Anna Louise Frangipane mince pies are what happen when a classic mince pie meets a Bakewell tart. The result is something considerably more special than either on its own.
A crisp, buttery pastry case filled with a layer of spiced mincemeat and topped with a rich, golden almond frangipane that bakes to a slightly domed, slightly caramelised finish that makes these the most luxurious mince pies you can make.
Mary Berry’s frangipane mince pies recipe takes the sweet shortcrust pastry and mincemeat of the standard mince pie recipe on this site and adds one layer that changes everything — the frangipane.
Made from butter, sugar, eggs, and ground almonds, the frangipane layer is spooned over the mincemeat and bakes above it into a soft, slightly dense, intensely almondy top that combines with the fruity mincemeat beneath in the most wonderful way.
These are the mince pies that get requested every Christmas by anyone who has tried them once.
What Is Frangipane?
Frangipane is an almond cream — a baked filling made from equal weights of butter, sugar, eggs, and ground almonds. Originally French, it has been used in British baking for centuries and appears in Bakewell tarts, frangipane mince pies, and almond tarts across the country.
In a mince pie, the frangipane sits above the mincemeat and bakes to a golden, slightly risen dome that seals the mincemeat inside the pastry case completely. The result is a mince pie that is simultaneously more substantial, more complex in flavour, and more beautiful in appearance than a standard lid version.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Frangipane Mince Pies
For the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
- 300g plain flour, sifted
- 40g icing sugar, sifted
- 150g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2–3 tbsp cold water
- Pinch of fine salt
For the Mincemeat Filling
- 350g good quality mincemeat
- Zest of 1 unwaxed orange
- 1 tbsp brandy or orange juice (optional)
For the Frangipane Topping
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- 125g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 125g ground almonds
- 25g self-raising flour, sifted
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 25g flaked almonds (for the top)
To Finish
- Icing sugar for dusting
How to Make Mary Berry Frangipane Mince Pies — Step by Step
Step 1 — Make the Pastry
Pulse flour, icing sugar, salt, and cold butter in a food processor to fine breadcrumbs. Add egg yolk and pulse. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together. Flatten into a disc, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 2 — Preheat and Prepare
Preheat your oven to 190°C / 170°C fan / Gas 5. Grease two 12-hole shallow bun tins or one 12-hole and one extra tin.
Stir the orange zest and brandy if using into the mincemeat. Set aside.
Step 3 — Line the Tins
Roll the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thickness. Using a 9cm round cutter, cut out 18 to 20 rounds. Press gently into the prepared tin holes — ease them in without stretching. The pastry should come slightly up the sides of each hole.
Refrigerate the lined tins for 15 minutes. This prevents the pastry from shrinking during baking.
Step 4 — Make the Frangipane
Beat the softened butter and caster sugar together with an electric hand whisk for three to four minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the almond extract. Fold in the ground almonds and sifted flour until just combined.
Step 5 — Fill
Spoon one generous teaspoon of mincemeat into each pastry case — do not overfill. The mincemeat should fill the base but leave room for the frangipane.
Spoon or pipe the frangipane over the mincemeat in each case — fill to about three-quarters full to allow for the frangipane rising during baking. The frangipane should completely cover the mincemeat.
Scatter a few flaked almonds over the top of each pie.
Step 6 — Bake
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until the frangipane is risen, deep golden, and set — a light press with your finger should feel firm with a slight spring. The edges of the pastry should be pale golden.
Leave in the tins for five minutes — the frangipane is fragile when hot — then transfer carefully to a wire rack.
Dust generously with icing sugar before serving.
My Top Tips For Mary Berry Frangipane Mince Pies
Do not overfill with mincemeat. One generous teaspoon per case. The mincemeat expands during baking and if there is too much the frangipane cannot contain it. It bursts through the sides and makes the pies difficult to remove from the tin.
Use almond extract in the frangipane. Half a teaspoon of almond extract gives the frangipane its characteristic, intensely almondy flavour that makes these mince pies so distinctive. Without it the frangipane tastes pleasant but not specifically almondy.
Refrigerate the pastry-lined tins before filling. Fifteen minutes in the fridge after lining the tins firms up the pastry and significantly reduces shrinkage during baking.
Add orange zest to the mincemeat. The zest of one unwaxed orange stirred into shop-bought mincemeat transforms its flavour — brighter, more complex, more festive. Always add this.
Serve warm from the oven if possible. Frangipane mince pies are wonderful at room temperature but genuinely exceptional when slightly warm — the mincemeat becomes slightly soft and the frangipane has a just-set quality that is extraordinary.
Serving Suggestions
Warm from the oven dusted with icing sugar — the perfect Christmas afternoon treat. With brandy butter alongside for something more indulgent. As part of a Christmas buffet spread. Given as gifts in a box tied with ribbon — they travel and keep beautifully.
How to Store Mary Berry Frangipane Mince Pies
At room temperature: Store in an airtight tin for up to 4 days. Warm in a 160°C oven for five minutes before serving to refresh.
In the freezer: Freeze baked or unbaked for up to 3 months. Baked: defrost and warm in a 160°C oven for 8 minutes. Unbaked: bake from frozen at 190°C for 25 to 28 minutes.
Mary Berry Frangipane Mince Pies Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Make pastry: pulse flour, icing sugar, salt, and cold butter to fine breadcrumbs. Add egg yolk and cold water until dough coheres. Wrap and chill 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 190°C / 170°C fan / Gas 5. Grease bun tins. Stir orange zest and brandy into mincemeat.
- Roll pastry to 3mm. Cut 18–20 rounds (9cm). Line tin holes. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
- Beat butter and sugar 3–4 minutes. Add eggs gradually. Add almond extract. Fold in ground almonds and flour.
- Spoon 1 generous tsp mincemeat into each case. Spoon or pipe frangipane over — three-quarters full. Scatter flaked almonds.
- Bake 18–22 minutes until frangipane is risen, golden, and set. Cool in tins 5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack. Dust with icing sugar.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use shop-bought pastry?
Yes — good quality all-butter shortcrust pastry works well as a shortcut. The homemade sweet shortcrust is slightly more delicate and tender but shop-bought is a reasonable alternative.
Can I make these without the frangipane lid?
Of course — without the frangipane they are classic mince pies. See the separate mince pies recipe on this site for the standard version with a pastry lid.
Can I use filo pastry instead of shortcrust?
Yes — see the separate filo pastry mince pies recipe on this site for that version. Filo gives a completely different, lighter, crispier result.
Why did my frangipane sink in the middle?
Either the oven door was opened too early or the eggs were added too quickly and the mixture curdled slightly. Ensure the eggs are at room temperature and add them very gradually.
Can I make these in advance?
Yes — the assembled, unbaked pies can be frozen and baked directly from frozen. Baked pies keep for four days in an airtight tin and can be frozen for three months.
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