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It’s the most wonderful time of the year again and if you want to take your gluten free mince pies to the next level, you HAVE to try these Frangipane Mince Pies!
Imagine if a Bakewell Tart and a Mince Pie had the cutest gluten free baby ever, at Christmas-time, and you’re basically there.
Buttery gluten free shortcrust pastry is filled with mincemeat and then smothered in sweet gluten free frangipane.
This is then sprinkled with flaked almonds and baked to golden perfection before being finished off with a magical dusting of icing sugar.
To those people who go crazy for all the marzipan goodness at Christmas (aka my other half) – this is for you.
Because once you bake a batch of these gluten free frangipane mince pies and see how easy they are, you’ll never go back.
Make these for the almond-lover in your life and they’ll stick with you forever.
Easy Frangipane Topped Mince Pies
Now don’t get me wrong, I love traditional mince pies and I always make my gluten free ones every year.
Last Christmas I decided to try out iced mince pies but the idea of a frangipane mince pie has always been on my mind.
And I’m so glad I did because I see the (non-gluten free ones) in the shops a lot and they always look so damn good.
I can happily confirm they were as good as I imagine – and with my simple gluten free pastry and easy frangipane, even the gluten-eaters will love them.
What is Frangipane?
For those that have got this far and still don’t know what frangipane is, 10/10 for commitment to the cause.
Frangipane is a mixture of ground almonds, butter, sugar and eggs, that is often found in tarts – most commonly Bakewell Tarts.
With almond extract it has a strong marzipan-like taste and a consistency that’s somewhere between a fudgy blondie and a sponge.
Because marzipan is such a common Christmas flavour it pairs perfectly with mincemeat in these mince pies.
Ingredients and Substitutions
There’s a full printable recipe card below with the ingredients for these frangipane mince pies.
I always use the FREEE Plain Gluten Free Flour, or a different plain flour blend like Juvela’s White Mix or Schär’s baking mix for my pastry.
Please always use a plain (or All Purpose) gluten free flour blend as using a single flour like coconut or almond will not work.
Also do not omit the xanthan gum even if your flour contains this – it’s really important for making the pastry easy to handle.
And if you can’t find mincemeat (I know it’s a very British thing!) where you are, you can make your own using my gluten free mincemeat recipe.
Can you freeze these frangipane mince pies?
Yes – these gluten free frangipane mince pies freeze really well!
Simply make up a batch and bake them, then allow them to cool completely before freezing in a sealed bag or container.
Defrost and enjoy them hot or cold.
And if you’re not freezing them, they’ll last for around a week in an airtight container.
Can they be dairy free / vegan?
Unfortunately I’ve not yet mastered a gluten free vegan pastry recipe (yet).
I feel it would be wrong to suggest any old egg replacement until I’ve tested it.
But if you have a go-to egg replacer for your gluten free pastry I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
You can however easily swap out the butter for a hard, dairy free margarine (like Stork Baking Block) to make the recipe dairy free.
Which mincemeat is gluten free?
Most mincemeats in UK supermarkets are gluten free.
A lot of them contain suet – which ironically is really hard to find gluten free in the supermarkets on it’s own.
However, in a weird twist of fate these all tend to use rice flour so are largely gluten free which is great.
Just make sure you always double check as there may be a few anomalies which contain gluten or ‘may contain’ warnings.
How to make frangipane mince pies
The first stage in making these mince pies is whipping up a batch of gluten free shortcrust pastry which is super simple.
It’s important you then let this chill in the fridge otherwise it will be too sticky to roll and handle.
If you have issues rolling the pastry then you can roll it out between two sheets of clingfilm, but you shouldn’t need to.
Making the frangipane is just a case of mixing all the ingredients together, and then it’s simply layering it up and baking.
There’s a full step-by-step how-to in the recipe card below (which you can also print out!) but that’s the basic premise of it.
I find an adjustable rolling pin really helpful for making sure the pastry is even – and of course don’t forget your pastry cutters!
My frangipane mince pies recipe
This recipe makes enough for 12 frangipane mince pies and any leftover pastry offcuts make for excellent jam tarts!
You can easily freeze any leftovers and these are great served cold or warm with some clotted cream or custard.
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!
And if you loved it, please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
Gluten Free Frangipane Mince Pies
These frangipane-topped mince pies are a great twist on a classic Christmas treat! This recipe makes 12 gluten free frangipane mince pies which can easily be frozen.
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 170g plain gluten free flour (I always use FREEE by Doves Farm plain gluten free flour for pastry)
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 110 g unsalted butter, (cubed)
- 1 tbsp caster sugar (for sweet pastry)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp water
For the frangipane:
- 80g unsalted butter (softened)
- 80g caster sugar
- 80g ground almonds
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp plain gluten free flour
- 1 tsp almond extract
For the filling:
- Half a jar of mincemeat
- 2 tbsp flaked almonds
- Icing sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
First make the pastry:
- Add the flour, xanthan gum and sugar to a large mixing bowl and stir together.
- Cut the cold butter into cubes and then add to the bowl. Using your fingers, rub the mix together until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Crack the egg into a bowl or mug and add the cold water. Whisk together until just combined. Then add to the mix and use a fork to start to ‘mush’ the mixture together. You’ll see it start to form a sticky dough.
- Once it becomes harder to use the fork to mix, use your hands to bring the mixture together into a smooth dough. You should be able to pick this up easily without it being too sticky.
- Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This is a really important stage – you need the dough to chill a bit so it is easier to roll!
Next make the frangipane:
- While the pastry is chilling, add all the ingredients for the frangipane to a large mixing bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer (or wooden spoon) until combined and set to once side.
To construct the mince pies:
- When the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 180'C / Fan 160'C / Gas Mark 4. Roll the chilled dough between floured clingfilm to 4mm thickness and then use a 9cm round cutter to cut out 12 circles.
- Gently press the circles into the wells of a cupcake baking tin, and then prick the bottom of each with a fork.
- Add a teaspoon of mincemeat to each pastry case. Then add around 1 tbsp of the frangipane mix on top.
- Sprinkle each mince pie top with ground almonds then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the frangipane is golden and risen.
- Remove from the oven, leave to cool and then remove from the tin. Dust with icing sugar and enjoy!
Notes
- If you like you can add the zest of 1 orange into the pastry - do this before adding the egg to the mix.
- These mince pies are best served warm, and can be kept in an airtight container for up to 5 days and reheated as needed. They can also be frozen.
- Lovely served with custard or clotted cream - or just cold with a cuppa (or a glass of milk for Santa!)
Need some more gluten free Christmas inspiration?
Want to have a go at some of the other gluten free Christmas recipes on the blog?
Give some of these other gluten free festive recipes a try!
- Gluten Free Mincemeat Flapjack
- Easy Gluten Free Yule Log
- Amaretti Biscuits
- Chocolate Fudge Crinkle Cookies
I’ve also got my gluten free Christmas page with everything you need to enjoy a safe festive season.
There are plenty to choose from – here are a couple to get you going:
- My FULL gluten free Christmas guide
- Gluten free Mini Cheddars
- Gluten free lebkuchen
- Classic gluten free mince pies
If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram.
And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!
Like this Gluten Free Frangipane Mince Pies recipe?
Make sure you pin the recipe card below for later!
Hi,
This is my first ever time making mince pies, my husband loves marzipan, so I knew this was the way to go, the pastry is currently chilling in the fridge! Just had a quick question, step 4 in the construction, you mention sprinkling the top with ground almonds, but no mention of the ingredients list – flaked almond, Should it be flaked almond, or is it sprinkle some ground and then just decorate a bit with the flaked? thanks in advance!
Oh my goodness! Just spent the afternoon making these with my teenager, supposedly for the freezer (trying to get ahead) but we’ve already demolished two each ☺️ They are amazing and the only mince pies I ever want to eat ever again.
Thank you! 🎄🎅🎄