A modern twist on the classic Christmas mince pie. With a rich shortcrust pastry casing, filled with delicious mincemeat, and topped with zesty crumble.
I am SOOOO excited to share this recipe with you today. I kid you not, when I first made these Crumble Top Mince Pies, I tasted one and straight away messaged my husband saying,
“These are literally the most delicious thing I’ve ever baked!”
Wow. Bold claim! Especially for an exclusively Christmas recipe. But seeing as I have since proceeded to eat more than my fair share of these delightful little mince pies, I stand by what I said.
What makes them different from other mince pies? The crumble topping of course! Think mince pie meets Rhubarb Crumble. The combo you never knew you needed. And even though we know crumble is great on it’s own, the addition of a little orange zest makes these festive little pies even better than you could possibly imagine.
Now, I know I have said before that Puff Pastry Mince Pies are my favourite – and they were. But I can hand-on-heart confirm that Crumble Top Mince Pies are now the only ones for me. If you love Granny’s famous Viennese Whirl Mince Pies, you will undoubtedly love these too.
How do you make mince pies?
These crumble topped mince pies are really quite easy to make. Mincemeat straight from a jar is fine but I like to start by pimping mine up a little with some fresh apple and dried cranberries.
Next up you prepare your pastry. Like a classic mince pie, these crumb topped ones still have a shortcrust pastry casing. Home made shortcrust pastry is easy to prepare but you can go ahead and use a shop-bought one, if you prefer.
Then it’s time to make your crumble for the tops. Simply use your fingers to rub some flour, sugar and butter together, until they look like breadcrumbs. Add a little orange zest for a stunning flavour sensation!
To construct your mince pies for baking; start by cutting your pastry into circles, before gently pressing them into a 12-hole bun tray. Spoon your mincemeat into the pastry cases, before adding your crumb topping. Bake in your pre-heated oven and dust with a little icing sugar once cool.
Can you use shop-bought pastry for mince pies?
Absolutely! You can use a shop-bought pastry for making mince pies. Ready-roll shortcrust pastry is perfect for homemade mince pies, and an easy way to save a little extra time in the preparation. I do find Granny’s recipe for pastry to be a bit superior in comparison, but shop-bought pastry is a fine substation, should you wish to use it.
Ingredients:
Butter or Margarine
Butter or margarine is required for both the pastry and the crumble topping. However you want softened butter/margarine for the pastry, and cold for the crumble.
The reason being that the softer butter/margarine will be easier to mix into the pastry. But you don’t want soft in the crumble, or it too will turn into more of a pastry instead of staying crumbly!
If using margarine, just be sure to use a block margarine, as opposed to the spreadable kind.
Plain Flour
You will use flour in both the pastry and the crumble, as well as needing a little extra for rolling & cutting the pastry. No raising agent is required, so plain flour is ideal for all.
Caster Sugar
Again, caster sugar is used in both the pastry and the crumble topping. Caster sugar is fine enough to mix nicely into the pastry dough, and sweet enough to add some lovely flavours to the crumble topping. I would recommend sticking with caster sugar due to it’s fine consistency but if you’re looking for a less-sweet alternative, golden caster sugar is also an option.
Mincemeat
A jar of mincemeat is perfectly acceptable in these crumb topped mince pies, or in any mince pie to be honest. Who has time to be making their own in the run up to Christmas anyway?! I like to pimp up my mincemeat with a couple of extras though – a little apple adds some extra juiciness, and some dried cranberries for a modern (& tasty!) touch.
Granny's Top Tips
• Make sure you use a bun tray as opposed to a muffin tin. The latter is much deeper and although prefect for muffins & cupcakes, it is too deep for mince pies. If you don’t already have one, I highly recommend purchasing one, not only for this recipe but for Jam Tarts, Pineapple Tarts and Strawberry Tarts.
• A jar of mincemeat is fine as it is but I find pimping it up a little with some fresh apple and dried cranberries makes it a bit more luxurious. You can add whatever dried/fresh fruit that is to your own taste, or just use it straight from the jar. These are your mince pies, so you do you.
• For me, adding a little orange zest to the crumble mixture is non-negotiable… However, it is technically optional. If you come to make these and don’t have an orange to hand, you can go ahead and make them without. The crumble without it is still delicious. You could always try replacing the orange zest with a little lemon zest, or even some ground cinnamon instead.
• When adding your crumble to the tops, it is a bit messy – there’s not really away around this. One thing that can help is adding a spoonful of crumble to the tops of each pie, lightly pressing it down a little, before adding the rest of the topping on top.
Love this? Try this:
Crumble Top Mince Pies
INGREDIENTS
For the Pastry
- 75g Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
- 150g Butter or Block Margarine softened
- 250g Plain Flour (All-purpose Flour)
For the Filling
- 200g Mincemeat
- 1 small Apple
- Handful Dried Cranberries
For the Crumble Topping
- 75 g Plain Flour (All-purpose Flour)
- 50 g Butter or Block Margarine chilled & cubed
- 25 g Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
- ½ Zest of an Orange optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre-heat your oven to 190°c (170°c for fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 5 or 375°F) and grease a 12-hole tart/cupcake tray with a little excess butter/margarine.
- First prep your mince meat - mincemeat straight from the jar is fine but adding some apple and cranberries gives your mince pies a little more flavour. Peel, core and chop your apple into 1cm cubes and mix into the mincemeat. Add a handful of cranberries also. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter/margarine and sugar for the pastry. Mix until combined before adding the flour and mixing to form a dough (you may need to use your hands). Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge to chill while you prepare your crumble topping.
- In a small bowl, add the flour, sugar and butter/margarine. Using your finger tips, mix the ingredients together until you have a breadcrumb-like mixture. Add the orange zest and stir through. Set aside.
- On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to about 0.5cm, and cut into circles with a cookie cutter that is large enough to line each hole in your tray. Gently place into your prepared tray, pressing the pastry into place.
- Fill each pastry casing with mincemeat - enough to fill generously but not come over the top edge of your pastry casing. Top the mincemeat with the crumble topping, ensuring the mincemeat is completely covered.
- Bake in your pre-heated oven for 20-30 minutes until a light golden colour on top. Allow to cool in tray for approx 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dust with a little icing sugar (powdered sugar) before serving.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won't always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
RECIPE NOTES:
- For full explanations on the ingredients, as well as possible substitutions, see the Ingredients section above.
- For all my tips and advice for success with this recipe, see the Granny's Top Tips section above.
- For substitutions and hacks to make this mince pie recipe allergy and vegan friendly, see the Free-from & Vegan section below.
- Crumble Top Mince Pies are best enjoyed on the day of baking but do keep well for a few days after too. They are best stored in a not air-tight container, such a cardboard box, or a mesh food cover; these will prevent the crumble tops going soft and losing their crumbly texture.
Free-from & Vegan
Gluten-free: To make these Gluten-free mince pipes, simply use a gluten-free shortcrust pastry and gluten-free plain flour in the crumble mix. Be sure to double check your mincemeat for gluten too.
Egg-free: No eggs are used in this crumble top mince pies recipe. But be sure to check your individual ingredients for allergens.
Nut-free: These are nut-free mince pies, however be sure to double check your individual ingredients for any allergens.
Dairy-free: To make these dairy-free crumble top mince pies, simply use a dairy-free margarine in the pastry and crumble topping.
Vegan: To make these vegan crumble top mince pies, simply use a dairy-free margarine in the pastry and crumble topping. Be sure to double check your mince meat is also vegan too.
N.B. Any advice or suggestions to make recipes “free-from” or vegan are purely that – suggestions. Please be careful to double check all ingredients individually, taking extra caution when serving to those with allergies & intolerances.
3 responses
Would these crumble topped mince pies be suitable to freeze ? I’ve baked them and they do taste delicious. Thank you for the recipe
Just baked these. They are DELICIOUS and I will make them again and again and again!
Thank you.
This recipe is awesome, and a lovely change from the classic recipe. I added a little bit of brandy to the mincemeat before putting into the cases family absolutely devoured them. Thank you so much for posting the recipe.