These festive frangipane mince pies are a lovely treat for the Christmas season. Filled with fruity mincemeat and topped with a homemade almond frangipane, they offer a delicious alternative to traditional mince pies.
Using ready-rolled shortcrust pastry keeps these pies quick and simple. Roll out the pastry, press rounds into a greased bun tin, spoon in mincemeat, and finish with the almond frangipane before baking until golden.
They’re perfect for festive gatherings, buffets, or as a dessert served warm with custard, cream, or brandy butter. They also freeze well, making them convenient to prepare ahead.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy to make using store-bought pastry and a straightforward frangipane mixture.
- The combo of sweet mincemeat, rich almond frangipane and buttery pastry is indulgent and different from traditional topped mince pies.
- Suitable for desserts, party spreads, or homemade gifts for friends and neighbours.
- Freezer-friendly for make-ahead convenience.
Ingredient notes
Shortcrust pastry – ready-rolled shortcrust pastry keeps the recipe speedy; homemade pastry works equally well if you prefer.
Mincemeat – use a good quality store-bought version or homemade mincemeat for best flavour.
Frangipane – a simple almond cream made from butter, caster sugar, eggs, ground almonds, a little plain flour and almond extract.
Flaked almonds – for sprinkling on top before baking to add texture and a toasted almond flavour.
What is mincemeat?
Originally a medieval mixture that included minced meat, modern mincemeat is a sweet blend of chopped dried fruit, spices and often a spirit such as brandy, rum or whisky. It adds a concentrated festive flavour to these pies.
How to make frangipane mince pies
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions is included below.
Making the frangipane
One: Cream together the softened butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy.
Two: Beat in the eggs and almond extract until smooth.
Three: Fold through the ground almonds and the plain flour until evenly combined to form the frangipane.
Assembling the pies
Four: Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan / Gas 6). Lightly grease a 12-hole bun tin with butter.
Five: Use a 7cm fluted cutter to stamp out 12 rounds of pastry and press them into the prepared tin.
Six: Spoon a little mincemeat into each pastry case.
Seven: Cover the mincemeat with the frangipane and scatter over flaked almonds. Bake for 18–20 minutes until golden. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Top tip: Use any leftover pastry to make quick jam tarts.
Top tips
- Grease the bun tin well or use strips of overhanging baking paper to lift the pies out easily after they cool.
- Make the frangipane the day before and keep it chilled to save time on the day of baking.
- For neat topping, pipe the frangipane onto the mincemeat using a large piping bag with a wide nozzle.
Serving suggestions
These frangipane mince pies work well on a festive buffet or bake sale. Serve them warm for dessert with custard, brandy butter or a scoop of ice cream as a comforting alternative to traditional Christmas pudding.
Variations
- Add a handful of chopped walnuts to the frangipane or mincemeat for crunch.
- Stir grated orange zest into shop-bought mincemeat to brighten the flavour.
- Lightly dust the cooled pies with icing sugar before serving.
Storage
Store: Keep baked mince pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Reheat: Warm pies in a moderate oven or air fryer for about 5 minutes if you prefer them hot.
Freeze: Once cooled, place pies in freezer bags and freeze for up to three months. Defrost and reheat gently before serving.
Frequently asked questions
Frangipane is a creamy almond filling with a sweet, nutty flavour. It’s smooth and slightly cake-like once baked.
They both use almonds, but frangipane is a light almond cream made with butter, sugar and eggs, while marzipan is a dense almond-sugar paste used for modelling or covering cakes.
Recipe
Easy Frangipane Mince Pies
Ingredients
- 325 g ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
- 200 g mincemeat
For the frangipane
- 100 g unsalted butter, softened
- 100 g caster sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 100 g ground almonds
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 3 tbsp flaked almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan / Gas 6). Lightly grease a 12-hole bun tin.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs and almond extract until smooth.
- Fold in the ground almonds and plain flour until combined to form the frangipane.
- Stamp out twelve 7cm rounds from the pastry and press them into the greased tin.
- Fill each case with mincemeat, then top with frangipane and scatter with flaked almonds.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes until the tops are golden. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
- Line the tin with strips of overhanging baking paper to lift pies out easily once cooled.
- Make the frangipane the day before to save time and keep it chilled.
- Use a piping bag to neatly place the frangipane onto each pie.
Nutrition (approx.)
Per pie: Calories 286 kcal; Carbohydrates 40 g; Protein 7 g; Fat 12 g; Sugar 20 g.
Tried it? Share a photo and tag @effortlessf00d on Instagram — I’d love to see your pies!