Nothing says Christmas is coming like that first mouthful of mince pie. The humble treat with its buttery, crumbly pastry filled with juicy mincemeat is a total festive classic.
If you’re a fan of mince pies, then you’re not alone. In fact, the UK eats around 800 million of them every year, but not all mince pies are created equal. From pastry that’s too dry, to filling that’s too tart, some of us take our mince pie eating very seriously and we want to know that we’re tucking into a tasty one.
Luckily, Which? and its panel of experts – Bake Off’s Nathan Rave and Edd Kimber, baker and food writer Dan Lepard, and pastry chef and author Shaheen Peerbhai – have blind-tested a variety of premium supermarket mince pies to find out which are the best value for money – and the best tasting.
Experts’ pick of the best mince pies
Waitrose – No.1 Brown Butter Mince Pies with Cognac
Coming top in the blind taste test were Waitrose’s No.1 Brown Butter Mince Pies with Cognac. The judges loved the pastry, the generous amount of filling and the ‘subtle boozy warmth’. While on the pricier end of the spectrum, they are perfect for a Christmas-time treat.
đź’· ÂŁ4 per pack of six or 67p per pie
đź«€265 calories per pie
Aldi – Specially Selected Mince Pies
In addition to the cute snowflake design, the judges were impressed with the buttery flavour of the pastry. And, at ÂŁ2.29 for six or 38p per pie, they were one of the cheapest tested and earned their stripes as an affordable crowd-pleaser this Christmas.
đź’· ÂŁ2.29 for six or 38p per pie
đź«€223 calories per pie
Iceland – Luxury All Butter Mince Pies
These reasonably priced pies were praised for their packed fillings of sultana and fruit but the experts felt they were too dry and lacked in spice and flavour.
đź’· ÂŁ3 for six or 50p per pie
đź«€230 calories per pie
M&S – Collection Mince Pies
Judges were impressed with the generous filling and golden pastry in these offerings, with one member of the panel praising the crisp pastry and subtle sweetness. However, another noted they would have liked more spice.
đź’· ÂŁ4 for six or 67p per pie
đź«€218 calories per pie
Morrison’s – The Best Deep Filled Mince Pies
The panel was happy with the ratio of filling to pastry and the traditional currant-filled mincemeat, but concluded that though they liked the festive look, they weren’t so taken with the taste.
đź’· ÂŁ2.75 for six or 46p per pie
đź«€244 calories per pie
The mince pies that didn’t impress
Tesco – Finest All Butter Pastry Mince Pies
Tesco’s offering failed to impress the experts, with an overly acidic flavour and doughy pastry.
đź’· ÂŁ3 for six or 50p per pie
đź«€236 calories per pie
Asda – Exceptional Luxury Mince Pies
These reasonably priced pies let down the panel because they felt it had underbaked pastry.
đź’· ÂŁ2.75 for six or 46p per pie
đź«€226 calories per pie
How to make healthier mince pies at home
Of course it’s fine to enjoy a festive feast – everything in moderation – but it can also be tricky to maintain a healthy, balanced diet when there’s so much choice and temptation on offer. Often, at this time of year, our gut health takes a hit and can make us feel quite sluggish, especially if we overindulge in rich, sugary foods.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) points out that mince pies are not only high in sugar, but also high in saturated fats because of the pastry case, as well as the suet and sugar in the mincemeat filling. As outlined above, they’re also high in calories. Just one mince pie is, roughly, an eighth of a woman’s recommended calorie intake a day and a tenth of a man’s. So if you’re also eating a lot of other high-sugar foods in the same day, it’s easy to exceed the suggested limit.
One simple way to avoid this is to swap shop-bought versions for healthier, homemade ones. The BHF suggests using a low-fat pastry, such as filo, and leaving your mince pie uncovered or partially uncovered with just a small star of pastry.
Read more about eating well at Christmas: