Bean & Thyme Pot Pie Recipe (with puff pastry crust)

Cozy up this winter with this bean pot pie recipe!

This comforting bean and thyme pot pie recipe is filled with your favorite warming ingredients for a chilly day.

This recipe makes 6 individual pot pies and they’re covered with flaky puff pastry!

Winter to me means it’s time to slow down in the kitchen and get intentional with what I’m cooking.  Just like my quick white beans with tomatoes and kale, these pot pies are packed with vegetables and beans for protein and are a new family favorite recipe.

This pinto bean pot pie is the perfect recipe for slow cozy evenings where I want to take my time with what I’m cooking. Spending that bit of extra time is so worth it! If you love chicken pot pie but want to add more meatless meals to your dinner rotation, these bean pot pies are a great recipe to do just that.  It is just the definition of comfort food for me with the combination of cooked vegetables and hearty beans.

Why you’ll love these bean pot pies

• These individual pot pies use traditional pot pie ingredients like carrots, celery and leeks, but I’ve swapped out chicken for meaty pinto beans.
• Each pot pie is covered in puff pastry. Use storebought puff pastry to make your life so much easier. (Plus you don’t need to make pie dough or biscuit dough).
• This is a hearty and nourishing meal that’s perfect for the cold Winter months.
• You only need basic ingredients from the fridge and pantry to make these bean pot pies!
• This hearty and creamy bean pot pie can easily be made into vegetarian pot pie.

Ingredients needed to make this individual bean pot pie recipe

Beans: you can use white beans or pinto beans here. I personally prefer pinto beans because I feel like they have a meatier texture! But, feel free to use a creamy white bean such as cannellini beans or navy beans instead.

Butter: butter is the base of the recipe when you start to saute the vegetables but you could use olive oil too

Vegetables: fresh veggies like carrots, parsnips, leeks, celery, mushrooms all pack into this recipe; if you don’t have leeks on hand you can swap it out for a diced yellow onion.

Seasonings: salt and black pepper are the key seasonings you need

Fresh herbs: adding thyme makes all the difference! Feel free to swap out fresh thyme for 1 ½ teaspoons of dried thyme.

Broth: use chicken or vegetable broth in this recipe; alternatively, use chicken stock or vegetable stock

Flour: we use all purpose flour to thicken the pot pie mixture

White Wine: you can use stock instead of white wine.

Stock: to make this vegetarian, make sure to use vegetable stock instead or chicken stock (or vegetable broth or chicken broth respectively)

Puff pastry: I love to use defrosted store-bought puff pastry as the top crust to these bean pot pies. You do not need a bottom crust. The pies are simply topped with the puff pastry. Don’t forget to let the puff pastry thaw before you start the recipe!

Egg wash: Whisk together 1 egg plus 1 tbsp water to create an egg wash for brushing onto the puff pastry crust.

Step by step process to make these pinto bean pot pies

Step 1: In a large saucepan or pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat.

Step 2: Once melted, turn your pot to medium heat, add in your chopped vegetables: carrots, parsnips, leeks and celery and salt and pepper. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, until the leeks are soft.

Step 3: Then, add in mushrooms and sauté another 5 minutes.

Step 4: Add in your flour to the pot. Stir for about 30 seconds to make sure all the vegetables are coated with the flour. Then deglaze the pan with the white wine, stirring up any bits that have stuck to the bottom.

Step 5: Slowly add in the vegetable broth, stirring until the mixture thickens slightly. Then add in the fresh thyme sprigs and pinto beans, giving the mixture another stir.

Step 6: Bring your pot to a simmer and then cook on low to keep simmering for 10-15 minutes to reduce and thicken, stirring occasionally to make sure the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

Step 7: While the pot pie mixture is cooking, prep your ramekin dishes by buttering the inside of each dish and setting all six ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Heat oven to 400F.

Step 8: Roll out your puff pastry dough onto a lightly floured surface and use a sharp knife to cut into six squares, just slightly larger than the size of the ramekin.

Step 9: Once your pot pie mixture is done cooking and has thickened, take the pot off the heat and remove the thyme sprigs.

Step 10: Divide the pot pie mixture between the 6 ramekins, evenly distributing between the 6 ramekins.

Step 11: Place a square of puff pastry dough on top of each ramekin, pinching the dough around the side of the ramekin dish if the puff pastry folds over the edge and using a knife to make a couple little slices in the top of the dough for venting. Brush the tops with egg wash if desired.

Step 12: Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven until the crust is a deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

Expert Tips for making this bean pot pie recipe

• Make sure you take the puff pastry out ahead of time to fully defrost before using; generally it takes overnight to defrost in the fridge or a couple of hours on the counter at room temperature.

• An egg wash is totally optional but it will help brown the puff pastry and give it a shine!

• These bean and thyme pot pies are quite hearty and filling. To make it a full meal serves the bean pot pies with a side winter salad. Try a recipe like my brussels sprouts and kale salad recipe.

• These are my favorite ramekins to use for bean pot pies!

• Don’t skip out on adding the flour! It’ll help thicken up the mixture so you have a true pot pie and not a soup!

Common questions

Can I use pie crust instead of puff pastry?
You can definitely use store-bought pie crust. Use a pie crust that you can roll out and cut into 6 pieces. It might take a bit longer in the oven to cook so please keep that in mind!

Can I make these ahead of time?
These individual pot pies taste best on the day you make them. However, you can store them in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, place in an oven preheated to 350°Fahrenheit until warmed through.

What if I want to make this into one pie instead of individual pies?
Use 10-inch skillet or high-sided pie dish to make these individual bean pot pies into one large pie. Make sure to grease the skillet or pie dish well with butter or cooking spray. Once the filling is ready, pour or ladle the filling into the greased skillet. Top with the 6 cut squares of puff pastry, sort of overlapping the puff pastry squares to cover the filling. Place the pie on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven at 400F for 25-30 minutes. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

Can I use dry beans instead of canned?
I recommend using canned beans which makes this recipe quite a bit quicker. If you want to use dry beans I suggest you cook them ahead of time and then use them in the recipe.

Which other beans would work in this recipe?
I prefer to use pinto beans in this pot pie recipe because I feel like they have a meatier texture. Feel free to use a creamy white bean such as cannellini beans or navy beans instead. I do not recommend using kidney beans for the pot pie recipe. This pot pie recipe has not been tested using kidney beans.

How to store these bean pot pies

Keep any leftovers in an airtight container or wrapped with foil or plastic wrap in the fridge. These will keep for up to 2 days. Warm them up in the oven until the puff pastry crisped back up.

More comforting bean recipes to make from the blog

Quick One Pot White Beans with Tomatoes & Greens

Easy Chicken Pot Pie Soup

One Pan Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Orzo Bake