Vegan Mince Pies
Author:These homemade Vegan Mince Pies hold the very essence of Christmas in their delicious pastry crusts. Nothing can beat one warm from the oven!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 grams) all purpose flour , (plain flour in the UK)
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon (120 grams) vegan butter or refined coconut oil , it must be cold and hard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) sugar
- 7-10 tablespoons ice cold water
- 1¼ cups (280 grams) vegan mincemeat
- a few drops plant-based milk , or aquafaba for brushing the pastry
- a handful of granulated sugar or natural powdered sugar , for dusting
Oil-free or gluten-free option
- healthy pie crust , use this recipe for the pastry dough instead
INSTRUCTIONS
- Put a shallow mince pie/bun pan or muffin pan in the fridge to chill. The number of pies you will get will vary depending on the size of the wells in the pan you use. Aim for 12 then you can bake a few after with the leftovers if needed. If you use a muffin pan the mince pies will be deeper and you will only get 6 to 8 pies from this recipe.
- Make the pastry for the pie crusts. Add the flour, salt, coconut oil/butter and sugar to a food processor and pulse until it looks like breadcrumbs.
- Add the water one tablespoon at a time until it just start to ball up as the blade goes round. As soon as it starts, stop the food processor. Over working it will make the pastry tough.
- Test that you can squeeze it together into a pliable dough. Add a tiny bit more water and process again if it's too dry, or if it's ok then remove the blade, bring the dough together and turn out onto a floured surface.
- Cut off about ⅓ of the pastry and set aside to make the tops, then roll out the remainder to 2-3mm thick and even all over.
- Use a cookie cutter, mason jar lid or the top of a mug or glass to cut rounds big enough to go in each hole and come up the sides.
- Place them in gently then crimp the edges if you want to or just leave them. Ball up the remaining pastry and roll it out again to cut more as needed.
- Add a generous amount of mincemeat to each once. It should come right up almost level with the top.
- Roll out the ⅓ of pastry you set aside to 2 - 3 mm thick then cut out the tops. You can make them full round ones or cut them into star shapes.
- If you make full lids brush around the top of each pie with a little plant-based milk or aquafaba before adding the lid then press down all around to seal. If you are using stars then place them on the top of each pie and press down gently to make them as flat and even as you can .
- Brush the top of each pie with plant-based milk and if you want to, sprinkle the top of each one with some granulated sugar. It makes them look pretty once baked.
- Refrigerate the pies and preheat the oven to 425 °F (218 °C). Leave them in the fridge while it preheats.
- Once the oven is to temperature remove the pies from the fridge and place in the hot oven.
- Cook for around 20 - 23 minutes. The pastry should be turning golden brown and the mincemeat filling bubbling. If you baked them in a muffin pan they might take 1 or 2 minutes longer.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before prising out gently. I found using a little silicone spatula the easiest way to loosen up around the edge if necessary and pop them out.
- Place on a cooling rack. Once cool you can dust them with a little optional powdered sugar.
- If you have any leftover pastry and mincemeat, wash up your pan and make a few more to use it up, or wrap the pastry well and store it in the fridge or freezer for another day.
NOTES
If you don't have a shallow bun pan or a mince pie pan then you can use a standard muffin pan, or buy individual tin foil cases. If you don't have any powdered sugar or prefer not to use it then you can sprinkle the top of the mince pies with some granulated sugar BEFORE baking them. It makes them look pretty and adds little texture too.
When calculating the nutritional information I could only find mincemeat which had suet as an ingredient. If you use my mincemeat recipe it contains no suet so the calories and fat content will be a bit less.
NUTRITION
Serving: 1mince pie | Calories: 162kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2.2g | Sodium: 89mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Iron: 0.7mg
