Discover the charm of these mini pot pies, the epitome of wholesome dinner recipes. Their simple preparation makes them an easy weeknight meal, ensuring you spend less time in the kitchen and more with your loved ones. Using only plant-based ingredients, including vegan pie crusts, these pies are a testament to traditional whole foods cooking.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ultimate Comfort Food: These delightful mini pot pies are classic comfort food, offering a creamy sauce and mixed vegetables in a flaky crust.
- Meal Prep Friendly: A great recipe for meal prep, they store well in an airtight container, maintaining their deliciousness for days.
- Nutrition-Packed: Filled with veggies that support mental and physical health.
- Versatile: With options like using puff pastry sheets or crescent roll dough, you can customize the top crust to your preference.
Ingredients
These classic ingredients come together to make delicious mini pot pies.
- Vegan Pie Crust: A foundational element that provides a flaky, golden base and topping for the pies.
- Avocado Oil: A heart-healthy oil that adds a subtle, buttery flavor while sautéing the vegetables, enhancing the overall taste profile.
- Yellow Onion: Offers a sweet, aromatic base that infuses the pot pies with a depth of flavor essential for building the savory filling.
- Garlic: Contributes a pungent, zesty kick that complements and elevates the other ingredients, imbuing the pies with its unmistakable aroma.
- Herbs: Black pepper, thyme, basil, and rosemary ensures the whole pot pie is packed with flavor.
- Potatoes: Provide a hearty, comforting texture and act as a thickener for the filling, giving substance and satiety to each bite.
- Carrots: Add a touch of sweetness and a vibrant color, contributing to the nutritional value and visual appeal.
- Celery: Offers a crisp texture and a subtle, earthy flavor that balances the richness of the other ingredients, adding a fresh dimension.
- Peas: Introduce pops of sweetness and a tender texture, enhancing the pie filling with their bright color and delicate flavor.
- Water
- Vegetable Bouillon: Concentrates the essence of vegetables into a potent flavor booster, enriching the filling with a robust, savory depth.
- Chickpeas: Bring a protein-rich heartiness to the pies, offering a satisfying chew and nutty undertones that mesh well with the vegetables.
- Almond Milk: Unsweetened almond milk adds a creamy consistency to the filling.
- Flour: Acts as a thickener, transforming the liquid ingredients into a sumptuous, cohesive filling that envelops the veggies in creamy sauce.
- Salt
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step-by-step photos make this mini traditional pot pie recipe a breeze.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Pour avocado oil into a medium Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Sauté onion for 4-6 minutes until it is semi-translucent.
- Add garlic, herbs, potatoes, carrots, celery, peas, water, and bouillon, and cook covered for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in beans, almond milk, flour, and salt. Let simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally as the mixture thickens.
- Prepare Coconut Oil Pie Crust, grease mini Dutch ovens, and par-bake bottom crusts while the mixture thickens.
- Transfer mixture into mini Dutch ovens.
- Cut out pie crust circles. Place a mini Dutch oven lid on top of pie dough and cut out a circle slightly larger than the lid. Place pie dough circle on top of each pot pie, form edges, and cut slits in the top.
- Bake pot pie on the middle rack for 20 minutes. If the crust edges are golden, add an aluminum foil pie shield. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the center of the crust is golden brown.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Variations
Enjoy this easy dinner recipe as is make adjustments as needed.
- Dough: This recipe uses homemade pie crust. However, the mini pie crusts can be made from store-bought crust, biscuit dough, puff pastry, or even crescent roll dough.
- Oil: The recipe uses avocado oil. However, I always recommend using whatever you have on hand, such as olive oil, coconut oil, cooking spray, or even vegan melted butter.
- Herbs: The herb combo in these homemade mini pies is divine. However, using fresh herbs is always welcome.
- Garlic Powder: If you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, garlic powder will work in a pinch.
- Veggies: The main veggies in these personal-sized pot pies are carrots, celery, peas, and potatoes. However, I always recommend using what you have on hand, whether it be green beans, cauliflower, or zucchini.
Servings Ideas
Perfect as an easy family dinner, these mini pot pies can be served in individual Dutch ovens, ramekins, mason jars, or even baked in a muffin tin. They’re also fantastic for gatherings, allowing guests to enjoy their own little portion of this classic comfort food. Here are some delicious recipes to pair with these mini vegan pot pies.
- Vegetables: Pair these personal-sized pot pies with a vegetable side dish. This Roasted Asparagus, Easy Canned Corn, or Easy Canned Green Bean recipe are excellent choices.
- Soups: Make this Traditional Minestrone, Easy Vegan Broccoli Soup, Vegan Cabbage Soup, Carrot Ginger Soup, or Easy Vegetable Soup recipe.
- Bread: This Rosemary Bread and Easy Sandwich Bread would be excellent paired with these small pot pies.
Storage Tips
For best results, store these individual pot pies at room temperature initially to cool down, then transfer them to an airtight container.
Covering the top with aluminum foil is a good option if cooking them in mini Dutch ovens or individual ramekins. However, remember that this is not an “airtight container” so they won’t keep as long this way. If leftovers are transferred to an airtight container, they can be kept in the fridge for around 4 days.
Leftovers can also be frozen in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to a month.
FAQ
In the UK, pot pies are similar, often just called pies, emphasizing their hearty, filling nature.
Shepherd’s pie features a mashed potato topping and no crust, whereas pot pies boast a flaky pastry shell.
Ensure they’re fully cooled, then wrap individually and store in the freezer, maintaining their taste and texture for when you crave a comforting meal.
Recipe
Mini Pot Pies
Ingredients
- 1 Vegan Pie Crust
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 cup Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
- 2 carrots, peeled & diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1/2 cup peas, frozen
- 1 cup water + vegetable bouillon
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Pour avocado oil into a medium Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Sauté onion for 4-6 minutes until it is semi-translucent.
- Add garlic, herbs, potatoes, carrots, celery, peas, water, and bouillon, and cook covered for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in beans, almond milk, flour, and salt. Let simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally as the mixture thickens.
- Prepare pie crust, grease your mini Dutch ovens, and par-bake bottom crusts while the mixture thickens.
- Transfer mixture into mini Dutch ovens.
- Cut out pie crust circles. Place a mini Dutch oven lid on top of pie dough and cut out a circle slightly larger than the lid. Place pie dough circle on top of each pot pie, form edges, and cut slits in the top.
- Bake pot pie on the middle rack for 20 minutes. If the crust edges are golden, add an aluminum foil pie shield. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the center of the crust is golden brown. (Pro tip: place the pot pie on a baking sheet. This will catch any overflow and make clean up a breeze.)
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
This is my go-to pot pie recipe. It’s delicious and is also the perfect amount for a 9″ pie pan too. So, I can either make them as single serve or the more classic way.
Excellent. Glad you enjoy it.