Gluten Free Mince Pies

If there’s one thing that really get me in the mood for Christmas, it’s making gluten free mince pies.

With buttery gluten free pastry and a spicy mincemeat filling, these are the perfect gluten free Christmas baking project.

I crack on the Bublé or a Christmas film, break out a mug of mulled wine and get baking.

The smell of gluten free mince pies baking is the ultimate festive treat and it’s the best way to spend an evening or a rainy Sunday afternoon.

And now I’ve finally brought my gluten free mince pies recipe to the blog so you can all enjoy it too.

The best gluten free mince pies

So what makes these gluten free mince pies so special?

For starters, they’re made with my gluten free shortcrust pastry, which is SUPER easy to make.

All you need is a few simple ingredients to make a buttery, delicious pastry which everyone will love.

I added a little orange zest to my gluten free pastry as well to give them a festive twist.

Then you simply fill them with mincemeat (home made or shop bought), top with a star and bake.

It’s such an easy recipe to follow and one you can use over and over again – the only thing you need for a perfect gluten free Christmas.

What makes the best mince pies?

To me, mince pies should LOOK homemade and delicious – not too perfect around the edges.

They remind me of fun family baking sessions as a child and are pretty forgiving when it comes to style.

I like my mince pies rustic, with mincemeat brimming from the edges of a generously-filled pie.

Too little filling and they’re just boring, after all!

I love dusting them with icing sugar too as it adds a little sweetness and looks just like snow.

In fact, every part of baking these gluten free mince pies is perfect for doing with kids – it’s a great way to teach them how to make something simple.

Cutting out the pastry shapes is always good fun, as is the rolling – they’ll love it.

Making the best gluten free pastry

There’s a full printable recipe card below, but for the shopping list you’ll need these ingredients for your gluten free shortcrust pastry:

• 170 g plain gluten free flour (I always use FREEE by Doves Farm plain gluten free flour)
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 medium egg
• 1 tsp water
• 110 g unsalted butter, (cubed)
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• Zest of one orange

You can also make the pastry with a half-and-half mixture of butter and Cookeen or lard if you like.

This creates a beautifully rich and buttery pastry which melts in your mouth.

However I used just butter in my mince pies recipe as it was all I had in the house and it works perfectly.

The xanthan gum is a really important ingredients as without it the pastry will fall apart.

And yes, even if you have gluten free flour which has xanthan gum in, you still need to add it in.

Which mincemeat is gluten free?

The good news is that most mincemeat in UK supermarkets tends to be gluten free.

One of my favourites is the Waitrose amaretto mincemeat – or basically anything which has amaretto in!

I tend to use something like the Sainsbury’s or Tesco’s own ones, as these are affordable and taste good.

I also recently tried an Asda one with port and brandy – if you like your mince pies boozy I’d definitely recommend that.

Of course, if you wanted to go one step further you could make your own mincemeat too.

My favourite is this gluten free cider mincemeat which is sweet, boozy and delicious.

A few tips to get your perfect gluten free pastry

Firstly, do not skip the xanthan gum. This replicates the stretchiness of gluten and without it, you’ll find the pastry will be hard to handle and very crumbly.

Yes, the FREEE flour I use already has xanthan gum in but trust me, you’ll want the extra in this recipe.

I’d recommend using either the FREEE gluten free flour, or a similar blend, such as the supermarket own ones.

These tend to be a mixture of rice, maize and potato flour. If you try use a single flour, like coconut or almond flour, it will be completely different.

I’d also say definitely don’t skip the chilling on this recipe.

You want to use cold butter in the mixture, and you’ll find even this starts to soften as you rub it together with your fingers.

That’s why it’s important to chill your gluten free pastry before you roll it out.

If you don’t chill it, you’ll end up with a super sticky mess that even clingfilm can’t save!

I do recommend rolling your chilled pastry between sheets of clingfilm if you find it sticks, but usually a well-floured work surface and rolling pin is enough.

Topping your gluten free mince pies

When it comes to topping your gluten free mince pies there are always plenty of options.

I personally like to top them with stars of different sizes and then dust with icing sugar once cooled.

You could use any festive shape you like – I use these star cutters to easily top my mince pies.

If you prefer you can also make lids for your mince pies – just cut circles for the top and stick them down by wetting the pastry rim with some milk or beaten egg.

A word of warning – you’ll want to pierce the lids so the pies don’t explode as they bake!

Either way you’ll have gorgeously golden and buttery pastry with a rich, sweet filling. 

My gluten free mince pies recipe

This recipe is enough for 10 mince pies with a star topping, or around 8 if you’re making them with lids.

Of course you can double the pastry if you wanted to make more – and you can also freeze these gluten free mince pies and heat them up to enjoy for desserts!

If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!

And please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me. 

Need some more gluten free Christmas inspiration?

If you’re after some more gluten free Christmas classics then make sure you check out my Gluten Free Christmas ebook

From sticky toffee pudding and mince pies to bread sticks and cheese crackers, there’s something for everyone.

You can have a look at my Gluten Free Christmas ebook and purchase it here.

Want to have a go at some of the other gluten free baking recipes on the blog? Give some of these other gluten free recipes a try!

There are plenty to choose from – here are a couple to get you going:

• My sparkly gluten free prosecco cupcakes
• Gluten free chocolate yule log recipe
• Easy gluten free Christmas shortbread recipe

If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram. 

And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!

Oh – and don’t forget to sign up for my e-newsletter where you’ll know about all my latest posts and competitions first!

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