Mince is the traditional pie associated with British Christmas feasts, usually served as a small mince pie filled with mincemeat.
Despite its name, modern mincemeat is generally a sweet mixture of dried fruits, spices, sugar, and sometimes brandy, often made with suet or a vegetarian fat. Earlier versions were more savoury and included meat, which helped preserve the word “mince.”
The pie’s origins reach back to medieval England, when cooks combined meat, fruit, and expensive spices in pastry. Over the centuries, especially after sugar became more widely available in the 18th century, the filling gradually became sweeter and meat largely disappeared. By the Victorian era, individual mince pies had become firmly connected with Christmas.
A common mix-up is confusing mince pie with Christmas pudding. Both are traditional British festive desserts containing dried fruit, but a mince pie is baked in pastry, while Christmas pudding is steamed. Mince pies are also commonly served throughout the Christmas season, not only as part of the main Christmas dinner.