How to Make Shortcrust Pastry Mince Pies From Scratch!

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Fed up of buying mediocre mince pies? Want to make your own from scratch? This easy mince pies recipe is exactly what you need! From making your own mincemeat and shortcrust pastry, to shaping, filling, and baking – this rewarding recipe has everything you need to make your own PERFECT mince pies this Christmas!

Why you’ll love this recipe

Yes, you can buy jarred mincemeat and readymade pastry from pretty much every shop near Christmas. But making your own is so wonderfully rewarding, I guarantee you’ll love doing it as much as I do!

Plus, just like when you bake gingerbread biscuits or gingerbread cupcakes, when you cook your own mincemeat at home – your whole house smells like Christmas! It’s truly wonderful!

FREE PRINTABLE! How to sterilise jars

The mincemeat part of this recipe makes enough for 3 x batches of 12 mince pies. Not going to use it all in one go? Learn how to sterilise your own jars, so you can store any spare mincemeat for use on another day. Just fill out the form below to receive your FREE printable!

Ingredients

Confused about what ingredients to buy? Not sure about a substitution? Here’s everything you might need to know…

For the mincemeat

• Apples – Fresh Bramley apples are definitely the best if you can get them. If not, use a cooking apple or Granny Smith. You need one that is quite sharp in flavour.
• Almonds – You can leave these out if you are cooking for someone with a nut allergy.
• Dried Fruit – All the dried fruit is interchangeable. E.g. don’t like sultanas? Switch them for cranberries etc. Just make sure you’re left with a similar volume of it, and it will work just great.
• Citrus Zest/Juice – The juice and freshly zested skin of an orange and lemon is a must. You can’t beat it, or substitute it for anything else.
• Suet – Use shredded suet. You can substitute for vegetarian suet if you prefer.
• Sugar – Any brown sugar will work. Although I like to use dark brown sugar, for a little more depth in flavour.
• Spices – These are a delicate balance, and can over power. But if you like more of one than the other, feel free to add a little bit/reduce others. It’s all about personal preference.
• Alcohol – Brandy is traditionally added to mincemeat. Although, I like to use Cointreau for a citrusy kick. Really, you could use any spirit you like.

For the shortcrust pastry

• Flour – Plain/all purpose flour is what’s needed in shortcrust pastry. Don’t substitute for self raising, or it will end badly.
• Butter – Use the best quality butter you can afford. You really will taste the difference in this recipe! Make sure it’s unsalted, whatever you use.
• Sugar – Caster (superfine) sugar is best for shortcrust, as it dissolves quickly.

Emma’s top tips

Here are tips you’ll find helpful when making this recipe.

• For the best flavour, make your mincemeat a few weeks in advance. This will also save you time when you come to bake your shortcrust pastry mince pies.
• Not a fan of Cointreau? Switch it out for brandy, whisky, rum, or even gin!
• Have warm hands or struggle to rub butter into flour? Use a pastry blender! They’re absolutely fab, I’ve used one for years!
• Make sure your butter is cold when making the shortcrust pastry. If your pastry is warm when you bake it, it will sink instead of holding its shape.
• Roll your pastry THIN (no thicker than 2mm). As it will puff up during baking.
• Stick the lids down well, or the filling may leak out when you bake them. Making it difficult to remove your mince pies from the tin.

Timings

Have limited time? Struggle with recipe timings? Or juggling around other things? Here’s some helpful timing info to make your life easier.

• The mincemeat needs 12 hours to rest. Followed by 3 hours in the oven. And time to cool completely. Before you can use it to make shortcrust pastry mince pies.
• Make your mincemeat in advance and preserve it in jars. You can do this up to 2-3 years ahead! But it’s best used within 1 year of making.
• Allow 10 minutes to make your shortcrust pastry, and 30 minutes chilling time.
• Mince pie assembly will take you about 15-20 mins.
• Baking your shortcrust pastry mince pies will take 25-30 minutes per batch.

Want to make homemade baked gifts for Christmas, but feel overwhelmed? Boost your skills and confidence with baking for beginners! Plus get my Top 5 Tips to Guarantee Baking Success!

Shortcrust Pastry Mince Pies – Step by Step Picture Recipe

(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)

Please note, this recipe includes both UK metric and US Cup measurements.

NOTE: IT WILL TAKE 2 DAYS TO MAKE THE MINCEMEAT.

Ingredients

Here is what you will need to make 12 mince pies. (The mincemeat makes enough for 36 x mince pies.)

For the mincemeat

Makes approximately 1.2kg | 42.34 oz

• 300g (10.5 oz)/2 x Small Bramley Apples, cored and chopped (don’t peel)
• 25g (1/4 Cup) Chopped Almonds
• 120g (3/4 Cup) Sultanas
• 120g (3/4 Cup) Currants
• 175g (1 + 1/8 Cup) Raisins
• 120g (1 + 1/2 Cups) Mixed Peel
• Grated Zest and Juice of 1 x Orange
• Grated Zest and Juice of 1 x Lemon
• 120g (1 Cup) Shredded Suet
• 175g (3/4 Cup) Soft Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 tsp Mixed  Spice
• 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• Pinch of Freshly Grated Nutmeg
• 3 tbsp Cointreau (Orange Liqueur)

For the shortcrust pastry

• 350g (2 + 3/4 Cups) Plain Flour
• 150g (2/3 Cup) Unsalted Butter, cold and cubed
• 1 tsp Caster Sugar
• Pinch of Salt
• 400g (14 oz) Mincemeat
• Milk, to glaze
• Icing Sugar, to decorate (optional)

Essential equipment

• Very Large Ovenproof Bowl
• Large Bowl
• Rolling Pin
• 10cm Fluted Circle Cookie Cutter
• 7cm Fluted Circle Cookie Cutter
• Large Snowflake Plunge Cutter (optional)
• 12 Hole Muffin/Cupcake Tin

Mincemeat instructions

To make the mincemeat, add all of the ingredients, excluding the Cointreau, into a very large ovenproof bowl. Give it a really good mix.

Then cover and leave to sit overnight, or at least 12 hours.

Now preheat your oven to 110°C/Fan 100°C/230ºF, and loosely cover the bowl with foil. Place into the oven and cook for 3 hours.

Give it a good stir, then allow the mincemeat to cool completely before adding the Cointreau (3 tbsp) and stirring for a final time.

And your mincemeat is complete! If you are going to use it all, place into an airtight container, store at room temperature, and use within 2-3 days.

Alternatively you can preserve it in jars for another day. (Get a FREE printable on How To Sterilise Jars if you’re not sure how to do it.)

Shortcrust pastry instructions

To make the shortcrust pastry – in a large bowl, rub together the flour (350g | 2 + 3/4 Cups), butter (150g | 2/3 Cup), caster sugar (1 tsp) and salt (Pinch). Until it forms crumbs, and there are no large bits of butter left.

Now, 1 tbsp at a time, gradually add in just enough water. So that it comes together to make a dough, and the bowl is ‘clean’.

Next, wrap your shortcrust pastry dough in cling film, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

Assembly/baking instructions

Once your pastry has rested, on a lightly floured work surface, roll it out as thin as you can possibly get it without tearing. (No thicker than 2mm as the pastry puffs up during cooking.)

Then cut out 12 large circles using a 10cm fluted cookie cutter.

Gather the pastry remains, and re-roll it thinly. Then cut out 12 smaller circles for lids using a 7cm fluted cookie cutter.

If you like, you can use a large snowflake plunge cutter to cut out 12 snowflakes for decoration.

If you do, rub the tops of the lids with a little cold water, and stick a snowflake onto each one.

Then preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 190°C/392ºF. Lightly grease the holes in a 12 hole muffin/cupcake tin, then line each one with the larger pastry circles.

Fill each one two thirds full with mincemeat. The trick here is to not overfill, or it will bubble out during cooking.

A little ‘spillage’ adds to the rustic homemade charm but, overdo it, and yours will be swimming in the stuff. Making it very difficult to remove from the tin!

Finally, rub a little water around the edges of each mince pie, and press on the lids to seal. Take care to seal them well, or the filling could bubble out.

Brush lightly with a little bit of milk, then pop into the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Until lightly golden and cooked through.

Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cool, dust with a little icing sugar and serve.

How to store shortcrust pastry mince pies

Store your mince pies in an airtight container at room temperature. Consume within 7 days.

FAQs

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Classic Shortcrust Pastry Mince Pies Recipe

Yield: 12 Servings

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Chilling/Resting Time: 12 hours 30 minutes

Total Time: 16 hours 45 minutes

Bored of buying mediocre mince pies? Want to make your own from scratch? This shortcrust pastry mince pies recipe is exactly what you need!

Print

Ingredients

For the Mincemeat (makes approx 1.2kg) *

• 300g (10.5 oz)/2 x Small Bramley Apples, cored and chopped (don’t peel)
• 25g (1/4 Cup) Chopped Almonds
• 120g (3/4 Cup) Sultanas
• 120g (3/4 Cup) Currants
• 175g (1 + 1/8 Cup) Raisins
• 120g (1 + 1/2 Cups) Mixed Peel
• Grated Zest and Juice of 1 x Orange
• Grated Zest and Juice of 1 x Lemon
• 120g (1 Cup) Shredded Suet
• 175g (3/4 Cup) Soft Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 tsp Mixed Spice
• 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• Pinch of Freshly Grated Nutmeg
• 3 tbsp Cointreau (Orange Liqueur)

For the shortcrust pastry/assembly

• 350g (2 + 3/4 Cups) Plain Flour
• 150g (2/3 Cup) Unsalted Butter, cold and cubed
• 1 tsp Caster Sugar
• Pinch of Salt
• 400g (14 oz) Mincemeat
• Milk, to glaze
• Icing Sugar, to decorate (optional)

Essential Equipment

• Very Large Ovenproof Bowl
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Rolling Pin
• 10cm Fluted Circle Cookie Cutter
• 7cm Fluted Circle Cookie Cutter
• Large Snowflake Plunge Cutter (optional)
• 12 Hole Muffin/Cupcake Tin

Instructions

To make the mincemeat (takes 2 days)

1. Mix all the mincemeat ingredients (excluding the Cointreau) together in a very large ovenproof bowl. Cover and leave overnight. (Or at least 12 hours)
2. Preheat your oven to 110°C/Fan 100°C/230ºF. Loosely cover with foil and bake for 3 hours.
3. Stir well, then cool completely. Add in the Cointreau and stir thoroughly. Keep 400g to make the 12 x mince pies. Store the rest in sterilised jars for up to 2-3 years. (Although best used within 1 year of making.)

For the shortcrust pastry

1. Rub together the flour, butter, caster sugar and salt in a bowl. Until it forms small crumbs.
2. 1 tbsp at a time, add in just enough water to bring it together to form a dough. It should 'clean' the bowl. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry as thin as you can (2mm thick maximum). Then cut out 12 larger circles, using a 10cm fluted circle cutter.
4. Re-roll the remaining pastry, and cut out 12 smaller circles using a 7 cm fluted circle cutter. These will be the lids.
5. If you like, cut out snowflakes using a plunger cutter.
6. Rub a little water on top of the lids, and stick the snowflakes to them.
7. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 190°C/392ºF and lightly grease a muffin/cupcake tin. Line each hole with a large pastry circle.
8. Fill each one two thirds fill with mincemeat. Don't overfill!
9. Rub a little water around the edge of each mince pie. Press a lid onto each one, making sure to seal well.
10. Brush with a little milk and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden. Then cool in the tin for 5 minutes, and transfer to a rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar if you like.

Notes

*This mincemeat recipe makes enough for 3 batches of 12 x mince pies.

Unsure how to sterilise jars to store the rest of your mincemeat? Get your FREE printable here, on How To Sterilise Jars.

If you would rather use a more in depth picture recipe, please see the main body of this post. Where you’ll also find lots of extra FAQs and helpful tips, should you need them.

Please note, this recipe includes both UK metric and US Cup measurements.

Storage

Store your shortcrust pastry mince pies in an airtight container at room temperature. Consume within 7 days.

Tips

• For the best flavour, make your mincemeat at least a few weeks in advance. This will also save you time when you come to bake your shortcrust pastry mince pies.
• Not a fan of Cointreau? Switch it out for brandy, whisky, rum, or even gin!
• Have warm hands or struggle to rub butter into flour? Use a pastry blender! They’re absolutely fab, I’ve used one for years!
• Make sure your butter is cold when making the shortcrust pastry. If your pastry is warm when you bake it, it will sink instead of holding its shape.
• Roll your pastry THIN (no thicker than 2mm). As it will puff up during baking.
• Stick the lids down well, or the filling may leak out when you bake them. Making it difficult to remove your mince pies from the tin.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

• 
  Cointreau Liqueur, 70 cl
• 
  KitchenCraft 3-Piece Sweetly Does It Snowflake Patterned Icing Cutter

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 535Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 58mgCarbohydrates: 79gFiber: 4gSugar: 48gProtein: 6g

Nutritional information on kitchenmason.com should only be used as a general guideline, I am not a certified nutritionist. Please always check labels for allergens where applicable.

Did you make this recipe?

I'd love to hear about it! Please leave a comment on the blog or tag me on Instagram.

If you like this recipe…

…you might also like:

• Cranberry white chocolate tiffin
• Mince pie stuffed cookies
• No bake Baileys cheesecake
• Mincemeat cake

I want to see YOUR baking!

Have you made these beautiful shortcrust pastry mince pies? I’d love to know if you have! Tag me in your pics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or email me at emma@kitchenmason.com.

Emma Mason

Experienced British Online Publisher, recipe writer, and home cook, Emma has a background of over 20 years in British cuisine and cooking. Born and bred in the UK, she excels in classic British dishes, is passionate about air frying, and loves sharing her Gran’s old school recipes. She has been featured in popular publications such as Food Network, Cosmopolitan, and The Huffington Post.

Knowledgeable On: Traditional British Cuisine, Recipe Writing, Air Frying, Home Cooking.