A true British legend. Christmas Sweet Mince Pies steal the show every year. Flaky, buttery crust gives way to a spiced filling packed with currants, raisins, brandy-soaked apples, candied orange peel and lemon zest. Sweetened with brown sugar, warmed with holiday spices, and nut-free. They’re everything nostalgic, comforting, and so Christmassy.
Ingredients
- Currants
- Raisins
- Brandy
- Apple
- Candied citrus peel
- Orange juice
- Orange zest
- Lemon zest
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Dark brown sugar
- Butter
- Flour
- Sugar
- Salt
- Egg
- Powdered/confectioners sugar
This has been one of my most popular Christmas recipes since I first shared it in 2018. The recipe itself hasn’t changed, but I’ve updated the post with extra tips and answers to the most common questions.
Homemade mincemeat recipe
Making your own mincemeat is incredibly easy and absolutely worth it. For an extra festive touch, I like decorating the tops of the pies with winter-themed pastry cutouts. Snowflakes are my favorite – and finish them with a light dusting of icing (powdered) sugar.
Traditional mincemeat
Would you believe these pies were once made with actual meat? Hence the name “mincemeat.” Thankfully, the recipe has evolved into the sweet, spiced fruit version we enjoy today. I think we can all be grateful for that change—and happily leave the meat-filled version in the past!
Sweet vs savory mince
Just to avoid any confusion: in England, “mince pies” can also refer to a savory version made with ground beef. It’s entirely different from the sweet, spiced fruit mincemeat used for
Making mincemeat pies ahead
Traditional mince pies are at their best when the sweet mincemeat has time to mature, letting the citrus zest, dried fruits, brandy, and spices meld into a rich, fragrant filling. An overnight rest works wonderfully, but giving it a week—or even a month—creates truly exceptional flavor. And if you’re short on time, don’t worry: your pies will still taste absolutely delicious.
Mince pies without nuts
This mince pie recipe is nut-free, staying true to the belief that the original meat-based version did not include nuts.
Mincemeat without suet
Traditional Christmas mince pies often use beef suet in the filling mixture — shredded beef fat that’s commonly used in the U.K. As an expat living in the U.S., I find it tricky to source, so I’ve adapted the recipe by using cold butter instead. Don’t worry, the flavor and texture are just as delicious! And if you prefer, you can absolutely stick with traditional suet.
Best pastry for Christmas mince pies
My sweet shortcrust pastry is effortlessly made in a food processor by blending flour with cold butter, creating a flaky, buttery crust. This is my go-to dough recipe for both sweet and savory pies.
Best baking pan for fruit mincemeat pies
I use a standard 12-cup muffin pan (muffin tins) — it’s the perfect size for traditional mince pies.
Serving mince pies
Mince pies served with brandy butter are the traditional way to elevate this classic British treat. Brandy butter, a hard sauce made with butter, powdered sugar, and brandy, remains solid until served atop warm fruit mincemeat pies. The rich, creamy butter then melts into a delicious buttery sauce. This is my own recipe for Traditional Brandy Butter (pictured below).
Storing homemade mince pies
Store cooled mince pies in an airtight container to prevent them from absorbing any surrounding flavors or odors. You can also wrap them in plastic wrap. Keep them in a cool, dry place, like a cabinet. Avoid the fridge, as it can affect the texture. Room temperature is best, and consume them within 1 week.
Freezing mince pies
After they have baked and cooled on a wire rack, they do well when the individual mince pies are wrapped plastic wrap then in an airtight container. Make sure to date them and they will last for 2-3 months. Reheat in a 350°f/180°C oven for 10-15 minutes.
Kid friendly mince pies without brandy
These mince pies are perfect for the whole family. If you prefer not to serve brandy to children, you can easily substitute it with apple juice (apple cider) or more orange juice.
More traditional British Christmas recipes
During the Christmas season, a few traditional recipes always make the celebration feel complete. For the main event, Roast Turkey never feels truly festive without a bowl of creamy Bread Sauce on the table – a proper British comfort-food staple. And of course, no Christmas season is complete without a Classic Christmas Pudding, steamed until rich and dark and served with warm brandy sauce.
If you’ve made my Christmas Sweet Mince Pies please leave a star rating in the recipe card. You can also ask a question or leave a comment below.
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
20 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
- For the filling:
- 1 cup/5 ounces (142 grams) currants
- 1 cup/5 ounces (142 grams) raisins
- ¼ cup (59 ml) brandy
- ½ cup (70 grams) green apple, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 ounces (56 grams) candied peel of your choice
- Juice of 1 orange
- Zest of ½ an orange
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ½ cup (100 grams) dark brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons (57 grams) butter, cold
- For the dough:
- 1 ½ cups (225 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, cubed and kept cold
- ½ cup cold water
- For the topping:
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon powdered/confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Add the currants, raisins and brandy to a large bowl. Allow to soak for 1-2 hours up to overnight.
- While they soak, make the dough.
- To make the pastry in a food processor: Add the flour, sugar, salt and butter. Pulse until you get the texture of fine breadcrumbs. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in just enough cold water until it forms a ball, you may not use it all.
- To make the pastry by hand: Add the flour, sugar, salt and butter to a large bowl. Using your fingertips (or a pastry cutter) rub the butter and flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Drizzle in the water and mix using a fork until the it starts to come together and holds together when pressed in your hand. You may not need all of the water.
- Remove the dough, form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 10-15 minutes.
- While the dough chills, make the rest of the filling. To the brandy soaked currants and raisins, add the apples, candied peel, orange juice and zest & lemon zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar. Use a box grater to grate in the cold butter, mix well. If you’re not making pies right away, store in sterilized jars in a cool dry place for up to 1 month.
- Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.
- Butter a 12-count regular size muffin pan.
- On a floured surface roll out the pastry to about ⅛-inch (3 mm) thick and use a 4-inch (10 cm) round cutter to cut rounds and place each into the cups of the muffin pan so the edges meet the edges of the cups of the pan. Scoop 5 tablespoons of the filling into each of the cups.
- Re-roll out the remaining pastry and cut out holiday shapes of your choice. Place them on top of the filling and brush the shapes with the beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with the confectioners sugar.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes (depending on your oven) until the pastry is golden brown. See notes for freezing.
- Serve with Brandy Butter.
Notes
When already baked and cooled, they do well when individually wrapped in plastic wrap then in an airtight container. Make sure to date them and they will last for 2-3 months. Reheat in a 350°f/180°C oven for 10-15 minutes.
Step-by-step video:
Nutrition Information
Yield
12
Serving Size
1
Amount Per Serving
Calories 171Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 31mgSodium 111mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 1gSugar 13gProtein 2g
This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.
Janette is a professionally trained chef based in California who channels her passion for cooking into thoughtfully crafted recipes. Her culinary creations are inspired by her English heritage as well as her favorite global cuisines, including Indian and Italian. Connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for more delicious inspiration. More About Janette…
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