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Quick No-Suet Mincemeat

An easy, quick no-suet mincemeat recipe, ideal for vegetarians and gluten free. Little time is needed to mature compared with traditional mincemeat. It also makes a fabulous filling for macarons and pinwheels.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
Servings: 4 jam jars
Calories: 408 kcal
Course: Dessert , Condiments
Cuisine: British

Ingredients

  • 275 g (10oz) apples peeled, cored and finely chopped (2 Granny Smith)
  • 200 g (7oz/ 1¼ cups) Golden sultanas
  • 200 g (7oz) cranberries
  • 100 g (3.5oz/ ⅔ cup) raisins
  • 100 g (3.5oz) currants
  • 100 g (3.5oz) dates chopped
  • 50 g (2oz/ scant ½ cup) slivered almonds broken
  • 100 g (3.5oz) candied orange peel
  • 25 g (1oz/ 2 tbsp) pecan nuts (or walnuts) broken into fine bits
  • 200 g (7oz / 1¼ cups) soft dark brown sugar (or unrefined cane sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice pain d'épices
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 orange (grated zest and juice) unwaxed/organic
  • 100 g (3.5oz/scant ½ cup) butter unsalted
  • 150 ml (10 tbsp) cognac or brandy or apple/orange juice without alcohol

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Throw all the ingredients and stir in 120ml/8 tablespoon of the Brandy (or apple/orange juice) in a heavy-based pot with a lid. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes then reduce to low for about an hour.
  2. Allow to cool, stir in the other 2 tablespoon of Brandy, then fill sterilised jars with the mixture.
  3. For filling macarons, or pinwheels, blitz the mixture in a food processor (or hand blender) until a smooth paste. Leave to cool then fill your macaron shells with the mincemeat paste and sandwich them together. Leave to mature in a container in the fridge for 24 hours, to let the macaron magic do its work.

Notes

  • Once cooled and in jars, the butter will appear but that’s normal. When used in mince pies or other dessert recipes, this will disappear.To sterilise jam jars, see details in this fig jam recipe.
  • Storage: As long as this mincemeat is kept in sealed, sterilised jars, it can keep for a year in a cool, dry place. Once opened, keep refrigerated.
  • Measures: Please note that all my recipes are best made using digital kitchen scales in precise metric grams. Both ounces (and cups) are given as an approximate guide. 
  • Nutrition: 408 calories per large 140g portion (a third of a pot); 3g protein; 68g carbohydrates; 11g lipids; Glycemic Index: 42.