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10 best gluten-free mince pies
With more and more wheat-free options out there, no one has to miss out on the festive favourite. Here is our pick of the pies
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Your support makes all the difference.While it’s exciting to be on the countdown to Christmas, navigating the festive season when you’re gluten-free can be tricky. If you have coeliac disease or struggle with a gluten intolerance, you’ll know just how many Christmas foods are full of gluten. Luckily for us, there’s a wave of gluten-free mince pies on the market. We set out to discover the best: judging the offerings on appearance, price, other potential allergens and of course, taste. We chomped, munched and savoured a whole range of gluten-free mince pies and whittled it down to the 10 very best.
Elvira’s Secret Pantry: £13 (box of six), Yumbles
Yes, £13 for mince pies may seem excessive. However, Elvira’s is an artisan bakery that specialises in creating delicious, free-from treats with the best quality of ingredients possible. The mince pies – which are also dairy free and yeast free – were the perfect combination of thick, flaky pastry and tangy-sweet mincemeat. Their generous size meant that one was plenty filling (we all know that gluten-free food tends to come on the small side). What’s more, the quality of ingredients shone through; meaning we avoided the artificial aftertaste that comes with some of the other oversweetened offerings. Splash out and save until the day itself.
Sainsbury’s Free-From Iced Mince Pies: £2 (box of four), Sainsbury’s
If you’re not a huge fan of traditional mince pies, these are a great alternative. They’re a mix of citrus and cranberry mincemeat combined with an indulgent layer of icing, making them perfect if you’ve got a particularly sweet tooth. Festively decorated with gold glitter, they’re a great option for kids (although, given their high sugar-content, we’d recommend saving them as an occasional treat). As with most of Sainsbury’s free-from range, they’re also dairy free.
Costa Mince Tart: From £1.80 (for one), Costa
Coffee chain Costa has got into the festive spirit by creating this gluten-free mince tart; a great choice for when you’re out and about this Christmas. A perfect companion to coffee, the tart is generously sized – almost twice as big as some on our list – and merges sweet, crispy pastry (which, even with the omission of butter, tastes remarkably rich) with a generous portion of fruity mincemeat. It’s also suitable for vegans and those who can’t eat dairy.
The Foods of Athenry Very Fruity Mince Pies: £4.50, (box of four) Ocado
The Foods of Athenry is a family-owned business. Once a dairy farm, it’s now a thriving gluten-free and vegan bakery. Produced in a dedicated facility, these mince pies are a great option for coeliacs who are also vegan (since many “free-from” baked goods also use eggs). We enjoyed the thick layer of pastry but found it a little too crumbly at times. However, the mincemeat packed a punch without being overly sweet.
Marks and Spencer Made Without Wheat Mince Pies: £2.50 (box of four) Marks and Spencer
M&S is known for delivering the goods with its Christmas foods, and these “Made Without” mince pies are no exception. A generous slab of buttery shortcrust pastry is combined with zesty mincemeat. The result is a mince pie that tastes surprisingly like the real thing and doesn’t end up crumbling in your hands. Definitely one of the most authentic offerings of the bunch: a luxurious mince pie at a great price.
Oast to Host Prosecco Mince Pies: From £7.50 (box of four or nine), Oast to Host
The owners of artisan gluten-free bakery Oast to Host were inspired by family members (who have multiple food intolerances and coeliac disease) to create delicious gluten-free treats. These prosecco mince pies combine double cream, free range eggs and butter to create a deliciously rich pastry. They were certainly indulgent – although we were slightly disappointed the prosecco flavour wasn’t as strong as we’d hoped. If you want to give as a gift, Not On The High Street has the option to personalise with a letter too.
Asda Free From Mince Pies: £1.50 (box of four), Asda
Asda’s take on mince pies might be the cheapest of the bunch, but that doesn’t mean they lack flavour. The sugar-dusted rice-flour pastry was substantial and not overly flaky. Packed with a generous helping of mincemeat, they were a pretty convincing alternative. We applaud Asda for providing a great budget-offering, which comes in at just over 60p more than the regular version. If you’re counting the pennies, this is the option for you.
Be Balanced Mince Pies: From £6.75 (box of four), Be Balanced
Former personal trainer Ruth has created what appears to be the world’s healthiest mince pie. Completely raw, the base is made of almond flour while dates, figs and apricots make up the mincemeat filling. While the base lacks the depth and substance of many of the others on the list, the mincemeat mix is more convincing – sweetened with cinnamon and coconut oil instead of refined sugars. They are a little on the pricey side – £7.50 for four small pies – which is a reflection of the ingredients and the method in which they’re made. Yet they’re still a great option for health-conscious foodies or those with multiple food intolerances who want to get into the festive spirit.
Lovemore Gluten Free Luxury Mince Pies: £1.99 (box of four), Ocado
Well-established gluten-free brand Love More is known for creating all kinds of “free from” baked goods. Made at a completely gluten-free site, these mince pies are a great budget option for the festive season. The generous-sized pies are topped with moist shortcrust pastry and dusted with sugar. While the tangy mincemeat was delicious, they weren’t quite as deep-filled as we had hoped.
Morrisons Free From Mince Pies: £2 (box of four), Morrisons
Like all of the other big supermarkets, Morrisons is also offering its own “free from” take on mince pies. While there’s nothing particularly unique about its option, it’s still a decent attempt at recreating this Christmas staple. The shortcrust pastry was a little less rich than some – but we enjoyed chomping into the more than generous amount of rich, fruity mincemeat.
The Verdict: Gluten-free mince pies
For a spot of gluten-free indulgence this Christmas, Elvira’s Secret Pantry mince pies are worth the investment. However, if you’re on a budget, there are plenty of other options. Marks and Spencer’s version is our pick of the supermarket offerings, while Costa’s mince tart is great for Christmas shopping pit-stops. We also commend Be Balanced for offering a mince pie to suit even the most health conscious of folks this festive season.