These BLW Christmas Mince Pies are a healthy alternative to store-bought mince pies. The filling is sugar-free, gluten-free, vegan, alcohol-free and so simple and tasty. These are perfect for the whole family and our favourite festive Christmas treat.
BLW Christmas Mince Pies
Ingredients
Mince Pie Filling (makes 550g of filling):
- 1 small apple (peeled, cored and diced)
- 2 cups/ 300g of dried fruit (we used 1 cup of sultanas, 1/2 a cup of cranberries and 1/2 a cup of dates, diced)
- 1 tsp of all spice
- 1/2 tsp of ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp of coconut oil
- Zest & juice of one lemon (use organic and unwaxed)
- 1 cup/ 250ml of orange juice
For the pastry:
- 2 sheets of shortcrust pastry (can sub with puff pastry)
- 1 Tbsp of soy milk to brush the pastry
- 2 tsp of icing sugar (optional to dust/decorate with once cooked)
Instructions
- Add all of the mince pie filling ingredients to a saucepan, and stir together over medium heat. Cover with a lid and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the mix is thick and sticky.
- Place the mince pie filling into a jar to cool, then place in the fridge until you are ready to use it (we find this stores well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks).
- Preheat the oven to 180c/350f.
- Place your sheets of pastry on the bench to defrost for 5-10 minutes (you can make your own pastry but we take a shortcut here).
- Use a glass or cookie cutter to cut out circles a little larger than the base of a muffin or pie tin, then gently place each base into the muffin tin, pressing to remove any lumps. We find this makes enough for 12 large and 24 mini (or an extra 6 large) pies.
- Place around 1-2 tsps of the filling onto the base, gently pressing to flatten with a spoon.
- Top with some pastry stars, brush with a little soy milk, then bake for 28-30 minutes until golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before gently removing with a knife or spoon, then place on a cooling rack to cool fully - add an optional sprinkle of icing sugar before serving for older toddlers if you like.
Notes
Store on the bench in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
For any leftover pastry and filling we make extra mince pies or mini pies in a mini muffin tin, this recipe makes 24 mini and 12 large mince pies.
Our oven is fan forced, adjust to 200c/390f otherwise.
For serving to babies under 18 months you can blend the filling to make a smooth paste. This recipe is marked as 12+ months due to the dried fruit and naturally occurring sugar, you can offer before then if you choose.
Did you make this recipe?
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