This festive mince pies recipe is made with homemade mincemeat, orange pastry, brandy and mixed spices. The result is a traditional British treat perfect for Christmas. Make it with 12-15 servings, plus an overnight rest for the mincemeat and 20-25 minutes baking time.
I make this every Christmas season. The Hairy Bikers’ approach delivers authentic flavour without modern shortcuts.
Mince Pies Ingredients
Mincemeat (homemade)
- 1 lemon, boiled 1 hour until soft, cooled
- 100g raisins
- 100g sultanas
- 1/2 Bramley apple, peeled and chopped
- 100g dried mixed fruit
- 75g mixed peel
- 100g suet
- 100g dark brown muscovado sugar
- 100g currants
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 50ml brandy
- 50ml sherry
Orange Pastry
- 450g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 120g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 140ml orange juice
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
- Pinch of salt
To Finish
- Cream, brandy butter, or ice cream for serving
How To Make Mince Pies
- Prepare the mincemeat base: Cut the boiled lemon in half and discard the pips. Blend the lemon, raisins, sultanas, apple, mixed fruit, and peel to a paste in a food processor. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Mix and rest: Add suet, sugar, currants, spices, brandy, and sherry to the bowl. Mix well and cover. Rest overnight in the fridge so the flavours develop fully.
- Make the orange pastry: Grease muffin tins with butter. Blend flour, baking powder, salt, and butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add orange zest and gradually add orange juice until the dough comes together.
- Chill the pastry: Knead the dough lightly until smooth. Wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hour. This prevents the pastry from shrinking during baking.
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C Fan / Gas Mark 6). Remove the pastry from the fridge and divide it in half.
- Line the tins: Roll out half the pastry to 1/2cm thickness. Cut 15-18 discs using a 7cm cutter. Press each disc gently into the wells of the muffin tins.
- Fill the pies: Spoon 1 tablespoon of mincemeat into each pastry case. Brush the rims with beaten egg using a pastry brush.
- Add the tops: Roll out the remaining pastry to 1/2cm thickness. Cut 15-18 tops using a 5cm cutter. Place a pastry top on each pie and seal the edges gently with your fingertips.
- Seal and vent: Brush the pie tops with beaten egg. Make two small steam holes in each top using a sharp knife. These allow steam to escape during baking.
- Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool slightly in the tin before turning out.
- Serve: Serve the mince pies warm or cold with cream, brandy butter, or ice cream. They are best enjoyed freshly baked but store well for several days.
What Is the Secret to Perfect Mince Pies?
- Keep the butter cold: Use butter straight from the fridge when making the pastry. Cold butter creates flaky layers and better texture. Never use warm or softened butter.
- Don’t overwork the dough: Handle the pastry as little as possible once the liquid is mixed in. Overworking develops gluten, making the pastry tough instead of tender.
- Rest the mincemeat overnight: This crucial step allows the dried fruits to absorb the brandy and sherry. The flavours develop significantly overnight and taste much better than fresh mincemeat.
- Roll pastry to the correct thickness: Use 1/2cm for the bases and lids. Too thin and the pastry tears; too thick and the pies become heavy. For more festive bakes, try our gingerbread recipe which uses similar technique.
- Cut star-shaped tops: Instead of circles, use a small star cutter for the pie tops. This adds visual appeal and creates extra crispy edges where the pastry is thinnest.
What Should You Serve on the Side?
Mince pies are best enjoyed warm, straight from the oven. Serve with a generous dollop of brandy butter melting on top. It is simply softened butter beaten with icing sugar and brandy.
Alternatively, serve with whipped cream or clotted cream for a traditional touch. Vanilla ice cream is another popular choice, especially if you prefer a cold contrast. Mulled wine or hot tea are perfect drinks to serve alongside.
For a festive meal, combine these pies with other seasonal treats. Try serving them after our Christmas pudding with vodka for a complete traditional dessert experience.
Does This Keep Well?
Mince pies keep well at room temperature for 2-3 days. Store them in an airtight container or a biscuit tin. They don’t dry out quickly because of the rich mincemeat filling.
For longer storage, place the pies in the fridge where they will last 5 days. Reheat them gently in a low oven before serving if you prefer them warm. You can refresh them at 160°C for about 10 minutes.
Freeze the unbaked pies for up to 3 months. Freeze them in the muffin tin before turning them out and stacking in a freezer container. Bake them from frozen, adding an extra 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 280kcal
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Protein: 3g
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Dietary Fibre: 2g
- Sugar: 25g
Frequently Asked Questions
What pastry is best for mince pies? The Hairy Bikers use an orange-flavoured shortcrust pastry that balances sweet mincemeat beautifully. The orange juice and zest brighten the filling without overpowering it.
How do Hairy Bikers mince pies compare to Nigella Lawson’s? The Hairy Bikers emphasise homemade mincemeat rested overnight, whilst Nigella’s star-topped version is quicker. Both are classic British recipes with distinct pastry styles.
Can you make the mincemeat without suet? You can substitute vegetable suet or softened butter instead. The texture will be slightly different, but the flavour remains good.
What is traditional mincemeat made of? Traditional mincemeat contains dried fruits like raisins, sultanas and currants, plus mixed peel and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Suet binds everything, whilst brandy and sherry preserve and flavour the mixture.
Can you use shop-bought mincemeat instead? Yes, but homemade tastes noticeably better and fresher. For another festive bake, try our parkin recipe.
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Hairy Bikers Mince Pies
Description
This festive mince pies recipe features homemade mincemeat made with dried fruits, spices, brandy and sherry, paired with an orange-flavoured pastry. Takes 20-25 minutes to bake with overnight mincemeat resting. Makes 12-15 pies.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare the mincemeat base: Cut the boiled lemon in half and discard the pips. Blend the lemon, raisins, sultanas, apple, mixed fruit, and peel to a paste in a food processor. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Mix and rest: Add suet, sugar, currants, spices, brandy, and sherry to the bowl. Mix well together. Cover and rest overnight in the fridge.
- Make the orange pastry: Grease muffin tins with butter. Blend flour, baking powder, salt, and butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add orange zest and gradually add orange juice until the dough comes together.
- Chill the pastry: Knead the dough lightly until smooth. Wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hour. This prevents the pastry from shrinking during baking.
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C Fan / Gas Mark 6). Remove the pastry from the fridge and divide it in half.
- Line the tins: Roll out half the pastry to 1/2cm thickness. Cut 15-18 discs using a 7cm cutter. Press each disc gently into the wells of the muffin tins.
- Fill the pies: Spoon 1 tablespoon of mincemeat into each pastry case. Brush the rims with beaten egg using a pastry brush.
- Add the tops: Roll out the remaining pastry to 1/2cm thickness. Cut 15-18 tops using a 5cm cutter. Place a pastry top on each pie and seal the edges gently with your fingertips.
- Seal and vent: Brush the pie tops with beaten egg. Make two small steam holes in each top using a sharp knife. These allow steam to escape during baking.
- Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool slightly in the tin before turning out.
- Serve: Serve the mince pies warm or cold with cream, brandy butter, or ice cream. They are best enjoyed freshly baked but store well for several days.
