My Vegan Thanksgiving Pot Pie is the perfect centerpiece for any holiday table, 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.
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 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, Califiia, Country Crock and even Trader Joe’s has one available (it can also be called “whipping” cream but it’s the same thing). 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, Meati, Alpha, 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? Yes, you can freeze pot pie before or after baking. If freezing before baking, assemble the pie and wrap it tightly. When ready to bake, you may need to adjust the cooking time or let it thaw in the fridge overnight before baking.
- 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 make pot pie in advance? Yes, you can prepare the filling and crust in advance. Assemble the pie and either bake it right away or store it in the fridge or freezer until ready to bake.
- 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.
I hope you enjoy my version of pot pie and it just may become a family favorite you make year after year. I certainly hope so and please rate and review if you try it!
Vegan Thanksgiving Pot Pie
Course: Holiday, Main Dishes, Mains, RecipesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Moderate
Servings
8
servingsPrep time
30
minutesCooking time
40
minutesA delicious vegan version of pot pie topped with savory stuffing!
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 Trader Joe’s!
- 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.
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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.
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!
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!
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!