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There is nothing better than my traditional mince pie recipe. Shortcrust pastry mince pies are so easy to make, are full of flavour and always a favourite at Christmas. Best served with friends and family, or with a cheeky glass of mulled wine.
Why you’ll love this Shortcrust Pastry Mince Pies recipe
This traditional mince recipe is one I whip out every year. It’s an easy mince pie recipe with ready-made pastry. It’s quick, simple and delicious.
You can decorate your easy mince pies with little stars, Christmas trees or pastry snowflakes like I have.
Mince pies are so easy to make it seems a shame to buy them when homemade ones are so much tastier (in my opinion at least).
You can also cook these mince pies in an air fryer for even quicker Christmas sweet treats.
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Ingredients
How to make
Top tips
Serving suggestions
Equipment
Variations and substitutions
Storing/making ahead
FAQs
Other recipes you might like
Recipe
Shortcrust Pastry Mince Pies Top Questions
What pastry are mince pies made from?
Do you need to grease the tin for mince pies?
What is the difference between mince pie and mince meat pie?
Can I use self raising flour instead of plain in pastry?
Ingredients
For the full recipe and instructions scroll to the bottom of the page for the recipe card.
READY-MADE SHORTCRUST PASTRY
When I’m in a rush I don’t want to waste time making pastry when the pre-made options are so good! I love just having to roll out the pastry and make my easy mince pies.
READY ROLLED SHORTCRUST PASTRY
I go for the ready rolled shortcrust pastry when I can. It’s quick to use and can be unrolled pretty quickly. I would give it 15 minutes at room tempterature so it doesn’t crack when you unroll it.
Most supermarkets have the blocks of shortcrust pastry too. So if you want it ready made and they don’t have ready rolled, then pick up a block and roll it out at home.
FROZEN SHORTCRUST PASTRY
Having a pack or two of shortcrust pastry in the freezer is fabulous when you want to whip up some mince pies. At Christmas I am never without frozen pastry ready for a last minute spot of baking.
You can thaw the pastry overnight in the fridge or leave at room tempterature for 2-3 hours.
MINCEMEAT
To make this recipe as easy as possible you can buy mincemeat in a jar. It’s delicious and perfect for making this traditional mince pie recipe.
But, if you do have some time on your hands, it’s great to make your own mincemeat with my mincemeat recipes. I love making my slow cooker vegan mincemeat or if we’re feeling fancy, cranberry mincemeat is a firm favourite in my house.
How to make traditional mince pies – step by step
For the full recipe and instructions scroll to the bottom of the page for the recipe card.
- Press your rolled pastry into the baking tray.
- Spoon about 1 teaspoon of mincemeat mixture into the pastry case.
- Out of your rolled pastry, cut snowflakes, stars or whichever shape you want to top your mince pie with.
- You can do this with a Christmas cookie cutter.
- Then wash your pastry with a egg or milk wash and bake until golden brown.
Shortcrust Pastry Mince Pies Top Tips
Wash your pastry with an egg wash to help the pie lid turn a gorgeous golden brown.
Use a cookie cutter to cut fun Christmas lids for your easy mince pies.
If you’re short on time, these mince pies can be whipped up quickly using pre-made ingredients. So if you’re craving a mince pie you can have them as quickly as possible.
Serving Suggestions
Easy mince pies make for wonderful Christmas snacks. You can warm them in the microwave for a minute or so and enjoy them warm. I often serve mince pies to guests with a big glass of mulled wine and a little pouring cream on top.
Equipment
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Substitutions and variations
HOW TO MAKE MINCE PIES WITH PUFF PASTRY
You can easily swap out this traditional mince pie recipe for one that uses puff pastry instead of shortcrust. I love buttery, flaky pastry and it works so well for the mince pie recipe.
MINCE PIES WITH FILO PASTRY
Another delicious swap. If you want to make your mince pies a little fancy, try making them with filo pastry. It’s a little lighter than a short crust but just as tasty. Check out my filo pastry mince pies.
Storing Shortcrust Pastry Mince Pies / Making ahead of time options
You can freeze these easy mince pies before baking them for up to one month. That way you can make the pies in November but still get to enjoy freshly baked mince pies on Christmas eve.
Mince pies will last in a cool dark cupboard for one week once baked. Just keep them in a sealed container.
FAQS
What pastry are mince pies made from?
Traditional mince pies are made from shortcrust pastry. But you can use whatever you have on hand. I love making mince pies with puff pastry to have a wonderfully flaky mince pie.
Do you need to grease the tin for mince pies?
If you have a non-stick pan, you won’t need to grease your tin for mince pies. But If you have an older tin you may need to grease and flour the base to stop your mince pies from sticking. A circle of greaseproof paper will work too.
What is the difference between mince pie and mincemeat pie?
A mincemeat pie and mince pies are the same thing. Mince pies are often called mincemeat pies in the US whereas over here in the UK, they are known as mince pies. Both contain a pastry base with a mincemeat filling.
Can I use self raising flour instead of plain in pastry?
If you really want to make your own shortcrust pastry then yes you can use self-raising flour in pastry. It can make it a little harder to work with but will still result in a lovely short-crust pastry ready for you to make wonderful mince pies with. Plain flour wil give better results.
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Recipe
Shortcrust Pastry Mince Pies
Sisley White
There is nothing better than my traditional mince pie recipe. Shortcrust pastry mince pies are so easy to make and are so full of flavour and always a favourite at Christmas. Best served with friends and family, or with a cheeky glass of mulled wine.
5 from 8 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Dessert, Party Food, Pudding, Sweet Treats
Cuisine British, English, International
Servings 12 mince pies
Calories 168 kcal
Equipment
Pastry cutters
Ingredients
- 1 sheet shortcrust pastry (approximately 350g)
- flour for dusting
- 300 g mincemeat
- 1 egg
Instructions
Unroll your shop bought shortcrust pastry or make your own shortcrust pastry with my recipe.
Lightly dust a 12-hole fairy cake tin tray with plain flour.
Using pastry cutters, cut a base circle which is a little larger than the fairy cake hole on the tray so when you push it in it fills the hole.
Add mincemeat to the pastry, filling it up to almost full. You want to leave some space to allow the pastry to expand without the filling falling out.
Use the leftover pastry to make a lid. It can be a completely closed mince pie or you can add a shape so you can see the filling. I went for snowflakes for this recipe.
Gently whisk an egg with a fork and brush the egg glaze over the mince pies.
Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. (Or Air fry for 15 minutes at 180ºC / 360ºF in your air fryer oven. Check after 10 minutes).
Allow the mince pies to cool slightly before removing them from the tin and enjoy. Best served with ice cream or cream.
If you want to reheat them pop them in the microwave for 20-second bursts until hot.
Notes
If you want to reheat your mince pies in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 180ºC / 360ºF for 3-5 minutes.
Freeze mince pies for later – freeze before baking, then cook from frozen and add a few minutes to the cooking time. I recommend freezing the mince pies on the cupcake/fairy cake tray to freeze them in the right shape. Once they have been in the freezer for an hour, remove them from the tray and put back in the freezer. This way they will have started freezing and will hold their shape and take up less space.
Nutrition
Calories: 168kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 3gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 286mgPotassium: 27mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 20IUCalcium: 5mgIron: 1mg
Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Keyword Christmas, leftover mincemeat, mince pies, Mincemeat, shortcrust pastry, shortcrust pastry mincepies
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