7 Delicious Ways to use up Leftover Mincemeat

Homemade mincemeat is simply too tasty to save for mince pies! Get creative with these mouth-watering bakes and treats

We love making mincemeat! Our favourite traditional mincemeat recipe combines citrus zest, cooking apple, ground cinnamon, dried fruit, light muscovado sugar and a generous amount of brandy. But once you’ve made your favourite mince pies, what do you do with that leftover jar of mincemeat? It’s a surprisingly versatile ingredient to cook with - here’s 7 different ideas for you!

MINCEMEAT SNACK BARS

Put 150g dates, an apple cut into small pieces, 100g oats, and 20g ginger into a food processor. Blitz until the ingredients are finely chopped. Meanwhile, line a square cake tin with greaseproof paper, add 150g mincemeat and press into the tin. Sprinkle the dry mix over the top and press down. Then, cover the tin and leave in the fridge for 2 hours or until the bars have set. Slice into even shapes and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

APPLE & MINCEMEAT CRUMBLE

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 5. Combine 180g plain flour with 100g unsalted butter cut into cubes. Rub together until the mixture has the consistency of breadcrumbs, then add 100g brown sugar and stir well. Set this to one side and place 1kg of peeled and thinly sliced apples with cores removed. Add 80g mincemeat and stir together until the apples are coated well and the fruit is evenly distributed. Sprinkle the mincemeat mixture over the crumble topping until the fruit is covered. Place in the oven for 40 minutes, then serve with brandy buttercream or ice cream.

PORRIDGE WITH MINCEMEAT & SYRUP

This is one of the easiest things to do with leftover mincemeat, and makes for the perfect midwinter breakfast. Combine 60g rolled oats and 300ml semi-skimmed milk in a small saucepan, and cook on the hob over a medium-heat, stirring regularly to thicken. Once it has reached your desired thickness, pour into a bowl and spoon over 2 tablespoons of mincemeat, and drizzle over a tablespoon of honey.

BOOZY MINCEMEAT ICE CREAM

Pour 400g custard and 20ml brandy into a freezer proof container and stir in 6 tablespoons of mincemeat. Pop in the freezer for an hour and a half, stirring every 15 minutes, until half set. Then return to the freezer for 4 hours, until completely set. Remove the ice cream from the freezer 15 minutes before you need to serve to soften. Serve with crumble.

MINCEMEAT PASTRY ROLLS

Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7. Roll out a sheet of puff pastry onto baking paper and spread evenly with 225g mincemeat. Roll it up like a Swiss roll so that the pastry and the mincemeat form a long roll. Cut into 15 slices and lay cut side down on a piece of baking paper. Brush the outside edges with beaten egg and bake for 16 minutes until the pastry is golden. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

MINCEMEAT SHORTBREAD BARS

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 5. Mix together 120g caster sugar, 220g unsalted butter, 220g plain flour and 100g ground almonds until well combined. Divide the mix in two, then place one half into a round in the freezer, and the other half into a Swiss roll tin. Spread the mincemeat out to cover the dough, then take the other half out of the freezer and roll it out between 2 sheets of cling film to cover the mincemeat. Trim any extra off, then scatter over some flaked almonds and bake for 50 minutes. Cut into squares once cool and dust with icing sugar.

FESTIVE LOAF CAKE

Mincemeat cakes are full of festive flavours, and easy to make. Combine 200g self-raising flour and 75g light brown sugar. Rub in 100g unsalted butter until the mixture has the consistency of breadcrumbs. Then, fold in the mincemeat until it’s thoroughly mixed. Stir in 2 free-range eggs to form a smooth consistency, like cake mix. Pour into a loaf tin and place into a preheated oven at 180°C/Fan 160°C/ Gas mark 4 for around 40 minutes. Once cooled, scatter over icing sugar and serve with brandy buttercream.