Best Mince Pies Recipe (That Finally Worked After Five Years of Trying)
Look, I’m gonna be honest with you. I avoided making mince pies for years because I thought they were too complicated and, honestly, I wasn’t even sure I liked them. Then my British friend Emma brought some homemade ones to our Christmas party three years ago and I was like… wait, these are actually incredible?
So naturally, I went home and tried to make them. Failed miserably. The pastry was tough, the filling was dry, and my husband took one bite and said “maybe stick to buying them?” Ouch.
But here we are in 2025, and I’ve finally cracked the code for the best mince pies recipe. And you know what? They’re not even that hard once you know the tricks.
Table of Contents
Why Homemade Mince Pies Are Worth the Effort
Here’s the thing about mince pies—the store-bought ones are fine, but they’re usually either too sweet or the pastry tastes like cardboard. Homemade mince pies, though? Completely different experience. The buttery shortcrust pastry gets all golden and crispy, and when you fill them with homemade mincemeat (or even good quality jarred stuff), they’re just… chef’s kiss.
I think what makes these traditional mince pies so special is that they smell like Christmas. Like, the second you open the oven, your whole house smells like cinnamon, cloves, and oranges. My kids actually asked if we could “make that smell again” in July. In JULY.
And speaking of my kids—they were convinced they hated dried fruit until they tried these. Now they fight over who gets the last one. Parenting win? I’ll take it.
What You Need for Easy Mince Pies
Okay, so here’s where I usually lose people because traditional mince pies have like a million ingredients in the filling. But don’t panic! You can totally use a good quality jarred mincemeat and just doctor it up a bit. That’s what I do half the time.
For the Shortcrust Pastry:
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed (I use Kerrygold because I’m fancy like that)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2-3 tablespoons ice cold water
- Pinch of salt
For the Mincemeat Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups raisins (I use a mix of regular and golden)
- 1 cup currants (or just more raisins if you can’t find currants—it’s fine)
- 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup candied orange peel
- 1/2 cup candied lemon peel (or just use more orange—nobody will know)
- 1/3 cup chopped almonds
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 tablespoons brandy or dark rum (or orange juice if you’re keeping it alcohol-free)
Quick note: If you’re thinking “that’s a lot of ingredients,” you’re right. That’s why using a jar of Robertson’s or Crosse & Blackwell mincemeat is totally acceptable. I’ve done it. Multiple times. Nobody complained.
Also, about the suet that traditional recipes call for—I just use butter. Suet is beef fat and while it’s authentic, it’s also hard to find and kinda weird if you’re not used to it. Butter works great.
How to Make Mince Pies from Scratch
Alright, deep breath. This is easier than it looks.
Step 1: If you’re making homemade mincemeat (brave soul!), mix all the filling ingredients in a large bowl. Cover it and let it sit in the fridge overnight. This step is important—oh wait, I forgot to mention—this lets all the flavors meld together and the fruits absorb all that delicious booze. Or orange juice. Whatever you used.
If you’re using jarred mincemeat, skip to step 2 and feel no shame. I certainly don’t.
Step 2: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). This is crucial. I forgot once and put the pies in a cold oven like a doofus and they turned out all weird and soggy.
Step 3: Make the pastry. In a large bowl (or food processor if you’re fancy), mix the flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and either rub them in with your fingers until it looks like breadcrumbs, or pulse in the food processor. This took me forever the first time because I kept stopping to answer texts. Pro tip: just focus for five minutes.
Step 4: Beat the egg and add it to the flour mixture along with 2 tablespoons of ice water. Mix until it just comes together into a dough. If it’s too dry and crumbly, add another tablespoon of water. Don’t overmix or your pastry will be tough. (Learned this the hard way on attempt number two.)
Step 5: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. I know, I know, waiting is annoying. But this step makes the pastry so much easier to work with. Trust me on this one.
Step 6: Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to about 1/8 inch thick. Use a round cutter (about 3 inches) to cut out circles for the bases. I use the rim of a drinking glass because I can never find my actual cookie cutters. Works perfectly fine.
Step 7: Press the pastry circles into a 12-hole muffin tin. Don’t have a special tart tin? Regular muffin tin works great. The pies will just be slightly deeper, which honestly means more filling, so that’s a win.
Step 8: Spoon the mincemeat into each pastry case, filling them about 3/4 full. Don’t overfill like I did the first time or they’ll bubble over and make a mess. Although honestly, the crispy overflow bits are delicious, so maybe that’s not the worst mistake.
Step 9: Cut out slightly smaller circles (or stars, or Christmas trees if you’re feeling festive) for the tops. You can also do a lattice pattern, but I’m usually too lazy for that. Place them on top and press the edges gently to seal. Cut a small slit in the top to let steam escape.
Step 10: Brush the tops with a little milk or beaten egg. This makes them all golden and gorgeous. Then sprinkle with a tiny bit of granulated sugar if you want them extra sparkly.
Step 11: Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. They should smell absolutely incredible at this point. Let them cool in the tin for 5 minutes (they’re too fragile when hot), then carefully transfer to a wire rack.
Tips for the Best Mince Pies Every Time
After making these approximately forty-seven times (okay, maybe more like fifteen, but it feels like forty-seven), here’s what I’ve learned:
Keep everything cold when making the pastry. Cold butter, cold water, cold hands. If your kitchen is really warm, stick the flour in the fridge for 20 minutes before starting.
Don’t skip the resting time for the dough. I’ve tried. It doesn’t work. The pastry shrinks and gets tough and you’ll be sad.
If your mincemeat seems a bit dry (especially the jarred kind), add a splash of brandy or orange juice and a spoonful of melted butter to it. Game changer.
These mince pies are honestly better the next day. The flavors develop and everything just tastes richer. But good luck getting them to last that long in my house.
You can freeze unbaked mince pies! Just assemble them, freeze on a tray, then bake from frozen for an extra 5 minutes. Perfect for when unexpected guests show up. Or when you need emergency Christmas cookies at 10 PM.
Serving Your Homemade Mince Pies
Okay, so traditionally you’re supposed to serve these mince pies warm with brandy butter or whipped cream. And yes, that’s delicious. But I’ve also eaten them cold for breakfast with my coffee and I’m not even sorry about it.
My neighbor Margaret insists they’re best with vanilla ice cream. My sister swears by custard. Honestly? They’re good all those ways. They’re also good straight from the tin while standing at the counter at midnight. Not that I would know anything about that.
Oh, and another thing—if you want to make these festive mince pies even more special, add a pinch of orange zest to your pastry dough. It adds this subtle citrus flavor that makes people ask “what’s different about these?” in the best way possible.
My Final Thoughts
So yeah, this easy mince pies recipe has become my go-to for every single Christmas gathering. I made 48 of them last year for my office party and they disappeared in like twenty minutes. People kept asking if they were from a fancy bakery. (I said yes. Don’t judge me.)
The thing about mince pies is that they’re one of those recipes that seems intimidating but really isn’t once you just dive in and do it. And even if your first batch isn’t perfect—mine definitely wasn’t—they’ll still taste good. Nobody’s going to complain about free homemade cookies.
Whether you make traditional mince pies with all the bells and whistles or cheat with jarred mincemeat and store-bought pastry, the important part is that you’re making something delicious that makes your house smell like Christmas.
Let me know if you try these! I’m genuinely curious if anyone else has mince pie disasters to share, because I’ve definitely had my fair share. 😊
Happy baking!
