This easy and delicious dairy free chicken pot pie is packed with a creamy chicken and vegetable filling, making it the perfect comfort food. Without the need for cream, this chicken pie becomes healthier without compromising on flavour. Simple enough for a weeknight or a cosy weekend, this recipe is sure to quickly become a family favourite.
If you love my dairy free creamy chicken soup, then this is essentially that, but in pie form!
This chicken pot pie is such a straightforward and satisfying dairy free comfort food. It’s one of my favourite things to make when I’m unsure of what to have for dinner. They’re also a great way to use up leftover meat and vegetables from the fridge in a fun and creative way. It’s the ultimate cosy-season dinner, and is perfect for a chilly weeknight or for a relaxed weekend meal.
This pie is simple because it uses store bought puff pastry for the crust, with just a pastry layer on top. You can also use store bought rotisserie chicken for the filling, or any leftover roast chicken you have. It’s also a brilliant way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey, so keep it in mind when you’ve got extra to use.
I wanted to create a creamy chicken pot pie that anyone avoiding dairy could enjoy, because a good dairy free version can be surprisingly hard to find. So instead of milk or cream, I use oat milk and dairy free butter to build a thick and creamy sauce. The filling gets so much flavour from the vegetables, thyme and garlic, and it always surprises me just how good such simple ingredients can be when they cook together.
I like to make this as a large, family-sized pie, but you can also portion it out into individual ramekins to create proper little pot pies, which are so fun and cute!
Key Ingredients
You really don’t need anything complicated to make this simple chicken pot pie dairy free, just a few key ingredients.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chicken – I like to poach chicken breasts as part of my meal prep so that I have cooked chicken to be used in recipes. You can also use leftover roast chicken or supermarket rotisserie chicken.
- Vegetables – I am using a combination of onions, carrots and celery to build flavour.
- Garlic – adding just a bit of garlic adds so much flavour to the filling.
- Thyme – thyme is a classic herb combination for chicken pot pie. You can use either fresh or dried or substitute with parsley if you like.
- Plain flour/all purpose flour – is our thickening agent, helping to create a beautiful creamy sauce.
- Dairy free milk – I like to use oat milk but almond milk or soy milk are also great alternatives.
- Dairy free butter – cooking the vegetables in dairy free butter not only adds flavour but also combines with the flour and dairy free milk to create a roux which is what the creamy sauce is based on.
- Frozen peas – added to the filling at the end to give some colour and freshness.
- Puff pastry – allow the pastry to thaw at room temperature for about 15 minutes before using. If it gets too warm, just pop it back into the fridge before placing it over your filling.
👉 Tip! If you can, opt for fresh herbs for this recipe. While dried thyme is a perfectly fine alternative if that is all you have, fresh thyme or fresh parsley will elevate the flavour of this simple dish and really ensure it’s tasting it’s delicious best.
You’ll also love: Creamy Chicken and Leek Pie
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make this dairy free chicken pot pie you have two stages, making the filling and then baking the pie.
To get started, preheat the oven and prep and chop all of your vegetables. You can also get out your puff pastry sheets to allow them to thaw.
Step 1: Melt the dairy free butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for another minute or two.
Step 2: Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir well to coat. Gradually pour in the dairy free milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps, and keep stirring until the mixture thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 3: Stir the chicken and frozen peas through the creamy sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then set the filling aside to cool.
Step 4: Add the cooled filling to your pie dish and spread it out evenly.
Step 5: Gently lay the puff pastry over the filling and trim off any excess from the edges. Press down the edges to seal, then cut a few small slits in the top to let the steam escape. Brush the pastry with a beaten egg.
Step 6: Bake for around 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and flaky. Let the pie cool for a few minutes before cutting into it and serving while hot.
Note: Depending on the size of your dish you may need one or two sheets of pastry.
👉 If you’d like to make individual pot pies, portion the filling into ramekins and top each with pastry. They’ll need a little less time in the oven, around 20 to 25 minutes, so just watch for the pastry to turn golden.
Storage and freezing instructions
- Make Ahead: You can prepare the filling ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to bake, simply assemble the pie and bake as directed.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: You can either freeze just the pie filling on its own or freeze the assembled, unbaked pie for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: To reheat, place in the oven at 180°C (350°F) until heated through. You can also reheat the pie in the microwave but just beware that the pastry topping will be soft and a little soggy.
Serving suggestions
When making this dairy free chicken pot pie, you can make it a complete meal by serving it with this Roasted Broccoli Salad and Oven Baked Potato Wedges with Herb Mayo.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can customise the filling with any other vegetables you like or want to use up. Try mushrooms, green beans, or potatoes. Just make sure to dice them small and cook them until tender.
Yes you can! To make this recipe gluten free, use a gluten free plain flour for thickening the filling and use a gluten free puff pastry.
I like oat milk for its creaminess, but almond or soy milk work well too. Make sure that it is unsweetened so it doesn’t add any unexpected flavour to the sauce.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More cosy comfort food recipes:
Slow Cooked Curried Sausages
Vegetable Curry Pies
Slow Cooked Beef Ragu
Cottage Pie
Dairy Free Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon dairy free butter
- 1 brown onion/yellow onion finely diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons plain flour/all purpose flour
- 310 ml (1 ¼ cups) dairy free milk
- 300 grams (2 cups) shredded cooked chicken
- ½ cup frozen peas
- salt and pepper to taste
For the pie:
- 1-2 sheets puff pastry
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
Prepare The Filling
- Melt the 1 tablespoon dairy free butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the 1 brown onion/yellow onion, 2 carrots and 2 stalks celery. Cook for about 5–7 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.
- Add the 2 cloves garlic and 1 teaspoon dried thyme. Stir and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons plain flour/all purpose flour over the vegetables. Stir well to coat and cook for 1–2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
- Gradually pour in the 310 ml dairy free milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Continue to stir until the mixture thickens, about 3–4 minutes.
- Add the 300 grams shredded cooked chicken and ½ cup frozen peas. Stir everything together and cook for another 2–3 minutes, until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and let the filling cool slightly.
Assemble The Pie
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
- Spoon the filling into the pie dish. Place the 1-2 sheets puff pastry over the filling, trimming any excess around the edges.
- Press the edges of the pastry down with a fork to seal. Make a few small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Brush the beaten 1 egg over the top.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Alyssa O’Hara says
If I am making individual Pot Pies in ramekins, would I still cook them for the same amount of time?
Jade says
What dairy free milk would you recommend? Oat, soy, almond?
Sally says
Hi Jade! I personally like to use oat milk.
Maja says
First time I’ve ever made a chicken pot pie and I was happy to find a dairy free recipe because my son’s allergic to dairy! I don’t know what I did wrong but when I cut into it, it was basically a soup below the puff pastry after it baked. It was thick in the pan but cooking in the oven turned it to soup. Regardless, it is so delicious! Just need to figure out what went wrong for me.
ABennett1971 says
Hello Sally,
You would not believe how long I have looked for a decent, flavoursome dairy free chicken pie recipe!
Being strongly lactose intolerant, I find I still need Lactase tablets if I use so-called ‘Lactose Free’ cream, butter, or cream cheese, as they are never Lactose free enough for me.
I am going to try this recipe very soon, in addition to the Dairy Free Butter Chicken, which I have just found, and the Dairy Free Lemon Curd!
Warmest Regards from Singleton NSW!
Sally says
Oh I am so happy to hear this and I totally understand! I hope you enjoy the recipes and let me know how you go!