Mince pies recipe

CLICK TO RATE
(188 ratings)

Learn how to make mince pies for Christmas with our cheap, quick and easy mince pies recipe. They'll come out perfect every time.

How to make mince pies recipe
(Image credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
  • Vegetarian
  • healthy
Makes12
SkillMedium
Preparation Time50 mins plus soaking overnight
Cooking Time20 mins
Total Time1 hours 10 mins
Cost RangeMid
Nutrition Per PortionRDA
Calories241 Kcal12%
Sugar24.3 g27%
Fat6.6 g9%
Saturated Fat3.6 g18%
Salt0.09 gRow 4 - Cell 2
Protein3.2 g6%
Carbohydrates40 g15%
Salt0.09 gRow 7 - Cell 2

This mince pies recipe is one of our best, oven-warmed and oozing with thick glossy mincemeat in the centre. 

Traditionally mince pies use shortcrust pastry. Of course you can cheat and buy the ready-rolled variety. But making your own means you get a shorter, more delicate and crumbly pastry, that perfectly complements the fruity filling. Eat them hot from the oven, topped with thick cream or sweet, yellow brandy butter, while the spicy baking aroma still lingers in the kitchen. Or make a couple of batches to keep in the freezer to see you through the whole festive season.

Ingredients

  • For the mincemeat:
  • 50g (1¾ oz) each of sultanas, raisins and currants
  • 1 Bramley apple, cored and coarsely grated
  • 50g (1¾ oz) dark muscovado sugar
  • 50g (1¾ oz) luxury mixed candied peel, finely chopped
  • 25g (1oz) glacé cherries, roughly chopped
  • Grated zest of 1 orange
  • Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ tbsp mixed spice
  • 25g (1oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
  • 60ml (2½ fl oz) brandy

For the mince pies:

  • 75g (2¾ oz) icing sugar
  • 75g (2¾ oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 medium egg yolks
  • 200g (7oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2tbsp milk
  • Icing or caster sugar, for dusting

WEIGHT CONVERTER

to

Method

  1. At least one day ahead, mix together all the mincemeat ingredients, cover and set aside.
  2. To make the pastry, mix the icing sugar, butter and egg yolks in a food processor until smooth. Mix in 2tbsp cold water, then blend in the flour and salt and knead into a ball on a floured surface. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 15 mins.
  3. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Roll the pastry out on to a floured surface. Cut out 12 discs, using a 7cm fluted cutter, and line a 12-hole tin. Combine pastry trimmings back into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and chill.
  4. Stir the mincemeat, then fill each case with 1tsp mincemeat. Roll out the remaining pastry and use a star-shaped cookie cutter to make tops for the pies. Place one on each pie, brush with milk, dust with sugar and bake for 20 mins. Transfer on to wire racks and, once cool, store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Top tips for making mince pies

Making them in advance? Freeze on a baking tray then transfer to a sealed container when completely frozen. They can be kept in the freezer for up to three months. Reheat from frozen at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 15 mins.

Cold hands and cold surfaces make the most delicate and delicious pastry for mince pies. Although you’re almost certainly making this recipe in cold winter months, try to keep the room you’re cooking in relatively cold, and if you have naturally warm hands, run them under cold water before handling the pastry.

If you prefer your mince pies deep filled, you can use a 6-hole muffin tray instead of a regular 12 hole mince pie tray. Rather than stars, top deeper filled ones with a full circle of pastry, firmly attached with an egg wash. Cut a little V in the top with a pair of scissors so the heat can escape.

How you spike your mince pies is entirely up to you - swap the brandy for rum, whisky, amaretto or even sloe gin.

You might also like…

Best mince pies - the best shop-bought mince pies to buy for Christmas

Puff pastry mince pies

Filo pastry mince pies

Jessica Dady
Food Editor

Jessica Dady is Food Editor at GoodtoKnow and has over 12 years of experience as a digital editor, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the must-buy seasonal food hampers and advent calendars for Christmas to the family-friendly air fryers that’ll make dinner time a breeze, Jessica loves trying and testing various food products to find the best of the best for the busy parents among us. Over the years of working with GoodtoKnow, Jessica has had the privilege of working alongside Future’s Test Kitchen to create exclusive videos - as well as writing, testing, and shooting her own recipes. When she’s not embracing the great outdoors with her family at the weekends, Jessica enjoys baking up a storm in the kitchen with her favourite bakes being chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and a tray of gooey chocolate brownies