
“WELCOME TO WAFFLE WEEK!” <– This is an actual thing I said to my kids a few years ago. They’ll be the first to tell you that they’re much more likely to get kale chips than waffles on any given day, but every once in awhile I feel compelled to figure out healthier versions of old favorites. Homemade chicken pot pie, for example.
My reason is simple: When my daughter was around eight, she overheard my husband teasing me that we should stop by a fast food joint and pick up chicken nuggets instead of bothering with our home cooked meal. As I was rolling my eyes I heard a little voice from the backseat: “Mama, what are chicken nuggets?”
Whoa. In that moment I realized that even though we’d introduced all kinds of amazing dishes to our kids, we hadn’t included some of the most popular cultural staples. I don’t want my kids to head into adulthood with a feeling that they’ve missed out, so I make a point to figure out healthier versions of old favorites to share with them.
I want them to experience the foods their friends tell them about, and also know that it’s possible to make almost anything with wholesome ingredients. (Almost.)
Anyway, I started with chicken nuggets, and have been slowly working my way through some of my favorite childhood recipes. There are usually quite a few recipe fails before I get it right – waffles took a week and this pot pie recipe took much longer. It was SO WORTH IT, though.
Why We Love This Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
The combination of buttery crust, creamy chicken, and veggie filling make this chicken pot pie one of our favorite comfort foods. My kids literally cheer when I tell them I’m making it, and pile up their plates with salad or veggies so they can talk me into getting a whole mini-pot pie of their own. (In our house we try to keep a ratio of veggies to protein and carbs on our plates.)
Since we’re gluten-free, I’ve replaced the all-purpose flour in the crust with a blend of almond flour and tapioca starch with a smidge of coconut flour blended in. It yields a beautiful and scrumptious golden brown top crust – I don’t make a bottom crust because I find that it’s usually soggy and makes the meal feel a bit too heavy.
If you’ve never made a chicken pot pie from scratch before, here’s a quick overview of the process.
How To Make Chicken Pot Pie
1. Cook the chicken
2. Make the pie crust
3. Make the filling
4. Put it all together and bake until golden brown
5. Stake your claim before your family eats it all
A few quick notes:
- If you’re dairy-free, I’ve included substitutions that I’ve found work well in this recipe.
- This recipe can be made with leftover Turkey from Thanksgiving, a rotisserie chicken, or baked and shredded (or cubed) chicken breasts.
This pot pie can be made two ways: In one big baking 8×8 casserole dish . . .

or in these 12 ounce ramekins for five individual pot pies.

You’ll find instructions for both versions in the recipe below.
Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (Gluten-Free)
Equipment
- tablespoon
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- ¾ cup tapioca starch
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 5 tbsp butter or sustainably harvested palm shortening (cubed and frozen)
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
For the Filling:
- ¾ cup onion (chopped)
- ¾ cup celery (chopped)
- 1 cup carrots (chopped)
- 1 ¾ cups yukon gold potatoes (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp organic dried celery seed
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt (to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper (to taste)
- 3 tbsp butter (or sustainably harvested palm shortening)
- 1 ¾ cups chicken stock
- ¾ cup heavy cream (or coconut cream)
- 1 cup organic peas (frozen)
- 1 pound chicken (cubed or shredded – can be leftover rotisserie chicken or chicken breast)
- 7 tbsp tapioca starch (plus more for rolling out the dough)
- 1 egg white
Instructions
- Start by freezing the unsalted butter/palm shortening needed to make the pie crust. Line a freezer-safe container or baking sheet with a small piece of parchment paper. Cut butter into 1 tablespoon chunks and place it on the baking sheet. If using palm shortening, scoop 1 tablespoon mounds onto the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer.While you're waiting for the butter to get cold, chop your veggies (onion, celery, carrots, potatoes and garlic) and place in a large bowl.
To Make The Pie Crust:
- Place the almond flour, tapioca starch, coconut flour, salt, baking soda and frozen unsalted butter/palm shortening in a food processor. Pulse until well combined.
- Add the eggs and apple cider vinegar and pulse again until mixed.
- Scoop the runny dough onto the parchment paper you used to freeze the butter. Bring all four corners of the paper together so that the dough is squished into a ball, then place the dough in the fridge while you make the filling.
To Make The Chicken Pot Pie Filling:
- Preheat your oven to 425F.
- Shred your cooked chicken and set aside.
- Measure out your chicken broth and heavy cream/coconut cream and set aside.
- Measure out the spices (parsley, oregano, rosemary, and celery seed) and place them in a small bowl. Add the salt and pepper to the bowl and set aside.
- In a large skillet, add the unsalted butter/palm shortening and saute the veggies over medium heat until slightly softened. I eat a carrot to check doneness – it should be firm but not as crunchy as a raw carrot.
- Add the spices, heavy cream/coconut cream and broth.
- Bring to a boil, then add the tapioca starch and reduce to low/medium heat. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Stir in the chicken and frozen peas, then divide the chicken mixture equally between five 12 ounce ramekins. Or, if desired, place it all in one 8×8 casserole dish.
Bringing It All Together:
- Sprinkle the surface you're going to roll your dough on with some tapioca starch. Place the pie crust dough on the surface and sprinkle it with a bit more tapioca. Dust your rolling pin with tapioca and roll it out until it's about 1/4 inch thick.
- If you're using individual ramekins for your pot pie, see the "mini pot pie" instructions below. If you're using an 8×8 casserole dish, see the "8×8 casserole dish" instructions below.
Instructions for Mini Pot Pies
- Next, cut a piece of dough so that it will fit inside one of the ramekins. I do this by taking an extra ramekin, flipping it over, and using it like a cookie cutter to get the size just right. I've found it's easiest to transfer the dough from the rolling surface using a spatula.
- Repeat the process until all the ramekins have a pie crust topping. Cut a few slits in the top of each pie so that steam can escape while it is baking.
- Use your basting brush to apply the egg wash (egg white) to the top of the crust.
- Place all the ramekins on rimmed baking sheet in case they spill over while baking.
- Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake at 425F for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350F and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool a little before serving.
Instructions for 8×8 Casserole Dish
- Cut the dough into long, thin strips and arrange them over the filling. I recommend using pizza roller if you have one on hand.
- Use your basting brush to apply the egg wash (egg white) to the top of the crust.
- Place the casserole dish in the oven and bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350F and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool a little before serving.
Nutrition
More Chicken Recipes
Easy Chicken Salad Recipe With Apples – This light and easy chicken salad recipe is my favorite ways to keep mealtime simple. It’s sweet with a bit of tang, and the apples and nuts give it just the right amount of crunch.
Chicken Tortilla Soup – This is one of my favorite cool weather soups. Poblano peppers, lime and cilantro . . . . so yummy and a great way to use leftover chicken.
Crispy Paleo Chicken With Creamy Mushroom Sauce – This recipe from Paleo Running Momma can be made in just one skillet and is Whole30 friendly.

Mary O'Neill-Winston
This looks delicious and I will be trying it this fall/winter. Can I use regular organic flour and still get good results?
Katie | Girl Meets Nourishment
Hi Mary,
I believe Organic Flour would work just fine. 🙂
Thanks!
Katie
Sarah keister
If I were using regular flour, I would use a piecrust recipe from Betty Crocker, it would achieve better results. I have baked gf for years, and regular for years also (not concomitantly), and while you can convert, there are tricks to it (gf is wetter and takes more eggs).
Angela
Do you think this could work with an egg substitute (we usually use flax but I don’t know if it would work here)? My little boy is allergic to dairy/egg/gluten/soy & peanut but I have wanted to do chicken pot pie for so long!
Heather Dessinger
I’m not sure – if you try it please let us know how it works out!
Kimberley
Could you freeze these mini pies and re-heat? How would you recommend to do this for best results?
Heather Dessinger
I haven’t tried it because my kids love this recipe so much there are never any leftovers. It you try it please let us know how it turns out!
audrey
How do you think these would do if you freeze them?
Katie | Girl Meets Nourishment
Hi Audrey,
I think these would freeze great! You could pre-bake them about half-way, cool, then freeze. And to re-heat/thaw them, pop them in the oven a bake the rest of the way through.
Good luck!
Katie
Leah
Would you thaw them before putting them in the oven to cook another 15 minutes? Or just throw it in, frozen and all? I made a double batch so we could eat some tonight, then freeze for after the baby is born for an easy meal!
Diane
I have made and frozen a couple of batches of this recipe and it always reheats just fine. I always reheat in toaster oven or the oven at a low temp and its tastes like I just made it fresh. Love this recipe!
Jennifer
These take me back to when I was a kid and we used to have pot pies for dinner. I would love to make thse but have a gluten sensitivity. If anyone has suggestions on a gluten free crust, I would totally appreciate it. Thank you.
Chelsea Wipf
I would love to know this as well!
Katie | Girl Meets Nourishment
Hello Ladies,
To make the filling gluten free, you could use arrowroot powder to thicken the milk. Just follow the instructions on the side of the bag or container to thicken the milk and stock.
For the crust, here is a gluten free recipe: http://wholelifestylenutrition.com/recipes/grain-free-gluten-free-pie-crust-holistic-recipe/
Hope this helps!
Katie
Health & Organic Wellbeing ( H.O.W )
Thank you so much for sharing this!
Denise [email protected] Brazil To You
This pot pie looks simply fantastic…You made me hungry!
Kris
Looks like a great recipe! Can’t imagine why you need a machine to mix the pastry, though!
AnnMarie Deis
I am going to try this with coconut milk in place of the heavy cream. We are dairy-free for now. 🙁
Sarah
Looks delicious! I’ve been looking for a heartier chicken pot pie recipe. The ones I’ve tried typically come out too creamy. Thanks, can’t wait to try it!
Erin
I know this is an old post, but I wanted to let you know how much my family has loved this recipe!
Today I wanted some, but was too lazy to make the crust. So, I doubled up on the veggies and threw them in a food processor, and made the recipe as directed otherwise. Then I added an extra 6 or so cups of bone broth I had in the freezer and ate it as stew. Yum.
Erin Franklin
We had this a few times and we love it! I made it again tonight and forgot to add the cream in. I think my hubby liked it even better than normal. Thanks for a great recipe!
Suzanne
Yum, I love finding traditional recipes that use healthy ingredients. It is important for people trying to change their diet to healthier foods to know that they can still eat the foods that they love; they just need to modify the ingredients. I only use sprouted flour now so that is amazing that this is also part of this recipe. Thank you, I can’t wait to try this. Suzanne from Gimme the Good Stuff
Julia
Can I sub regular flour for sprout flour and half n half for the heavy cream?
Rachel
Made this tonight. Super yummy! Husband loved it too! used einkorn flour and added a tiny bit of sugar which turned out nicely. i had wondered why there was no crust for the bottom but just only for the top? Thinking about it..its definitely more cost effective just to do the top and still tasted great. Also i may try not using the cream next time but arrowroot to make it more cost effective..
Thx for the great recipe! 🙂
Anne
Sounds delicious! Thanks for providing a non-wheat crust recipe! One point…I think in the brackets in the first line you were actually referring to the butter, not to the almond flour: “For the Crust:
1 cup blanched almond flour (chilled & cubed)”
Heather Dessinger
Thanks for catching that! Just updated the recipe 🙂
Jess
Can we use oat flour instead?
Heather Dessinger
I haven’t worked much with oat flour so I’m not sure. 🙂
Elisa
Hi Heather,
This recipe sounds great! I’m a big fan of your recipes and your website! Thanks for sharing all your great research!
There are two minor things that need to be corrected in your article/recipe. First in the instructions of bringing it all together. Because I’m not sure how to sprinkle the surface with a rolling pin. 😉 And in the instructions for the casserole dish point 3, needs to be corrected, too.
Please keep up the great work!
Thank you!
Heather Dessinger
THANK YOU, seriously! Just made those corrections.:)
Linda
Big hit at our house! Thanks so much for this delicious comfort food recipe ❤️
Patty Cosby
Great recipe! I divided mine up into 6 ramekins a little smaller. Crust was easy! Just the right amount of spice.
Shawnee
I’m trying out the recipe now, the only thing I did different is I season my chicken with oregano and garlic salt, I think it added a nice flare to the recipe, I’d definitely make this again
Daryl Rother
I can’t wait to try the chicken pot pie recipe!
Thank You ❤️🙏