Easy Mincemeat Recipe Without Suet (Vegan)

This mincemeat recipe without suet is a wholesome, juicy blend of seven fruits, orange juice and warming spices that comes together in just 30 minutes — no suet, no alcohol and no refined sugar required, just proper old-fashioned flavour with a healthier twist.

If you’ve followed along before, you’ll know I have a mince pie obsession. Every Christmas, I buy up every vegan mince pie I can find from UK supermarkets and put them through their paces. I must be at least 500 pies in by now, tested on myself, the husband and his very patient work colleagues (see the latest review here!).

So, I have fairly strong opinions about mincemeat!  Good mincemeat has to be: saucy, well spiced, lightly sweet and it NEEDS a tang… or it tastes too sweet and falls a little flat.

After multiple rounds of testing, this version ticks all the boxes. It’s naturally sweetened with orange juice and coconut sugar, and packed with seven different fruits.

It’s entirely suet-free and alcohol-free, and I tested it seven times to get here – including a head-to-head taste test between orange, apple and lemon juice (spoiler alert: orange juice was the winner).

Use this vegan mincemeat to fill mince pies (my mince pie recipe is coming very soon), stir it through porridge or rice pudding, or give it as a gift in a jar with a pretty hand-tied ribbon.  I hope you love it as much as I do!

Happy cooking, Tara x

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Why You’ll Love This Mincemeat Recipe

Ready in 30 minutes. No lengthy simmering, no soaking overnight – just a quick boil, a short simmer and a rest while the fruit plumps up.  It truly is an easy recipe with a simple cooking process.

No suet needed.  This easy mincemeat recipe is fully vegan and made without any fat, so there’s no need to substitute beef suet for vegetarian suet.

Naturally sweetened.  Just orange juice and unrefined coconut sugar do the work, with no refined sugar beyond the trace left in the drained mixed peel.

Seven dried and fresh fruits in every jar.  Sultanas, currants, cranberries, citrus peel, apricots, apple and orange all bring their own texture and flavour.

The perfect balance of spice, sweetness and TANG.  Store-bought mincemeat is often too sweet, not saucy enough or lacks ‘tang’.  This mincemeat balances spice, sweetness and a gentle tang in a deliciously thick and saucy texture.  I’m super-proud of this recipe!

A lovely gift.  Add a handwritten label and a festive ribbon to a jar of this sweet mincemeat for a genuinely thoughtful homemade Christmas gift.

How To Make Mincemeat Without Suet

Here’s a summary of the ingredients needed and steps involved in making this mincemeat recipe without suet.

Make sure to head to the recipe card below for the full recipe, ingredient quantities and detailed instructions.

Ingredients for: Mincemeat Without Suet

Sultanas and currants.  The classic dried fruit mincemeat base.  Sultanas bring a soft, honeyed sweetness while currants add a slightly firmer bite and deeper flavour.  Sultanas are also known as ‘golden raisins’ and currants as ‘Zante currants’.

Dried cranberries.  To add a little bit of fruity ‘tang’ and balance the sweetness.

Mixed peel.  Use the candied version sold in syrup, and drain it well.  It adds that classic citrus-peel flavour that makes mincemeat taste like, well, mincemeat.  Sometimes known as candied citrus peel.

Dried apricots.  An uncommon addition for mincemeat, but finely diced dried apricots add a lovely soft, jammy texture and a gentle sweetness.

Granny Smith apple.  No need to peel it, just coarsely grate and stir it in.  The apple adds body to the mincemeat and Granny Smiths hold a bit of tartness even once cooked, which helps balance the sweetness.  A tart Bramley apple (cooking apple) will also work well in this recipe, but you will likely need to add a little more sugar to taste.

Orange zest and juice.  The fruit juice is the backbone of the ‘sauce’ element of this mincemeat.  We taste tested a side-by-side comparison of this mincemeat made with lemon juice, apple juice and orange juice.  Lemon was too tart, apple too sweet, but orange was the perfect balance.

Coconut sugar.  An unrefined sweetener that adds a lovely caramel note without any refined sugar.  You can substitute for brown sugar if you prefer.

Mixed spice, cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg.  A warming, festive blend of spices essential for any good mincemeat.  Mixed spice adds a classic and recognisable mincemeat flavour, with cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg rounding it out.

That’s it!  No vegetable suet, suet-substitutes, butter or dairy free margarine needed.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Combine everything. Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and stir together so the sugar and spices are evenly distributed.

Bring to the boil. Set the pan over a medium heat and bring everything to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally.

Simmer.  Simmer uncovered over medium to low heat for 7 minutes, giving the sauce time to reduce and thicken slightly.

Rest with the lid on. Take the pan off the heat, pop a lid on, and leave for 10 minutes. This is what plumps the fruit up beautifully, so don’t be tempted to skip it – it’s the easiest way to transform the texture into thick and saucy.

Jar it up. After 10 minutes, remove the lid and spoon the mincemeat into warm, sterilised jars. It will thicken further as it cools.

Recommended Equipment

Tips

Drain the mixed peel fully.  Let the syrup drain off of the mixed peel before adding it to the saucepan.  This avoids a mincemeat that’s too sweet (and remove as much refined sugar as possible).

Grate the apple, don’t chop it.  Coarsely grating lets the apple break down into the sauce as it cooks, rather than sitting in more noticeable chunks.

Don’t skip the resting time.  The 10 minutes with the lid on is doing essential work, so don’t skip it!  Pop the lid on and check after 10 minutes – the mixture will have transformed from watery and thin to thick and saucy with juicy, plump fruit.

Serving Suggestions

To fill your mince pies (of course!).  This is the exact filling I use for my vegan mince pies, made with a buttery vegan shortcrust pastry (the recipe is coming to the blog very soon, so watch this space).

Stir through porridge or rice pudding.  A spoonful of this vegetarian mincemeat transforms a simple bowl into something that feels festive.  Try it swirled through my Creamy Vegan Coconut Rice Pudding.

Gift it in a jar.  Tie on a ribbon and a handwritten label for a genuinely lovely homemade Christmas gift – it pairs beautifully alongside a batch of my Homemade Candied Orange Peel and St Clements Shortbread Biscuits. Just let the recipient know the mincemeat needs to be stored in the fridge, not the cupboard (see How To Store below).

How To Store

Fridge.  Store in a sealed, sterilised jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, and always check for signs of spoilage before eating.

Freezer.  Freeze in freezer-safe airtight containers for up to 3 months.  Defrost overnight in the fridge before using.

Unlike traditional mincemeat, this recipe has no alcohol or suet to preserve it, and is relatively low-sugar, so it needs to stay refrigerated or frozen rather than being stored in a cupboard, pantry or cool place.

More Recipes You’ll Love

Loved this homemade mincemeat recipe without suet?  I think you’ll enjoy these recipes too:

Buttery Vegan Homemade Mince Pies.  Recipe coming soon!

Homemade Candied Orange Peel.  This old-fashioned Christmas classic pairs beautifully as a gift alongside your mincemeat.

Easy Christmas Carrot Cake.  A naturally sweetened festive bake, that doesn’t need weeks of prep like a traditional Christmas pudding or Christmas cake.

St Clements Shortbread Biscuits.  These buttery vegan shortbread biscuits are delicately flavoured with a hint of orange and lemon; a wonderful festive treat that’s perfect for gifting.

Creamy Vegan Coconut Rice Pudding.  A beautifully creamy dessert base with which to enjoy a spoonful of this deliciously spiced mincemeat.

How We Tested This Recipe

Here’s what we learned during the process of testing this suet-free mincemeat recipe:

Seven rounds of testing.  We varied sweetness, tang, spice level, sauciness and the mix of fruits used until every element earned its place.

Three juices, head to head.  We tested this mincemeat with lemon, apple and orange juice side by side with different taste testers. Lemon was too tart and apple too sweet – orange was the clear winner for flavour and tang.

Optimised for texture.  We adjusted the ratio of liquid to fruit and varied the method until we achieved a mincemeat with plump fruit and a properly thickened sauce (no one likes a dry mince pie filling!).

500+ mince pies and counting.  I’ve reviewed the best vegan mince pies from UK supermarkets for several years running, testing them on myself, my husband, his work colleagues and, last year, the builders renovating our house (!).  I had a very clear idea of what a great mincemeat filling needs to deliver – juicy, well spiced, lightly sweet, and with a tang to balance it all out.

FAQs

What can I use instead of suet in mincemeat?

You don’t need a suet substitute at all for this recipe, it’s made entirely without any fat, using dried and fresh fruit, orange juice and coconut sugar to create a rich, thick sauce instead. This keeps it fully vegan and a little lighter than a traditional suet-based mincemeat, without losing any of the flavour.

Do you have to use suet in mince pies?

No!  Suet is traditional, but it’s not essential. This mincemeat gets its richness and thick, sticky texture from the fruit itself, the reduced orange juice and the resting time that plumps everything up, so you won’t notice it’s missing.

How do I make my own mincemeat for mince pies?

Homemade mincemeat is far simpler than most people expect. Combine your dried and fresh fruit, citrus juice and zest, sugar and spices in a saucepan, bring to a gentle boil, simmer briefly, then rest with the lid on so the fruit plumps up before jarring. This recipe takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, and can be used straight away or stored for later.

Can I make mincemeat without alcohol?

Yes!  This recipe is completely alcohol-free, so it’s a good option if you’re cooking for children or prefer to skip the booze.  Traditional mincemeat is often laced with brandy or rum, partly as a flavouring and partly as a preservative, so bear in mind that without it (and without suet) this version needs to be kept in the fridge or freezer rather than a cupboard.

How do I sterilise a jar for mincemeat?

Wash your jar and lid in hot, soapy water, then rinse well. Place the jar upside down on a baking tray and heat in the oven at 160°C (fan 140°C) for 10 minutes, or until dry. Boil any rubber seals separately in a small pan of water for 10 minutes, as these shouldn’t go in the oven. Fill your jar while it’s still warm.

How long does homemade mincemeat last?

Stored in a sealed, sterilised jar in the fridge, this mincemeat will keep for up to 3 weeks. It also freezes well for up to 3 months, so it’s a great recipe to make ahead of the holiday season.

Can I store this mincemeat in the cupboard like traditional mincemeat?

No, traditional mincemeat stays safe at room temperature because of its alcohol and suet content, and this recipe leaves both out. Keep your jar in the fridge or freezer instead, and avoid water-bath canning this recipe for pantry storage, as mincemeat is considered too low-acid for that method to be safe.

So, if you’re ready to whip up a batch of mince pies this Christmas time, let’s get started on the homemade mincemeat!

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