Gluten-Free Mince Pies with Homemade Shortcrust Pastry

The first mince pie of the season is a small ritual: nostalgic, cosy and full of festive cheer. Unlike many shop-bought gluten-free versions that can be overly sweet or dry, this recipe delivers a rich, juicy mincemeat and a pastry that truly shines. The mincemeat is deeply spiced and the pastry is buttery and flaky — not crumbly or bland.

If you’ve been wary of making gluten-free pastry, this method simplifies it. You’ll make a homemade flour mix that includes sweet rice flour, sorghum flour, defatted almond flour and ground flaxseeds. There’s no need for commercial gluten-free blends or xanthan gum. If you don’t have every flour listed, the recipe includes sensible substitutions so you can adapt to what’s available.

The pastry is easy: whisk the flours together, rub the cold butter in, stir in the eggs and bring the dough together. Chill briefly, roll out and cut into rounds. It handles well, rolls smoothly between parchment sheets and bakes to a delicious, melt-in-the-mouth finish.

You can use any mincemeat you like; three favourite options are Victorian Mincemeat, Cranberry Cointreau Mincemeat, and a simple Easy Mincemeat. If you’re new to making mincemeat, the easy recipe is a great starting point.

Why You’ll Love These Gluten-Free Mince Pies

• Indistinguishable from regular mince pies — even non-gluten-free guests will enjoy them.
• The pastry contributes flavour and texture and is designed to complement the spiced mincemeat.
• You can make the pastry up to three days ahead for stress-free baking on the day you need them.
• No xanthan gum or guar gum required.
• The mincemeat is prepared ahead of time so the flavours develop and deepen.

A Very Merry Gluten-Free Christmas

A practical guide to celebrating a gluten-free Christmas with recipes, timings and hosting tips to make the day easier.

Ingredients and Notes

Homemade Flour Blend

This mix uses four simple components to create an elastic, easy-to-roll gluten-free shortcrust with great flavour and structure. Substitutions are noted below.

Sweet rice flour: The main binder that adds elasticity so the pastry rolls out without falling apart.

Sorghum flour: Adds depth and an earthy, wholegrain flavour that pairs beautifully with spiced mincemeat.

Defatted almond flour: A fine, low-oil almond flour that gives a subtle nutty sweetness and helps the pastry hold together. If you can’t get defatted almond flour use a suitable alternative (see substitutions).

Ground flaxseeds: Helps bind the dough and gives a pleasant texture.

The rest of the ingredients

Butter: Use cold, unsalted butter straight from the fridge to get a flaky crust.

Caster sugar: Fine-grained sugar for a light sweetness in the pastry.

Eggs: Provide structure and help bind the pastry.

Milk: Use a splash of very cold whole milk to bring the dough together if needed.

Mincemeat: Use your favourite mincemeat — homemade or shop-bought. An easy homemade mincemeat yields great results for first-timers.

Variations and Substitutions

Gluten-free flour swaps: Rather than replacing the whole mix with a single all-purpose gluten-free flour, swap individual components to retain the pastry’s balance. Sorghum can be replaced with oat or millet flour. Sweet rice flour can be swapped for cassava flour. If you need a nut-free option, use chickpea (gram) flour in place of defatted almond flour.

Dairy-free: Use a plant-based baking butter and substitute whole milk with canned coconut milk or another full-fat non-dairy milk for richness.

How to Make Gluten-Free Mince Pies

The full method is provided in the recipe card below; here are the key steps.

1. Rub very cold, thinly sliced butter into the flour mixture until you have coarse, pea-sized pieces.
2. Stir in caster sugar, then add eggs and mix until the dough just comes together. Add 1–2 tablespoons of very cold whole milk if the dough is too dry.
3. Shape into a ball, wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or up to 3 days).
4. Roll the chilled dough between parchment sheets, dusting with sweet rice flour, and cut rounds for bases and slightly smaller rounds for lids if making double-crust pies.
5. Place pastry rounds into a 12-hole muffin tin, fill each with a heaped teaspoon of mincemeat, top with lids or decorative shapes, brush with an egg wash and bake at 180°C (160°C fan) for 20–25 minutes until golden.
6. Let rest in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Expert Tips

Keep ingredients cold — butter and eggs straight from the fridge give the best flaky texture. Chill flours briefly if your kitchen is warm.

Rub the butter evenly into the dry mix until you have coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces; this helps create flakiness.

Chill the dough at least 30 minutes before rolling. Roll the pastry between two sheets of parchment to prevent sticking and reduce handling.

Blend the flour mix thoroughly before adding butter to ensure consistent binding, texture and snap in the finished pastry.

Mince pies are small sweet pies traditionally filled with spiced mincemeat — a mixture of dried fruits, spices, sugar and often a spirit such as brandy. Modern recipes are usually meat-free and are enjoyed across the UK and Europe at Christmas.

Mincemeat is a richly spiced, fruity filling typically made from dried fruit, sugar, nuts and brandy, sometimes with suet for a silky texture. Many variations exist and you can adapt ingredients to taste.

Topping options include double-crust lids, pastry stars or seasonal shapes, open-top versions, or variations like frangipane toppings or a dusting of icing sugar when cool.

How to Serve

These mince pies are lovely warm from the oven or at room temperature. For an extra treat, warm them and serve with a drizzle of brandy sauce, a spoonful of orange glaze, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

How to Store and Keep

Make ahead: Pastry can be made up to 3 days in advance; bring it out 30–60 minutes before rolling depending on room temperature.

Room temperature: Store baked mince pies in an airtight container for 1–2 days in a cool place.

Refrigerate: To extend shelf life store in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container.

Freeze: Cool completely, layer with baking parchment and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature or reheat in the oven for 6–8 minutes.