Mincemeat Recipe (Traditional, Vegetarian and Alcohol Free)

Mincemeat is a fruity, often boozy, sweet filling for mince pies, the traditional little sweet treats synonymous with Christmas, here in the UK.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

What is Christmas Mincemeat?

Christmas mincemeat is one of those gloriously chaotic British inventions that began life as something completely unrecognisable from the sweet, boozy preserve we know today.

In medieval England, the original mixture was a sign of wealth, festivity and a cook trying very hard to impress. Back then, sweet and savoury weren’t enemies; dishes happily mixed beef or mutton with raisins, wine and spices, creating a rich, fragrant filling that also acted as a form of preservation long before refrigerators graced our kitchens.

History of Mincemeat

Originally, mincemeat actually had meat. Proper meat.
Back in medieval England, cooks mixed chopped beef or mutton with dried fruits and warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Why? Because spices were expensive and exotic, and putting them in your food meant you were fancy.

The earliest versions also used vinegar or wine to preserve the mixture, because refrigeration wasn’t a thing and no one wanted their “Christmas cheer” to turn into “festive food poisoning”.

Then things started to evolve.
By the 17th century, suet (beef fat) joined the party, helping bind everything and adding richness. The mixture was still very much a meat-based preserve but the fruit and spices began to take over.

Over time, as sugar became cheaper and dried fruits more common, the meat content shrank. Victorians, with their sweet tooth and obsession with elaborate puddings, practically shoved the meat out of the door altogether.

By the late 1800s, mincemeat had transformed into what we recognise today.

So why do we still call it “mincemeat”?
Because we love keeping names even when they make zero sense. Spotted dick, anyone? The word “mince” simply referred to finely chopped, and the name stuck long after the lamb leg left the chat.

And that’s how medieval meat-and-fruit stew became the modern, boozy, sweet Christmas mincemeat without meat that we spoon into mince pies every December.
Warm, nostalgic, chaotic. Just like the holiday season itself.

Traditional Mincemeat Recipe

Like our homemade Christmas pudding, homemade mincemeat is also very easy to do. However, there is no need for an overnight soak and there is no 8-hour steaming! Even more reason to make it, right?

You’ll find the mince pies recipe right here, where we’ll make the pastry from scratch.

This is what we’ll be doing:

• Chop the apple (and almonds, if necessary) and zest the orange.
• Place all the ingredients (apart from the brandy) in a large saucepan.
• Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Sterilise jars.
• Cool the mincemeat to room temperature and add brandy.
• Fill jars and leave to mature.

Easy as pie!

Leave your boozy mincemeat to sit for at least 2 weeks before using. This will allow the flavours to develop. I tend to make it on Stir Up Sunday, along with our Christmas pudding.nd to make it on Stir Up Sunday, along with our Christmas pudding.

The Alcohol

Alcohol in Christmas sweets is practically a national sport. If it’s not soaked, splashed or downright swimming in booze, is it even festive? From puddings that could power a small engine to trifles that require ID, Christmas treats and alcohol are basically in a long-term committed relationship.

I’m loyal to brandy in my homemade mincemeat – it’s classic, it’s cosy, it warms you right down to your baubles.

But if you’re feeling a bit extra, sherry and rum are perfectly acceptable ways to jazz things up. In fact, brandy-plus-sherry is the power couple of the mincemeat world. Mix, match, and let your mincemeat live its best tipsy life.

Alcohol Free Mincemeat Recipe

For alcohol free mincemeat, the liquid comes in the form Earl Grey or Darjeeling tea, just like we do in our Alcohol Free Christmas Pudding. Their light, floral aromas are perfect for adding a little oomph to the mincemeat.

I often see fruit juice as a suggested substitute for the booze in mincemeat. Trust me on this, try the tea, and you’ll see what a big difference it makes to the flavour of your non alcoholic mincemeat recipe.

The added advantage of making mincemeat without alcohol is that you don’t need to make it in advance. Up to 3 days before is the most you need, and should make it, and it has to be kept in the fridge.

You can also freeze it for up to a month. Defrost for 2 hours on the kitchen counter until it’s lovely and soft before filling your pies. No need to reheat.

What can you do with Mincemeat besides Mince Pies?

So many things!

Before the summer of 2019 (when I had to embrace widowhood), we used to entertain a whole lot. Our annual Christmas Open Evening was the stuff of culinary legends, with countless desserts!

Over the years, I had a lot of fun coming up with different desserts to entertain my guests with. So these are just some of the other ways you can use mincemeat:

• Christmas Pudding Cheesecake – I make this with leftover Christmas pudding and/or Mincemeat.
• Panettone (Bread & Butter) Pudding – same here, Christmas Pudding or mincemeat.
• Christmas Trifle – no recipe for this. Just layer savoiardi biscuits with custard, mincemeat, booze and cream.
• serve it as it is with ice cream.
• fold it into cake or brownie batters before baking.

So there you have it, ready to stir up your own festive chaos? Make some mincemeat, then on to a batch of mince pies, and let the house smell like Christmas just elbowed its way in.

♥ If you like the recipe, don’t forget to leave me a comment and that all important, 5-star rating! Thank you! ♥

And if you make the recipe, share it on any platform and tag me @azlinbloor, and hashtag it #linsfood

Lin xx