It’s not Christmas without mince pies right?! This is my take on the traditional mince pie – A thick and chewy mince pie cookie topped with a swirl of cream cheese frosting, mincemeat and a sweet puff pastry star. These cookies are easy to make with easy step by step instructions. You’ll soon tuck in and wont stop at one i’m sure!
If you love fun festive recipes, check out my recent Gluten-free Vegan Yule Log, Vegan Cherry Bakewell Bars and Vegan Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls.
Vegan Mince Pie Cookies
I absolutely love mince pies warmed in the oven and enjoyed by a cosy fire watching my favourite Christmas movie. I can’t resist the warm spices and fruity mincemeat encased in a buttery and crumbly pastry! These Vegan Mince Pie Cookies are just delicious! They are a lightly spiced mincemeat cookie with a whipped cream cheese frosting, a hefty amount of mincemeat and topped with a puff pastry star and a dusting of icing sugar for a classic mince pie look.
What is mincemeat / mince pies?
Mincemeat is a mixture consisting of chopped fruit and spices. Originally made with ‘beef suet’, mincemeat can also be made with vegetable suet, making it 100% plant based.
You can make you own homemade mincemeat, or alternatively, many shop bought mincemeats are now suitable for vegans.
Why you’ll love these vegan mince pie cookies recipe:
- They are vegan
- Super easy to make
- Great for parties or for Christmas gatherings
- Would make fantastic edible gifts – take along to Festive buffets
- There is an option for making them gluten-free
- Easy to make
- They are absolutely irrisistable
- Filled with fresh mince meat
- Simple and easy to follow recipe and method
The method of making the Vegan Mince Pie Cookies is a breeze. The cookie recipe itself is honestly fool proof! It’s a similar recipe to my popular Vegan Biscoff Crumbl Cookie. I found this type of thick and chewy cookie works perfectly alongside the creamy swirl and sweet toppings.
Layers of a mince pie cookie
My vegan mince pie cookies have 4 easy steps, from the cookie all the way to the puff pastry decoration. You’ll have an absolute blast making these cookies. They will tickle your tastebuds and give you a warm, fuzzy Christmas feeling. Grab a cookie and glass of warm dairy-free milk, pop a Christmas movie on TV and enjoy.
Cookie
- I wanted the base of this recipe to be buttery and packed full of flavour. I used my crumbl cookie recipe to make a really delicious, light buttery and crumbly cookie which contains mincemeat inside. You really get the pop of spices and fruity flavour. For added texture and flavour, I also added in some extra raisins. The addition of the rains really makes the cookie taste like the inside of a mince pie.
Frosting
- Traditionally mince pies don’t have any buttercream or frosting layered on top, but my favourite mince pies have icing. I love the contrast of a spiced crumbly mince pie along with a sweet vanilla frosting. I took inspiration from my crumbl cookie recipes and added a swirl of cream cheese frosting to the top of each cookie.
Mincemeat
- The star of the show is the irresistible flavour of mincemeat in the cookie. To make your taste buds tingle even more, the cookies are decorated with a spoonful of fresh mincemeat. You can add as much or as little as you want, but trust me…. the more the merrier!
Puff pastry star
- To replicate the pie element to a mince pie, I used a sheet of ready to roll puff pastry, cut out some festive shapes baked them and placed one on top of each cookie. They don’t only look gorgeous, but taste scrumptious. It really is a element you don’t want to miss out on.
Mince Pie Cookie FAQ
Is this recipe vegan?
- Yes! It doesn’t use any animal derived ingredients. All ingredients are dairy-free and vegan. To make sure the recipe is 100% vegan, always check your ingredients before use!
How to make the cookies gluten-free?
- If you want to make these cookies gluten-free, simply switch out the gluten flour for a gluten-free blend. You also want to keep in mind about any possible cross-contamination. If you are coeliac, make sure every single ingredient you use doesn’t contain any gluten-containing ingredients. It’s worth checking out Coeliac UK for more details on gluten-free products. It’s a great read!
What mincemeat to use?
- I used a shop bought jar of mincemeat for this recipe. I like to use a good quality mincemeat, as these tend to have a stronger flavour and higher alcohol content. The ones with port or brandy in are especially tasty. You can obviously use any mincemeat you prefer, if you would prefer to make your own homemade mincemeat, go right ahead! Make sure to check the label of the jar when buying mincemeat. Most mincemeats are vegan, but some still use suet (animal fat) so always check the label before buying!
Where to buy festive cookie cutters?
- I picked up my Christmas cookie cutters from Amazon. You can also buy them in store and online in baking supply stores or supermarkets. I’ve linked to the ones I use here.
Does this recipe require a stand mixer?
- You don’t need any fancy or specialist tools or equipment to make the cookie recipe. Simply a bowl and wooden spoon will do the trick. You can make the frosting in a stand mixer or you can make it by hand, it’ll just take a bit longer and might not be as fluffy and light, but it’ll do the job.
Looking for more Christmas recipes? Check these out
How to make a Giant Vegan Mince Pie
Gluten-free Vegan Mini Yule Logs
No-Bake Vegan White Chocolate Snowman Cheesecakes
Easy Vegan Gingerbread man Cupcakes
No-Bake Gingerbread Man Truffles (vegan)
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking! Make sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram and Facebook!
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Vegan Mince Pie Cookies
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Easy Vegan Mince Pie Cookies with a buttery cookie, cream cheese frosting topped with mince meat and a puff pastry star.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the cookies
- 115g of dairy-free butter (cubed)
- 140g of caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 30ml of dairy-free milk
- 210g of plain flour
- 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tablespoons of mincemeat
- 20g of raisins
Ingredients for the frosting
- 100g of dairy-free block butter
- 1 tablespoon of dairy-free cream cheese
- 200g of icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Ingredients for the decoration
- 1 sheet of vegan puff pastry
- Mincemeat
- Icing sugar (to dust)
Instructions
Method (cookies)
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan and line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper.
- Add the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl or the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whip with a hand mixer or the stand mixer until light and creamy.
- Add the vanilla and milk. Whip again until combined.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in the mincemeat and raisins until combined.
- Scoop the cookie dough into 6 balls using spoons or an ice-cream scoop.
- Place the cookies on the lined tray (leave the dough in balls, don’t press them down!), leaving room in between as they will spread when baking.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly golden.
- Once baked, remove the trays from the oven, use a round cookie cutter to help shape the cookies. Use the cookie cutter to scoot the cookies into a circle.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray. While they’re cooling, make the frosting.
Method (frosting)
- Add the butter and cream cheese into a bowl and whip until smooth and creamy, either in a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment or using a hand held electric whisk.
- Add in the vanilla and icing sugar, whip until creamy. If it’s too thin or if it ever splits, add in some more chunks of butter then whip some more. Transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle.
- Once the cookies are fully cool, pipe a swirl of the frosting on top of each cookie, decorating them with half a tablespoon of mincemeat.
Method (pastry star)
- Preheat oven to 180°C fan and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Unroll the pastry sheet leaving the baking paper underneath. This will prevent sticking. Use a rolling pin to slightly flatten out any wrinkles in the pastry. Dust over some flour if the pastry is too sticky.
- Use festive shaped cookie cutters to cut out the shapes and place onto the lined baking tray. Brush the top of each pastry shape with some dairy-free milk and bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before placing ontop of the cookies. If you add the star while its still warm, the heat could melt the frosting.
- Dust the cookies with some icing sugar and serve.
Notes
To store: Store the cookies in a sealed container in the fridge. Best enjoyed within 4 days of making.
Un-iced cookies can be left at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 2 days.
What dairy-free butter to use? It’s best to use a vegan block butter if possible as this will give you the best results and bake. My favourite is Naturli Vegan Block and Flora Plant Based Butter.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
- Category: cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
made these and the family loved them. thank you
Author
Hello Kirsty, Thank you so so much! I am so glad you all enjoyed 🙂 x