Best mince pies for Christmas 2023

Buttery pastry and flavoursome, well-spiced mincemeat are basic components of any good mince pie, but finding one that nails both elements is tougher than you might expect. 

To find out which ones are worth buying this Christmas, we asked a panel of baking experts to blind-taste 10 supermarket own-label traditional mince pies. 

Our judging panel included award-winning bakers and pastry chefs Dan Lepard, Jurgen Krauss, Shaheen Peerbhai and Nathan Rave. They also rated four luxury branded options to see if it pays to splash out on premium mince pies.

Keep reading to discover the best-tasting supermarket mince pies recommended by our experts, and which ones to steer clear of.

Tips for living well – get our free monthly Food & Health newsletter: shop savvy, eat well, stay healthy

Best mince pies

Only logged in Which? members can view our full test results and tasting notes below, and discover which supermarket mince pies topped our taste test. 

If you’re not yet a member, you'll see an alphabetically ordered list of the mince pies on test. To get instant access to these and all our reviews, join Which? today.

Aldi Specially Selected Mince Pies

£2.19 for 6 (37p per pie)

Aldi’s offering is the cheapest on test at just 37p each. Were they any match for pricier supermarket pies?

Join Which? to unlock our test results and find out where these mince pies ranked overall. 

Asda Extra Special Brown Butter & Rum Mince Pies

£2.75 for 6 (46p per pie)

Asda’s all-butter pies are enriched with brown butter and a dash of Jamaican rum. Does it make for an indulgent festive flavour?

Join Which? to unlock our test results and find out where these mince pies ranked overall. 

Co-op Irresistible Luxury Mince Pies

£2.75 for 6 (46p per pie)

Made with vine fruits, apple, brandy and port, the Co-op’s pies promise a rich spiced mincemeat. Did they hit the mark for our baking experts?

Join Which? to unlock our test results and find out where these mince pies ranked overall. 

Iceland Luxury All Butter Mince Pies

£2.50 for 6 (42p per pie)

These mince pies combine brandy, port and citrus in their fruity filling. Are they a good choice if you’re after crowd-pleasing pies this Christmas?

Join Which? to unlock our test results and find out where these mince pies ranked overall.

Lidl Deluxe Luxury Mince Pies

£2.49 for 6 (42p per pie)

According to Lidl, these deep-filled pies combine all butter shortcrust pastry with brandy-laced lightly spiced mincemeat. Do they get the balance of flavours right?

Join Which? to unlock our test results and find out where these mince pies ranked overall. 

M&S Collection Mince Pies

£3.50 for 6 (58p per pie)

There are plenty of enticing ingredients in these pies, which are made with glacé cherries, cranberries, brandy, Cognac and cider. Did they get the seal of approval from our experts?

Join Which? to unlock our test results and find out where these mince pies ranked overall. 

Morrisons The Best Mince Pies

£2.50 for 6 (42p per pie)

Morrisons says these have an indulgent brandy and cider-infused mincemeat and a warming blend of spices. How did they compare to supermarket rivals?

Join Which? to unlock our test results and find out where these mince pies ranked overall. 

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Mince Pies

£2.75 for 6 (46p per pie)

According to Sainsbury’s, these pies are packed with a festive blend of fruit, aromatic peel and warming spices, infused with brandy. So were they a step up from the rest?

Join Which? to unlock our test results and find out where these mince pies ranked overall. 

Tesco Finest Mince Pies

£3 for 6 (50p per pie)

Tesco’s mince pies, which are infused with French brandy and ruby port, promise a refreshing twist of lemon zest, tangerine oil and festive spices. Did they win over our expert panel?

Join Which? to unlock our test results and find out where these mince pies ranked overall. 

Waitrose No.1 Brown Butter Mince Pies

£4 for 6 (67p per pie)

Made with brown butter for a nutty flavour, Waitrose's are the most expensive supermarket mince pies we tested. Does paying more get you a superior pie?

Join Which? to unlock our test results and find out where these mince pies ranked overall. 

Best premium mince pies

If you’re after something extra special this Christmas, it could be worth branching out from supermarket offerings and upgrading to a premium pie. 

Our experts sampled four branded mince pies available to order online and uncovered some impressive options with superior pastry full of rich, buttery flavour.

If you’re not yet a member, you’ll see an alphabetically ordered list of the mince pies on test. Join Which? to see which premium mince pies our experts rated best.

• Cartwright & Butler Luxury Mince Pies - £8 for 6 (£1.33 per pie). 
• Cutter & Squidge Classic Mince Pies - £8.49 for 6 (£1.42 per pie). 
• Fitzbillies Mince Pies - £8.50 for 6 (£1.42 per pie). 
• Walker’s Luxury Mince Pies - £4 for 6 (67p per pie). 

Note: These products were tested as part of our Christmas 2023 taste tests and are no longer available.

What’s in a mince pie?

Mince pies typically include a traditional mincemeat filling made from vine fruits such as sultanas, currants, cranberries and raisins, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, sweetened with sugar and encased with shortcrust pastry. 

Premium mince pies are typically made with an all-butter pastry that gives a more crumbly texture and richer flavour. Look for a deep golden-brown colour to avoid doughy, underbaked pastry.

Alcohol is a key ingredient, with common choices including Cognac, cider, brandy and port. Our experts felt that using high-quality alcohol was important, as otherwise the filling can end up tasting vinegary.

Other ingredients might include:

• Cherries
• Apples
• Citrus peel 
• Cloves 
• Caraway
• Flavour enhancers, including concentrated flavouring oils such as orange oil.

Pre-made pies often have additional stabilisers and texturing agents such as pectin, and many contain oils including palm and rapeseed.

Vegan, gluten-free and free-from mince pies

Traditional mince pies typically contain butter and wheat flour so aren’t suitable for vegans or people who need to avoid lactose or gluten.

However, most supermarkets now sell free-from mince pies. These vary, but most are gluten-free and many of them are vegan. 

Some are also alcohol-free, but check the ingredients list as some don’t state specifically whether or not they contain booze.

Most supermarkets' own-label free-from mince pies are usually a similar price to standard versions.

Can you freeze mince pies?

Yes, you should be able to freeze most mince pies for up to three months in an air-tight container, although some of the brands on test here suggest you don’t, so check the advice on the packaging.

If your mince pie of choice can be frozen and you spot it in offer, you could always stock up early.

To defrost, simply take them out of the freezer at least a few hours before serving. Once thawed, you can pop them in the oven or microwave to warm them through. Our experts all recommend serving mince pies warm for a better flavour.

Supermarket Christmas food 2023 – see our round-up of the special starters, mains and desserts on sale at all the major supermarkets this year to help you plan your shop

Mince pie calories

The calorie content of an individual pie might raise some eyebrows – they may be small but they can be quite rich.

Most are between 200 and 275 calories per pie, but of course if you smother them in brandy butter or Cognac cream that will up the numbers too, so it’s worth not getting too carried away.

Mince pie recipes

Have some extra time and fancy making pies yourself? See our guide to how to make mince pies with tips, advice and recipes from Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood and Ella Woodward.

Six ways to make your mince pies taste even better

1. Combine 30g of icing sugar with a teaspoon of cinnamon, ginger or mixed spice plus a teaspoon of cornflour, and sieve over warmed mince pies just before serving. Cornflour prevents the sugar crystals from clumping together and will prolong the snow effect.
2. Mince pies and cheese is a tasty pairing. Try sprinkling stilton over the top and serve with cranberries.
3. Try serving pies with a glass of mulled ginger wine for added festive flavour.
4. Put mince pie filling in your bread-and-butter pudding for a fruity flavour boost.
5. For a unique dessert, add affogato (ice cream topped with a shot of hot espresso) to a hot mince pie.
6. Add a festive twist to vanilla ice cream by crumbling in mince pies, then refreezing and serving with hot toffee sauce.

See all the top-scoring supermarket picks from our taste tests in our guide to the best food and drink

How we tested mince pies

Our panel of four independent experts blind-tasted 10 supermarket premium mince pies in September 2023. 

Our expert tasting panel included:

• Dan Lepard - Award-winning baker, food writer and broadcaster
• Jurgen Krauss - Great British Bake Off 2021 semi-finalist and cookbook author
• Nathan Rave - French pastry chef and Bake Off: The Professionals 2022 winner
• Shaheen Peerbhai - Pastry chef, cookbook author and owner of Miel Bakery

The taste test was blind, so the panellists didn’t know which brand they were trying. 

Each expert tried the mince pies in a different order to avoid any bias, and after all the products had been tasted, the panel agreed on a score for each one and which pies deserved to be Best Buys. 

Best Christmas puddings – see which supermarket puds came out top for Christmas 2023