Vegan Mincemeat

This recipe for vegan mincemeat couldn't be easier to make, with no cooking involved.

It's just the measuring of ingredients, mixing, maturing and potting - so simple and very satisfying.

Once made, it keeps for a long time, so it's the perfect make ahead Christmas treat.

Make it as a gift, or for your own Christmas baking, and you can tweak the ingredients too.

Rich, fruity and boozy, this is the perfect treat at Christmas.

Enjoy!

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why you will love this recipe
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🍽 Equipment
• 🔪 Instructions
• ⏲️ Resting time
• How to sterilise jars
• 🥗 Serve with
• 🥙 Substitutions
• 📖 Variations
• 🍣 Storage
• 🍱 Prepare in Advance
• 📋 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

There's something deeply satisfying about making your own mince pies and for that you need mincemeat! Not the store bought kind, but proper homemade mincemeat that tastes delicious.

This vegan mincemeat uses vegetable suet, but all of the other ingredients are traditional and easily available in supermarkets.

Although you can follow this recipe exactly, it's also easy to add your own favourite ingredients or leave something out. The best bit is that you get to use up those annoying small amounts of dried fruit, which always seem to go unused for months on end.

As there is no actual cooking involved, but plenty of measuring and mixing, this is a great way to get the kids involved in the kitchen too.

❤️ Why you will love this recipe

• Make it up to a year in advance!
• No cooking required.
• Easy to make.
• Great as a gift.
• Store cupboard ingredients.
• Fun to make with kids.

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🥘 Ingredients

• Raisins
• Sultanas
• Currants
• Almonds - whole blanched almonds or almond pieces, as it's good to have crunch in the mincemeat. Ready chopped nuts or flaked almonds won't have the same effect.
• Mixed peel - this is a combination of lemon and orange peel that is dried and chopped.
• Crystalised ginger - this is quite fiery, but it addsreal Christmas flavour when it's chopped and added to the mincemeat.
• Sugar - soft dark brown sugar.
• Suet - vegetarian or vegetable suet which tends to be made with vegetable oil and flour.
• Lemon - zest and juice of an unwaxed lemon.
• Orange - zest and juice of half an orange
• Apple - Bramley cooking apples are traditionally used in mincemeat and their tart flavour balances the sweetness of the dried fruit.
• Mixed Spice - this is a bought spice mix which typically contains cinna,on, coriander and dill seeds, ginger, cloves and numeg. It's delicious in cakes, crumbles and otherfruit desserts.
• Cinnamon - ground.
• Ginger - ground.
• Rum - dark rum.

The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post.

🍽 Equipment

• large mixing bowl
• sharp knife
• chopping board
• grater for zesting
• grater
• citrus juicer
• 3 - 4 preserving jars with lids
• cling film

🔪 Instructions

Chop the ginger into small pieces and chop the nuts roughly so that there is plenty of crunch.

Grate the zest of the orange and lemon and grate the apple.

💭 Top Tip

• There's no need to peel the apple, as the skin tends to fall off in pieces as you grate.
• It's easier to grate the apple in one piece around the core, rather than coring it first.
• Take care when zesting citrus that only the outser skin is grated as the white pith underneath is very bitter.

Put all of the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl with the zest and apple.

Mix well and then juice the orange and lemon.

Add the juices to the bowl with the rum and mix.

⏲️ Resting time

Cover the bowl with clingfilm or a clean cloth and leave for 2 days, stirring occasionally.

This allows the dried fruits to plump up and absorb the liquid.

At this point it will smell amazing!

How to sterilise jars

It's really important to sterlise any container that you are using for preserves as bacteria can easily develop and spoil the contents.

I tend to recycle jam jars and lids to use with preserves. It's advisable not to use a jar lid that has been in contact with vinegar as this destroys the seal. Remove any old labels and glue by soaking in hot water.

Heat the oven to 130 C or 270 F .  Wash the jars and lids with hot soapy water and rinse well without drying them. Place on an oven tray with the jars open and the lids flat on the tray. Heat for 15 minutes.

If you are using preserving jars with rubber seals place them in a saucepan, cover with water and boil for 2-3 mins to sterilise.

You can also sterilise the jars, (but not the lids) in the microwave. Wash the jars and leave wet. Place in the microwave on full power for 40 seconds.

Alternatively, sterilise any jar, lid or seal in the dishwasher. You can do this if you have an intense setting. However, the items should be sterlised on their own and not with dirty dishes. This means that it it not a very economical method!

For best results, fill the jars when they are still warm from the oven and when your preserve is just ready and still hot. This will reduce the chances of any bacteria growing in the jar.

For the vegan mincemeat, allow the jars to cool slightly and then pack the mixture into the jars.

Label the jars and leave for 2 weeks to let the ingredients mature.

🥗 Serve with

Of course, the main use for mincemeat is to make mince pies to snack on or to serve with Christmas tea. Try some of these ideas.

• Puff Pastry Mince Pies
• Jamaica Ginger Cake
• Chocolate Tiffin Cake
• Coronation Chicken Sandwiches - perfect made with cold turkey.
• Egg Mayonnaise Sandwiches
• Fruit Loaf
• Cherry Madeira Cake
• Scones
• Lincolnshire Plum Bread
• Butterscotch Tart
• Cheese and Bacon Scones
• Afternoon Tea Sandwiches
• Sultana Scones

🥙 Substitutions

• Alcohol free - you can omit the rum if you are planning to use all of the mincemeat as soon as it is ready. Otherwise, it is needed to preserve the fruits.
• Suet - use vegetable shortening that has been frozen then grated and tossed in a little flour, so that it doesn't stick together.
• Bramley apple - use a sharp apple such as a Granny Smith.

📖 Variations

Swap some of the fruits or nuts for some of these ideas.

• Carrots - grated.
• Dried apricots - chopped
• Glacé cherries - chopped
• Prunes - chopped
• Honey - in place of the sugar.
• Brandy
• Walnuts - or pecans, roughly chopped.

🍣 Storage

• Store the jars in a cool, dry place for up to 2 years.

🍱 Prepare in Advance

• Traditionally, mincemeat was made at the beginning of December so that it is ready to be used in the third week for Christmas baking.

🤔 FAQs

More Christmas recipes

• Slow Cooker Christmas Pudding
• Puff Pastry Mince Pies
• Sausage Roll Wreath
• Spiced Cranberry Sauce
• Raspberry Cranachan
• Honey Roast Gammon
• Turkey and Ham Pie
• Gingerbread Muffins
• Raised Turkey Pie
• Rib of Beef
• Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats

📋 Recipe

More Christmas recipes

Food Safety

• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
• Wash hands after touching raw meat.
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
• Never leave cooking food unattended.
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
• Always have good ventilation when using gas.

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