These individual gluten-free dairy-free chicken pot pies exude comfort food vibes yet are actually super healthy and guilt-free. You’ll never know that these chicken pot pies are packed with protein, loaded with nutrients and gut-healing bone broth. Perfect for cold days!
Please read the entire post for tips and tricks to ensure a perfect recipe every time. And don't forget to tag @peelwithzeal on Instagram so we can admire your creation!
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Chicken recipes that are both gluten and dairy free are hard to find. But we have a few like our gluten-free chicken nuggets.
And Gluten-free chicken pot pies are one thing. But the dairy-free chicken pot pie has been alluding me for some time. I gave up on the recipe when the weather got warm but the last few weeks of chill sent me back to the drawing board.
I think we perfected the recipe for individual pot pies.
Chicken Pot Pie Ingredients
When I think about chicken pot pies I think flakey buttery crust, warm creamy gravy, crunchy veggies, and very chicken-y chicken. And this is essentially THE pie. And of course, some herbs to keep things tasty.
Here is the goodness you need to make your pot pies both gluten and dairy free:
- Gluten-Free Pie Crust- This recipe uses a mix of almond flour and a traditional gluten-free flour blend plus vegan butter. You can use any brand gluten-free flour mix. You will need to check to see if your flour blend contains xantham gum.
- Chicken Stock or Bone Broth- That chicken flavor has to come from somewhere. And good quality stock can add loads of flavor. You can use store-bought broth or stock, but I prefer homemade bone broth for a creamier gravy.
- Shredded Chicken- You can poach chicken breasts but I prefer to use leftover chicken because it is easier. You can even substitute a store-bought rotisserie, canned chicken, or even freeze-dried chicken. I have used all three with great success in this recipe.
- Veggies- We use a mix of peas, pearl onions, and carrots. For simplicity, we like to use frozen vegetables but have included instructions for using fresh. Canned veggies are not my preferred substitute, they get too mushy when the pot pie cooks.
- Herbs & Spices- Nothing too complicated. Garlic, thyme, and sage are the go-to pot pie spices.
And no mushrooms. I am not sure where this started but I see it in pot pies all the time. I am totally a mushroom person but not in my pot pie. Go figure.
This recipe might seem like it has a lot of steps or is complicated but we have used leftover chicken and frozen veggies to speed things up. There are two important processes; making the crust and making the roux for the gravy. Don't worry we have all the tips and tricks to ensure a successful dinner.
How to Make Gluten-Free Pie Crust
Let’s start with the crust. Traditional savory pie crust needs butter. I have tried all the paleo and gluten/ dairy free pie crusts out there. Or at least it feels like it. I really like the full-on paleo crusts that are almond/ egg/ coconut oil. I also like the ones that are gluten-free flour blend/ vegan butter.
But a chicken pot pie crust needs to be flaky and buttery. No exceptions. I settled on a blend of almond flour and gluten-free flour (with xantham gum) and dairy-free butter. No egg. The almond flour makes it feel less starchy and dense. But the GF flour blend makes it easier to work with.
We make our own GF flour blend using the recipe from America’s Test Kitchen but without the dry milk powder. Highly recommend their book How Can it Be Gluten Free! There are some decent pre-made gluten-free flours on the market but do check to make sure they are dairy free too. Man, do they slide that dairy in on you! Vigilance is the answer, lol.
You can use a pastry blender, your hands or a basic food processor to bring the crust together. I prefer my hands- I need to touch it know when it is just coming together.
Mix together your dry ingredients in a large bowl. Quickly work in the chunks of cold butter. Add the vinegar-water mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. The crust is ready when it holds together on its own.
Form into a disc and wrap the crust in saran wrap. The crust needs to rest for 45-60 minutes in the refrigerator. Which gives you time to preheat the oven and make the filling. Plus have a glass wine, if needed.
How to Make Chicken Gravy & Filling
For the dairy-free gravy, we use a traditional gravy making method. Creating a roux, add the chicken stock, and whisking until there are no lumps.
For the filling, heat ghee or your vegan butter in a large saucepan (you are going to make all the filling in this pan). Add in the tapioca flour and whisk vigorously until combined and there are no lumps, you will cook it for an additional 30 seconds.
Slowly pour in the stock, whisking constantly. Cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened, whisking every few seconds. If using bone broth rather than shelf-stable chicken stock, warm it up to room temperature. You don’t want it too cold or too hot, both can cause excess lumps (i.e. more whisking for you).
Stir in the vegetables and chicken, cook for 3-5 minutes until heated through. Add in the remaining spices for the filling and bring to a simmer. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
We finish the gravy with a small amount of dairy-free milk, preferably almond, just to give it a little extra body. This is optional, but a nice touch!
Fresh veggies work too. I recommend sauteing chopped onions for 5 minutes to soften them before adding the pot pie filling. The peas and carrots can be added raw. with the chicken.
Speaking of leftover chicken… we used leftover poached chicken from our monthly Butcher Box. Good high-quality chicken has a stronger chicken-y flavor. Maybe because it is a healthier animal to start with? I am not sure but I have noticed that chickens that are allowed to forage for part of their food do tend to taste better.
What I do know is that when we buy farm direct at the Saturday farmers market or when we have it delivered from Butcher Box we get the same result. It is just significantly better than what our local store carries.
OK back to the chicken. I used leftover poached chicken (and yes, we always brine our chicken!). We simply poach the chicken in salted water seasoned with black peppercorns and lots of bay leaves. This is my go-to cold weather combo but you can use whatever herbs tickle your fancy.
How to Assemble the Individual Pot Pies
To assemble the chicken pot pies, I combine all the filling ingredients in the pot and divide it into individual bowls or ramekins. I don’t even bother to grease them because this dairy-free gravy is loaded with collagen, so it doesn’t stick.
Next, I remove the pie crust from the fridge and divide the dough into four pieces, roll it out until it just fits into/ over the ramekins, and squeeze it on. Use a fork or your fingers to pinch the edges down tight. Cut 2 slits in the top of each ramekin to allow the steam can escape.
Then I use a pastry brush to coat the crust with an egg wash. This is optional, but you won’t get the lovely color that pot pies should have. Bake the pot pies until GBD. Golden brown and delicious!
First off, you can absolutely make this recipe as a one-dish casserole. Same baking instructions and everything. But we make individual chicken pot pies because there are only two people in the Peel house. Reheating a large pan of chicken pot pie that is half-eaten doesn’t work very well.
Reheating the individual ramekins in the oven is quick and easy. AND Mr. Peel even microwaved (I know, eye-roll) a pot pie at work said the crust stayed deliciously flaky.
We also often eat at different times due to work, volunteer, and gym schedules. We can each heat up our individual pot pies at a time that is convenient. Great news for busy families.
Uncooked individual pot pies can be tightly wrapped in saran wrap and stored uncooked in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Any leftover cooked pies can be stored, again tightly wrapped, in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven for maximum flakiness.
And while I could eat half this recipe no problem. I do prefer to eat a single serving alongside a salad. When I made the chicken pot pies for this post I ate our Kale, Sweet Potato and Walnut Salad, and I have to say it was a pretty good match.
Looking for other easy weeknight recipes? Then check out some of our other favorite quick & easy dinner recipes:
- Sheet Pan Pork Chops with Acorn Squash and Cranberries
- Vietnamese Grilled Pork
- BBQ Chicken Zucchini Boats ( I make mine with almond cheese)
- Braised Pork with Apples & Sage
Also be sure to check out our round up of the best gluten-free turkey recipes from our blogging friends.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave us a rating or a comment. It helps other wonderful people connect with our food.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Pot Pie - Gluten and Dairy Free
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup gluten-free flour blend plus additional for dusting cutting board
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your flour blend already has this
- ½ cup cold vegan butter or coconut oil suggested: Earth Balance vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoon ice water
- 1 egg, for egg wash
Chicken Pot Pie Filling
- 2 tablespoon ghee or dairy-free butter
- 2 tablespoon tapioca starch
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 ½ cups carrots
- 1 cups peas
- ¾ cup pearl onions
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried sage
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine flours, xantham gum, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well. Quickly work in the cold vegan butter or coconut oil with your hands.
- Mix vinegar and cold water. Work into to crust mixture one tablespoon at a time. Work until crust just comes together. Add additional ice water if needed.
- Wrap crust in plastic wrap. Chill crust 30 to 60 minutes while you work on the filling.
- For the filling, heat ghee large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the tapioca flour and whisk vigorously until combined and there are no lumps. Cook for 30 seconds.
- Slowly pour in the stock, whisking constantly. Cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened, whisking every few seconds.
- Stir in the vegetables and chicken, cook for 3-5 minutes until heated through.Add in the remaining spices for the filling and bring to a simmer. Season the filling to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Divided mixture into 4 large ramekins or ovenproof bowls.
- Remove dough from the plastic wrap. On a floured surface divide into 4 parts and roll to fit ramekins. Press down the edges to secure dough.
- Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon cold water. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the egg wash onto the tops of the crusts. Cut 2 one inch vents in the top of each crust.
- Bake pot pies until golden and crispy brown. Approximately 25 minutes.
Susan says
Made this yesterday and it was really good! Used Bob's Mill 1:1 baking mix. Since I had vegetables left over from the week I used those so the filling wasn't exactly put together like the recipe, but close. Really enjoyed the almond flour topping. Did add a slight more of the water and it held together pretty well. Rolled it out on plastic wrap, both on the bottom and top so it came off easily. Cut down spices due to sensitivity. Was really good and will definitely make it again. Thank you!
Jen Wooster says
So glad you enjoyed!
Angel says
The filling was quite nice but the crust was unworkable. I could tell when I rolled it out that it was going to crumble and not hold together to place on my ramekins. I followed the recipe exactly. I thought the dough came together nicely before I chilled it. Do you think I didn’t use enough water? Could I have chilled it too long? Luckily we had pre-made gf crust in our freezer so I used that to top the ramekins, so dinner was saved in the end.
Jen Wooster says
Hmmm What type of GF flour did you use? And did you use coconut oil or vegan butter?
I find with Bob's 1:1 I have to slide in a sprinkle or two of water, especially if it is really dry out.