Vegan Mince Pies (British Dry Fruits Pies)
These vegan mince pies are little festive pastries filled with a spiced mixture of dried fruit, nuts, citrus and a splash of brandy, all tucked inside a buttery shortcrust and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar. They are completely plant-based, with vegan butter and coconut oil standing in for the traditional suet, so you get that classic Christmas flavor without any animal products. Make a batch and you have the most recognizable British holiday treat ready for the table.
Christmas is my favorite time of the year, and for me the whole point is that special moment when everyone reunites around the table. I always look forward to the Christmas dinner most of all, and these little pies have become one of my favorite ways to end it on a sweet note.
What Are Mince Pies, Exactly?
If the name throws you off, you are not alone. Traditional “mincemeat” is a mixture of dried fruit, spices, actual minced meat, suet, and distilled spirits, absolutely and positively British, I know! Over the centuries the meat quietly disappeared from most recipes and what remained was the sweet, boozy, fruit-and-spice filling we know today. This version takes that one step further and swaps the suet for coconut oil and vegan butter, so it is fully plant-based while keeping every bit of the warm, spiced character these pies are famous for. Mince pies are a fixture of British and American holiday tables, usually served in the run-up to Christmas.
The Ingredients You’ll Need
The recipe splits neatly into two parts: a simple shortcrust and a spiced fruit filling. Here is what each one brings to the finished pie.
- All-purpose flour, salt, vegan butter and ice-cold water form the shortcrust. Cold butter and cold water are what keep the pastry tender and short rather than tough.
- Medjool dates, raisins, currants and prunes are the fruit base of the mince. Medjool dates add natural sweetness and stickiness that binds everything together.
- Orange juice and orange zest bring brightness and cut through the richness of the dried fruit.
- Coconut oil replaces the suet used in classic mincemeat, adding body and helping the filling set.
- Ground almonds and pine nuts add texture and a subtle nuttiness.
- Cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg are the trio of warm spices that make these taste like Christmas.
- Vanilla extract and brandy round out the flavor. The brandy is traditional and gives the filling its signature depth. It can be left out if you prefer (see below).
How To Make Them
Start with the mince: everything goes into a food processor and gets blended until combined and homogeneous, then you set it aside. For the pastry, rub the vegan butter into the flour and salt with your fingertips until you have small crumbs, then add the ice-cold water and bring it together into a firm dough. Wrap it and rest it in the fridge for about 20 minutes while the oven heats to 200C. Roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface, cut out an equal number of circles and stars, line a greased mince pie or muffin tray with the circles, spoon in the mince, and cap each one with a star. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden, then finish with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Why Chilling The Dough Matters
That 20-minute rest in the fridge is not optional if you want tender pastry. Chilling firms up the fat so it stays in distinct pieces rather than melting into the flour, which is what gives shortcrust its characteristic crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth texture. It also relaxes the gluten you developed while mixing, so the dough rolls out without shrinking back and the baked pies keep their shape. Working the dough as little as possible and keeping everything cold are the two things that separate a short, delicate pastry from a tough one.
Tips For The Best Mince Pies
- Keep your vegan butter and water properly cold. If your kitchen is warm, chill the flour too, and stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together.
- Do not overfill the pies. A heaping teaspoon of mince per pie is plenty; too much and the filling bubbles out and sticks the stars down.
- Cut your circles slightly larger than the wells of the tray so they come up the sides and hold the filling well.
- Watch the color, not just the clock. Ovens vary, so pull the pies when the pastry is evenly golden, which is usually around the 20-minute mark.
- Let them cool in the tray for a few minutes before lifting them out. Warm pastry is fragile and firms up as it sets.
Substitutions And Variations
- Alcohol-free: leave out the brandy and add an extra splash of orange juice, or a little apple juice, to keep the filling moist.
- Fruit swaps: the dried fruit is flexible. Use whatever you have on hand from dates, raisins, currants, prunes, figs or dried apricots, keeping the total quantity the same.
- Nut-free: skip the ground almonds and pine nuts. The dates and other dried fruit still bind the mince perfectly well.
- Shape: no star cutter? Cut a second round of pastry for a full lid, seal the edges and cut a small vent in the top instead.
Make-Ahead And Storage
Mince pies are a brilliant make-ahead bake for a busy holiday season. The mince filling actually improves after a day or two as the spices and brandy mellow into the fruit, so you can blend it well in advance and keep it covered in the fridge for up to a couple of weeks. Baked pies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for several days, and they freeze beautifully. Freeze them in a single layer, then transfer to a container, and refresh in a warm oven for a few minutes before serving to bring back the crispness. If you are building a whole spread of sweets, these sit happily alongside my vegan whole grain cookies and a slice of vegan fruit tart, and they are the perfect finish to a full vegan Christmas dinner.
If you bake a batch of these mince pies this Christmas, I would love to know how they turned out. Leave a star rating and drop a comment below with any tweaks you made, especially if you played with the dried fruit mix or went alcohol-free. Happy baking, and merry Christmas!
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Vegan Mince Pies
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup vegan butter cut into small pieces
- 4 Tbsp water ice cold
For the mince:
- ½ cup Medjool dates pitted
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup currants
- ½ cup prunes
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup almonds ground
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp orange zest
- ½ tsp cinnamon ground
- ½ tsp cloves ground
- ½ tsp nutmeg ground
- 2 Tbsp brandy
Instructions
- To make the mince:
- Add all the mince ingredients to a food processor and blend until combined and homogeneous. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- To make the dough:
- Put the flour into a large bowl, then add the salt and the vegan butter.
- Rub the ingredients together with your fingertips until the mixture forms small crumbs. Add the ice-cold water and mix to form a firm dough.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in foil or cling film and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface.
- Using cookie cutters, cut out an equal number of circles and stars.
- Grease a mince pie tray (or a muffin tray) with a bit of oil.
- Press a circle into the bottom of each hole, fill with the mince and cover with a pastry star.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden.
- Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, these mince pies are fully vegan. The pastry uses vegan butter instead of dairy butter, and the filling uses coconut oil in place of the suet found in traditional mincemeat. There is no meat, egg, dairy or honey in the recipe, so every ingredient is plant-based.
Not anymore. Historically, mincemeat was a mixture of dried fruit, spices, minced meat, suet and distilled spirits, which is where the name comes from. Over time the meat was dropped from most recipes, and today mince pies are a sweet dessert. This version contains no meat at all.
Yes. The brandy is traditional but not essential. Simply leave it out and add an extra splash of orange juice or a little apple juice to keep the filling moist. The dried fruit, citrus and warm spices still give you plenty of festive flavor.
Chilling the dough for about 20 minutes firms up the fat so the pastry bakes up tender and crumbly rather than tough. It also relaxes the gluten, which stops the pies shrinking or losing their shape in the oven. Keeping the butter and water cold throughout is the key to a good shortcrust.
Absolutely. The mince filling improves after a day or two as the spices and brandy mellow, so it can be made up to a couple of weeks ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Baked pies keep for several days in an airtight container at room temperature and also freeze well.
Do not overfill the pies. A heaping teaspoon of mince per pie is enough, since too much filling bubbles out and glues the star tops down. Cutting your pastry circles slightly larger than the tray wells also helps hold the mince neatly inside.
One of my faves for Christmas. Your vegan version is incredible! Thank you for the recipe!
You’re very welcome!