Creamy Mushroom Pie
This creamy mushroom pie wraps a rich, garlicky mushroom filling in golden puff pastry. You saute button, oyster, and rehydrated wild mushrooms with shallot and thyme, fold them into a nutmeg-scented bechamel made with coconut milk, then bake under a sesame-topped crust for about 25 minutes until it is deeply golden. It is fully vegan and comforting.
If you love mushrooms as much as I do, then you will absolutely adore this creamy mushroom pie. Garlic makes everything better in vegan recipes, or at least that is my humble opinion, and this pie leans into that with three whole cloves. I find that usually you need a healthy base of either cremini or button mushrooms, as both of these work wonders for a mushroom pie base. But for today’s recipe I used one of my favorite mushroom combos: button mushrooms and oyster mushrooms.
You can experiment here to see what you like best, but I do not advise just putting all kinds of mushrooms into the mix mindlessly. It takes a bit of work to nail that texture, but I am sure that if you follow the recipe, you will ace it. Grandma might even congratulate you. I hope you will enjoy making this creamy pie recipe, and please tell me how it went and how everyone liked it.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- A cozy main course that does not rely on meat but still feels hearty and substantial on the plate.
- A make-ahead centerpiece you can assemble in advance and slide into the oven right before guests arrive.
- A way to use up mixed mushrooms, whether you have a punnet of button mushrooms or a few oyster clusters to finish.
- A fully vegan dish that does not announce itself as vegan, so it sits happily on any table.
- A comforting cold-weather meal for those evenings when you want something warm, creamy, and golden.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Three kinds of mushrooms build real depth. Button, oyster, and rehydrated wild mushrooms each bring a different texture and savor, so the filling never tastes flat.
- The soaking water does double duty. You save the liquid from the dried mushrooms and whisk it into the sauce, which loads the bechamel with concentrated mushroom flavor for free.
- It is genuinely creamy without dairy. Canned coconut milk thickens into a velvety sauce, and the nutmeg keeps it from reading as coconut.
- Puff pastry does the hard part. One sheet gives you that shattering, golden lid with almost no effort on your end.
- It looks like you fussed. The scored top and sesame seeds make a humble mushroom filling look like a bakery pie.
Ingredient Notes
Button mushrooms form the reliable base of the filling. Look for caps that are closed and tight around the stem, with no gaping gills and no slick or wet patches. A dry, matte cap means a fresher mushroom. Slice them evenly so they cook at the same rate, and resist the urge to rinse them under running water, since they soak it up like a sponge and steam instead of browning.
Oyster mushrooms are my favorite partner for the button mushrooms here. They have a softer, almost velvety bite and a gentle savory note. Choose clusters that are pale and firm with frilly, unbroken edges, and pass on any that look yellowed or feel slimy. Tear or slice them rather than chopping hard, since they bruise easily.
Dried wild mushrooms are the secret weapon. A quarter cup, soaked in boiled water for 30 minutes, brings an intense, earthy depth that fresh mushrooms alone cannot match. Do not throw out the soaking liquid: you save a cup of it and whisk it straight into the sauce. Pour it off carefully and leave the last splash behind, since grit settles at the bottom of the bowl.
Shallot and garlic build the aromatic backbone. Garlic makes everything better in vegan recipes, or at least that is my humble opinion, and three cloves is the right amount of bold here. Saute the shallot and garlic only until soft, about two minutes, before the mushrooms go in, so the garlic perfumes the oil without turning bitter.
Coconut milk is what makes this pie creamy without any dairy. Canned coconut milk gives it the nicest flavor and the body the sauce needs, so reach for the can rather than the carton. Buttermilk works too if you are not keeping it vegan, but the canned coconut milk is what I prefer for the rounded, plush texture.
Puff pastry is the lid, and you only need one sheet. Buy a vegan all-butter-free sheet if you want to keep the pie plant-based, and check the label, since many supermarket brands already use oil rather than butter. Keep the pastry cold right up until it goes on top, because warm pastry slumps and will not puff as dramatically.
Nutmeg and thyme are the quiet workhorses. A small pinch of ground nutmeg, just an eighth of a teaspoon, lifts the whole sauce and is the classic trick in any white sauce. Fresh thyme stirred in with the mushrooms keeps everything tasting bright rather than heavy.
Tips
- Give the mushrooms room and time. Stir the fresh mushrooms for a full five minutes so they release and reabsorb their water. You know they are ready when the pan looks dry again and the edges start to color. Crowding the pan steams them and you lose the savory browning.
- Cook the flour before the liquid goes in. Once you stir the flour into the melted butter, let it combine fully before adding any liquid. This is the step people rush, and skipping it leaves a raw, pasty taste in the sauce.
- Add the liquid slowly and whisk. Pour the milk and mushroom water in gradually, whisking the whole time, until the mixture is smooth and thick. Dumping it in all at once is the fastest way to lumps.
- Let the filling cool before it meets the pastry. Give the combined filling about seven minutes to cool. A hot filling melts the butter in the pastry before the oven can, and you lose the puff.
- Score the top and watch the color. Cut a few slits with a sharp knife so steam escapes, then bake about 25 minutes. It is done when the top is deeply golden, not just pale blond.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the mushroom mix. A healthy base of cremini or button mushrooms works wonders, so use whatever pairs you like best. Just do not throw every variety in mindlessly, since some need different cooking times.
- Use buttermilk instead of coconut milk if you are not keeping the pie vegan. It changes the flavor slightly but keeps the sauce creamy.
- Go dairy if you prefer. The recipe is built for vegan butter and vegan milk, but regular butter, regular milk, and a standard puff pastry sheet all work in their place.
- Top with poppy or nigella seeds instead of sesame for a different look and a subtle change in flavor on the crust.
Storage and Make Ahead
This pie keeps well in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container. Reheat slices in a hot oven rather than the microwave so the pastry crisps back up instead of going soft. The filling can be made fully ahead: cook it, let it cool, and refrigerate it, then simply top with pastry and bake when you are ready to serve. That makes this an easy choice for a relaxed dinner or a vegan Christmas dinner when you want to do the work in advance.
If you find yourself with extra mushrooms or fall hard for that earthy flavor, the same combo shines in a cream of mushroom soup with thyme. For more ways to cook with the oyster mushrooms in particular, this collection of oyster mushroom recipes is a good place to start.
Summarise & Save This Recipe
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Creamy Mushroom Pie
Ingredients
- 1 cup button mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup Oyster mushroom sliced
- ¼ cup wild mushrooms dried
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp thyme fresh
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
For the sauce:
- 1 Tbsp butter vegan or dairy
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 cup coconut milk or buttermilk; though canned coconut milk gives it a nice flavor.
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg ground
- salt and pepper to taste
For the pastry:
- 1 sheet puff pastry vegan or regular
- 2 Tbsp milk vegan or dairy
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Add the dry mushrooms in a medium bowl. Cover with boiled water and set aside to soak for about 30 minutes.
- Remove the mushrooms from the water, chop and set aside. Save 1 cup of water for later.
- Add the olive oil to a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and saute for 2 minutes, to soften.
- Add all the mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper and stir for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat.
- Add the flour and stir until well combined.
- Slowly add in the milk, mushroom water, and whisk until you have a smooth, thick mixture.
- Stir in the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.
- Combine the cooked shallots, garlic and mushrooms with the sauce and leave to cool for about 7 minutes.
- In a baking pan, add the mushroom mixture, cover with pastry, brush with vegan milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- With a sharp knife, make cuts on top of the pie.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The filling is the part that benefits most from being made in advance. Cook the mushroom mixture and sauce, let it cool, and refrigerate it. When you are ready, top the chilled filling with puff pastry, brush with milk, sprinkle the sesame seeds, and bake for about 25 minutes. This keeps the pastry from sitting on hot filling, which would melt its butter and ruin the puff.
A healthy base of button or cremini mushrooms works wonders, and this recipe pairs button mushrooms with oyster mushrooms plus a quarter cup of dried wild mushrooms for depth. The combination gives you different textures and a richer, earthier flavor than a single variety. You can swap in your own favorite mix, but avoid throwing in every type mindlessly, since some need different cooking times.
The recipe is built to be vegan as written. Use vegan butter, vegan milk for the brush and the sauce, canned coconut milk in place of buttermilk, and a vegan puff pastry sheet. Many supermarket puff pastry sheets are already made with oil rather than butter, so check the label. The summary and ingredients all default to plant-based options.
Soaking the dried wild mushrooms in boiled water for about 30 minutes rehydrates them so they are tender enough to chop and eat. The soaking liquid turns into concentrated mushroom stock, so you save a cup of it and whisk it into the sauce for a deeper, more savory flavor. Pour it off carefully and leave the last splash behind, since grit settles at the bottom.
Lumps come from adding liquid too fast. Stir the flour into the melted butter first and let it combine fully, then add the milk and mushroom water slowly while whisking the whole time until the mixture is smooth and thick. Adding all the liquid at once is the most common cause of a lumpy sauce.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, the pie keeps for up to three days. Reheat slices in a hot oven rather than the microwave so the puff pastry crisps back up instead of turning soft. Let it warm through until the filling is hot and the top is golden again.
Please can you come to my house and make me a pie? I’ve tried a few shop and restaurant vegan mushroom pies and have generally been underwhelmed. We grow oyster mushrooms (my favourite too) so I will save this recipe to use with this year’s batch.
Helen
I think we live on different continents, but if you ever visit Bucharest, let me know! 😀
You should give this recipe a try! It’s really easy to make and I hope you’ll like it!
What’s the oven temperature?
180C.