33 Recipes using Mincemeat is a collection of festive recipes for cakes, desserts, cookies, breads and tarts and alternatives to traditional mince pies all using mincemeat.
Christmas Mini Mince Pies Recipe
Mincemeat is a very British tradition and is usually served as individual shortcrust pastry mince pies. We love our mince pies, in fact, over 300 million mince pies are eaten over Christmas.
What is Mincemeat?
Mincemeat is a rich mixture of dried fruits, spices, apples, citrus zest and juice, alcohol and suet or butter.
What is the meat in Mincemeat?
Originally, there was meat in mincemeat as well as the dried fruit and spices. This is how it got its name. The meat element was gradually replaced with beef suet.
I use vegetable suet but you can also use butter. This means the mincemeat is also suitable for vegetarians.
Can I make my own mincemeat?
Yes, mincemeat is surprisingly easy to make at home. Try my recipes for Slow Cooker Mincemeat with Ginger, Dark Chocolate Mincemeat or last-minute Instant Chocolate Mincemeat.
Can I buy mincemeat?
You can buy jars of mincemeat in groceries and supermarkets, in the UK. in other counties you may have to look in specialist shops or buy online.
Like most things, homemade is much nicer, but you can improve bought mincemeat by adding a tablespoon of brandy and a grated apple to the mixture before including in your recipe.
Fab Food For All has a recipe for Cheat’s Mince Pies with a Twist which uses ready-made ingredients and a clever secret ingredient.
What else can I make using mincemeat?
Although mince pies are a very delicious treat they are not the only way to use this seasonal spiced fruit mixture.
I asked top food bloggers for their best alternative mincemeat recipes. They came up with recipes using mincemeat in cakes, cookies, desserts, pies, and slices.
33 Recipes using Mincemeat
Mincemeat Cakes and Muffins
Use mincemeat to add that seasonal fruit and spice flaour to your cakes and muffins.
Easy Festive Mincemeat and Apple Muffins make a perfect festive breakfast treat or anytime snack.
- Mince Pie Cupcakes with Brandy Buttercream from Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen Almond cupcakes with a festive mincemeat centre and topped with brandy buttercream.
- Mince Pie Cake from The Baking Explorer is made up of three layers of spiced sponge, a luxurious brandy infused buttercream, mince pie filling and mini mince pies on top.
- Mincemeat Muffins from Foodie Quine is a lighter version of the traditional Christmas Mincemeat Pie, make them once and they are sure to become a family favoureite.
- Mincemeat Madeleines by Fuss Free Flavours are a delicious, light alternative to mince pies; prepare the batter ahead, and you can produce fresh Madeleines in minutes
Mary Berry’s Mincemeat Loaf Cakes are a perfectly easy, one bowl bake – and are perfect for using up that half-empty jar of mincemeat and a cherry twist from Something Sweet, Something Savoury.
Mincemeat Brownies & Slices
Everyone loves brownies, and traybake slices are so easy to make. Make them with mincemeat and they are perfect to serve to visitors over the holiday season.
- Chocolate Brownies with Mincemeat from Only Crumbs Remain are the perfect way of using half a jar of sweet mincemeat. It’s delicious and indulgent as you would expect with a brownie recipe that includes real chocolate in the mixture.
- Frangipane Mince Pie Slices from Curly’s Cooking has all the flavours you’d associate with mince pies but in a traybake instead of an individual little pie.
- Mince Pie Bakewell Squares are a great idea from The Baking Explorer where mincemeat replaces the jam of the traditional Bakewell Tart is a fantastic festive twist
- Chilli & Chocolate Mincemeat Slice from Tin & Thyme brings the sweetness of chocolate, the heat of chilli and the festive fruity flavours of mincemeat together in one tempting bake.
Filo Pastry Mincemeat Bakes
Filo or Phyllo pastry is made up of layers of thin pastry sheets. It’s a lighter way to serve up pastry treats and has a lovely crunch.
- Cranberry Mince Pie Filo Pastry Rolls from Sew White are so easy to make easy to nibble on too.
- Mince Pie Filo Cigars from Veggie Desserts are filled mincemeat and added chopped apples and pears, all rolled in filo pastry and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
- Easy Filo Mince Pies from Stacy in the Sticks are little parcels of mincemeat delight that are also Slimming World friendly.
Bread and Buns using Mincemeat
I love a sweet bread or bun filled with a delicious filling. Mincemeat is a really easy way of adding that festive flavour to your bakes.
- Cheat’s Stollen Croissants from Fab Food 4 All are easy to make using readymade croissant dough, leftover marzipan and mincemeat. But they taste like something you’d buy in a patisserie and are a fraction of the price.
- Festive Mince and Marzipan Rolls are a delicious fusion of Cinnamon buns and Stollen from Donna Dundas.
- Mincemeat Buns flavoured with Aromatic Cardamom. This recipe from Tin & Thyme makes the most fabulous mincemeat buns – soft, fragrant and oh so very moreish.
Puff Pastry Mincemeat Treats
I always have a pack of ready rolled puff pastry int he freezer. I know that I can use it to make quick and easy savoury or sweet pies with whatever else I have in the fridge or larder.
Shortcrust pastry is traditional for mince pies, but you will see in the recipes below that you can make all kinds of different styles of pastry bake with puff pastry and mincemeat.
Easy Mincemeat ‘Sausage’ Rolls are made in exactly the same way as you would make sausage rolls. The pastry is rolled into a long rectangle and the mincemeat mixture is spread out like a long sausage. Fold over the pastry, then cut to size and bake.
- Festive Mincemeat Palmiers from Cooking with my Kids is a great and easy alternative to mince pies. They need only two ingredients and are easy enough to make with small children.
- Mincemeat Pinwheels are described by Curly’s Cooking as mince pies but without all of the cutting and assembling. They are quick, very easy but still everything you want from a mince pie.
- Mince Pie Twists from My Boys Club transform your leftover mincemeat and pastry this year into something a little different and needs only two ingredients.
This Mincemeat and Marzipan Wreath is the inspired creation of Casa Costello. Made with puff pastry, mincemeat and marzipan it looks so pretty but is really easy to make and is bound to impress your guests.
Mincemeat Tarts for sharing
Deep Filled Chocolate Mincemeat Tart, the pastry is crisp on the top and melts in the mouth. AI love the deep fruit and chocolate filling, it is lusciously sweet and moist with just enough citrus tartness.
- Mincemeat and Apple Galette from Recipes Made Easy makes great use of left-over sweet mincemeat and some fresh apple. The tart contains no added sugar.
- Mincemeat and Marzipan Slice from Buckets of Tea makes a lovely alternative to Christmas pudding. Serve it on its own or with custard, ice cream or brandy sauce.
- Mary Berry’s Bakewell Tart with a Mincemeat Twist from Christina’s Cucina. In this recipe, Christina replaces the traditional jam with leftover mincemeat for a fabulous treat.
Four more delicious recipes using mincemeat
- No-Bake Mincemeat Cheesecake from Fuss Free Flavours is an easy to make no-bake mincemeat cheesecake. Serve as an excellent alternative Christmas dessert.
- Slow Cooker Mincemeat Pudding from Baking Queen 74 is so simple to make. If you missed Stir Up Sunday, make this at the last minute. It’s full of festive flavours
- Mincemeat Thumbprint Cookies from Curly’s Cooking have all the tasty flavours you’d expect from a mince pie.
- Christmas Scones from Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen are brandy scones with mincemeat and marzipan. A festive twist on a classic afternoon tea treat.
And finally some variations on mince pies
I couldn’t do an alternative mincemeat collection without some ideas for mince pies with a bit of a twist.
- Chanukah Mince Pies with kiddush wine Mincemeat from Family Friends Food. The quick & easy filling for these festive mince pies is fruity, sweet, spicy and delicious, enhanced with kiddush wine and rum.
- Melt In Your Mouth Almondy Mince Pies from Jo’s Kitchen Larder are just what they say on the tin! Almond shortcrust pastry makes them simply irresistible and even more festive.
- Frangipane Mince Pies from Proper Foodie are filled with mincemeat and cranberry sauce and topped with almond frangipane and crunchy amaretti biscuit.
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I hope these 33 Recipes for using Mincemeat inspire you to try some of the recipes. Stay in touch with everything that’s going on at Farmersgirl Kitchen.
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One of my favourites is Delia Smith’s Mincemeat Christmas Cake. It can be made last minute, but still tastes great. I made it for the first time when i needed a Christmas cake in a hurry, now I make it every year.
That’s a great recipe, Shelagh. Mincemeat is so versatile.
These recipes have made me feel so Christmassy! Thank you so much for including me ❤️
Me too, Sisley. Thank you for your lovely recipe and I hope you find some more inspiration here.
Loving all these mincemeat based recipes, it really is such a versatile ingredient for festive themed dishes!
It’s amazing what can be made with mincemeat. I’m feeling rather festive now!
Some lovely recipes here Janice. Certainly going to try some of the mincemeat bread. Thank you for including my mincemeat and marzipan recipe
You are welcome. I hope you enjoy making and eating the recipes.
Ooh, what a wonderful post. I love making things that aren’t mince pies with mincemeat and there are so many ideas here, they’ll keep me happy for some years to come.
I’m glad you liked the post. I am also excited about trying these recipes.
I can’t decide which to make first! So many lovely ideas. Thanks for including my Chanukah mince pies 🙂
Delighted to include your mince pies. It’s great to see so much creativity with humble mincemeat!
So many delicious choices!!
Thank you, yes lots of choice.
What a great roundup! There’s only so.many mince pies one person can eat 😂
Exactly! Some of these recipes will be on my table!
I guess this doesn’t come that early after all – can’t believe we’re November already! Great ideas and definitely inspiring to prepare some delicious mincemeat. I love the look of all of these, Janice! What a wonderful round-up.
Thanks, Jill. I know people are buying mince pies already, so I thought November would be the right time to plant the seed for some other ideas 😁
Great roundup! I don’t actually like mincemeat myself (shocker) but I always seem to end up making something with it for someone else! There are some great new ideas here!
Ah yes, you are not alone. But I have the ultimate solution mini Teacle Tarts https://www.farmersgirlkitchen.co.uk/treacle-tarts-from-british-larder-review/
Such a fantastic round up and so much varied choice too! You would think there is only so much you can do with mincemeat but in fact there is SO much you can do with it! lol Thank you for including my recipe too! 🙂
Thanks Jo. I agree, so much creativity and thank you for your contribution.
What an amazing collection of ideas, I’d never have thought mincemeat was so versatile. I’m particularly keen on the brownie slices and the chocolate mincemeat tart.
Good choices! It is amazing how creative our blogging friend are!