This cozy, one pot Black Eyed Pea and Cornbread Pot Pie is pure comfort food during the coldest parts of the year. This black eyed pea pie is simple to make and is freezer friendly! This recipe is vegetarian and easily dairy free. [VIDEO in recipe card]
Table of Contents
Black Eyed Pea Pot Pie For Cozy Season
Black eyed peas aren’t just for New Years. That’s my argument every time I whip up a black eyed pea recipe. They’re a year round pantry staple and take no time to cook from dry beans.
Simple to make, this black eyed peas and cornbread pie is made in one pot with the bulk of the veggies cooked first on the stove top. Then, cornbread batter is spooned on top and baked in the oven. Clean up is a snap!
This Recipe Is:
- Packed with good for you ingredients
- One pot easy
- Perfect for casual weekends or holidays
- Freezer friendly
Ingredients for Black Eyed Pea Cornbread Casserole
Sweet potatoes, chard and caramelized onions round out the bulk of this pot pie. It’s a comforting combination of flavors with a good balance of sweet and spicy. The cornbread crust is as Southern as my Ma with a little bit of sweetness sprinkled in for good measure; just like her. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
For the Filling:
- Onions – red or yellow
- Red Bell Pepper – complements the sweet of the sweet potatoes.
- Dry Black Eyed Peas – these will simmer until softened in the stew. Look for black eyed peas in the bulk bins for best value and freshness.
- All Purpose Flour – to thicken the stew.
- Veggie Broth – adds loads of flavor. I like Better Than Bullion Veggie Base. It’s concentrated, more economical than cartons, and the glass is recyclable.
- Tomato Paste – thickens the stew and adds umami flavor.
- Seasoning – garlic, herbs and prepared mustard offers interest and depth.
- Swiss Chard – a sturdy green that holds it’s shape yet is tender. It offers bulk and freshness.
- Sweet Potatoes – add a bit of sweet, texture and bulk to this rich stew.
For the Cornbread Topping:
- AP Flour – mixed with cornmeal for the cornbread topping.
- Cornmeal – offers texture and a delightful corn flavor to the topping. Look for medium grind cornmeal for best texture.
- Sugar – just a bit to offer a hint of sweet in the cornbread topping.
- Eggs – bind the cornbread and add richness.
- Milk, or Plant Milk – I use Homemade Cashew Milk, but any milk will do, plant or dairy.
- Butter, or Vegan Butter – dairy free or dairy full butter will work in this recipe. Be sure to use unsalted.
- Sage – to flavor and add interest to the cornbread topping.
At a Glance: How to Make Black Eyed Peas and Cornbread Pot Pie
Black eyed pea sweet potato cornbread pot pie is a crowd pleaser. It freezes well and makes delicious leftovers. And while there are several steps in the cooking process, it’s made in one pot for quick service and clean up. Here’s how to make it (see recipe card for details):
- First, in a 3 or 4 quart dutch oven (I use 3 qt – 8″ diameter – but have a bit of spill over while baking), caramelize the onions on medium low for about 30 minutes. Use this cook time to prep the remaining veggies.
- Second, add the bell pepper and saute to soften. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and pepper and stir to coat. Stir in the broth, tomato paste, garlic, dry black eyed peas and herb sprigs. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile chop the chard.
- Next, fish out the herb sprigs and discard. Add the potatoes and mustard, stir and cook for 15 minutes or until just fork tender. Preheat the oven to 425F and prepare the cornbread crust.
- Last, Use a large #20 cookie scoop to drop scoop-fulls of cornbread on top of the filling. Sprinkle top with chopped sage and bake.
Share piping hot with a big salad. Don’t forget a few glugs of Tabasco! Jalapeños are a welcome addition as well in this vegetarian black eyed pea recipe, if you’re into spicy things.
Expert Tips
- Perfect for holidays (not just New Years)! This black eyed pea cornbread casserole feeds a small crowd and is festive and hearty enough for your holiday table.
- The onions need a good solid 30 minutes to caramelize. This is the base of the recipe and offers so much flavor. It’s a process not to be rushed.
- Freezer friendly! This black eyed peas with cornbread recipe freezes with ease. Store leftovers in lidded individual containers or a casserole dish in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator over night and warm in a 350F oven for about 20 minutes, or until warmed through.
- Make it dairy free! Replace the butter and milk with dairy free butter and milk. Be sure to cut the salt by half if using salted vegan butter.
Makers Notes
I love reading your adaptations about how you make the recipe work for you! Keep em’ comin!
- Jennifer subbed “gluten free flour in place of the AP.”
- Carrie made this recipe with soy milk, chickpea flour, and kale.
- Veronika made this recipe in a 3.6 Qt, 12″ in Dutch oven (see video in recipe card).
- Mitzi scaled the recipe to fit in a 10″ cast iron skillet.
More Vegetarian Black Eyed Pea Recipes to Love
- Harissa Stewed Black Eyed Peas with Okra and Collard Greens
- Slow Cooked Black Eyed Peas
- BBQ Black Eyed Peas Collard Rolls
- Black Eyed Peas with Smoky Collards and Cheesy Grits
- Hoppin John Stew
Black Eyed Pea Sweet Potato Cornbread Pot Pie Recipe
Servings:6 -7 Generous Servings
Calories:508kcal
[VIDEO below] Southern comfort food at its best, this pot pie is packed with caramelized onions, sweet potatoes, black eye peas, chard, bell pepper, and herbs, topped with a sweet cornbread crust. Perfect for a cold winter's night. *Note the type of cornmeal and diameter of pot used can make a difference in recipe outcome, but still with delicious results. The pot pie in the pictures are made in an 8" Dutch oven using Bob's Red Mill ingredients, while the video pot pie is made in a 12" Dutch oven with Gold brand flour and PAN cornflour - which results in a stiffer batter (see below). This recipe is vegetarian and easily dairy free.
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 2 Tbs Coconut or Olive Oil unrefined virgin
- 4 C (310g) Purple Onions sliced into 1/2 moons (about 3 large onions)
- 3/4 tsp Sea Salt divided
- 1 1/2 C (180g) Red Bell Pepper seeded and medium dice (about 1 large pepper)
- 1/4 C (40g) All Purpose Flour
- 5 C (1.1kg) Vegetable Broth
- 2 Tbs Tomato Paste
- 4 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1/2 C (85g) Dried Black Eyed Peas rinsed and sorted
- 2 Springs of Herbs Each: Thyme, Sage, Rosemary tied together with cooking twine
- 2 Tbs Dijon Mustard
- 4 C (120g) Swiss or Rainbow Chard ribboned, chopped and packed for measure
- 3 C (315g) Sweet Potato peeled and diced into 1/2" cubes (about 1 medium or 1 lb)
- 1 1/2 tsp Tabasco
- 10 grinds of pepper
For the Cornbread Crust:
- 1 C (155g) All Purpose Flour
- 1 C (115g) Yellow Cornmeal medium grind, I like Bob's Red Mill
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 3/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 2 Tbs Granulated Sugar or honey
- 1 C (250g) Milk plant or dairy
- 1 Egg lightly whisked
- 3 Tbs Butter melted and slightly cooled, sub plant butter if dairy free
- 1 1/2 Tbs Fresh Sage chopped
Instructions
For the Filling:
- In a 3 or 4 quart dutch oven (I typically use 3 qt, 8" wide DO but have a bit of spill over while baking), add the coconut oil and heat until shimmering. Add the onions and 1/4 tsp salt. Caramelize the onions on medium low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use this cook time to prep the remaining veggies.
- Add the bell pepper and saute for 2-3 minutes just to soften. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and pepper and stir to coat. Stir in the broth, tomato paste, garlic, dry black eyed peas and herb sprigs. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Fish out the herb sprigs and discard. Add the potatoes and mustard, stir and cook for 15 minutes or until just fork tender. While the potatoes are cooking preheat the oven to 425F and prepare the cornbread crust.
- To the filling, add the chard and Tobasco. Stir in and cook until just wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Remove filling from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning and/or heat.
For the Cornbread Crust:
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together: flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar (be sure to cut the salt by half if using salted vegan butter). To the dry ingredients add the milk, whisked egg and melted butter. Stir until all ingredients are just incorporated.
To Assemble and Bake:
- Using a large #20 cookie scoop or 3 Tbs, drop scoop-fulls of cornbread on top of the filling. Fill in the gaps, with smaller scoops as needed until all the cornbread mixture is used up. There will be some gaps on top of the pot pie. This is okay, as those gaps will fill in as the pot pie bakes. Sprinkle top with chopped sage.
- Set the pot pie on a parchment or silpat lined sheet pan (to catch any spill over) and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until top is set and slightly golden.
Video
Notes
Freezes well in individual portion sized containers. Thaw in fridge overnight, then bake at 350F for about 15 minutes to rewarm.
Adapted from Vegetarian Times.
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 508kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 1787mg | Potassium: 1046mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 12821IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 163mg | Iron: 5mg
Made It? Leave a comment below! The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications and/or helping other commenters. On Instagram? Take a snap of your make and share, tagging @VanillaAndBean #VanillaAndBean!
This was a delicious start to our year, and will hopefully confer good luck. I made this out of the selection of black-eye pea recipes on your site because you said it was your favourite. We all really liked it too. Thanks for another delicious, reliable recipe!
Hi Vivian! Thank you for your note, rating and giving the recipe a go!! Yes, yes… lots of good luck!
Fabulous recipe!!! Wonderful flavors! My beans were still a little hard…..was I supposed to soak them overnight? What did I do wrong? Thanks!
Hi Patti! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! SO happy you enjoyed the flavors but darn it on the peas. BEPs don’t need to be soaked, unless desired. It only marginally reduces the cook time if they are soaked – this recipe doesn’t include soaking. Sometimes if peas/beans are older they’ll take longer to cook. If you make the recipe again, check the peas before putting the cornbread on top. They should be soft, but not mushy. If they’re not quite there, keep cooking until tender, then put the cornbread on top. I hope this helps!
Thanks Traci!!! I will definitely make it again. I’ll test them before adding the cornbread. Happy New Year!
Okay, yes, sounds good! But, also wanted to add, you can use pre cooked BEP (canned) and add them when you stir in the chard. :D
Patti, tomatoes and acids sometimes slow down the cooking time for beans. I’m going to try this recipe, but will add the tomato paste in the following step. I have hard water so bean cooking time is always a problem for me.
Hello Traci, Love the use of chard here, don’t see enough! I usually make corn bread as a side with the pot of beans. As I like thick soup I will try making this as a pie! Should make a great main course!! Thanx! Happy Holidaze!!raf
Hi Berta Anne! Chard is super delicious and so nutritious for us. I often make em’ like you, with Cornbread on the side and a big pot of Pinto Beans! They’re so enjoyable! Happy holidays to you too :D
Yum! I made this today for New Year’s and I honestly didn’t know what to expect for taste, but it was delicious! I was short on sweet potato volume so I added a carrot and a little celery. Also used a yellow onion instead of red. Oh, and gluten free flour in place of the AP. It all worked! Thank you for all your great recipes!
Hi Jennifer! Thank you for your note, GF tips and giving the recipe a go. SO happy to hear you enjoyed the pot pie!
Really delicious and I froze a couple leftover servings. The cornbread added a nice texture and “melted” into the filling! I also used the slow cook black eyed peas and ended up adding a bit more which turned out well. Definitely will make this recipe again!
Hi Carolyn! Thank you for your note, giving the recipe a go and sharing your tips! Love how you used those slow cooked black eyed peas in this – an excellent application :D
Just made a batch of your slow cooked black eyed peas. Can I use those instead of dry beans in this recipe? I looked in the comments and didn’t see this question. Thanks!
Hi Linda! That should be fine. Add about 1 1/2 Cup cooked peas after you stir in the chard. Then continue on. I hope this helps. Please let us know how it goes!
I followed the recipe exactly and it was so good. We had left-overs a couple of nights, just the two of us and really enjoyed it. such a nice flavor from herbs and the caramelized onion, Just the right touch of heat. Thank you so much for the great recipe ! Happy New Year !
Hi Shannon! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe go! SO happy to hear. Happy New Year to you too!
This may be a dumb question…but can you leave out the fresh thyme? I have everything else. :)
Hi Britt! Oh yeah, feel free to leave it out! I hope you enjoy the pot pie :D
Traci, I love the recipe, it’s delicious! Made it 3 times now and always been perfect. Tonight when I made it, my cornbread sunk into the liquid while cooking and while still ok, it wasn’t great. Any idea what I did wrong?
Hiii Anna! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe! But on no on the sinking cornbread. I’m baffled since it’s worked just fine for you before. Could it possibly be too much milk was added to the cornbread?
It was really delicious. I followed the recipe as written except I had to sub 1/2 extra cup of flour to replace the 1/2 cup cornmeal that I didn’t have in the pantry. The biscuit dough rose exceptionally well and covered the entire casserole and looked beautiful. I also though the stew was sweet and flavorful and healthy. Nice recipe.
Hiii Mia! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! So happy to hear you enjoyed it. Nice sub on the cornmeal – so happy to hear it spread and covered the entire casserole! Agreed about the flavors! SO MUCH! Thank you again, Mia!
Happy New Year, Traci! Glad you had an extended, though unintended, respite. This potpie recipe has been in my cold weather rotation for a couple of years now and I love being able to swap in whatever I have on hand. I seriously make potpies once every 2 weeks because I can use up leftovers, and one pot meals are my favorite. The cornbread crust on this one is the best!
Hiii Jean! Happy New Year to you too! Sometimes a detour can be the best thing ever :D Thank you for your note and rating! I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe. Isn’t the cornbread crust so nice? I love how you make pot pies frequently. A time commitment for sure, but SO worth the effort!
Outstanding recipe! Made a couple of minor mods, soy milk, chickpea flour, kale, but just delicious!!!!
So Happy to hear, Carrie! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note. Loved seeing your chickpea flour topping on Insta! Well done!
I don’t know if you keep up with reading these messages, but Georgie recently sent out an email that they’re retiring the farm. No more Willowood for those of us in Western Washington that bought their wares. It’s sad.
Hi Bethery… thank you for your note! But oh noooo… I do read her blog and facebook page, but have not heard this news. I saw a post from her as recently as early this month and no news there either. I’m perplexed.
Thank you for this recipe. I had an odd mix of stored (sweet potatoes), home canned (purple-hulled peas), and frozen produce (peppers) from my garden and the grocery store (onions and a bell pepper) to use up, and this recipe fit the bill nicely. Some recently picked bok choi even worked instead of the chard. I did cut the recipe to fit a 10-inch cast iron skillet (Thou shalt make thy cornbread in cast iron in my neck of the woods), but it worked out great! Thank you!
Hi Mitzi! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note! It’s so nice to hear that you enjoyed the recipe. Your modifications sound lovely, and that you procured them as locally as possible :D Hooray for the 10″ skillet!
Well, thank you Mary Ann… you know how we are our own worse critics! Thank you for your prayers Mary Ann. :)
I’m so glad you brought this post back to life, Traci – it looks so incredibly delicious. I’m going to have to make this for dinner soon! I’m swooning over that gorgeous cornbread topping, and your post is reminding me to sign up for my local CSA box :)
Beautiful new photos, Traci. And so sorry to hear about the fire at one of your beloved farms. That story pulls at my heart strings. I hope they raise the money to rebuild. Thanks for making us all aware. XOXO.
Thank you for your note Liz. I think many of us are patiently waiting to see how Farmer Georgie will proceed. There are some tough decisions ahead for her and her family. xo
Any suggestion for the topping if one can’t use eggs?
Hey Kimberley! Thank you for your note. While I’ve not tested this recipe without an egg, you could try a 1:1 egg replacer or 1/3 C unsweetened applesauce (because apple sauce is naturally sweet, try leaving out or reducing the sugar). I’ve not had success with flax eggs in some baking recipes – I’m not sure if they’d work in this. I hope this helps!
A comforting dish to offset such devasting news but thanks, Traci, for sharing so that we have the opportunity to help if inclined. While I only visited Whidbey Island for a day I fell hard and fast under its spell.
Thank you for your note Jean. Whidbey has a way like that ;)
Love this dish. I found Vanilla and Bean while searching for an inventive use of the black eyed peas I purchased impulsively at New Years. I made it this immediately and have made since on cold days!
Hooray! Thank you so much for sharing Lisa. So happy you’re enjoying it and those black eyed peas! :D
I tried this last night and loved it. It has wonderful flavor and beautiful color. Since I love to bake and normally don’t cook, I can’t believe it came out of my kitchen. One of my kids tried it, but didn’t love it as much as my husband and me…though I’ll try again and again. If anyone has a similar recipe that might be more kid-friendly (read: bland), I’m all ears.
Hooray, Renee! Thank you for sharing! YaY YOU! This is such a cozy recipe for sure and packed full of good stuff. We love this one too. So happy you and your husband enjoyed it! (sorry about the kiddos… I can’t be much help there – maybe someone will chime in!).
DELISH!!! I can’t wait to try – Quick Question – has anyone tried making it GF?
Sincerely Drooling :)
Katie-jane
Hi Katie! I’ve not tried it, but I wouldn’t hesitate using Bob’s 1 to 1 GF baking flour in place of the AP flour here. If you try it, please let us know how you do! Enjoy my dear!
New fav cold weather dish! I made this for a crowd on New Year’s Eve and it was amazing. It seemed complicated from the picture, but it was so easy and turned out perfect. Who needs meat? I have been craving this every day since I made it. Thank you so much for this recipe, it’s really special.
Hooray Kelly! Day made! It’s one of my favorites too! No doubt, black eyed peas are such a delicious staple in our home and I’m always finding new ways to enjoy them. I love your statement(!!) “who needs meat!” Fabulous! SO happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Hello! I made this last night but since o didn’t have black eyed peas I used black beans instead. Regrettably the black beans didn’t cook up in time to be done with the rest of the ingredients. Aren’t black eyed peas a bean as well? I thought for sure they would cook up at the same time but thought I’d check with you. The rest of it was SPECTACULAR, though. An incredible flavor! I’ll make it again, definitely, once I figure out my black bean issue.
Hi Dani! Thank you for writing and letting us know how you liked the pot pie. Black eyed peas are in the same family as black beans (Legumes), however bean cooking time varies. From my understanding, black eyed peas (BEP) take less time to cook than black beans (BB), at 45-60 min for BEP and 60-90 minutes for BB. For the BEPs in this recipe, cook time tops out at about 65 minutes. If using black beans again, give them a longer than 25 minute simmer before adding the potatoes and cornbread topping. That’ll give them a bit more time to cook. Thank you again for writing! I hope you’ll give this a go again. The black eyed peas are fabulous!
Thank you for the tip. Will let you know how it goes.
Please do!
Whew! I have booked marked this recipe in my feedly account as a definite keeper! Looking forward to trying it in the future. And it’s so beautiful! I also love the video/gif. And I love your website… You’re gonna make me move to WordPress. I love this Foodie Theme. Starting off…I didn’t even know where to begin. Sorry, I’m all over the board here. Got excited. I’m happy to have found you.
A reminder for me to check out Feedly! Thank you! Hiiii Michelle! So happy you made it here! Thank you for your kind words. Likewise! :D
Awh, thank you Lucy! Welcome! What is it with steaming hot food!? Especially this time of year… comfort food… just sayin’ !
Hi Katie! When working with dried black eyed peas, in this recipe, just sort through them making sure there’s no small stones, and give them a rinse under running water. At this point you’re ready to use them in this recipe! The peas go in the pot dry and they’ll cook up with all the other ingredients. Thanks for asking Katie!