These healthy carrot and apple mince pies are easy to make, refined sugar-free and bursting with fruit and veg. They're a perfect Christmas treat for kids and grown-ups.
These healthy carrot, orange and apple mince pies are a wonderful treat for Christmas.
Traditionally, British mince pies are made with pastry filled with mince meat made of dried fruit, sugar and alcohol (such as rum or brandy).
However, these mince pies are full of nourishing ingredients, with no refined sugar.
Well, as long as you don't sprinkle confectioner's sugar on top.
Plus, they have fruit and veg and a flaky pastry crust. Yum!
I've lightened up the traditional mince pie filling by adding grated carrot and chopped apples. You still get the great taste of mincemeat, but with lower calories and a less 'heavy' taste.
A lighter version that taste delicious.
mince pies
If you love these healthier carrot and apple mince pies, then I hope you'll love these other mince pie recipes too!
Cider Mince Pies with Cheddar Pastry
Christmas Mince Pies with Beetroot Pastry
Mince Pies with Spinach Pastry
healthy Christmas traditions
Christmas with kids is absolutely magical.
Now that my son is 6 and my daughter is 4, this year will be completely filled with the joys of the holidays.
They understand all that's going on and they remember the traditions. Perhaps they'll even consider these apple mince pies to be family traditions!
We're starting to make more and more traditions, merging my husband's way of doing things with my family's, plus making up some of our own.
We always start Christmas with a cooked breakfast, often my daughter's beloved smoked salmon scrambled eggs.
We usually skip lunch on Christmas and instead have a very early dinner at 4.
In the middle of the day, to stop them picking at chocolates and biscuits, I'll usually make 'baby canapes'.
These are often served at our house and are simply chopped apples with peanut butter, and banana slices with a little sliver of chocolate in them.
I like that they think they're getting a chocolate treat, but their bellies get full of banana so they can't eat too much.
Other traditions that we have are that they always get to open one present on Christmas eve, which contains new pyjamas and a book.
They are also allowed to open their stockings as soon as they wake up (to hopefully buy us a few extra minutes in bed!) and stockings always have a satsuma in the toe, as well as a new toothbrush and a little treat.
Although I love to cook, my husband usually takes over Christmas dinner.
The kids play with their new toys and let us get on with things in the kitchen. Then they happily tuck in!
get the healthy carrot and apple mince pies recipe
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Healthy Carrot and Apple Mince Pies
Ingredients
- 2 apples
- 1 carrot
- 1 orange
- Juice of 1 additional orange
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 6 tbsp raisins
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 package shortcrust pastry
To decorate:
- Powdered icing sugar optional
Instructions
- Peel the apples and orange and dice into 1cm cubes.
- Peel and grate the carrot.
- Put the apples, orange and carrot into a saucepan with the orange juice, zest, raisins, honey and cinnamon.
- Heat the pan gently for 25 minutes until the fruit is soft.
- Preheat oven to 200C/180fan/400F, lightly grease the cups of a tart or muffin tray.
- Roll out the pastry and cut into rounds slightly larger than the holes in the muffin tray.
- Cut the scraps into shapes with a star cookie cutter. Re-roll the pastry if necessary.
- Place the circles into the tart/muffin tray, add a heaped teaspoon of the filling and top with a pastry star.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden and allow to cool before serving.
- Optional: dust the tarts with powdered icing sugar.
Angela
Mince pies with carrot and they're actually great I am a convert! This is such a fantastic recipe.
Julie
Lovely, gotta try them. Can you please tell me if these can be made ahead?
health and fitness
These does not look like carrot. A great dessert for vegans and even those that are not. Thanks for the recipe!
Nadia
They look delicious and so easy to make 😀 Beautiful shots 🙂
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
This is a nice change of pace for the holiday season. It sure is hard to eat healthy at this time of year. This helps.
Lucy Parissi
I love how you have managed to make mince pies healthier! They look lovely. Carrot sounds like a perfect addition actually I need to try this!
Platter Talk
Your little mince pies are so charming! I love the star atop, too. Thanks
The Food Hunter
carrot and apple sounds like a wonderful combination
and I love that it is healthy
Cricket Plunkett
I've never had a mince pie, but these look delicious. Not to mention cute and adorable!
Claire @foodiequine
These are just adorable! Love mince pies with stars on top and the addition of carrot is genius.
Sharon
What adorable little pies! Their small size makes them perfect for holiday parties!
choclette
These look so cute Kate and I love the addition of carrot. I haven't made any mincemeat yet the year, but if I manage it, I'm going to add carrot now.
Rachel
The addition of carrot is something I have never heard of or come across before but I like the sound of these x
Sarah Bella
Wow, carrot, orange and apple mince pies sound amazing, they look delicious! I think my children would really love these, what a great way to get those healthy foods into the kids!
I also have to ration my kids chocolate at Christmas too, they get SO much! xx