✅ TESTED BY: Vinod Pandey — Baking on Budget | Prices checked: Tesco & Aldi, April 2026
Recipe tested twice before publishing. Costs based on current shelf prices — always check your local store as prices vary.
⚡ Quick Answer
Yes — homemade mince pie filling is cheaper than most supermarket jars, and the difference in flavour is significant. This recipe makes enough filling for 8 deep-filled pies for around £1.38 to £2.38 depending on whether you include brandy. That works out at roughly 17p–30p per pie for the filling alone. Add the shortcrust pastry (from a separate recipe) and you're looking at 52p per finished pie.
The first time I bought a jar of supermarket mincemeat to make Christmas pies, I opened it and thought something had gone wrong with the jar. It smelled fine. But the filling was thin, cloyingly sweet, and barely covered the bottom of each pastry case. Six pies out of one standard 410g jar. Shallow pies. The sort you get at office Christmas parties that nobody takes seconds of.
So I made my own. About 20 minutes of actual effort, a pan, a jar, and four weeks of patience. The difference is not subtle. These pies fill properly — right up to the pastry lid — and the filling has a depth that the jar version simply doesn't.
This article covers the exact cost, the method, and whether it's actually worth the bother on a budget. Short answer: yes. Longer answer: below.
The Problem With Shop-Bought Mincemeat
A standard 410g jar of Robertson's mincemeat at Tesco costs around £1.75. Sounds cheap. The issue is what you get for that. The filling is heavily sugared — it's essentially fruit jam with a handful of dried fruit stirred in — and it's designed to make you think you're getting more than you are. 410g gives you six shallow-filled pies at most. Eight if you're stingy with the spoon.
The homemade version uses actual whole dried fruits — sultanas, raisins, currants, mixed peel — simmered with butter, brown sugar, fresh citrus zest and juice, and a small amount of brandy. You end up with roughly 400–450g of filling too, but the texture is completely different. Thick. Sticky. Dense with fruit. It holds its shape in the pastry case rather than seeping out at the edges.
Eight deep-filled pies from one batch. That's the other thing — deep filled. Proper Christmas mince pies, not canapé-sized afterthoughts.
Exact Cost Breakdown — Every Penny
All prices checked at Tesco and Aldi, April 2026. Mixed peel is the expensive one — don't skip it, but do shop around. Aldi doesn't always stock it, so Tesco own brand is usually your best bet.
| Ingredient | Quantity | Cost | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sultanas (75g) | 75g of 500g bag | 18p | Aldi |
| Raisins (75g) | 75g of 500g bag | 17p | Aldi |
| Currants (75g) | 75g of 500g bag | 26p | Tesco |
| Mixed peel (75g) | 75g of 200g tub | 48p | Tesco |
| Soft brown sugar (80g) | 80g of 500g bag | 27p | Aldi |
| Butter (35g) | 35g of 250g block | 25p | Aldi |
| Lemon (1 whole) | 1 lemon | 10p | Aldi |
| Orange (1 whole) | 1 orange | 30p | Tesco |
| Ground cinnamon (½ tsp) | Pinch from jar | 2p | Aldi |
| Total — without brandy | £1.38 for 8 pies (filling only) = 17p per pie | ||
| Cooking brandy (50ml) | 50ml of bottle | £1.00 | Tesco own brand |
| Total — with brandy | £2.38 for 8 pies (filling only) = 30p per pie | ||
⚠️ Price disclaimer: Costs checked at Tesco and Aldi, April 2026. Prices vary by store, region, and time of year — especially dried fruits, which can rise close to Christmas. Always check current shelf prices before shopping.
Note that the butter cost above is 25p, not 60p as quoted in the transcript — the transcript used a slightly different portion size. I've recalculated based on 35g from a 250g Aldi block at current pricing.
Homemade vs Supermarket Jar: Is It Actually Cheaper?
Let's be honest about this. A jar of Robertson's at £1.75 does make eight pies. So does this recipe at £1.38 (without brandy). You save 37p on filling costs. That's not the argument for making your own.
The argument is what you get. Shop-bought filling is around 60% sugar syrup by weight. Homemade is whole fruit, butter, fresh citrus — the filling actually has texture when you bite into it. The sultanas stay plump. The mixed peel gives you a sharp citrusy hit against the brown sugar richness. On the day you bake, that smell from the oven is completely different too. Warm, boozy, properly festive.
If you're buying brandy specifically for this recipe, the cost goes to £2.38 — more expensive than the jar. But the brandy is optional. Orange juice works instead, and the batch without brandy is genuinely fine, just slightly less intense. More on that below.
💡 Why This Works
The four-week maturation period is what makes this special. Stored in a sealed sterilised jar, the dried fruits absorb the brandy (or orange juice), the citrus zest oils infuse throughout, and the brown sugar mellows from sharp to deep and caramel-like. You simply cannot replicate this in a factory jar with a six-month shelf life and a list of preservatives. The jar version is sweet. This version is complex.
What You Need
No special equipment. A medium saucepan, a wooden spoon, a grater or zester for the citrus, and one clean glass jar with a tight-fitting lid — roughly 500ml capacity.
Sterilise the jar before use. Run it through the dishwasher on a hot cycle, or wash in hot soapy water, rinse well, then dry in the oven at 100°C for 10 minutes. Don't touch the inside after sterilising.
Filling ingredients (makes 400–450g, enough for 8 deep-filled pies):
- 75g sultanas
- 75g raisins
- 75g currants
- 75g mixed peel
- 80g soft brown sugar
- 35g butter, cubed
- 1 lemon — zest and juice
- 1 orange — zest and juice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp brandy (optional — see substitutions below)
How to Make It — Step by Step
This is not a complicated recipe. The entire active time is under 20 minutes. The rest is waiting.
Step 1 — Add the fruit and sugar to the pan.
Put all four dried fruits and the mixed peel straight into a medium saucepan. Add the brown sugar on top.
Step 2 — Add butter, cinnamon, citrus.
Cube the butter and add it to the pan. Add the half teaspoon of cinnamon. Then zest both the lemon and orange directly into the pan — hold the fruit over the pan so none of the oils are lost. Juice both fruits and add that too.
Step 3 — Low heat, 10 minutes.
Put the pan on the lowest heat your hob allows. Stir gently as the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. After about 5 minutes the mixture starts to smell like Christmas — warm spice, orange, something almost mulled. Keep stirring occasionally for a total of 10 minutes. You want a very gentle simmer, not a boil. The fruit softens and the liquid thickens slightly.
If it starts to spit or bubble hard, take it off the heat for a minute. Too high and the sugar catches.
Step 4 — Cool completely, then add brandy.
Remove from heat. Leave it alone until it reaches room temperature — at least an hour. Don't add the brandy while it's warm or the alcohol cooks off before it gets into the fruit. Once completely cool, stir in 2 tablespoons of cheap cooking brandy. It doesn't need to be expensive. Tesco own-brand cooking brandy is fine.
Step 5 — Jar it up.
Spoon the cooled mixture into your sterilised jar. Push it down firmly to remove air gaps — a spoon handle works. Fill right to the top. Seal tightly.
The 4-Week Maturing: Why It Matters
I used mine after two weeks the first time. It was good. Four weeks later on the second batch — different thing entirely.
During those weeks in the jar, several things happen. The dried fruits absorb the brandy and the citrus juice, plumping back up fully. The brown sugar and butter meld into something sticky and almost treacle-like. The cinnamon distributes evenly through the whole batch rather than sitting as a spice note on top of everything else. The mixed peel softens too — that slightly sharp, candied edge becomes mellow and warm.
Give the jar a gentle stir every week or so if you remember. Store it somewhere cool and dark — a kitchen cupboard away from the cooker is fine. No need for the fridge until you open it.
Minimum wait: 2 weeks if you're pushed for time. Ideal: 4 weeks. If you make it in mid-November, it's ready for December. That smell alone is worth the wait.
Making It Without Brandy
Replace the brandy with the juice of one extra orange — roughly 50ml. The alcohol-free version is slightly lighter in flavour but works well. I prefer brandy. Just do.
One note: without alcohol, the shelf life drops. Use within two weeks of making, and store in the fridge rather than a cool cupboard. The brandy acts as a preservative — without it, you're working with just sugar and butter to keep things stable.
Apple juice also works as a swap. Orange juice gives you a brighter, more citrus-forward filling; apple juice keeps the flavour closer to traditional mincemeat without the booze. Either is fine for families with children or anyone avoiding alcohol.
If you're planning to make a fruit cake or festive loaf alongside your mince pies, you'll already have most of these dried ingredients open — sultanas, currants, mixed peel. Buy the bags and split them between the two recipes and the per-batch cost drops further.
Storage and Shelf Life
Properly sealed in a sterilised jar, this filling keeps for up to 3 months in a cool cupboard. Once opened, put it in the fridge and use within 2 weeks.
If you want to make a bigger batch — double quantities — divide into two jars. It freezes fine too. Defrost overnight in the fridge before using.
One jar makes 8 deep-filled pies. If you're making pies for a crowd, scale up accordingly — the method stays exactly the same, just use a larger pan.
⚠️ Allergen Information
Contains: Milk (butter). May contain traces of gluten depending on your brandy brand — check the label. Mixed peel sometimes contains sulphites — check the packaging if anyone in your household is sensitive. Suitable for vegetarians.
What If It Goes Wrong?
Common problems and fixes:
The mixture looks dry and the fruit isn't absorbing anything.
You probably had the heat too high and the liquid evaporated before the fruit had a chance to soften. Add a splash of orange juice and stir over very low heat for another 2–3 minutes.
It smells burnt.
Sugar catches fast. If you see it starting to darken at the edges, take the pan off immediately and stir quickly. A slightly caught batch will taste bitter — there's no saving it at that point. Start again with low heat and more patience.
The filling is too runny after cooling.
Normal. It thickens considerably as it cools and even more during the maturing weeks. If it's still liquid after 48 hours in the jar, you can simmer it briefly again to reduce — but this is rarely needed.
Mould on top after storing.
The jar wasn't properly sterilised, or wasn't sealed airtight. Scoop off the top layer and check — if the rest smells and looks fine, it's usually okay. If it smells off, throw it out. This is why the sterilising step matters.
Mixed peel is overpowering.
It softens significantly during maturing — give it the full four weeks before deciding it's too strong. The first week in the jar, the peel is dominant. By week four, it's balanced.
❌ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using the heat too high — the sugar burns fast on a gas hob
- Adding brandy while the mixture is still warm — the alcohol evaporates before it infuses
- Skipping the sterilising step — you'll get mould within a week
- Not leaving it to mature — fresh filling straight from the pan into the pies is edible but noticeably inferior
- Using too little cinnamon and calling it done — mixed spice (if you have it) is a fine addition alongside or instead of cinnamon
Is This Worth Making?
✅ Is This Worth Making?
Yes, with one caveat: you need to plan ahead. This isn't a last-minute recipe. If Christmas is next week and you haven't made this yet, buy the jar. But if you're reading this in October or November — make it now. Stick it in the cupboard. Forget about it for four weeks.
The cost saving over a supermarket jar is modest — maybe 37p if you skip the brandy. But that's not why you do it. You do it because these will be the best mince pies you've made, by some distance, and you'll know exactly what went into them.
The filling effort is genuinely small. Twenty minutes, one pan, one jar. The pastry (covered in a separate recipe) is the bigger job. But this filling can sit in your cupboard for weeks, quietly improving, while you get on with everything else.
Nobody tells you quite how much better the homemade version smells when it hits the oven. That part caught me off guard the first time.
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Total filling cost: £1.38 without brandy / £2.38 with brandy — for 8 deep-filled pies
- Per pie (filling only): 17p–30p
- Active cooking time: around 20 minutes
- Maturation time needed: minimum 2 weeks, ideally 4
- Shelf life sealed: up to 3 months in a cool cupboard
- Brandy can be replaced with orange juice — reduce shelf life to 2 weeks, store in fridge
- Sterilising the jar is not optional — skip it and you get mould
- This filling is for deep-filled pies — not the thin, supermarket canapé type
If you're already stocking up on dried fruit for Christmas baking, this filling makes sense as a companion project. The sultanas, raisins, and currants overlap with the ingredient list for a budget rich fruit loaf — buy larger bags and split them between the two recipes to bring the per-recipe cost down further. Similarly, if you're making budget bakes for a Christmas gathering, this filling is worth batching ahead so the pies are ready when you need them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use this filling straight away without maturing it?
You can. It'll taste like cooked fruit with cinnamon — pleasant but unremarkable. The four-week wait is where the depth of flavour develops. If you're in a hurry, use it after 48 hours minimum. Two weeks is better. Four weeks is the real thing.
What jar size do I need?
A standard 500ml jam jar works perfectly. The batch makes around 400–450g of filling. A 450ml jar is also fine — just pack it firmly. A Kilner jar or any clean jar with a tight rubber-seal lid is ideal for long storage.
Can I add other dried fruits?
Yes — dried cranberries are a popular addition and work well. Dried apricots (chopped small) add a slightly sharper, fruitier note. Keep the total dried fruit weight at around 300g (the four varieties combined). Swap out any one variety for something you prefer.
My mixed peel smells very strong straight from the tub — is that normal?
Yes. Candied peel from a supermarket tub has a sharp, almost chemical-adjacent edge when you first open it. It mellows significantly during cooking and even more during the maturing weeks. Don't worry about it on day one.
Can I double the recipe?
Easily. Use a larger saucepan and two sterilised jars. The method and timings stay the same — just stir a little more frequently during the simmer as there's more in the pan.
Will this work if I don't have a lemon and only have an orange?
Use the orange and add an extra teaspoon of lemon juice from a bottle if you have it. The lemon zest adds brightness and cuts through the sweetness — without it the filling is slightly flatter in flavour, but still good.
What pastry goes with this filling?
A sweet shortcrust made with both butter and lard — the lard gives a short, crisp base that doesn't go soggy under the filling. The recipe for that pastry (200g plain flour, 25g icing sugar, 60g butter, 60g lard, 1 egg, 2 tbsp cold water — approximately £1.14 for 8 pies) will be covered in a follow-up article.
What to Do Next
Make the filling this week. Jar it up. Put it in the back of the cupboard and don't touch it for four weeks. The pastry recipe is coming — but the filling is the part that takes the most time, and this is the part you can sort now.
If you want to get more Christmas baking sorted early and cheaply, the budget rich fruit loaf at 53p a slice uses many of the same ingredients — worth doing both on the same shopping trip. And if you want something quick to put out for guests in December, the banoffee pie at 47p a slice needs no advance preparation at all.
About the Author
Vinod Pandey researches and documents budget recipes from real UK home cooks. Every recipe on Baking on Budget is sourced from verified UK cooking sources, with ingredient costs checked against current Tesco, Aldi, and Lidl pricing. No guesswork — exact pence, every time.
Questions or corrections? Get in touch · LinkedIn
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