This recipe post has been made possible with the support of Ceres Organics, one of my favourite food manufacturers in New Zealand. Creating delicious healthy organic products that are accessible to everyone, they’re a brand I’m proud to support. Thank you for supporting the brands who help me keep Be Good Organics thriving.
It’s the 22nd day of Christmas and my true love said to me. Make these Fruit Mince Tarts, they’re our final festive recipe.
Serenading aside, I’ve had a Christmas Fruit Mince Pie on my to-make list for years now. So thought – why not make 2021 the one? If you’re looking for the perfect sweet treat to top off your Christmas lunch, have on hand when guests pop round, or just for something light and refreshing to offset the overflowing coffers of sugar and cream, these pies are for you. Think…
Light
Fruity
7 ingredients
15 minutes
Gluten-freeable
No added oil OR sugar
& Oh so festive
Watch How To Make Christmas Mince Tarts
The Origins of Christmas Mince Pies
The history of Christmas Mince Pies is a fascinating one. Little did I know, they used to be made with meat! Yes, minced meat, chopped up fruit, and spices.
Originally tracing back to the 13th century, when European crusaders returned inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine that contained meat, fruit, and spices combined. And so, this warm sweetly spiced English pie was born – filled with “mincemeat”, and shaped in an oval to reflect the crib or manger of baby Jesus.
Today they’re made in circles topped with stars, and without the meat. I’m unsure as to how that wrangled its way out of there, although they’re often still bound with animal fat or suet. I had to google the exact definition of suet, as it’s not an ingredient I typically use, so here you go: “the raw, hard fat of beef, lamb or mutton found around the loins and kidneys”. Let’s just say I skipped that in my version.
How to Make Healthy Vegan Fruit Mince Pies
These days Christmas Mince Pies are made with a buttery shortcrust pastry (white wheat flour, sugar, margarine), egg, milk, sultanas, apple, currants, sugar, citrus peel, and generally a host of colourings, emulsifiers, flavourings, and preservatives. In fact, I checked the ingredients list of one of the standard fruit mince pies available from our local supermarket, and it contained 40 ingredients. Along with a lot of added sugar and saturated animal fat.
Instead I’ve used just 7 ingredients – oats, almonds, sultanas, dates, orange, apples, and mixed spice.
The dried ingredients I’ve used are all from the Ceres Organics range, which has a bit of a monopoly these days on my pantry cupboard stocks. Unlike most dried fruits, Ceres don’t put any sulphites or oils in theirs, which are typically added to retain colour and keep them free flowing. If you see a sultana or apricot which is dark and motley, that’s a good thing – it’s been tanning in the sun!
Their nuts and grains meanwhile are all certified organic, meaning they’re free from pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers, artificial preservatives, and additives. Better for your body, but also better for the people who grow them, our future soils, waterways, and planet. I for one am more than happy to pay the slight premium to achieve all those things. That’s the true cost of food. The conventional stuff, it might look cheaper, but we’re paying a much higher price as a society in terms of the externalities they cause to individual. and planetary health. And you know what – for those of us who can? With every purchase we’re increasing demand, thus increasing supply, and bringing down the immediate costs for those who can’t afford them right now. Win win.
What to Serve With Fruit Mince Tarts
These Fruit Mince Tarts are delicious on their own. However, if you want to elevate them even further, try adding a:
- Dollop of coconut yoghurt
- Cold scoop of dairy-free Vanilla Ice Cream
- Sprinkling of shredded coconut
Fruity. Light. Oil Free. Pies. With no added sugar, and made with just 7 ingredients, 15 minutes, and a whole lot of love. They’ll happily keep in the fridge for 5 days, or you can even freeze them for a month (I don’t think you’ll get a chance). You can also make them raw or baked, but just quietly I’m a fan of the baked version. I hope you LOVE them!
Looking for More Christmas Recipes? Try These
- Christmas Eggnog
- Spiced Christmas Truffles
- Mushroom Wellington
- Kumara, Chickpea & Walnut Salad
- Tempeh Walnut Roast
- Vanilla Layer Cake
- Gingerbread Fudge Slice
- Magical Mini Pavlovas
If you try these lovely little Fruit Mince Tarts, let me know! Leave a comment with a rating below, and tag a photo of your version @begoodorganics on Instagram. Thank you so much for sharing your remakes – it not only means the world to me, but also helps me immensely in sharing the plant-based message with even more people.
PS – this recipe was proudly created in collaboration with Ceres Organics. Thank you for supporting the brands who support me, they help me keep Be Good Organics alive as a free resource for everyone.
Ingredients
Oat & Almond Pastry
- 2 c rolled oats
- 1 c almonds
- 1/2 c sultanas
- 1/4 c water
- pinch sea salt
Fruit Mince
- 1/2 c dates
- 1/2 orange flesh & zest
- 1 ½ tsp mixed spice or 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg + a pinch of clove
- pinch sea salt
- 2 apples chopped
- 1/2 c sultanas
To Serve
- desiccated coconut, plant-based yoghurt
Instructions
- If baking, preheat oven to 180°C fan bake.
- Blend pastry ingredients in a food processor until it forms a sticky, then press into tart tins that have been greased with a little oil, or use a silicon tin. Bake for 8 minutes, or you can leave them raw (I did half and half in the vid, and love the baked best).
- Blend filling ingredients except apple and sultanas in the food processor to a paste. Then add the apples and sultanas and pulse until finely chopped but still with some texture.
- Fill each of the pastry cases with a little filling, sprinkle with desiccated coconut or a dollop of plant-based yoghurt, and place back in the fridge to firm up. They taste even better on day two once the flavours have developed. Store in the fridge for 5 days, or freeze for 2 months.
Equipment
- Food processor
Recipe Notes
- Gluten free: Use buckwheat instead of oats, or extra almonds.
- Nut free: Use sunflower or hemp seeds instead of almonds.
- Sugar free: They already are.
- Oil free: The already are.
- Depending on your muffin tins, you may have some left over base and filling. I used up all my filling, but had a little base left over. Use any extra base as a sprinkle over fruit and yoghurt. Extra filling, pour over vanilla ice cream or on your morning porridge.
- Make sure your mixed spice doesn’t contain coriander – some blends do. I made that mistake first time, and my tarts ended up tasting like curry! If you’re not sure, just use the cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove option instead.
Did You Make This?
Tag @begoodorganics
I can’t wait to see your creations!
