BEST Christmas Mincemeat Recipe Without Suet (2024)

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The BEST Christmas Mincemeat Recipe… EXTRA FRUITY, fresh, boozy and decadent. It is also made without suet… which means you can also make it Vegan! Quite possibly the only Christmas mincemeat recipe you will EVER need.

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The BEST Christmas Mincemeat Recipe

Are you a Christmas Mincemeat lover or hater? To be honest, mincemeat can be a bit ‘marmite’ and it seems there are two camps in the world. Or are there? You see… I used to hate mincemeat… It was often bitter, had way too many currants and tasted a bit… well… baaaah!

And then… I created my own extra fruity Christmas Mincemeat and the rest is history. Because this mincemeat recipe is super-delicious. The BEST mincemeat I’ve ever tasted. And with its creation, a whole world of recipes has opened up…

So, if you think you hate mincemeat, rewind. A good mincemeat is (and should be) versatile to change, allowing the specifications to shift with all your best-loved ingredients… If you’re a ‘hater’, it may just be that the mincemeat you tried was ‘Baaah’.

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What makes this the Best Mincemeat?

I appreciate that declaring this extra fruity Christmas Mincemeat to be the best is a bold claim… So what makes it so special?

Well… First and foremost, it uses the most flavoursome array of ingredients which simply dance on the tastebuds. Most mincemeat recipes rely heavily on bog-standard raisins, currants and sultanas… THIS recipe ditches the boring (and the currants) and includes beautiful, fruity and colourful apricots, apples, morello cherries, cranberries and blueberries. Plus, there’s a spattering of nuts… Flaked almonds and deep green pistachios (get slivered pistachios for the brightest green…). I’ve even added some optional stem ginger for little treats of ‘warm’ along the way.

But that’s not all… This is a recipe with NO suet. Am I the only one to have a serious dislike of suet in mincemeat? Instead, it uses delicious dairy butter (or a dairy free alternative as necessary), which gives it a decadent richness.

And why stop there? In addition to the use of a combination of dark brown and coconut palm sugar (which always offers caramel overtones), this Christmas mincemeat is richly laced with Calvados (apple brandy) too… It complements the fruit perfectly and gives the recipe a touch of luxury booziness and a warming, seasonal glow. If you prefer to use an alternative that’s fine… Usual brandy, Cognac, whiskey…. even Amaretto or Cointreau would be amazing. Or just use juice if booze isn’t your thing.

Of course, Christmas mincemeat needs a touch of seasonal spice as well… And with a little ground cinnamon and ginger alongside that all important orange zest and juice, the flavours are complete.

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Can I vary the fruit and nuts in this Christmas Mincemeat Recipe?

Absolutely yes! And if you are a currant lover, it’s fine to add them too…

Simply add all your favourite dried fruits alongside a balance of your favourite nuts and make it your very own best mincemeat recipe. Subs might include dried figs, dates, prunes, pear and perhaps goji berries. You could even go mango, citrus peel, pineapple, peaches and blackcurrants… As for nuts? Add chopped walnuts for earthiness, hazelnuts for sweetness, or pecans and macadamias for something entirely different. I’ve even been tempted to throw in some cacao nibs on occasion.

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Can I make this recipe as Vegan Mincemeat?

Yes, you can make it as Vegan mincemeat. Because the recipe contains no suet, it’s a straight sub of butter for a good dairy free alternative and the recipe is both dairy free and vegan.

Can I make Christmas Mincemeat nut free?

Yes again! Just leave out the nuts if they are something you can’t eat. Nut free mincemeat will taste just as amazing. If you want, add an extra handful of fruit. Or for crunch, a couple of tablespoons of cacao nibs.

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What can I do with fruity Christmas Mincemeat?

When there’s an amazing Christmas mincemeat recipe that you love, the creativity flows… So, what can be made with it?

Well… In addition to traditional Christmas Mince Pies (I like to top mine with a little cinnamon crumble), you could also make a totally amazing variation… the Frangipane Mince Pies Tart (with Orange Pastry). But I also have a bit of a soft spot for Apple, Cinnamon and Mincemeat Cake, as well as a bowl of seriously creamy No Churn Mincemeat Ice Cream… To… Die… For.

Sainsbury’s have a suggested recipe for a Mincemeat Streusel Tart, Glutarama offers Stollen Mince Pies and Healthy Twists offers a recipe for Vegan GF Mince Pie Brownies.

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Ready to make your very own Christmas Mincemeat?

So, grab the kitchen scales and a large saucepan and give it a go. It really is the easiest recipe. Let me know what changes you make and best of all, what delicious Christmas Mincemeat treats you created with it. I am pretty sure that once you have experienced you own special Mincemeat, you may never buy a jar from the shops ever again.

And don’t forget to rate the recipe, tag me on Social Media (links to my feeds at the top of the page), or leave a comment. I love hearing from you guys… It makes what I do totally worth it.

If you need more Christmas Inspiration, why not check out our Christmas Index? For everything else… We have an amazing Photographic Recipe Index to inspire.

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4.24 from 17 votes

BEST Christmas Mincemeat Recipe Without Suet

Extra fruity, boozy mincemeat. Made without suet, it's optional dairy free and Vegan and can also be made nut free too. (Makes about 4 standard jars)

Prep Time40 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Christmas, Sweet Treats, Tea Time

Cuisine: British, Gluten Free, optional dairy free, optional Vegan

Keyword: mincemeat, orange, pastry, pie, tart

Servings: 40

Key equipment

4 to 5 sterile glass jam jars (sealable) – See instructions
Kitchen scales
bowl
wooden/silicone spoon
sharp vegetable knife
large saucepan
hob

Ingredients

60 g dried apple cubes I used freeze-dried
110 ml apple juice
200 g sultanas I used Turkish
175 g raisins Flame Raisins are extra juicy
175 g dried apricots cut into small pieces
150 g glacé Morello cherries cut into small pieces
150 g dried cranberries
50 g dried blueberries
40 g flaked almonds
40 g slivered or standard chopped raw pistachios
50 g crystallised ginger cut into small pieces
125 g unsalted butter or dairy free alternative
100 g dark brown sugar
100 g coconut palm sugar or additional brown sugar
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1 orange finely grated zest and juice
200 ml/g Calvados Apple Brandy or alternative tipple of choice (see NOTES below for alcohol-free advice)

Instructions

Sterilise the Jars (while making the mincemeat)

Wash your jam jars in warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly.
Place on a baking tray and put into a cold oven.
Turn the oven on and set to 150 C/300 F/Gas 2.
Once the oven has come to temperature, leave for a further 15 to 20 minutes.
Turn the oven off and leave the door closed until you have finished making the mincemeat and are ready to fill the jars.

Christmas Mincemeat

In a bowl, mix the dried apple cubes with the apple juice and leave to soak while you weigh the rest of the ingredients.
Put all of the other ingredients (except the Calvados) in a large saucepan and lastly add the soaked apple.
Stir all the ingredients together over a low heat until the butter has melted and the sugars have dissolved.
Gently cook the mixture for about 10 minutes on a low simmer, stirring frequently.
Turn off the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Stir the alcohol into the mincemeat while still hot (but not boiling).
Remove the jars from the oven and pack the mincemeat into them, sealing the jars immediately with the lids.
Leave to cool and store in a dark cool place. The mincemeat will mature over a couple of weeks, but is totally delicious if used sooner too.

Notes

This recipe contains alcohol and is therefore only suitable for adults.

To make mincemeat booze-free, substitute the alcohol for an equivalent quantity of orange/apple juice, but add while the mincemeat is still on the hob and stir through to a simmer, just before turning off the heat. Be sure your jars are completely sterile and use alcohol-free mincemeat within 2 months.

* Note: nutritional information is an estimate & may vary according to portion size/ingredient variants.

Vary fruit and nuts to preference (see main blog post for ideas).

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Tag @glutenfreealchemist #glutenfreealchemist

© 2019-2024 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist

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BEST Christmas Mincemeat Recipe Without Suet (2024)

FAQs

What can I use instead of suet for mincemeat? ›

Still, there are some decent substitutes that will get you close. Some recipes recommend using frozen butter as a substitute for suet, but this is risky as the butter melts much faster than suet and your dish will become greasy and heavy. If you can't find suet or you just don't want to use it, try shortening instead.

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What is the purpose of the suet in mincemeat? ›

A generous amount of shredded beef suet is also added to the mix. This melts when heated to create a uniform texture and a richer mouth-feel, and helps to meld all the fat-soluble flavour compounds together.

How do you jazz up store bought mincemeat? ›

For every two cups of "store-bought" mincemeat, as my mom calls it, add the following: 1/2 c. shredded, peeled apple; 1 tsp. or more mixed spices (especially cinnamon, nutmeg and coriander); 2 tbsp. each diced citron, diced candied orange peel and diced candied lemon peel (or you can cheat and use 6 tbsp.

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What can I add to jarred mincemeat? ›

I always add extra cherries and brandy to mine. I warm it slightly in a pan and stir in the extra ingredients - then leave it to sit while I sort out the pastry.

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Can I use butter instead of vegetable suet? ›

Yes you can use grated butter if you prefer. In the same way as Delia prepares quick flaky pastry, its easier to grate it if its been frozen for 45 minutes first and use a little of the flour to keep the gratings separate.

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Why use suet in Christmas pudding? ›

They note suet is used primarily in steamed puddings because it has a higher melting point than butter. They say if you try to substitute butter for suet, during cooking that butter will melt before the pudding has a chance to set.

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Can I use Crisco instead of lard for suet? ›

Most people use lard because the birds who love suet also eat bugs and worms and stuff like that, so it's good for them to eat a beef or pork based suet cake. BUT Crisco does work and birds still eat it, so I don't think they really have any idea when eating it that it's not really meat based.

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What can I use in place of suet in pudding? ›

It is possible to make Nigella's Ultimate Christmas Pudding using vegetable shortening (such as Crisco, Trex, Flora White, Cookeen or Copha) instead of suet (which is made from beef fat). You use exactly the same quantity in vegetable shortening but it needs to be coarsely grated before you use it.

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