Easy recipe for mincemeat filling (2024)

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Learn how to make homemade mincemeat filling with this easy recipe. While traditional mincemeat is made with suet, this recipe calls for butter, which is easier to find year round, as well as diced apple, raisins, dried currants, and candied peel. This filling is flavourful and easy to use to fill Christmas pies and tarts.

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What you will need to make this recipe

This is a variation on the traditional mincemeat so most of the ingredients are quite standard across all recipes, with a few exceptions. To make this filling for Christmas baking, you will need:

  • dried fruit—I like a mixture of raisins and currants
  • apple, preferably a baking apple variety that doesn't break down with heat
  • mixed candied peel or any candied peel whether orange, lemon, or citron
  • unsalted butter or grated suet, which helps provide body and richness to the filling
  • brown sugar, though granulated sugar would also work. Maple sugar would work well here as well, though maple syrup would add extra water that may have to be boiled off to thicken the filling
  • warm spices, like cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg, and allspice
  • fresh citrus, both orange and lemon, for the juice and the zest to balance out the sweetness of the filling
  • brandy, though a similar alcohol like cognac could also work.
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Substitutions and variations

Traditional mincemeat recipes will differ from the one below in a few ways.

Butter versus suet

Some older recipes are made with suet instead of butter. Suet comes from the fat surrounding the kidneys of cows and also mutton (though in Canada, it's usually from cows). Suet is 100 % fat, whereas butter is only around 82 % fat.

Suet has a longer shelf-life and has a higher melting point than butter. This means it is more stable, especially when stored in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. If you want to make mincemeat filling up to a year before using it, you are better off using suet and storing the mincemeat in the fridge. Substitute the same amount of suet for the butter in the recipe below and it will work fine.

Nuts

Nuts, specifically chopped walnuts, are added in some classic recipes. Pecans may also be substituted. I prefer the texture of mincemeat filling without nuts, so this recipe doesn't have them and therefore is nut-free. By all means, you can add chopped nuts to this recipe if you'd like.

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Alcohol

I add a little brandy to the mincemeat. It adds a nice flavour without being boozy. Plus usually mincemeat tarts are served around the holidays and at Christmas, so it's nice to add a little brandy to make them fancy.

By all means, don't feel obliged to add it. You can skip it altogether and the recipe will work great as a filling for mincemeat tarts and pies!

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Other substitutions

This recipe relies heavily on raisins. I use golden raisins and either sultanas or Thompson raisins and the total volume in the filling for these two is 2.5 cups. That's a lot of raisins. If you don't like raisins, you can try other dried fruit, like chopped dried apricots or even dried cranberries. This will obviously change the flavour a little, but feel free to experiment.

As for the apple in the recipe, I prefer to use a firm apple that doesn't break down when cooked. In Canada, we'd favour a Gala apple, a Honey Crisp, a Granny Smith, or perhaps a Golden Delicious apple or even a Cortland apple could work. Macintosh apples wouldn't work as well in this recipe because they break down and turn to sauce with heat.

If you don't want to use apples, you can replace it with a firm pear variety, which would work well here as well.

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What you won't be using in this recipe

The technique used in this recipe is for a quick mincemeat. This means that the mincemeat is heated on the stove to encourage the dried fruit to absorb the liquid, thus speeding up the process. You'll notice with some older recipes, they may not heat the filling and instead are made months or even a year ahead and left to age in sealed jars. Recipes that include aging the filling for months are often heavier on the alcohol and may include more fat than what we have in the recipe below.

This recipe is not made with any thickener. It honestly doesn't need it! You may see some recipes that are made with tapioca starch or quick-cooking tapioca, or even flour. I find the thickener can make the filling too thick and gloopy, and can sometimes interfere with the flavour, so I prefer it without.

Another noteworthy point is that traditional mincemeat was once made with ground meat, also called mince, which is where the filling gets its name. For example, the recipe for homemade mincemeat in The Joy of Cooking calls for ground meat. This recipe is vegetarian (if you use butter) and does not call for ground meat or mince.

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Once you've made mincemeat, you can use it to fill mincemeat tarts (which are also callled mincemeat pies or mince pies), instead of using store-bought filling. You can also incorporate it into cookie dough to make mincemeat cookies. Another idea: you could try using it as a filling for rugelach or pinwheels, with a cream cheese dough.

📖 Recipe

Easy recipe for mincemeat filling (8)

Homemade Mincemeat Filling

AuthorAuthor : Janice Lawandi

This easy mincemeat recipe is quick to make and is excellent for mincemeat tarts and pies around Christmas time.

5 from 2 votes

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Servings 5 cups

Calories 46 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 240 grams sultana raisins
  • 145 grams dried currants
  • 160 grams golden raisins
  • 1 Gala apple peel on, cored and diced into small pieces
  • 85 grams mixed peel
  • 115 grams unsalted butter or grated suet
  • 200 grams light brown sugar
  • 2.5 mL ground cinnamon
  • 2.5 mL ground cloves
  • 2.5 mL ground nutmeg
  • 2.5 mL ground allspice
  • 1 lemon zest and juice
  • 1 navel orange zest and juice
  • 60 mL brandy

Instructions

  • Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan, except for the brandy.

  • Heat until the butter has completely melted and the sugar has dissolved. When the mixture begins to boil, reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for about 15 minutes. This will give a chance for the dried fruit to absorb much of the liquid and for the filling to thicken a little. Note it will thicken more as it cools down.

  • Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the brandy. Pack into a jar and refrigerate.

  • Divide between 250–500 mL jars (1–2 cup jars) and let the mixture cool completely before closing the jars and storing in the fridge.

Notes

Calories calculated per 15 mL (1 tablespoon) of filling.

Nutrition

Calories: 46kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 3mgPotassium: 66mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 42IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg

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Easy recipe for mincemeat filling (2024)

FAQs

What is mincemeat filling made of? ›

Mincemeat is a combination of chopped dried fruits, spices, sugar, nuts, distilled spirits, a fat of some type and sometimes meat. The name is a carryover from 15th century England when mincemeat did indeed have meat in the mix; in fact, the whole point of mincemeat was to preserve meat with sugar and alcohol.

What was the original filling for mince pie? ›

The reason mincemeat is called meat is because that's exactly what it used to be: most often mutton, but also beef, rabbit, pork or game. Mince pies were first served in the early middle ages, and the pies were quite sizeable, filled with a mixture of finely minced meat, chopped up fruit and a preserving liquid.

Does mincemeat from a jar need to be cooked? ›

Versions containing animal fats should be cooked before use but those including butter can be used as they are, perhaps stirred into an ice cream mixture. You could even serve an especially tasty version with whipped or clotted cream as a sumptuous festive topping for warm scones.

Which mincemeat is best? ›

  • M&S Mincemeat. £1.50 for 510g, Ocado. ...
  • Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Matured mincemeat. £1.80 for 411g. ...
  • Wilkin & Sons Tiptree mincemeat. £2.99 for 312g, tiptree.com. ...
  • Tesco Finest Ruby Port Mincemeat. £1.80 for 411g. ...
  • Rosebud Preserves Almond and Orange Mincemeat. ...
  • Mrs Darlington's Marvellous Mincemeat with Brandy.
Dec 6, 2020

What is in a jar of ready to use mincemeat? ›

Ingredients: Water, Corn Syrup, Raisins, Dried Apples, Molasses, Corn Starch Modified, Distilled Vinegar, Dried Orange And Lemon Peel, Salt, Spices, Beef, Fruit Pectin, Natural Flavor.

How do you mince step by step? ›

Mincing is taking something that is roughly chopped and then chopping it finely. Put one hand flat on top of the knife while moving the knife over the chopped pile. Occasionally, use the heel of the knife to gather the pile back together. This will work for a recipe that calls for finely chopped or minced ingredients.

How to make fine mince? ›

Boiling ground beef is the best way to cook it so that it comes out in small, fine crumbles. Trust me, this is the secret to all those amazing tacos and pasta sauces at your favorite restaurant! It's also a healthier option, because the boiling process helps separate the fat from the meat, and it comes out quite lean.

How to cook mince for dummies? ›

Heat 1 tsp (5 mL) of oil in a large skillet and place the mince in the center. Break the mince into smaller chunks and sprinkle it with salt. Let the mince brown, and inspect a larger chunk to ensure it's cooked all the way through. Enjoy the mince right away or refrigerate it for 1 week (or freeze it for 3 months).

When did they stop putting meat in mincemeat pie? ›

By the 18th century it was more likely to be tongue or even tripe, and in the 19th century it was minced beef. It was not until the late Victorian period and early 20th Century that mince pies dropped the meat and had all fruit fillings (albeit with suet). Even today there are traditions associated with mince pies.

What is the difference between mince pie and mincemeat pie? ›

We all love munching on mince pies but have you ever wondered why their filling is called 'mincemeat' even though there's no meat in it? This is because long ago mince pies actually did have meat in them. They went by different names like 'mutton pie,' 'shrid pie,' or 'Christmas pie. '

What are the ingredients in Robertson's mincemeat? ›

Ingredients: sugar, apples (26%), vine fruits (26%) (sultanas, raisins, currants), candied mixed peel (4%) (glucose-fructose syrup, orange peel, sugar, lemon peel, citric acid), vegetable suet (palm oil, sunflower oil, rice flour), treacle, acidity regulators (acetic acid, citric acid), mixed spices, citric acid, ...

How long can you keep mincemeat in a jar without? ›

That stuff keeps forever, I've used jars that were several years out of date with no ill effects. Enjoy :) It might be a bit stiff but you can just use that as an excuse to mix some brandy in to loosen it!

Which way do you stir mincemeat for good luck? ›

English tradition demands that the mince meat mixture should only be stirred in a clockwise direction. To stir it anticlockwise is to bring bad luck for the coming year. Another English custom is for all the family to take a turn in stirring the mincemeat mixture whilst making a wish.

Why is mincemeat so expensive? ›

Mincemeat isn't difficult to make, but it has a lot of ingredients, which can make it expensive to produce in small batches, and it requires at least a day's advance planning to let the ingredients sit.

When did they stop putting meat in mincemeat? ›

By the 18th century it was more likely to be tongue or even tripe, and in the 19th century it was minced beef. It was not until the late Victorian period and early 20th Century that mince pies dropped the meat and had all fruit fillings (albeit with suet). Even today there are traditions associated with mince pies.

Is mincemeat just ground beef? ›

The terms “ground meat” and “minced meat” are sometimes used interchangeably. But they indicate two techniques for processing raw meat: ground meat is an emulsion of lean meat and fat, whereas minced meat is finely chopped skeletal-muscle meat. Ground meat is consistent and smooth; minced meat is choppy and textured.

Is mincemeat healthy? ›

Not only is mince an incredibly versatile meat, it is also packed full of nutrients that can help support good health and wellbeing. With mince, you don't need to eat a lot of it to get the nutritional goodness.

Why is Christmas mincemeat called mincemeat? ›

The "mince" in mincemeat comes from the Middle English mincen, and the Old French mincier both traceable to the Vulgar Latin minutiare, meaning chop finely. The word mincemeat is an adaptation of an earlier term minced meat, meaning finely chopped meat. Meat was also a term for food in general, not only animal flesh.

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