Easy Mince Pie Recipe (2024)

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A deliciously festive and easy mince pie recipe made with crumbly, orange flavoured pastry and a sweet, mincemeat and cranberry filling. The pastry can be mixed by hand in just 10 minutes and the pies themselves need just 15 minutes in the oven and can be enjoyed immediately or frozen for another time.

Easy Mince Pie Recipe (1)

Jump to:
  • 👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe
  • 🍽 Equipment notes
  • 🥘 Ingredients
  • 🔪 Step by step instructions
  • ❓ Frequently asked questions
  • 🎄 Other Christmas recipes
  • 📖 Recipe

👩🏻‍🍳 Why make this recipe

Made with a light and crumbly pastry and flavoured with orange and cranberry, these easy mince pies will be the perfect addition to your Christmas table.

Theres no need for a food processor or mixer machine and this simple, tried and tested recipe will ensure a perfect batch every time. For an alternative why not try Frangipane mince pies.

🍽 Equipment notes

Useful bits of equipment for making this recipe:

  • To shape the mince pies: Deep cupcake trayEasy Mince Pie Recipe (2) (you can also use a shallow mince pie trayEasy Mince Pie Recipe (3) if you would prefer shallower mince pies with less filling)
  • For the pastry base: 8cm round cutterEasy Mince Pie Recipe (4) or one that is just slightly bigger than the holes in your baking tin (for the pastry base)
  • For the pastry lid: 7cm round fluted cutterEasy Mince Pie Recipe (5) or a round fluted cutter just slightly smaller than the holes in your baking tin. Plus a small star cutterEasy Mince Pie Recipe (6) if you wish to cut a star shape into the pastry lid.

🥘 Ingredients

To make 16 mince pies you will need:

Easy Mince Pie Recipe (7)

Ingredient notes

Icing sugar: Using icing sugar in pastry, instead of caster sugar, is one of the best ways to ensure a light a crumbly pastry. The fine, powdery sugar will dissolve quickly and evenly into the pastry.

Orange zest: To make these mince pies extra festive, I like to flavour the pastry with orange zest. This could be substituted with clementine or tangerine zest or completely left out if preferred.

Cranberry sauce: Cranberry sauce can be added to the mincemeat filling for a mince pie with extra Christmas flavour. Again this is completely optional but if you would like to give this a go just stir a couple of tablespoons of cranberry sauce into the mincemeat.

Eggs: Only 1 egg is required to make this pastry recipe. If the egg is particularly large you may not need all of it. So add the egg gradually and stop when the pastry starts to come together. The second egg is for glazing the pastry.

🔪 Step by step instructions

  1. Add the flour and cold, cubed butter to a large mixing bowl. Use your finger tips to rub the butter into the flour until a breadcrumb consistency is reached.
  2. Next add the ground almonds, icing sugar and orange zest to the bowl. Stir into the crumb until evenly mixed.
  3. Whisk one large egg in a jug then gradually add to the mixture. Mix well between each addition and stop adding the egg when the pastry starts to come together. TIP: If you have added all the egg and the pastry hasn't come together, add small spoonfuls of cold water until it does come together.
  4. Turn the pastry out onto a clean, floured work surface and shape into a ball. Wrap the pastry in cling film and place into the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes. The colder the better!Easy Mince Pie Recipe (8)
  5. Once the pastry is well chilled, roll out on a floured work surface into a rough circle around 2-3mm thick. Work quickly and don't over handle the pastry. Warm pastry is more likely to break.
  6. Use an 8cm round cutter to cut out 16 circles for the base of each mince pie. TIP: use a size of round cutter that is slightly larger than the holes of your muffin or mince pie tray.
  7. Gather up the leftover pastry and reshape into a ball. Then roll out again and use a 7cm round fluted cutter to cut out 16 pastry lids. For extra detail use a small star cutter to cut out star shapes in the pastry lids. TIP: save the cut out stars and bake as they are for little extra pastry treats
  8. To flavour your mincemeat with cranberries: Transfer the mincemeat to a bowl then stir in 2 tablespoons of cranberry sauce (optional).Easy Mince Pie Recipe (9)
  9. To prevent the mince pies from sticking during baking, lightly grease your cupcake or mince pie tray and lightly sprinkle with flour, tapping off the excess. Then carefully place the larger pastry circles into the holes of the tray. Push the pastry gently into the corners using your finger tips or the rounded end of a champaign cork if you have long nails.
  10. Add a spoonful of mincemeat filling to each pastry base. Don't overfill and try to keep the filling just under the top of the pastry base.
  11. Place a lid on top of each pie and gently press down so the lid touches the top edges of the base.
  12. Brush the lids of the mince pies with whisked egg then place in the oven at 170℃/340℉and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.Easy Mince Pie Recipe (10)

❓ Frequently asked questions

How to stop the pastry from breaking when placing in the tray holes?

Pastry is a lot easier to handle when cold. Once the pastry has been made, make sure it is well chilled for at least 30 minutes. Leave it for longer if you can. Then roll out quickly and try not to over handle the cut out circles before placing in the tray.

How should mince pies be stored?

Allow the mince pies to fully cool then wrap in foil or cling film and store in an air tight container for up to 1 week.

Can mince pies be frozen?

Freezing mince pies is a fantastic way to have homemade mince pies on hand whenever you want them. Allow the pies to fully cool then stack in a sealable container and freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost, pop out as many pies as you need then leave on the side to fully defrost for a couple of hours. To reheat, place defrosted pies in a warm oven for 5 minutes.

What can I add to a jar of mincemeat?

This recipe suggests adding cranberry sauce to the mincemeat for a bit of extra Christmas flavour. Other additions could include orange zest, crushed hazelnuts, splash of rum or brandy, tinned cherries (chopped), dried apricots or some christmassy spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg.

Easy Mince Pie Recipe (11)

🎄 Other Christmas recipes

  • Easy Christmas Cake Recipe
  • Christmas Cake Muffins
  • How to Roast Chestnuts
  • Cinnamon Swirls
  • Fig and Apple Chutney
  • Spiced Pear and Cider Chutney

If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below.I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!

📖 Recipe

Easy Mince Pie Recipe (12)

Easy Mince Pie Recipe

By: Debbie Jones

A deliciously festive and easy mince pie recipe made with crumbly, orange flavoured pastry and a sweet, mincemeat and cranberry filling. The pastry can be mixed by hand in just 10 minutes and the pies themselves need just 15 minutes in the oven and can be enjoyed immediately or frozen for another time.

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Course afternoon tea, Christmas, Dessert, party food, pudding, Snack

Cuisine British

Servings 16 Mince pies

Calories 220 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 250 g plain flour
  • 50 g ground almonds
  • 150 g cold cubed butter
  • 50 g icing sugar
  • 1 large egg for the pastry
  • 1 orange zested
  • 1 egg for egg wash
  • 510 g jar of mincemeat
  • 2 tablespoon cranberry sauce
  • Extra flour for dusting pastry

Instructions

  • Add the flour and cold, cubed butter to a large mixing bowl. Use your finger tips to rub the butter into the flour until a breadcrumb consistency is reached.

  • Next add the ground almonds, icing sugar and orange zest to the bowl. Stir into the crumb until evenly mixed.

  • Whisk one large egg in a jug then gradually add to the mixture. Mix well between each addition and stop adding the egg when the pastry starts to come together. TIP: If you have added all the egg and the pastry hasn't come together, add small spoonfuls of cold water until it does come together.

  • Turn the pastry out onto a clean, floured work surface and shape into a ball. Wrap the pastry in cling film and place into the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes. The colder the better!

  • Once the pastry is well chilled, roll out on a floured work surface into a rough circle around 2-3mm thick. Work quickly and don't over handle the pastry. Warm pastry is more likely to break.

  • Use an 8cm round cutter to cut out 16 circles for the base of each mince pie. TIP: use a size of round cutter that is slightly larger than the holes of your muffin or mince pie tray.

  • Gather up the leftover pastry and reshape into a ball. Then roll out again and use a 7cm round fluted cutter to cut out 16 pastry lids. For extra detail use a small star cutter to cut out star shapes in the pastry lids. TIP: save the cut out stars and bake as they are for little extra pastry treats

  • To flavour your mincemeat with cranberries: Transfer the mincemeat to a bowl then stir in 2 tablespoons of cranberry sauce (optional).

  • To prevent the mince pies from sticking during baking, lightly grease your cupcake or mince pie tray and lightly sprinkle with flour, tapping off the excess. Then carefully place the larger pastry circles into the holes of the tray. Push the pastry gently into the corners using your finger tips or the rounded end of a champaign cork if you have long nails.

  • Add a spoonful of mincemeat filling to each pastry base. Don't overfill and try to keep the filling just under the top of the pastry base.

  • Place a lid on top of each pie and gently press down so the lid touches the top edges of the base.

  • Brush the lids of the mince pies with whisked egg then place in the oven at 170℃/340℉and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 239mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 252IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 3mg

Notes

Adding egg to pastry: Only 1 egg is required to make this pastry recipe. If the egg is particularly large you may not need all of it. So add the egg gradually and stop when the pastry starts to come together. Or if you don't have enough egg add small spoonfuls of cold water until the pastry starts to come together.

How to stop the pastry from breaking when placing in the tray holes? Pastry is a lot easier to handle when cold. Once the pastry has been made, make sure it is well chilled for at least 30 minutes. Leave it for longer if you can. Then roll out quickly and try not to over handle the cut out circles before placing in the tray.

How should mince pies be stored? Allow the mince pies to fully cool then wrap in foil or cling film and store in an air tight container for up to 1 week.

Can mince pies be frozen? Freezing mince pies is a fantastic way to have homemade mince pies on hand whenever you want them. Allow the pies to fully cool then stack in a sealable container and freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost, pop out as many pies as you need then leave on the side to fully defrost for a couple of hours. To reheat, place defrosted pies in a warm oven for 5 minutes.

What can I add to a jar of mincemeat? This recipe suggests adding cranberry sauce to the mincemeat for a bit of extra Christmas flavour. Other additions could include orange zest, crushed hazelnuts, splash of rum or brandy, tinned cherries (chopped), dried apricots or some christmassy spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg.

This post was first published in December 2015. Updated in December 2020 with an improved recipe and new images, step-by-step photos and recipe tips.

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Reader Interactions

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  1. Sandy

    I´m sorry but decided not to make these as the measurements for ingredients were very confusing. I´ve never seen amounts like 0.63 cups? What is that?

    Reply

    • Debbie Jones

      Hi Sandy, sorry to hear this. I am based in the UK so measure in grams. The conversion to cups is just a guide to give you an idea of the equivalent amount in cups. So for 0.63 cups you could assume this is about 2/3 of a cup.i hope you revisit and give the recipe a try. Debbie x

      Reply

  2. Margaret

    Easy Mince Pie Recipe (17)
    Made these in small traditional mince pie tin, very pleased. Lovely
    light pastry that was surprisingly easy to work with. Had previously tried MaryBerry (found the pastry a bit hard) and Paul Hollywood (very buttery but difficult to roll out etc) these were much better. Definitely my go to recipe from now on.

    Reply

    • Debbie Jones

      Easy Mince Pie Recipe (18)
      Thanks so much for your lovely comment Margaret. So pleased to hear that the recipe worked for you, hope you enjoyed the mince pies! Debbie x

      Reply

  3. Charlotte Oates

    I'm loving cranberries at the moment (more than any previous Christmas I think) so I love the idea of adding plenty of them into you mince pies - delicious.

    Reply

    • Debbie

      Thanks for your lovely comment Charlotte! Ooh yes cranberry sauce is my favourite at Christmas!! Especially now that I make my own 😊 So it just had to go in my mince pies!! Have a lovely Christmas!!

      Reply

      • Silvi

        Hello there , I wondered, is it realy mincemeat or is it something else and did not understand well. Thank you.Nice day.

        Reply

        • Debbie Jones

          Hi Silvi, Thanks so much for your comment. Yes this is mincemeat in this recipe. I usually use this type: https://amzn.to/3JSsB4y . To clarify mincemeat is a mixture of chopped dried fruits and sweet spices, which is used as a filling in dessert pies at Christmas. For clearer understanding please see the step by step photos of the recipe methods which you can find in the main body of the post. Or alternatively watch the video of the mince pies being made, which you can find in the recipe card here: https://properfoodie.com/cranberrymincepies/#recipe-video
          I do hope this helps and that you get chance to have a go at making the mince pies. Thanks for visiting! Debbie x

          Reply

Easy Mince Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in mincemeat pie? ›

What is the filling in mince pies made of? ›

Mince pies have become a Christmas essential and are now not made from 13 ingredients. They're filled with a delightful blend of minced meat, suet, and an array of dried fruits such as raisins, currants, orange peel, prunes and figs.

Why should you stir mincemeat clockwise when making mince pies? ›

Traditions, folklore and superstitions

Stirring the mincemeat was quite an event, and English tradition dictates that it should only be stirred clockwise. Stirring the mincemeat anti-clockwise would lead to bad luck and poor fortune in the coming 12 months.

What odd ingredient did mince pies once contain? ›

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).

What is traditional mincemeat made of? ›

Mincemeat is a combination of chopped dried fruits, spices, sugar, nuts, distilled spirits, a fat of some type and sometimes meat. The name is a carryover from 15th century England when mincemeat did indeed have meat in the mix; in fact, the whole point of mincemeat was to preserve meat with sugar and alcohol.

What is a substitute for suet in mincemeat? ›

Vegetable shortening: Vegetable shortening has a mild flavor like suet and hardens in the refrigerator, making it simple to shred and add to foods that call for shredded suet. Shortening consists of sunflower oil, palm oil, and wheat flour, which create a similar, crumbly texture to suet.

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

If you are wondering what the difference is between a mince pie and a mincemeat pie, wonder no more—they are the same thing.

Why are mince pies only eaten at Christmas? ›

Why do we eat mince pies at Christmas? Mince pies were originally made to celebrate Jesus. They were oblong in shape to represent the manger that Jesus slept in as a baby and have a 'pastry baby Jesus' carved into the pastry. Traditionally one mince pie is eaten for the Twelve days of Christmas.

How do you keep the bottom of mince pies from getting soggy? ›

Prebake your crust

Prebaking provides insurance against soggy bottoms during a low and slow bake, which custard pies demand.” A preheated baking stone helps your pies brown on the bottom.

Why do my mince pies always leak? ›

Fill each pie level with mincemeat, don't overfill as the pies have a tendency to leak and glue themselves to the tins if you do. Dip your finger in the egg and run around the edge of each mince pie and top with a lid, pressing gently together to seal.

How do you jazz up a jar of mincemeat? ›

Simply take your mincemeat and place it in a clean, sterilised jar. Pour in some rum, and let it sit for a week. During this time, the flavours will meld and create a delightful concoction that's perfect for the season.

What do Americans call mincemeat? ›

We call it “ground beef”. Usually when purchasing we have to specify the meat:fat ratio as well; so, for example, it might be 80:20 or 93:7. Let's start with what the British call it which is either minced beef, or beef mince. Apparently, the American word for mincing is grinding, so minced beef is ground beef.

What is another name for mince pie? ›

The early mince pie was known by several names, including "mutton pie", "shrid pie" and "Christmas pie". Typically, its ingredients were a mixture of minced meat, suet, a range of fruits, and spices, such as cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Who eats the most mince pies? ›

People in the South West eat the most mince pies in the UK, according to research by bakery chain Konditor. Having surveyed 2,000 people, the London-based company found that, on average, each person in the South West eats 24 mince pies across the festive period.

What are the ingredients in Robertson's mincemeat? ›

Ingredients: sugar, apples (26%), vine fruits (26%) (sultanas, raisins, currants), candied mixed peel (4%) (glucose-fructose syrup, orange peel, sugar, lemon peel, citric acid), vegetable suet (palm oil, sunflower oil, rice flour), treacle, acidity regulators (acetic acid, citric acid), mixed spices, citric acid, ...

Is mincemeat pie good for you? ›

Mince pies are high in calories, saturated fat and sugar because of the pastry case, as well as the suet and sugar in the mincemeat filling. If you're baking your own, only use pastry for the base and leave the top open, just add a small star of pastry or use a lower-fat pastry, such as filo.

Why is there suet in mincemeat? ›

A generous amount of shredded beef suet is also added to the mix. This melts when heated to create a uniform texture and a richer mouth-feel, and helps to meld all the fat-soluble flavour compounds together.

What's the difference between mince pie and meat pie? ›

They are two completely different kinds of pies. Mince pie, also known as mincemeat pie, is made of fruits and contains no meat. It is sweet. A meat pie is savory or spicy and is usually a fried pie, filled with ground meat and onions, spices like cumin, chili peppers, etc.

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