This post may contain affiliate links for which I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more info, check out my Disclosure Policy. Thank you for your support!
If there’s one thing that really get me in the mood for Christmas, it’s making gluten free mince pies.
With buttery gluten free pastry and a spicy mincemeat filling, these are the perfect gluten free Christmas baking project.
I crack on the Bublé or a Christmas film, break out a mug of mulled wine and get baking.
The smell of gluten free mince pies baking is the ultimate festive treat and it’s the best way to spend an evening or a rainy Sunday afternoon.
And now I’ve finally brought my gluten free mince pies recipe to the blog so you can all enjoy it too.
Table of Contents
- The best gluten free mince pies
- What makes the best mince pies?
- Making the best gluten free pastry
- Which mincemeat is gluten free?
- A few tips to get your perfect gluten free pastry
- Topping your gluten free mince pies
- My gluten free mince pies recipe
- Need some more gluten free Christmas inspiration?
- Gluten Free Mince Pies Recipe
The best gluten free mince pies
So what makes these gluten free mince pies so special?
For starters, they’re made with my gluten free shortcrust pastry, which is SUPER easy to make.
All you need is a few simple ingredients to make a buttery, delicious pastry which everyone will love.
I added a little orange zest to my gluten free pastry as well to give them a festive twist.
Then you simply fill them with mincemeat (home made or shop bought), top with a star and bake.
It’s such an easy recipe to follow and one you can use over and over again – the only thing you need for a perfect gluten free Christmas.
What makes the best mince pies?
To me, mince pies should LOOK homemade and delicious – not too perfect around the edges.
They remind me of fun family baking sessions as a child and are pretty forgiving when it comes to style.
I like my mince pies rustic, with mincemeat brimming from the edges of a generously-filled pie.
Too little filling and they’re just boring, after all!
I love dusting them with icing sugar too as it adds a little sweetness and looks just like snow.
In fact, every part of baking these gluten free mince pies is perfect for doing with kids – it’s a great way to teach them how to make something simple.
Cutting out the pastry shapes is always good fun, as is the rolling – they’ll love it.
Making the best gluten free pastry
There’s a full printable recipe card below, but for the shopping list you’ll need these ingredients for your gluten free shortcrust pastry:
- 170 g plain gluten free flour (I always use FREEE by Doves Farm plain gluten free flour)
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tsp water
- 110 g unsalted butter, (cubed)
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- Zest of one orange
You can also make the pastry with a half-and-half mixture of butter and Cookeen or lard if you like.
This creates a beautifully rich and buttery pastry which melts in your mouth.
However I used just butter in my mince pies recipe as it was all I had in the house and it works perfectly.
The xanthan gum is a really important ingredients as without it the pastry will fall apart.
And yes, even if you have gluten free flour which has xanthan gum in, you still need to add it in.
Which mincemeat is gluten free?
The good news is that most mincemeat in UK supermarkets tends to be gluten free.
One of my favourites is the Waitrose amaretto mincemeat – or basically anything which has amaretto in!
I tend to use something like the Sainsbury’s or Tesco’s own ones, as these are affordable and taste good.
I also recently tried an Asda one with port and brandy – if you like your mince pies boozy I’d definitely recommend that.
Of course, if you wanted to go one step further you could make your own mincemeat too.
My favourite is this gluten free cider mincemeat which is sweet, boozy and delicious.
A few tips to get your perfect gluten free pastry
Firstly, do not skip the xanthan gum. This replicates the stretchiness of gluten and without it, you’ll find the pastry will be hard to handle and very crumbly.
Yes, the FREEE flour I use already has xanthan gum in but trust me, you’ll want the extra in this recipe.
I’d recommend using either the FREEE gluten free flour, or a similar blend, such as the supermarket own ones.
These tend to be a mixture of rice, maize and potato flour. If you try use a single flour, like coconut or almond flour, it will be completely different.
I’d also say definitely don’t skip the chilling on this recipe.
You want to use cold butter in the mixture, and you’ll find even this starts to soften as you rub it together with your fingers.
That’s why it’s important to chill your gluten free pastry before you roll it out.
If you don’t chill it, you’ll end up with a super sticky mess that even clingfilm can’t save!
I do recommend rolling your chilled pastry between sheets of clingfilm if you find it sticks, but usually a well-floured work surface and rolling pin is enough.
Topping your gluten free mince pies
When it comes to topping your gluten free mince pies there are always plenty of options.
I personally like to top them with stars of different sizes and then dust with icing sugar once cooled.
You could use any festive shape you like – I use these star cutters to easily top my mince pies.
If you prefer you can also make lids for your mince pies – just cut circles for the top and stick them down by wetting the pastry rim with some milk or beaten egg.
A word of warning – you’ll want to pierce the lids so the pies don’t explode as they bake!
Either way you’ll have gorgeously golden and buttery pastry with a rich, sweet filling.
My gluten free mince pies recipe
This recipe is enough for 10 mince pies with a star topping, or around 8 if you’re making them with lids.
Of course you can double the pastry if you wanted to make more – and you can also freeze these gluten free mince pies and heat them up to enjoy for desserts!
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 please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
Gluten Free Mince Pies
These easy gluten free mince pies feature buttery shortcrust pastry with a rich mincemeat filling. Super easy to make - serves 10 (with star tops) and around 8 with lids. Total time doesn't include chilling time for pastry.
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 170g plain gluten free flour (I always use FREEE by Doves Farm plain gluten free flour)
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 110 g unsalted butter, (cubed)
- 1 tbsp caster sugar (for sweet pastry)
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tsp water
For the filling:
- 1 x 411g jar mincemeat
- 1-2 tbsp milk
- Icing sugar (for decorating)
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. Once you have a breadcrumb-like consistency, mix in the orange zest.
- 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!
- When the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 180'C / Fan 160'C / Gas Mark 4. Roll half of the chilled dough between floured clingfilm to 4mm thickness and then use a 9cm round cutter to cut out 8-10 circles.
- Gently press the circles into the wells of a cupcake baking tin, before filling each one with around 1.5tsp of mincemeat, so they are around 3/4 full.
- Next re-roll the pastry and cut out your tops - either stars or lids (with a 6.5cm round cutter). If using stars, place the stars on top of the mincemeat and then brush the rims and stars with milk. If making lids, brush the rims of the pies with milk then gently press the lid onto the top of the pie and seal the edges. Brush all over with a little milk.
- Bake the mince pies for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before removing from the baking tin and cooling completely. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.
Notes
- These mince pies are best served warm, and can be kept in an airtight container for up to 5 days and reheated as needed.
- Lovely served with custard or clotted cream - or just cold with a cuppa (or a glass of milk for Santa!)
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 208Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 10mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 14gProtein: 3g
Need some more gluten free Christmas inspiration?
Want to have a go at some of the other gluten free baking recipes on the blog? Give some of these other gluten free recipes a try!
There are plenty to choose from – here are a couple to get you going:
- My sparkly gluten free prosecco cupcakes
- Gluten free chocolate yule log recipe
- Easy gluten free Christmas shortbread recipe
- Nutella Christmas Tree
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 Mince Pies recipe?
Make sure you pin the recipe cards below for later!
Arabic Sweets in Dubai
Hi – can I just confirm the flour you use in your mince pies recipe please. When reading your post re the cider sweet mincemeat recipe you did say you use Free From Fairy’s own blend flour for the pastry which I do have myself at home but when I checked out your pastry recipe you state Dove’s gf flour blend. I am wondering if you have another pastry recipe.
Many thanks
Sandra
Hi, do you have to line or grease the tin?
Excited to try this recipe.