These puff pastry mince pies are my modern spin on traditional British shortcrust classic. Quick to make with basic ingredients, flaky and delicious! Perfect festive season treat that can be made in the oven or in your air fryer.
Traditional mince pies made with shortcrust pastry are very important part of British festive season.
My all-time favourite Almond Pastry Mince Pies make annual appearance on our table without a fail.
However, when time is of essence and you need something quick and without much involvement on your part, these puff pastry mince pies are quicker and simpler version of their shortcrust pastry counterparts.
With few basic, shop-bought ingredients, they can be made either in the oven or in your air fryer too.
As another puff pastry alternative to classic mince pies you might want to try my Puff Pastry Mince Pie Swirls.
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe
- It requires only few basic ingredients (shop bought shortcuts are ok).
- Super quick and easy to make.
- Vegan and can be made gluten-free.
- Freezer friendly before and after baking.
- Can be made both in the oven or in the air fryer.
- Perfect for last minute guests or when you fancy a quick treat.
📝 Ingredients
Here's what you will need to make my Puff Pastry Mince Pies:
Puff Pastry - Shop bought, ready-rolled puff pastry is my usual go to but puff pastry block you roll out yourself can be used instead.
Majority of shop bought puff pastries here in the UK are vegan friendly unless they specifically state "all butter".
If you are after gluten-free version, I know that Jus-Rol makes gluten-free puff pastry which is available in all major supermarkets here in the UK.
Mincemeat - It has nothing to do with mince or meat for that matter (at least not anymore).
Sweet mincemeat is made with mixture of dried fruit, spices and sometimes other extras like brandy and vegetable suet.
If you are after gluten-free mincemeat make sure you always check the label especially if the mincemeat contains suet.
Feel free to use homemade mincemeat if you've got some but shop bought one is perfectly adequate.
Plant Milk - I used some oat milk to brush over my puff pastry mince pies but you could use any plant milk you like or even water.
Demerara Sugar - I like to sprinkle it over the mince pies before baking. Feel free to use granulated, brown or caster sugar instead.
You can also forgo the sugar on top completely.
🔪 Instructions
Ingredient quantities & detailed instructions to be found in recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Roll out the puff pastry sheet and using fluted 6.8-7mm (0.26-0.27inch) round cutter, cut out 12 circles.
Using small star shape cutter, cut out 12 star shapes we are going to use to top our puff pastry mince pies with.
Oven Method
Preheat the oven to 200C(180Fan)/400F/Gas Mark 6.
Prepare shallow bun/tart tray by greasing it lightly and placing a strip of baking paper (overhanging on each side) in the middle of each hole for easier removal of mince pies later.
Line each hole of your tray with round piece of pastry and press it gently.
Put approximately 1 heaped teaspoon of mincemeat in the middle of each pastry case and top it with star shaped piece of puff pastry.
Gently brush top of each mice pie with some plant milk and sprinkle over demerara sugar.
Bake in preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes or until puffed up and golden in colour.
Air Fryer Method
Line the air fryer tray/basket with some baking paper (optional).
Put round pieces of pastry you cut out earlier on top of baking paper.
Put approximately 1 teaspoon (not heaped) of mincemeat on top of each pastry round and top it with a star shaped pastry.
Gently brush top of each mince pie with some plant milk and sprinkle over demerara sugar.
Air fry at 190C/375F for 10-12 minutes until puffed up and golden in colour.
🥡 Storing
Storing: Puff pastry mince pies just like any puff pastry goodies are best freshly baked but they can also be stored for 3-4 days in the airtight container and eaten at room temperature or gently reheated in the oven or the air fryer.
Reheating: They will take approx. 3 minutes in the hot oven or 3 minutes at 170C/338F in the air fryer.
Freezing: Both baked and unbaked mince pies freeze beautifully.
Open freeze them on a baking tray for couple of hours and once frozen solid transfer to freezer friendly bag or container to save some space.
Unbaked puff pastry mince pies can be baked from frozen adding few more minutes to baking time.
Baked ones you can defrost on the counter for an hour or so and then warm up in the oven or the air fryer.
💭 Pro Tips
- Take puff pastry out of the fridge about 10-15 minutes in advance. It will make it easier to roll it out without cracking.
- Further to the above, don't leave it out sitting on the counter for longer than that as it will warm up too much and start getting sticky.
- Make sure to grease the tin with some vegan butter or a little bit of oil to prevent pastry from sticking. Baking paper strips as those used by me help a lot too.
- Don't overfill your pies with mincemeat as this will make it bubble over and will make mince pies a bit messy. I found generous teaspoon for oven baked pies and just a teaspoon for air fryer ones works well.
- If you have a bun/tart tin that fits in the air fryer then definitely use it. It will make your pies neater.
- This recipe yields 12 pies providing you use stars to top your pies with. There will some leftover pastry which you can re-roll and make few more pies if you wish.
- Watch your pies in the oven and check on them in the air fryer. Appliances differ and so does baking time so stay alert.
📖 Variations
Jazz up your pies by adding some freshly grated orange or lemon zest to shop bought mincemeat and grating in some vegan marzipan.
Or how about adding some chopped nuts or even chocolate chips?
Swap mincemeat for your favourite jam to cater for those who are not fans.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
I like to serve my mince pies with generous dusting of icing sugar and when I feel especially indulgent I like them warmed up with vegan cream or ice cream.
Puff pastry mince pies make perfect addition to your festive party spread with vegan cinnamon cookies and Biscoff millionaire's shortbread.
Serve them alongside simple nibbles like these air fryer chickpeas, vegan sausage rolls that taste just like Greggs or slightly more wholesome vegetarian sausage rolls packed full to the brim with fresh veg and beans.
❓ FAQs
Of course, simply defrost it and use as you would that from the fridge.
I use 6.8mm (2.6inch) fluted round cutter for the base and simple star cookie cutter for the top.
Have you tried my Puff Pastry Mince Pies?
Please consider giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in recipe card below and share your views or tips in the comments.
📋 Recipe
Puff Pastry Mince Pies (Air Fryer + Oven)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 375 g ready-rolled puff pastry sheet frozen or block type can be used too
- 300 g mincemeat you will have some leftovers
- 2 tablespoon plant milk of choice for brushing over pastry
- 1 tablespoon demerara sugar to sprinkle over the pastry
- icing sugar to serve
Instructions
- Roll out the puff pastry sheet and using fluted 6.8-7mm (0.26-0.27inch) round cutter, cut out 12 circles.
- Using small star shape cutter, cut out 12 star shapes we are going to use to top our puff pastry mince pies with.
Oven Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C(180Fan)/400F/Gas Mark 6.
- Prepare shallow bun/tart tray by greasing it lightly and placing a strip of baking paper (overhanging on each side) in the middle of each hole for easier removal of mince pies later.
- Line each hole of your tray with round piece of pastry and press it gently.
- Put approximately 1 heaped teaspoon of mincemeat in the middle of each pastry case and top it with star shaped piece of puff pastry.
- Gently brush top of each mice pie with some plant milk and sprinkle over demerara sugar.
- Bake in preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes or until puffed up and golden in colour.
- Serve dusted with some icing sugar.
Air Fryer Method
- Line the air fryer tray/basket with some baking paper (optional).
- Put round pieces of pastry you cut out earlier on top of baking paper.
- Put approximately 1 teaspoon of mincemeat on top of each pastry round and top it with a star shaped pastry.
- Gently brush top of each mince pie with some plant milk and sprinkle over demerara sugar.
- Air fry at 190C/375F for 10-12 minutes until puffed up and golden in colour.
- Enjoy dusted with some icing sugar.
Notes
- Nutritional information is approximate, per pie (based on 12 pies) and should be treated as a rough guideline only.
- Most shop bought puff pastry in the UK are now vegan and same goes for mincemeat, however make sure you always check the label.
- Eat freshly baked or store in the airtight container for 3-4 days. Freezer friendly, see - Storing.
- Take puff pastry out of the fridge about 10-15 minutes in advance. It will make it easier to roll it out without cracking.
- Further to the above, don't leave it out sitting on the counter for longer than that as it will warm up too much and start getting sticky.
- Make sure to grease the tin with some vegan butter or a little bit of oil to prevent pastry from sticking. Baking paper strips as those used by me help a lot too.
- Don't overfill your pies with mincemeat as this will make it bubble over and will make mince pies a bit messy. I found generous teaspoon for oven baked pies and just a teaspoon for air fryer ones works well.
- If you have a bun/tart tin that fits in the air fryer then definitely use it. It will make your pies neater.
- This recipe yields 12 pies providing you use stars to top your pies with. There will some leftover pastry which you can re-roll and make few more pies if you wish.
- Watch your pies in the oven and check on them in the air fryer. Appliances differ and so does baking time so stay alert.
Edward says
Such an easy alternative to regular mince pies. Really tasty. 👌
joskitchenlarder says
They really are, aren't they. Glad you enjoyed them! 🙂