The Best Traditional Mincemeat Pie

By Rebecca St. Clair

This traditional mincemeat pie is a holiday classic. A sweet and savoury filling rich with warm holiday spices, candied fruit, and meat all in a rich and flaky golden crust.

Don’t forget the sauce! As if this classic British Christmas treat needed any more richness, this pairs perfectly with a simple butter rum sauce, for the ultimate nostalgic holiday recipe.

How to store traditional mincemeat pie

This recipe makes one extremely hearty pie, so unless you are serving a crowd, you are bound to have leftovers! Let’s look at how to store your pie for optimal freshness.

Fridge

To store a traditional mincemeat pie in the fridge,

• Allow the pie to cool to room temperature
• Cover completely in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container
• Store in the fridge for up to 5 days

Freezer

Traditional mincemeat pie freezes extremely well and is a great way to get a head start on all that holiday baking! To freeze your mincemeat pie,

• Allow the pie to cool to room temperature
• Cover completely in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container
• Store in the freezer for up to 3 months

Modern vs. Traditional Mincemeat Pie

Mincemeat pie is a traditional festive Christmas recipe from England that dates back to the Tudor period! This classic pie has clearly stood the test of time.

At that time, just like now the flavours of Christmas where dried fruit and spices. However, then dried fruit and spices where much more exotic and expensive. A true treat at Christmas!

Now, of course, these ingredients, once reserved for the elite and wealthy, are easy to come by. So, the modern mincemeat pie ratio of meat to fruit and spices has changed.

A lot of mincemeat pies now abandon the meat all together and is more of a sweet dessert pie.

Is Traditional Mincemeat Pie Dinner or a Dessert?

Traditional mincemeat pie is not a dessert pie. It is a savoury meat pie with the flavours of the holiday baked right in.

Modern meat pie that does not include meat, however is served as a desert pie. So depending on which mincemeat pie you are serving, it might be dinner or dessert!

Pastry for Traditional Mincemeat Pie

For this recipe we are using regular pie pastry dough. You can either use homemade or store bought. This pie will require a double pie crust.

If you want to check out my favourite no-fail pie dough recipe here! It is perfect for sweet and savoury pies and it makes 3 double pie crusts. Perfect for all of your holiday baking!

Sauce for Traditional Mincemeat Pie

The sauce for mincemeat pie is optional, but it is a sweet and decadent addition that compliments this pie perfectly.

If you would like to try this delicious hard sauce it can be dolloped on top of each slice.

For my pie I am going to make syrupy hot buttered rum sauce that will be included in the recipe. If you would like to omit or swap it out, just keep that in mind when making the recipe.

How to make a Traditional Mincemeat Pie

Ingredients

Double Pie crust

½ lb ground beef 226 g

½ lb ground suet 226 g

1 cup raisins 150 g

1 cup currents 160 g

3-4 grated apples, peeled, cored, and grated

1 cup brown sugar 200 g

1/3 cup fancy molasses 87 g

1 teaspoon salt 5 g

1 teaspoon nutmeg 3 g

½ teaspoon ground cove 1.5 g

1 teaspoon cinnamon 3 g

4 oz chopped candied citrus peel 113 g

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 80 ml

½ cup brandy (optional)

Hot buttered Rum Sauce

¼ cup honey 60 ml

½ cup brown sugar 100 g

¼ teaspoon salt 1 ml

¼ cup butter 60 g

2 Tablespoons water 30 ml

3 Tablespoons rum 45 ml

Method

1. Make a recipe for a double pie crust. Roll it out and line a pie plate with pie dough. Set aside to chill while you make the filling.
2. In a large sauce pot over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef through until browned.
3. Once cooked, add in the suet, dried fruit, grated apples, sugar, molasses, salt, spices, candied peel, and vinegar.

4. Mix together over medium heat, until the mixture starts to boil.

5. Cook the mixture for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in brandy, if desired.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell.

7. Preheat the oven to 425 °F (220 °C).

8. Roll out and cover the pie with the top crust. Seal and flute the edges of the crust.

9. Cut some holes in the top crust to vent as the pie is cooking.

10. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until lightly golden.

11. Reduce the temperature to 350 °F (180 °C) and cook for another 30 minutes.

For the hot buttered rum sauce (optional)

1. While the pie is cooking, make the buttered rum sauce. In a medium sauce pot, on medium heat, mix together, the brown sugar, honey, salt, butter and water.
2. Once the mixture comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and gently stir in the rum. (It will bubble up)
3. Pour this mixture over the pie or each slice before serving.

hungry for some more holiday recipes? hop over here!

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