much. I followed the recipe to the letter, I’m not that brave, and it was love at first taste. Thank you. I needed this.
Thank you for this honest and lovely review! So glad you enjoyed it!
Great recipe, and super easy to make
So happy you enjoyed it!
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Made this as a test for our family Thanksgiving potluck, which will be in a couple of weeks. Wow-wee this was incredible!! I made a few changes to work for our family. First of all, I soaked 1 1/2 cups of soy curls in Better than Bouillon no chicken broth base and water, then I drained them and airfried them at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. I chopped them up and set them aside to add at the end. I used a premade vegan pie crust (try to find the biggest one you can!), and I also bought and used a vegan herb stuffing mix I found at Aldi. Instead of cooking the onions and celery to add to the stuffing (because I was afraid the grandkids wouldn’t like it), I just mixed 2 cups of stuffing mix with 1 1/2 tablespoons of melted vegan butter and one cup of veggie broth. I used that stuffing for the topping of the pie. Instead of vegan cream bought from the store, I replaced it with homemade cashew cream (1/2 cup raw cashews blended smoothly with 1/2 cup water in my Vitamix cup blender.). I used only 4 tablespoons of vegan butter (could probably use even less) to cook the onions, carrots, and celery, and I also only used 1/4 cup of flour in the filling sauce instead of 1/3 cup . Came out perfectly! We will make this for years to come!
Love how you made it your own! All great choices as it’s so adaptable! Thanks for the great review.
Very Delicious! Easy to make. I made my own gf stuffing for the topping. Looking forward to making again for this Thanksgiving!
Thank you
So glad you enjoyed it and good to know it works gluten-free!
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Do i need to put slits in the poe shell?
Hi there! It’s only a bottom crust so no, that doesn’t need docking or slits as you’d only do that if baking it blind to fill later. Adding holes to it with this type of filling would likely make it soggy so I wouldn’t suggest doing that. Hope that helps!
Made this for Thanksgiving lunch today any it was great! I changed it up a bit and used root veggies with frozen peas. Prepped soy curls and the stuffing the day before.
Love that! It’s so customizable, so thanks for sharing how you made it your own!
This recipe is wonderful. I made two pot pies. One with the stuffing topping and one with a puff pastry topping and both were delicious. I made them after thanksgiving to repurpose all of the leftovers, so I threw in butternut squash, green beans, and mashed potatoes remnants along with the celery, chicken etc. So good! Even a non-vegan said it was the best pot pie they’ve ever had. And it was a great way to turn leftovers into a meal that didn’t taste like the same Thanksgiving meal we’ve been eating three nights in a row. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for taking the time to review and I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Your additions sound great!
A holiday hit for ALL diners!! Out of 10 guests, 2 of us were vegan, and everyone RAVED about this pot pie!! I made 2 pies, one was gluten free. The stuffing on top was sooo delicious – I used your famous stuffing recipe, thank you! I used Just Meat Chicken, and it was perfection in the main pie. Cooked, sliced into small chunks, yummy! The pie itself is creamy and using the suggested bouillon really does make a difference. This is a keeper in MY books! Many thanks, and Happy Vegan Holidays! I’ll also be mentioning this in our December podcast, The T&A Party…plants, positivity, and a party! ;D
Love all of this! Thank you so much and so glad everyone enjoyed it.
I made this and it was FANTASTIC! I used a boxed stuffing because it’s what we had. My local store didn’t have non-dairy heavy cream so I made cashew cream and it was a perfect substitute. I cubed 2 cups of our tofurkey roast because it’s wjat we had. I will say this made ALOT of filling. I used 2qty 9″ deep dish store bought crusts and this recipe filled both pie crusts. I froze one to have later. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you!!
Love your additions and so glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe is amazing! I couldn’t believe how delicious it is. Note: I am not vegan, but my daughter recently became vegan so we’ve been trying some different recipes. I made this alongside my traditional double crust turkey pot pie and this was by far tastier than my usual pot pie with meat! I did add about a cup of diced peeled potatoes but otherwise followed the recipe. So so good. Thank you!
Wow, what a review! Thanks so much and I’m glad you took the time to review and so happy it edged out the other pie! Appreciate it so much.
Third time making this for Christmas dinner and once again, everyone raved about! Had to make it in a 9×9 deep dish square glass casserole this time and I think I like it even better this way! Any way you make it, it’s 100% a hit!
That’s a great idea about the casserole dish! So glad you enjoy it and thanks for the kind review!