Costa All Butter Mince Pie Recipe
Recreate Costa Coffee’s buttery, festive mince pies — rich mincemeat filling, crumbly shortcrust pastry, and a light dusting of sugar for the perfect Christmas treat.
Contains Allergens
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Why you'll love it
Costa’s All Butter Mince Pie is one of those simple pleasures that signal the start of Christmas in every UK coffee shop. Served warm beside a latte or hot chocolate, it’s rich, buttery, and delicately spiced — everything a classic mince pie should be. This recipe brings that same café comfort home. The pastry melts in your mouth, thanks to a high butter content and just the right chill time, while the filling bursts with festive fruit, citrus peel, and a splash of brandy for depth. The result is a perfectly balanced, bakery-style mince pie: golden, aromatic, and crumbly — just like the ones you’d find on the Costa counter in December.
About the original
Costa Coffee’s mince pies are renowned for their all-butter pastry — that’s what sets them apart from many supermarket versions. The texture is tender rather than dense, with a subtle saltiness that complements the sweetness of the filling. Each pie is generously filled but never overly sweet, aligning with Costa’s “everyday indulgence” approach to festive baking.
Their mincemeat filling strikes a perfect balance between fruit, spice, and tang, using currants, raisins, sultanas, candied peel, and a touch of apple purée for moisture. It’s finished with warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, with a hint of brandy for that traditional Christmas aroma.
This copycat version replicates the same texture and flavour profile using accessible supermarket ingredients — so you can bake a dozen Costa-style mince pies at home that taste every bit as luxurious as the original.
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Ingredients
For the all-butter pastry
- 250 g Plain flour
- 125 g Unsalted butter
- 50 g White Sugar — Use icing sugar
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 piece Egg yolks
- 2-3 tbsp Water
For the mincemeat filling
- 200 g Mixed Dried Fruit (currants, raisins, sultanas)
- 50 g Mixed Peel
- 1 piece Apple — Grated
- 50 g Brown sugar — Use dark brown sugar
- 50 g Butter
- ½ tsp Ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
- ¼ tsp Mixed Spice
- ½ piece Orange — Zest and juice only.
- 1 tbsp Brandy — or apple juice also works
To finish
- 1 piece Egg — beaten (for brushing)
- 1 tbsp Brown sugar — demerara sugar (for topping)
- 1 pinch White Sugar — Icing sugar, to dust
Method
Make the mincemeat:
In a saucepan, combine dried fruit, peel, grated apple, butter, brown sugar, spices, and orange zest. Heat gently for 5–6 minutes until the butter melts and the fruit softens. Stir in orange juice and brandy. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Prepare the pastry:
Rub together the flour, butter, icing sugar, and salt until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in egg yolk and water until a soft dough forms. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat and prepare tins:
Heat oven to 190°C (170°C fan). Lightly grease a 12-hole tart tin.
Roll out the pastry:
On a floured surface, roll the dough to about 3mm thick. Cut out 12 larger circles (to line the tins) and 12 smaller circles (for lids).
Assemble:
Press the larger circles into the tin. Spoon in 1–1½ tablespoons of mincemeat filling per pie. Brush edges lightly with beaten egg, place lids on top, and gently press to seal.
Bake:
Brush the tops with more beaten egg, sprinkle with demerara sugar, and bake for 18–20 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Cool and serve:
Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Tips & Variations
- For a richer flavour, let the mincemeat sit overnight before baking.
- Add chopped pecans or almonds for texture.
- Substitute brandy with orange juice for an alcohol-free version.
- Freeze unbaked pies for up to a month — bake straight from frozen.
- Use a star-shaped cutter for the tops for a festive café-style look.
- Serve warm with a dollop of clotted cream or brandy butter.
FAQs
- Can I use shop-bought mincemeat instead of homemade?
- Absolutely. Shop-bought mincemeat works perfectly for this recipe — just choose a quality all-butter brand for best results. You can enhance it by stirring in a splash of orange juice, grated apple, or a teaspoon of brandy before filling your pies. This adds moisture and boosts the flavour, helping it taste more like Costa’s freshly baked version.
- How do I stop the pastry from becoming soggy?
- Blind baking isn’t necessary here, but chilling the filled pies for 10 minutes before baking helps the butter firm up and prevents the pastry from absorbing moisture. Baking in a hot oven (190°C) also ensures the base crisps before the filling softens it. Avoid overfilling the pies, as excess mincemeat can bubble over and make edges sticky.
- How long do homemade mince pies last?
- Store cooled mince pies in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 5 days, or refrigerate for a week. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months — just defrost at room temperature and warm in the oven for 5 minutes before serving. The flavours actually deepen after the first day, making them even more delicious.
- Can I make the pastry in advance?
- Yes. The all-butter pastry can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and kept wrapped in the fridge, or frozen for up to 3 months. Let it soften slightly at room temperature before rolling. Chilling the dough allows the gluten to relax, ensuring that Costa-style melt-in-the-mouth texture once baked.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | 285 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 3 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Carbs | 35 g |
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