Homemade Christmas Mincemeat

Christmas Mince (Homemade Mincemeat)

Sticky, spiced, and full of festive flavour, this is my classic Christmas mince filling. It’s rich, fruity, and boozy (in the best way). Perfect for mince pies, Christmas tarts, or spooned warm over ice cream. The beauty of making it yourself? You can tweak the fruit, adjust the spices, and it just tastes better than anything you’ll buy in a jar.

Serves: Makes about 1 large jar (enough for 12–16 mince pies)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Special equipment: Medium saucepan, sterilised jar

Let’s learn how to make it

This traditional Christmas mincemeat is all about slow cooking the fruit until sticky, glossy, and caramelised. As it cools, it thickens beautifully and keeps for weeks, perfect for when the festive baking mood strikes.

Ingredients

• 100g dates, chopped

• 360g raisins, currants, or sultanas (or a mix of all three)

• 100g glacé cherries or mixed peel

• 100g shredded suet (I use vegetarian)

• 170g soft brown sugar

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• ½ tsp ground allspice

• Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon

• Juice of 1 orange

• 1 cooking apple, grated

• 50g chopped nuts (optional - almonds, pecans, or walnuts all work beautifully)

• 5 tbsp brandy (or more if you fancy!)

Method

1. Combine everything. Add all the ingredients to a medium saucepan.

2. Cook gently. Set over a medium-low heat and stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved.

3. Simmer until glossy. Keep cooking for about 15 minutes, until the fruit is sticky, plump, and coated in a rich, glossy syrup.

4. Jar it up . While hot, spoon the mincemeat into a sterilised jar. Press a small circle of greased baking paper onto the surface to help preserve it. But if you don't have any dont worry its not the end of the world!

5. Store and mature. Seal and store in a cool cupboard for up to 6 weeks before using. The longer it sits, the deeper and more festive the flavour becomes.

Chef’s Tip:
If you’d like an alcohol-free version, swap the brandy for fresh orange juice or apple juice, it still keeps beautifully and tastes just as festive. It may just have a slight shorter shelf life. As the alcohol is the 'preserves' it. Also this is a guide is you had other fruit, maybe dried apricots, dried cranberries any dried fruit you like just swap it out. It is just a guide for the quality you need. 

Enjoy

Del x

Looking for the perfect pastry to pair with this? Try my shortcrust pastry recipe, it’s melt-in-the-mouth perfect for mince pies.