Steam rises from golden pastry, crackling as you cut through. Inside, tender chicken and vegetables swim in thick, creamy gravy. This Gluten Free Dairy Free Chicken Pot Pie delivers everything you crave—flaky crust, rich filling, zero compromise. The vegan butter creates layers that shatter like traditional pastry, while oat or almond milk makes the sauce silky. It’s proper comfort food that happens to skip gluten and dairy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Flaky crust that actually works without wheat or butter
- Rich, creamy filling with no dairy aftertaste
- Make-ahead friendly for busy weeknights
- Feeds eight hungry people from one pie
Key Ingredients
Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Flour: This blend mimics all-purpose flour perfectly. The xanthan gum already mixed in provides structure. Don’t substitute with single flours like rice or almond—you need the blend’s balance.
Frozen Vegan Butter: Temperature matters here. Frozen cubes create steam pockets as they melt, forming flaky layers. I keep Earth Balance sticks in the freezer specifically for pastry. Room temperature butter makes dense, tough crust.
Corn Starch (Two Uses): First batch goes in the crust for tenderness. Second creates the slurry that thickens your gravy without flour clumps. Tapioca starch works too, but corn gives clearer sauce.
Ice Water: Binds dough without activating gluten (which isn’t there anyway). Too much makes sticky dough; too little creates cracks. Add gradually.
Red Potatoes: Waxy texture holds shape during cooking. Russets turn mushy. Cut uniform half-inch cubes so everything cooks evenly.
Non-Dairy Milk: Unsweetened oat milk creates the creamiest gravy. Almond works but tastes thinner. Skip coconut unless you want that flavor.
Rotisserie Chicken: Saves an hour. Shred breast and thigh meat together for moisture. Or poach three large breasts in the chicken broth first.
Frozen Peas: They’re already blanched. Adding them frozen prevents overcooking into gray mush.
Instructions
Make the Crust: Pulse flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme in your food processor. Add frozen vegan butter cubes. Pulse five times, one to two seconds each, until mixture looks like coarse sand with pea-sized chunks. Dump into a large bowl.
Drizzle in half the ice water. Toss with your hands like you’re mixing salad. Add remaining water one tablespoon at a time, tossing after each addition. When dough clumps together as you squeeze it, stop. Divide in half, form two discs, wrap in plastic. Refrigerate two hours.
Roll the Dough: Place one chilled disc between two sheets of plastic wrap. Roll from center outward, rotating often, until you’ve got a twelve-inch circle. Transfer to baking sheet, plastic and all. Repeat with second disc. Chill both sheets one hour. This double-chill prevents shrinking.
Prep Your Pie Pan: Remove one dough sheet. Peel off top plastic, flip into a nine-inch pie plate, peel off second plastic layer. Press gently into corners without stretching. Trim edges flush with rim. Freeze this shell.
Cut the second sheet into a ten-inch circle for your top crust. Freeze on the baking sheet.
Cook the Filling: Heat olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Cook ten minutes, stirring every two minutes. Vegetables should soften and smell sweet.
Stir in garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook one minute until fragrant. Pour in chicken broth, stir once, bring to simmer. Cover and cook ten minutes. Potatoes should pierce easily but not fall apart.
Add cubed chicken and frozen peas. Pour in non-dairy milk, drop in vegan butter. Cook two to three minutes while butter melts.
Thicken It: Mix cornstarch and water in a measuring cup until smooth. Push vegetables to the sides, creating a well in the center. Whisk constantly while drizzling slurry into the well. Gravy thickens in thirty seconds. Kill the heat immediately.
Assemble: Pull your pie shell from the freezer. Beat egg with one tablespoon water and a pinch of salt. Brush this wash around the rim—it’s your glue.
Pour hot filling into the shell, spreading evenly. Working fast (so the frozen top doesn’t crack), center the top crust over the filling. Press edges together, then crimp with a fork or your fingers. Brush entire top with egg wash. Cut four steam vents.
Bake: Set pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Slide onto the lowest oven rack at 400°F. Bake forty-five minutes until crust is deep golden and filling bubbles through vents. If the top browns too fast after thirty minutes, tent loosely with foil.
Let rest fifteen minutes before cutting. The filling needs time to set.
Tips & Variations
Keep Everything Cold: Warm dough = tough crust. If your kitchen’s hot, chill the bowl and food processor blade thirty minutes before starting. My Asheville kitchen stays cool, but summer baking needs this trick.
Don’t Skip the Double Chill: Rolling cold dough between plastic prevents sticking without extra flour (which toughens gluten-free pastry). The second chill relaxes the dough so it doesn’t shrink.
Make It Ahead: Assemble the unbaked pie, wrap tightly, freeze up to three months. Bake from frozen, adding fifteen minutes.
Swap the Protein: Use turkey, pork, or even firm tofu cubes. Adjust seasoning—turkey needs more salt, pork wants sage.
Add Mushrooms: Sauté eight ounces sliced cremini with the vegetables for earthy depth.
Storage & Pairings
Refrigerate leftovers up to four days in an airtight container. Reheat slices at 350°F for twenty minutes. Freezes well for three months—thaw overnight, then reheat.
Serve with simple green salad dressed in lemon vinaigrette. The acidity cuts the richness. Roasted Brussels sprouts or green beans work too.
FAQ
Can I make this without a food processor?
Cut frozen butter into flour using a pastry cutter or two knives. Takes five minutes of arm work, but you’ll get the same pebbled texture. Just keep everything cold.
Why is my crust cracking when I roll it?
Gluten-free dough is fragile. If it cracks, let it warm up five minutes at room temperature. Press cracks together with your fingers—they’ll seal. The plastic wrap method prevents most issues.
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Conclusion
This Gluten Free Dairy Free Chicken Pot Pie proves you don’t need wheat or dairy for flaky, satisfying comfort food. The crust shatters. The gravy coats. Everyone at your table gets a proper slice of home cooking, dietary restrictions be damned.
Perfect Gluten Free Dairy Free Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pulse flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme in your food processor.
- Add frozen vegan butter cubes and pulse until mixture looks like coarse sand.
- Drizzle in half the ice water and mix until dough clumps together.
- Roll out the dough and chill both sheets for an hour.
- Cook onions, celery, carrots, and potatoes in olive oil until softened.
- Add garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme, then pour in chicken broth and simmer.
- Add chicken and peas, then mix in non-dairy milk and vegan butter.
- Thicken gravy with cornstarch and water mixture.
- Assemble the pie with the filling and top crust before baking.
- Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes until crust is deep golden.