Easy Mince Pie Recipe (2024)

Updated: Oct 6, 2023 by Corina Blum · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 28 Comments

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This easy mince pie recipe really will convince you there's no need to buy mince pies again! They're made with a simple shortbread pie crust that makes them deliciously buttery and crumbly. They're simple, tasty and your kids can help make them too! Perfect for some Christmas baking.

So, it's only November but I am already posting my second Christmas recipe. Until trying these I would have said I wasn't really that keen on mince pies. I would eat a few every Christmas but I wouldn't look forward to them and I wouldn't miss them if they weren't there. I wouldn't buy them and until now, I wouldn't have made them either.

Mince pies are a great recipe to make with kids!

So, what's changed? Well, Little Miss Spice loves play dough and she loves to make star shapes with it. As I hadn't done any baking with her, I decided that letting her cut out the tops of the mince pies would be the perfect way to introduce her to some real baking.

Now, if you're going to get a one year old to help with baking then you need an easy recipe! I promise you, these mince pies are not just easy, they are possibly the tastiest ever mince pie recipe!

The mince pie pastry is like a shortbread biscuit!

The shortbread dough is very forgiving and can be thrown around a lot and still makes great biscuity pastry case. That's what you want, isn't it? Some bought mince pies can be a bit like cardboard but these are so delightfully crumbly. They're like shortbread.

Admittedly, maybe a less shortbready dough would have been easier. The dough takes a lot of work to actually come together and form a dough. When I first made these I didn't think it wasn't going to work as it kept just crumbling apart but eventually it did and it was definitely worth it.

The pastry is sweet and buttery and tastes like shortbread. I even made little biscuits with the leftover dough and they were lovely eaten just as they were.

A really fuss free pastry technique

This mince pie recipe is easy but you do need a little patience. What makes it a really fuss free pastry recipe is that you can just press the dough into the muffin tin so don't worry too much if it keeps crumbling up.

I promise you, these shortbread mince pies are incredibly delicious. So delicious that I will be making a few more batches and putting them in the freezer for over Christmas, which means there's still no need to go out and buy any mince pies.

If you wanted these to look a little bit more special for guests you could dust them with icing sugar. However, I don't always bother. I think they are perfect just like this. They are sweet and rich with crumbly buttery pastry.

Sometimes though, if I want a real treat on Christmas day evening, I enjoy one topped with leftover rum sauce!

Can you adapt this mince pie recipe?

Of course you can! What if it's not Christmas or you don't like mince meat? Go ahead and add a different filling. They're delicious with stewed fruit too

What about if you're really struggling with that crumbly pastry? Why not just crumble it onto the top of the mince meat and you'll have crumble topped mince pies?

Make them look a bit prettier by dusting with icing sugar. Or brush them with egg and scatter on some flaked almonds before baking.

I don't think they need chocolate but I have even seen mince pies drizzled with chocolate! Be creative if you want. Go on have fun with some Christmas baking!

How long can you keep these shortbread mince pies?

These easy mince pies will keep for about a week in an airtight container. If you want them to last longer then freeze some of them. They'll freeze for up to three months. Just defrost at room temperature before eating .

More Christmas baking recipes

I love experimenting in the kitchen at this time of year. I've discovered that my children love spicy biscuits and cookies so I've made lebkuchen, gingerbread biscuits and buttery chocolate chip biscuits for them.

We also love puff pastry and these almond rolls are always a hit too!

Recipe

Mince Pies

Corina Blum

This easy mince pie recipe really will convince you there's no need to buy mince pies again! They're simple, tasty and your kids can help make them too!

4.49 from 37 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine British

Servings 18

Calories 240 kcal

Ingredients

350 g plain flour
225 g butter at room temperature
100 g sugar
Pinch salt
350 g mincemeat

Instructions

Chop the butter up and then rub it into the flour with your fingertips. Add the salt and sugar and mix together.
Using your hands, press, knead and combine the pastry into a ball without adding any extra liquid. Although it will keep crumbling up at first it will form a dough after a few minutes. Just don't give up.
Wrap the dough in cling film and put it in the fridge to rest until you need it or go straight to step 4.
Pull off lumps of the dough and place them in the muffin tin. Just use your thumb and fingers to press the dough down and line the tins.
Add a couple of teaspoons of mincemeat to each pie.
See Also
Marry Me Chicken Recipe Ginger Elixir Recipe (Jamu Juice)Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe Moroccan Tomato Couscous Recipe
Roll or press the remaining pastry down and use pastry cutters to make the tops of the pies. If you have any extra pastry left, just cut out shapes with the pastry cutters to make little shortbread biscuits.
Bake in the oven at 180C for 20 minutes. If you have any extra biscuits they will cook in about 8 - 12 minutes, depending on how thick they are.

Notes

Nutritional information is approximate and a guideline only.

Nutrition

Calories: 240kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 2gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 198mgPotassium: 23mgSugar: 18gVitamin A: 310IUCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.9mg

Keyword easy mince pies

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Keep in touch

Do let me know if you make these easy mince pies or any of my other recipes.

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About Corina Blum

Corina Blum loves easy healthy recipes that taste great and often involve spices. She's a big fan of air frying and loves developping recipes inspired by global flavours. As well as a food content creator shes also a busy mum of two children.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Roz
December 14, 2023 at 11:28 am
Hi, can the mince pies or pastry be frozen then baked when needed.
Thanks Roz
Reply
- Corina Blum
  December 14, 2023 at 1:43 pm
  Hi Roz
  Yes, the pastry can be frozen and then defrosted and made into mince pies. Ideally defrost in the fridge but you can defrost in the kitchen at room temperature too.
  Because of the way I pressed the pastry into the tin before filling then it is harder to fill them and then freeze them before baking as they would stick to the tin. Alternatively you can bake them and then freeze them once cooled. You could then bake them again to reheat when needed. They would probably need about 5 minutes in the oven from frozen if they were already cooked. Or if you have an air fryer, you could reheat them in the air fryer as well.
  Reply
Karen
November 23, 2022 at 8:33 pm

THE BEST mince pies EVER!! Thank you for sharing, this recipe is definitely a keeper. Just delicious
Reply
- Corina Blum
  November 24, 2022 at 1:50 pm
  Thank you so much Karen! I'm really pleased you like them - I need to make a batch for this year soon too!
  Reply
Christine
April 20, 2019 at 3:07 pm
These are the best mince pies ever. You have to follow the recipe exactly. No water, no egg and especially no rolling the pastry! You squash a ball of pastry into each section on the baking tin.
Reply
- Corina Blum
  April 23, 2019 at 9:09 am
  I'm so pleased you like them! I also think they're the best mince pies ever!
  Reply
jenny walters
December 29, 2018 at 11:30 am

Gosh these look incredible and the pastry sounds just divine. I LOVE pastry and I just love how thick yours is. Every now and then a recipe gets into my brain and I keep thinking about it. This is one of those! Your pics are so gorgeous I am going to have to make these. Thank you so much for sharing with #BakingCrumbs
Reply
See Also
Onion Tart - tastebotanical - Easy vegetarian recipe
- Corina Blum
  December 30, 2018 at 6:49 am
  I definitely love pastry too and probably for mince pies I love the pastry more than the filling! It does turn out quite thick on these because of the way you just push it into the baking tray!
  Reply
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food
December 26, 2018 at 3:06 pm

I never even knew what mince meat WAS for the longest time! I like it, but I'm alone in my family. So, I'll take your suggestion to use a different filling. I love the sound of the crumbly, shortbread-y crust!
Reply
- Corina Blum
  December 30, 2018 at 6:47 am
  I have to admit my children like the pastry more than they like the filling too! The crust is really good.
  Reply
Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder
December 23, 2018 at 4:25 pm

Christmas season simply wouldn't be the same without mince pies and these look fab Corina! The more buttery pastry is the better! I love how generous you are with your pastry too (for me it's always the best bit to be honest lol)! Thank you for sharing your festive bake with #BakingCrumbs 🙂 Hope you all have fantastic Christmas! xx
Reply
- Corina Blum
  December 24, 2018 at 9:34 am
  I have to be generous with the pastry as that's the only bit Little Miss Spice eats. I have to eat her filling! Hope you have a great Christmas too x
  Reply
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
December 20, 2018 at 5:04 pm

I love the idea of using shortbread pastry instead of the traditional shortcrust! They must be delicious 😀 I love making mince pies with my kids too. At 8 and 10 they are pretty much old enough to make them by themselves, with just a bit of guidance from me... but I remember the days when they were really little and just loved 'playing' with the dough. I've made mince pies with mine since they were tiny and it's o lovely to see their progress each year! Thanks for linking them up to #CookBlogShare. Wishing you and yours a fabulous Christmas! Eb x
Reply
- Corina Blum
  December 21, 2018 at 7:46 am
  Thanks Eb! It is lovely to see their progress, isn't it? I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas x
  Reply
Sonal
December 14, 2018 at 11:55 pm

We were in London this thanksgiving. Loved tasting the minced pies there.. buttery and filled with goodness.
I am always confused on what actually is minced meat? Is it real meat? Or minced dry fruits?
Reply
- Corina Blum
  December 15, 2018 at 7:40 pm
  It's dried fruit with spices, although I believe it did used to contain meat as well a long time ago!
  Reply
- Julia
  November 19, 2023 at 8:26 pm
  Nowadays it’s just fruit and maybe alcohol and nuts etc but way back when they were first made it was with actual meat and a sweet filling!
  Reply
Chris Collins
December 14, 2018 at 11:28 pm

I'm always on the hunt for new mince pie recipes and this one looks like a real winner! Thanks for sharing!
Reply
- Corina Blum
  December 15, 2018 at 7:42 pm
  I'm so pleased you like it Chris!
  Reply
kim
December 14, 2018 at 10:27 pm

This is delicious and so festive for the holidays!
Reply
- Corina Blum
  December 15, 2018 at 7:41 pm
  Definitely! Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a mince pie or two!
  Reply
Taylor W.
December 14, 2018 at 9:43 pm

Love the stars on top! These look so yummy!
Reply
- Corina Blum
  December 15, 2018 at 7:41 pm
  Thanks! I love my star cutters and so do the children!
  Reply
Emily
December 14, 2018 at 9:04 pm

I've always wanted to try a mince meat pie! I had no idea that is was both sweet and savory.
Reply
- Corina Blum
  December 15, 2018 at 7:39 pm
  It's not savoury Emily! Mincemeat for mince pies is a sweet mixture of dried fruit and peel with spices. I think a long time ago it contained meat as well and it still usually contains suet.
  Reply
Jac -Tinned Tomatoes (@tinnedtoms)
November 28, 2013 at 5:44 pm
They look gorgeous! Now I am craving mince pies!
Thanks for entering it into Bookmarked recipes, the roundup is now up.
Reply
Laura
November 21, 2013 at 10:25 pm
Mmmm, these sound good and you've made them look brill too. I've worked with a shortbread type pastry before and agree it was a bit frustrating at first but so worth it in the end. Thanks for sharing with the Biscuit Barrel challenge!
Reply
magnolia verandah
November 21, 2013 at 4:21 am
Love those stars - I bet they were so worth the effort. I can just about taste that lovely buttery pastry from here.
Reply

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FAQs

What are the ingredients for mince pie? ›

Mincemeat

Mince pie / Main ingredient

Mincemeat is a mixture of chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits and spices, and often beef suet, usually used as a pie or pastry filling. Mincemeat formerly contained meat, notably beef or venison. Many modern recipes replace the suet with vegetable shortening.

Wikipedia

What was the original filling for mince pie? ›

The reason mincemeat is called meat is because that's exactly what it used to be: most often mutton, but also beef, rabbit, pork or game. Mince pies were first served in the early middle ages, and the pies were quite sizeable, filled with a mixture of finely minced meat, chopped up fruit and a preserving liquid.

Read On ›

What odd ingredient did mince pies once contain? ›

Markham's recipe called for an entire leg of mutton and three pounds of suet which were mixed with salt, cloves, mace, currants, raisins, prunes, dates, and orange peel, a list of ingredients that, save for the meat, which is remarkably like that used today.

Get More Info Here ›

How long do homemade mince pies keep? ›

It's easy to get ahead with mince pies in advance of Christmas as the mincemeat mixture may be made a month in advance, and the pies may be made and frozen, then cooked when needed. Or, once cooked, they will keep in an air-tight tin for 5 days; just pass them through the oven to freshen the pastry before serving.

Get More Info ›

What pastry is mince pies made from? ›

One bite of a home-made shortcrust pastry mince pie and you'll never want to buy them again. Now you've nailed the pastry, put it to good use with one of our mince pie recipes including date and apple, brownie and frangipane versions.

What is the meat in mince pie? ›

Nowadays, it's easy to find mincemeat pies still made with beef suet and a small amount of minced meats (usually beef). All-vegetarian mincemeat pies are readily available as well, especially if you purchase a premade jar of mincemeat filling.

Explore More ›

What is the difference between mince pie and mincemeat pie? ›

A mince pie, though originally containing meat, is a sweet pie, with pastry top and bottom, filled with a sweet mixture of dried fruit, peel, commonly alcohol like brandy, and small pieces of suet( an animal fat, and reminder of a mince pie's meat origins). This sweet mixture is ( confusingly) called 'mincemeat'.

Explore More ›

Do they eat mince pies in America? ›

So why has mince meat pie all but vanished in America? Well, the pie strayed from its roots, and it has a rather strange ingredient called suet. Modern day mince meat pie contains no meat, sometimes no alcohol, and is a wimpy salute to the hearty, beefy pie of mince meat history.

What is the inside of a mince pie called? ›

All About Mincemeat: The Fabulous Filling for Mince Pies

These days, mincemeat is made with a mixture of dried fruit, such as raisins and currants, candied fruit peels, lemon and orange zest, finely chopped apple, brandy, warming spices, and the rendered animal fat suet (or a vegetarian substitute).

Read The Full Story ›

When did they stop putting meat in mince pies? ›

By the 18th century it was more likely to be tongue or even tripe, and in the 19th century it was minced beef. It was not until the late Victorian period and early 20th Century that mince pies dropped the meat and had all fruit fillings (albeit with suet). Even today there are traditions associated with mince pies.

See Details ›

What were Victorian mince pies made from? ›

Ingredients included dried fruits like raisins prunes and figs, lamb or mutton (representing the shepherds) and spices like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg (for the Wise Men). By late Victorian England, mince pies ceased to contain meat and had all fruit fillings (with suet).

Discover More Details ›

What is another name for mince pie? ›

We all love munching on mince pies but have you ever wondered why their filling is called 'mincemeat' even though there's no meat in it? This is because long ago mince pies actually did have meat in them. They went by different names like 'mutton pie,' 'shrid pie,' or 'Christmas pie.