Mincemeat Pie

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
• 3 cups prepared mincemeat (jarred or homemade, apple-and-dried-fruit style)
• 1 tbsp brandy or apple juice
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Fit the crust into a 9-inch pie dish and crimp the edges.
2. Whisk the filling ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.
3. Pour the filling into the crust.
4. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the edges are set and the center jiggles only slightly when the pan is nudged.
5. Cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate at least 2 hours before slicing.

The Tale of Mincemeat Pie

Story updated September 19, 2026

Mincemeat pie has medieval roots. It is often said that Crusaders returning to England brought back spices such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, which cooks combined with minced meat, dried fruit and suet. An early recorded recipe, for tartes of flessh, appears in The Forme of Cury, a collection of about 1390 attributed to the master cooks of King Richard II. Because spices were costly, such pies were associated with feast days like Christmas, and tradition holds that their oblong shape recalled the manger. Over the centuries the meat receded in favor of dried fruit, sugar and spirits, though many British recipes still include beef suet.