Vegan Mince & Cheese Pies

An Australian and New Zealand working class icon, the humble mince & cheese pie is a true classic. Unpretentious and straightforward, it's a hearty umami filling in a lovely crusty flaky wrapper.
This recipe tastes even better than the non-vegan version, and the cheese sauce is amaaaazing on its own!
4.67 from 3 votes
Prep Time 1 hr 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Course Snack
Cuisine Australian
Servings 8 pies
Calories 245 kcal

Ingredients
  

Mince Filling

  • 2 cups Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
  • 4 cups Warm Water
  • 2 tsp Beef Stock plant-based
  • 1 tsp Olive Oil
  • 2 Medium Brown Onions
  • 2 Tbsp Cornflour
  • 1/2 cup Tomato Sauce
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce plant-based
  • 2 tsp Vegemite or Miso paste
  • 2 Tbsp Coconut Aminos
  • Tamari to taste

Cheese Sauce

  • 1 cup Raw Cashews
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cups Water
  • 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
  • 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric

Pie Construction

  • 2 sheets Frozen Puff Pastry plant-based
  • 2 sheets Frozen Shortcrust Pastry plant-based
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Instructions
 

Mince Filling

  • Add beef stock to warm water, and stir until mixed in.
  • Add TVP to a saucepan with stock water and soak for ten minutes (no heat).
  • Once ten minutes has elapsed turn on to a medium/low heat and simmer until remaining liquid is reduced away, then transfer to a bowl.
  • While the TVP is simmering, to a separate bowl add cornflour, 1/2 cup water, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and Vegemite. Mix properly.
  • Chop the onions into small bits, and fry in a pan with olive oil until cooked.
  • Add the mince and sauce to the onions, with coconut aminos.
  • Add Tamari to taste (Tbsp or 2), then simmer until sauce has thickened - aim for the consistency you want inside your pie. Set aside.

Cheese Sauce

  • Add cashews to a bowl and cover with boiled water. Soak for at least ten minutes then discard water.
  • In a blender, add the cashews and all cheese sauce ingredients. Blend until completely smooth.
  • Transfer the blended mixture to a saucepan over medium heat, and whisk constantly until it starts to bubble and thicken. Take it off the heat when the sauce is the consistency you like.

Pie Construction

  • Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) and thaw your pastry sheets.
  • Grease your pie tins with the olive oil. The recipe should make about 8 half-cup pies.
  • Add cheese sauce to the mince filling until it’s as cheesy as you want. I add about 1 tbsp per pie. Stir until the filling is properly mixed.
  • Cut rounds for each pie tin from your shortcrust sheets. You may need to bunch up and re-roll the off cuts to fit the last one or two.
  • Same again for the puff pastry.
  • Line the bottom of your pie tin with the shortcrust, then add about half a cup of filling. Cover with puff pastry on top, then - going round the sides - try pinch the cover into the pastry base.
  • Bake for about 30 minutes, or just until the puff pastry is all cooked, with no translucent spots remaining. Enjoy!
Keyword plant-based

Photos by Amber Asakura

Gabrielle is an evidence-based vegan coach who believes that health transformation begins when you switch to a plant-based diet. Her mission is to help midlife women eat in alignment with who they are and what they value so that they can lead a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life.

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Written by Gabrielle (hi!), these e-mails will help you on your plant-based journey with useful tips, tricks, facts and inspiration – and perhaps the occasional inappropriate joke thrown in for good measure.

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