Mini vegetable pot pie is the perfect entrée option for a winter dinner or holiday gathering.
These adorable little pies are packed with vegetables and chickpeas in a luxuriously creamy cashew sauce.
There’s something extra special about an individual pot pie.
It feels like a present.
“You made this just for me?”
A saucy filling is loaded with onions, carrots, celery, green peas, potatoes, and chickpeas.
Unbelievably, the creamy sauce is made without a drop of dairy! It gets its body by way of raw cashews.
Then it’s finished with a flaky, buttery crust on top.
Each bite feels so comforting and cozy.
Perfect for a chilly winter day!
And it’s eye-catching enough it can easily be served on holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas.
These delectable pot pies can satisfy any guest.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need for the pot pie dough.
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Dried rosemary
- Vegan butter
- Ice water
- White wine vinegar (or rice vinegar)
Here are the ingredients you will need for the pot pie filling.
- Raw cashews
- Water
- Extra virgin olive oil (or your preferred neutral-flavored oil)
- Chopped onion
- Minced garlic
- Sliced celery
- Dried herbs: Rosemary & basil
- Bouillon (Better Than Bouillon, no chicken base is my favorite)
- Sliced carrots
- Chopped potatoes
- Green peas (fresh or frozen)
- Salt
- Chickpeas (Reserve the liquid from inside the can to use as vegan egg wash!)
Pot pie containers
For the pot pie containers, I like to use 8-ounce mini cocottes.
8-ounce ramekins will also work.
Whatever you use, just make sure they’re oven safe.
(Looking for another use for your mini cocottes? Make vegan feta cheese!)
Step by step instructions
Here’s how to make this veggie pot pie recipe at a glance.
For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
1. Combine the following in a mixing bowl:
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Dried rosemary
2. Add non-dairy butter. Combine with fingers until it has the texture of small pebbles.
3. Combine ice water and white wine vinegar in a small bowl.
4. Add the water/vinegar mixture to the flour. Use your hands to combine the wet & dry mixtures until a dough ball has formed.
Wrap in plastic wrap & move to the refrigerator to cool.
5. Combine the following in a high-speed blender:
- Raw cashews
- Water
Blend until smooth.
(Don’t have a high-speed blender? Check out the workarounds in the notes section of the recipe box.)
6. Sauté onions in soup pot with oil until softened & fragrant.
7. Add the following:
- Garlic
- Celery
- Dried rosemary
- Dried basil
Sauté a minute more.
Then add:
- Water
- Bouillon
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Green peas
- Salt
- Drained chickpeas
Bring to a simmer & cook about 7 minutes.
8. Add cashew cream from blender & cook 5 minutes more.
9. Ladle pot pie filling into cocottes or ramekins.
10. Roll out pie dough thin. It needs to be able to cover 5 pot pies. Use a biscuit cutter or cocotte lid as a guide to cut circles.
11. Put individual crusts onto each pot pie. Pinch around the edges to seal. Cut slits into each pot pie. Brush the tops with chickpea liquid (aquafaba) for better browning.
12. Bake mini vegan pot pies on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, until golden brown.
Make it your own
You can make this recipe your own by varying the ingredients or amounts.
- Replace onions with leeks or shallots
- Replace water + bouillon with 1 ½ cups of vegetable broth or vegetable stock in the filling
- Replace Russet potatoes with yellow potatoes or sweet potatoes
- Replace any of the veggies with an equal amount of corn, green beans, mushrooms, or cauliflower
- Replace chickpeas with Great Northern beans, cannellini beans, or 8-ounces of chicken-style seitan
- Instead of brushing the tops with aquafaba, brush with melted vegan butter or liquid Just Egg
- Instead of making individual pot pies, make a full-sized vegan pot pie
Serving ideas
Mini vegetable pot pies are such an eye-catching main course.
Plus, they’re already packed with good-for-you ingredients.
Fill out the meal with any of the following side dishes:
- Fall salad with apples
- Spinach salad with pecans
- Salad with persimmons & delicata squash
- Sautéed kale
- Roasted cabbage
- Roasted Brussels sprouts with apples
Storage & reheating
Pot pies are at their creamiest & sauciest when they are fresh out of the oven. However, they are still delicious reheated.
Loosely cover pot pies in cling wrap, and refrigerate.
They will keep for 3 or 4 days.
Reheat in the microwave until warm.
Mini vegetable pot pies
Ingredients
For pot pie crust
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 6 Tablespoons non-dairy butter
- 2 Tablespoons ice water
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
For pot pie filling
- ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons raw cashews
- 2 cups water divided
- ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil or other neutral-flavored oil
- 1 cup chopped onion in medium pieces
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup sliced celery
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon, no chicken base or vegetable bouillon cube
- ½ cup thinly sliced carrots cut into coins
- 1 medium Russet potato about 6 ounces, chopped in small to medium pieces
- ½ cup green peas fresh or frozen
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas drained (Don't discard bean liquid; reserve it for later use in this recipe)
Instructions
To make pot pie crust
- In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to combine all purpose flour with salt and dried rosemary.
- Add non-dairy butter. Using your fingers, fully combine the flour with the non-dairy butter until it has the texture of small pebbles.
- In a small separate bowl, combine ice water and white wine vinegar.
- Add the water/vinegar mixture to the mixing bowl with flour. Use your hands to combine the wet and dry mixtures until one ball of dough has formed. It should be smooth and not sticky.
- For easiest rolling, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour. If you don't have time, it's okay to skip this step, but the dough won't roll quite as easily.
To make the pot pie filling
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Put the raw cashews into a high-speed blender with ½ cup of water. Blend until it is a completely smooth, thick cashew cream. Set aside.(Don't have a high-speed blender? See the notes section for workarounds.)
- Bring a soup pot to a medium heat with extra virgin olive oil. Saute onion in oil for about 5 minutes, until it has softened slightly and is fragrant.
- Add garlic, celery, dried rosemary, dried basil, and saute for a minute more.
- Add remaining 1 ½ cups water, vegetable bouillon, carrots, potato, green peas, salt, and drained chickpeas. Bring to a simmer. Then lower heat, cover, and cook for 7 minutes, until the potato has softened slightly.
- Add cashew cream from blender and cook for 5 minutes more over a low medium heat, so that the cashew cream can reduce slightly and flavors can combine. Stir occasionally.
- Use a ladle to put even amounts of the pot pie filling into each 8-ounce cocotte or ramekin. Using fingers or a pastry brush, spread a thin layer of the saved chickpea liquid onto the top edge of the cocottes.
- Roll out the pot pie dough with a rolling pin. It should be thin enough that you can get 5 mini tops for each pot pie. (You may need to gather the scraps and roll out again for the fifth pot pie lid. That's fine.) You can use a biscuit cutter to cut out the tops. Or use a knife and a cocotte lid or extra ramekin as a guide to trace. If you use the cocotte lids/ramekins as a guide, you may need to roll each one out a little bit further to fully cover the pot pie.
- Put an individual crust onto each cocotte and pinch around the edges to seal. Use a sharp knife to put a few vent holes into the top of each pot pie. Use fingers or pastry brush again to lightly spread chickpea liquid across the top of each crust for better browning.
- Put the cocottes/ramekins on a baking sheet, so that if the pot pie filling bubbles over, it will fall onto the baking sheet and not the oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes. When they are ready, the tops will be a nutty brown color. Remove from oven and allow the pot pies to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. (The filling will be quite hot.)
Notes
- Grind dry raw cashews in a clean coffee grinder until they are the texture of flour. Then add it to your standard blender with water.
- Put raw cashews in a bowl & soak them in water for several hours to soften. Then drain & continue with the recipe as written.
- Boil raw cashews in water for about 10 minutes. Then drain & continue with the recipe as written.
Nutrition
Content, photos, and recipe updated November 30, 2022. Originally posted December 8, 2016.
Dianne's Vegan Kitchen
This little potpies are so cute!! They look far better than those frozen ones I grew up on. I have yet to try to make potpies myself, but you make it look so easy, so I’m going to need to try your recipe.
Cadry
Thanks, Dianne! Yes, you should definitely give these pot pies a whirl. There are a few steps involved, but nothing you couldn’t handle.
Shell
The potpies are adorable! They are the perfect meal for the weather we are having this week. Lots of yummy stuff in one cute dish.
Cadry
Thanks, Shell! Yes, this cold weather calls for something cozy and warming. Just add a simple salad or sauteed greens, and you’ve got a whole meal!
Becky Striepe
This looks like such a cozy meal, Cadry! Miniature food is the best!
Cadry
I agree! There’s something so fun & special about miniature food.
Susan
Yum! Even though it is summer here, it is raining today and that is making me want to eat cold weather food.
Cadry
Ha! That sounds like the PERFECT way to enjoy cold weather food. Pot pie with rain today, sunning at the beach tomorrow! 😀
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
Your pot pies look amazing, Cadry! I haven’t had a pot pie in years!
Cadry
Thanks, Amy! It sounds like it’s time to remedy that. 😀
The Vegan 8
These are just beautiful Cadry! I absolutely love veggie pot pies and I can almost smell and taste yours. They look incredibly delicious! What a fantastic recipe, I’d really like some in front of me right now!
Cadry
Thank you, Brandi! <3
Mel | avirtualvegan.com
Oh my these pies look so delicious! I love that creamy filling and if it’s got pastry its always a winner for me too!
Cadry
I totally agree. Who can refuse something topped with pastry? 🙂
Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite
These are SO cute! And they look delicious. I love that they are mini. Perfect for a small party!
Cadry
Thanks, Sophia! These would be great for a holiday dinner party, and it wouldn’t be hard to double everything to make more.
Dreena Burton
Something about pot pies gives a message that love went into the meal. These look just perfect, that crust!! Also, why don’t I have an ugly Christmas sweater??!!
Cadry
You’re absolutely right, Dreena! Pot pies feel so homey. You’ll have to get on finding the perfect ugly sweater! There are lots of good ones available now.
Alisa
I love personal serve dinners like this and pot pies sound so fulfilling with the drizzly weather outside. May need to whip these up!
Cadry
Yes, there’s something about personal-sized things that ups the fun factor. If you make them, I hope you enjoy them, Alisa!
Vegan Heaven
This sounds so yummy! I love all the great veggies in it. 🙂
Cadry
Thanks! Yes, all of those veggies plus beans & potatoes makes it a meal on its own!
Sarah
So once upon a time I told Irving (on the phone) that I was making pot pie for dinner and he heard “pad Thai.” Ha! He was very confused when he came home and saw what we were really having! Pot Pie is a total favorite comfort food of mine—love this!
Cadry
Haha! Yes, you can’t get much more dissimilar than pot pie and pad Thai! No wonder he was confused.
Janis Ware
I made this tonight, and it is SO GOOD! I do not have little dishes so made it in a regular pie tin. It turned out really well. My husband mentioned how good it was at least three times! I grew up eating Swanson’s Chicken Pot Pies, and I am thrilled to have this delicious recipe to enjoy that is cruelty free and contains fresh ingredients. Thanks, Cadry!
Cadry
I’m so thrilled to hear this, Janis! I’m glad that you and your husband enjoyed it. It’s amazing how much “chicken” flavor is really all about the seasonings. I grew up eating pot pies too, and I love this cruelty-free version so much more for every reason. Thanks for letting me know, Janis!
Jenn
I love pot pie – such comfort food. These are so cute in their little individual dishes. Perfect for a gathering.
Cadry
Thanks, Jenn! I’ve been meaning to make a recipe that would utilize my Le Creuset mini cocotte collection for a long while now. They are just too cute!
Randi
These look awesome!!
Cadry
Thanks, Randi!
Mary Ellen @ VNutrition
This looks perfect for a post-shoveling dinner! We’re supposed to get a few inches here this weekend – my husband would love it if I made this for after we get that work out!
Magdalen
It looks delicious. I don’t make pastry but that filling would be very good with brown rice .
Cadry
Absolutely, Magdalen! If you don’t want to make pastry, you can just eat it as soup after incorporating the cashew cream. Just skip steps 10 to 13. Or you can use pre-made vegan pie dough to simplify. One of my other readers did that and said it was great. 😀
Magdalen
Next time I’ll put a crust on it. I served this for a late lunch for my husband, grown up children and myself today. It was a big hit and I’ll make it again soon . I did use fresh rosemary but the dried would have been fine. Thank you for this tasty and filling recipe.
Cadry
I’m so glad to hear that you and your family enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know, Magdalen!
Kelly Taylor
This was AMAZING!!! It was one of the best recipes I have ever made – like ever. So delicious!!
My husband is from England, so he is very specific about his pot pie, and was not expecting to like this very much, and even he was raving (in a very English way of course 😉 ) — I don’t have small pots so I just added all to one larger pot and left in the over for 15 minutes extra and it was perfect!!
Vera
Thank you for this recipe we really enjoyed it!!
The pastry turned out so nice and flaky, it was a pleasure to look at and taste!! One of our new favorites.
Vera
Ooops, this wasn’t supposed to be a reply but a comment.
Cadry
I’m so happy to hear that, Vera! Thank you for letting me know!
Sandy
Can I skip some ingredients? example I don’t like green peas or celery so I would skip them
Cadry
You can skip green peas and celery. However, I’d recommend putting in a cup of vegetables you do like to replace them. If you leave them out entirely, it will be saucier because those vegetables add some bulk.
Dena
Would pecans work instead of cashews? We have a dinner guest who is allergic to cashews. The pot pie will be for a different guest but I try to keep cashews totally out of my house.
Cadry Nelson
Yes, it’s best to be cautious. Allergies are serious business. I’ve never tried the recipe with pecans, but I don’t think it would work. The cashews add creaminess/body to the sauce, and pecans are a lot heavier/denser. Macadamia nuts or blanched almonds would probably work.
But what I would most likely do is make the sauce with a gravy instead, using all purpose flour as a thickener, like is standard in most pot pies.
Mix the two cups of vegetable broth or water in the recipe with about 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour. Heat it in the soup pot with the vegetables, stirring often, until it thickens. This will take about 10 minutes. For additional creaminess, stir in about 1/4 cup of your preferred plain non-dairy milk.
I haven’t tried the recipe this way, but it should work. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Sascha
Those look sooooo yummy!
I’m thinking about making them for Xmas. Do you think I can make them the day before and just cook them on Xmas day or they would be fine if I just reheat them/finish cooking on Xmas day?
Cadry
Thanks, Sascha! I recommend making the filling and dough ahead of time, and then keeping them separate in the refrigerator. On Christmas Day, reheat the filling on the stove, roll out the dough, cut into circles, and bake everything fresh. Or if you’d rather do less work on Christmas Day, make them completely ahead of time, and then reheat on Christmas Day. Let me know how it goes!
Sascha
Thanks uou for the answer! I’ll let you know how it goes 😉
Laura
These pot pies were delicious! Thank you for the recipe. It was the perfect Christmas Eve dinner meal. Everyone loved it, even the non vegans. I doubled the dough so I could put dough on the bottom of the pie and sides. The vegan butter from Trader Joe’s was great for the pie crust.
Cadry
That’s so nice to hear, Laura! I’m thrilled that the pot pies were a hit with you and your guests.
Paul
I’ve been looking for a vegetarian pot pie recipe and your’s looks amazing! I am looking forward to trying it soon. I’m relatively new to cooking (beyond grilled cheese sandwiches) and have a few questions regarding the cookware I’m hoping you can help with:
1. Do the Le Creuset Mini Cocottes have 8oz capacity? They look beautiful, by the way.
2. In your experience, is 8oz large enough for a pot pie main meal (for most guys)? If not, what size would you recommend?
3. How would you rate the quality of the Le Creuset Mini Cocottes? Do they hold up well with respect to chipping, scratches etc.?
Thank you.
Paul
Cadry
Hi, Paul! Thanks for the kind words.
1. Yes, the mini cocottes have an 8 ounce capacity.
2. If you’re having the mini pot pie with other side dishes, it’s a nice size for one. If you have a big appetite or you’re eating it by itself, you may be happier with two of them. Did you notice that I also have a recipe for a full-sized version? If you made that, you could slice off the perfect sized portion to suit your hunger.
3. I’ve been really happy with my mini cocottes. I have them in a variety of colors, and they’ve all worn really well. No chips, no scratches. And I throw them in the dishwasher. Really convenient & sturdy!
Let me know how it goes, and happy cooking!
Andrea Loving
Is there a way to make the pies without cashews? My son is allergic to tree nuts. Thanks!
Cadry
Usually pot pie is made with gravy covering the vegetables. In this recipe, I make the gravy with a cashew cream basically. So you could go with the standard method instead, and do a combination of broth with flour as a thickener. When you get to the part of the recipe where you’d add the cashew cream, add two cups of vegetable broth that’s been whisked with about 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour. Heat it in the skillet, stirring often, until it thickens. This will take about 10 minutes. For additional creaminess, stir in about 1/4 cup of your preferred plain non-dairy milk. I haven’t tried the recipe this way, but it should work. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Annaliese
This recipe is DELICIOUS!!!
I can only hope that those that commented on how adorable the pot pies look actually made them because they are so much more than that!
Thank you for making comfort food so wonderful!❤️
Cadry
I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Thanks for the great feedback!