Gluten Free Mince Pies

These gluten free mince pies are so easy to make with a sweet shortcrust pastry and filled with sweet dried fruit mincemeat. They are the perfect dessert or treat during the holidays that just melts in the mouth!

You know it's Christmas time when the stores are filled with mince pies, but the gluten free options can be pretty slim.

Making them at home will give you better results than any shop-bought gluten-free mince pies, and you can customize the top with your preferred cutter.

It really wouldn't be Christmas without a mince pie or two and it is great to serve to guests. This gluten free shortbread is also a must for the holiday season.

What are Mince Pies?

Mince pies, mincemeat pies or fruit mine pies are a popular British Christmas treat. They are individual pies made and filled with a mixture of dried fruit and spices.

It can often be confusing to some who are not familiar with them as the name suggests that they contain meat, Although it is said that in the 13th century, they contained meat but have been adapted over the years to become the sweet pies that we know and love without any meat in the filling.

Recipe Development

I have been making gluten free mince pies for years and have just got around to photographing the process.

I used my gluten free shortcrust pastry for the base and to keep this recipe simple I used store-bought mincemeat. You can use homemade mincemeat if preferred.

I like to decorate them each year with different festive shapes using cookie cutters and this year I opted for some star cutters.

This recipe makes 8 deep filled mince pies or 12 shallower mince pies depending on which pan you use. You can also scale up the recipe without any issues if you have to make quite a few gluten free mince pies for a large gathering or event.

📋 Ingredients Notes

• Gluten free All purpose Flour - I used Doves free from plain flour but you can use your preferred brand of gluten free All purpose flour.
• Butter - I prefer to use cold unsalted butter and add salt to the recipe. Adds a rich, buttery flavor and a tender texture to the dough. Butter is also a solid fat, which helps to create pockets of air in the dough when it is rubbed into the flour. Which gives the shortcrust pastry its characteristic flakiness.
• Egg - Adds richness and flavor to the dough. The egg yolk contributes fat and a depth of flavor, and the egg whites provide moisture to help bind the dough together.
• Milk - Adding cold whole milk to the pastry dough adds extra fat to the pastry makes it easier to roll and gives the pie crust a better texture.
• Xanthan Gum - A common ingredient in gluten free baking. Xanthan gum binds everything together and basically acts as the gluten would in a regular recipe. Omit the xamthan gum if the flour blend already contains it.
• Salt - Enhances the overall flavor of the pastry.
• Sugar - I used light brown sugar in the shortcrust pastry dough, I sprinkled granulated sugar on top of the pastry before baking and powdered sugar after the mince pies had cooled.
• Mincemeat - I used store bought mincemeat to simplify the recipe but you can use homemade mincemeat if preferred. Always check the label on the mincemeat to be sure it is gluten free.

See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements.

⚡ Substitutions & Serving suggestions

🥣 Step by Step Instructions

Below is a brief step-by-step process with photos of how to make gluten free mince pies.

See the recipe card below for more detailed recipe instructions.

Step 1: In a large bowl combine flour, salt, and xanthan gum.

Rub together Butter with flour until it forms a breadcrumb like consistency. Then mix in the sugar.

Step 2: Make a well in the middle of the mixture and add egg and 1 tablespoon of milk.

Step 3: Mix together with your hands until a dough is formed. Add a little extra milk if you feel the mixture is too dry.

Step 4: Wrap your pastry ball in clingfilm and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes. If you leave it for longer than 30 minutes you may need to sit it at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling it out.

Tip: Use cold ingredients as you don't want the butter to melt during this process.

This recipe makes 8 deep-filled mince pies using a muffin pan but you can make 12 smaller pies using a smaller pan that is not as deep.

Step 5: Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

Lightly grease the inside of the muffin pan.

Lightly flour the surface and rolling pin (I like to roll directly onto parchment paper lightly dusted with flour or plastic wrap. See my gluten free shortcrust pastry post for more tips).

Step 6: Roll out the dough to approx 2-3 mm thick. Using a round cutter slightly larger than the muffin holes, cut out circles.

Step 7: Carefully place the pastry circles into the holes of the tray and gently shape them into the bottom and sides of the muffin holes.

Roll out any remaining pastry and use your preferred cookie cutters to make lids for the pies.

Step 8: Add 1-2 tablespoons of mincemeat into the pastry cases until they are almost reaching the top of the muffin tin.

Tip: Rolling out - To make rolling the gluten free pastry easier, I like to roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper or clingfilm (Plastic wrap). This will prevent it from sticking.

Step 9: Carefully lift the pastry lids and place on top of the pies, gently press down on the edges of the pastry cases.

Brush the tops of the pastry with egg wash (1 egg beaten). Sprinkle the tops of the pies with granulated sugar.

Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the pies are golden. Cool in the muffin tins before removing as they will be delicate when still warm.

Tip: Brushing with egg wash gives a beautiful color to the baked pies and helps the sugar sprinkled on top to stay in place.