How to make easy vegan Mince Pies. And so the Christmas Preparations keep keeping on. Reaching the 8th of November and it now seems acceptable to make the first batch of Mince Pies using my homemade Mincemeat. I have also started to prepare some Marron Glaces, using the net of Chestnuts in my vegetable bowl that are starting to go a little wrinkled.
Jump to:
At the weekend I made two (yes, two!) Christmas Puddings and the Christmas Cake is on next week's menu!
If it seems like I’m being a girlie swot then you’d probably be right! However, if you’re thinking that my Christmas Presents are all bought and wrapped and that my cards are all written in, then you’d be wrong. My seasonal organisational skills stop and start in the kitchen (and in the supermarket).
I love all these preparations anyway. It is not too difficult for me to get motivated in the kitchen when I can use my star cutter and crack open jars of mincemeat that were made when the fields were yellow and the sun was still warm. And between you and me, I don’t even like Christmas pudding or cake normally but because I’ve mostly had total control over the ingredients, I can ensure that none of those burnt tasting little currants enter into the festivities.
Furthermore, none of this stuff is actually difficult or particularly time-consuming to do. A pudding needs the fruit to marinade overnight then it’s mixed up, in one bowl, with everything else, just like a cake. The difficult part is covering the pudding basin for steaming. That’s when it helps to have either a) two pairs of hands or b) someone whose been awarded their Boy Scout Badge for knot tying.
Even my vegan mince pie recipe doesn't put up too much of a challenge. True, sweet pastry is a little temperamental to work with, but how hard is it pressing pastry circles into a Yorkshire pudding or muffin tin and pilling them up with mincemeat?
Of course, what I’m failing to mention here is that I’m not cooking Christmas Lunch. That accolade goes to the maker of the best roast dinner: my mum. It is all very well being prepared but on the big day the elemental design of the Christmas Lunch needs to be a finely tuned operation.
Vegetables need to warm when they reach the table. The vegan meatloaf needs to be cooked, then rested for at least half an hour. Some people (i.e. me) also demand Cauliflower Cheese so a white sauce has to be made (I’ve been told that I’m making my own this year). Are the Yorkshire Puddings going to rise? Is the gravy going to be lumpy? The table has to look suitably festive, candles have to be lit, the best cutlery has to be dusted off and polished.
But once everyone is seated, with a celebratory glass of wine or sherry in front of them, plates visibly buckling under the weight of all the side dishes, the pudding simmering contentedly in the kitchen, we can all relax, pull crackers, wear silly hats and enjoy the rest of the day.
Because you only make Mince Pies once a year, I think it’s well worth making a decent sweet shortcrust pastry to complement the fruity filling. This pastry is biscuit-like, crumbly but with a crunch and a lovely sweet taste.
Ingredients
- Mincemeat. I make my own, and I've shared my recipe near the top of this post, using lots of dried fruit, diced apple, orange zest, and spices. You can use a jar of vegan mincemeat though, and that is just as good! Real mincemeat uses beef suet, but vegan uses a vegetable suet equivalent.
- Shortcrust Pastry. And you can use shop-bought if you don't want to make your own, but do make sure you use a good brand. I have found that shop-bought pastry blocks tends to shrink a lot during baking, so be mindful of that when cutting out your pastry circles. Of course, you can use gluten-free pastry too.
- Cold water, to moisten the pastry to seal.
Method
- If you are making your own pastry, make this now, wrap in cling film and chill for at least an hour.
- Preheat your oven to 200c.
- Roll out the pastry using a floured rolling pin to about a thickness of 0.5cm.
- Cut into circles that are approx 9cm wide. You want to make sure that they will fit snugly into your muffin tin holes.
- Press them gently into your muffin pan.
- Fill each pastry case with a teaspoon of vegan mincemeat filling.
- Now cut out tops for your mince pies using the remaining pastry. You can cut out little stars, as I did, or just cut out circles, using slightly smaller round cookie cutters. Moisten the edge of your mince pie using the water or a little plant milk and press the pastry circle onto the top.
- Brush each mince pie with a little more milk and sprinkle with some granulated sugar.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.
- Let cool for a couple of minutes in the tin before removing carefully to cool completely on a wire rack.
- This festive treat is perfect on it's own, but try serving them warm with a little vegan ice cream for a luxurious christmas time treat!
- Store in an airtight container for up to a fortnight.
📋 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 140 g butter plant-based, cold, diced
- 225 g plain flour
- 50 g ground almonds
- 50 g golden caster sugar
- pinch salt
- ¼ cup yogurt plant based
- 1-2 teaspoon cold water
- 280 g mincemeat I used my own
- confectionary sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C.
- Mix together the vegan butter, flour and pinch of salt until a sandy texture is achieved.
- Lightly stir in the almonds and sugar, mix in the yogurt until a soft dough is formed.
- Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Once the dough is chilled, roll out on a well floured surface to about 3mm thick..
- Cut out circles using a cutter that is slightly large than the bottom of the holes in your tin. Press a circle lightly into each hole, gently working it up the sides.
- Fill with a small spoonful of mincemeat.
- Top with a pastry star (or any other shape), brush with a little soy milk and sprinkle with some caster sugar.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
- Leave to cool and gently turn out using a small spatula to work them out.
Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/ says
The only problem for me is that if I start making them so early, I'll have to repeat a bunch of times before Christmas:)) I can never have enough mince pies!
Gloria says
Those look festive and perfect for the holidays. Mince tarts of any kind are always a hit on the treat table.
Linda says
I think the universe is telling me to make mince pies...I'm seeing them everywhere I turn (guess it's that time of year). These look so cute and your homemade mince recipe looks absolutely delish, too! Look forward to trying these.
Linda says
What a perfect pie! Love how you make this a vegan version, too
Lindsay Howerton-Hastings says
These are so yummy and perfect for the holidays! I have some vegan family members that are THRILLED I found this recipe.