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This Mincemeat and Frangipane Tart combines a mince pie with a bakewell tart and I have to say, I am so glad I tried this. The result is crisp pastry topped with layers of spiced mincemeat, sweet, nutty frangipane and fruity sliced apple. The perfect alternative Christmas dessert with still feels festive but has some freshness from the apple. I also love it for Christmas (or any occasion) as it can be prepped totally ahead of time and left in the fridge. You can either serve cold or warm it in the oven before serving, but at least you know pudding is out of the way and done!
People often think that tarts are complicated – particularly when you mention ‘frangipane’. However, this Mincemeat and Frangipane Tart is actually very simple. In fact, it is one of my go-to easy entertaining Christmas dessert recipes. Think of it as a mincemeat bakewell tart with some sliced apples on top. I like to serve it slightly warm with whipped cream. It is also very good with brandy butter, ice cream or custard. In fact, why not go full-on festive vibes and serve with my homemade Ice Cream with Baileys?
You can use homemade mincemeat and pastry if you like, but there are some good ready-made versions out there. This Waitrose Mincemeat is lovely. I like to jazz it up with a little citrus zest, chopped nuts and/or a drizzle of honey. If you are buying ready-made pastry, try to find an all butter option. Dorset Pastry has some incredible all-butter pastry products (although you will need to do the rolling).
Table of Contents
Why you will love this Mincemeat and Frangipane Tart
recipe:
- It is a deliciously simple Christmas dessert – ideal for fans of mince pies!
- It is full of flavour and texture. Think crisp pastry, sweet, soft, nutty frangipane, spiced mincemeat and fruity apples.
- It is the perfect make-ahead dessert for easy entertaining. The perfect way to help you stay organised over the festive season.
Ingredients:
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Plain flour – also known as ‘all-purpose’ flour, this helps stop the pastry from sticking to the work surface and rolling pin as you roll it out.
Ready-rolled shortcrust pastry – you can make your own, but this recipe is designed to be as easy as possible. There are some good versions of readymade pastry out there, so make the most of them! Try and use an all-butter version for the best results.
Mincemeat – you can use homemade or a good quality shop bought option. Just be warned, your kitchen will smell amazing from about 5 minutes after this tart goes in the oven…
Butter – opt for unsalted so you can control the salt levels in this Mincemeat and Frangipane Tart. Don’t forget to make sure it is softened before you start creaming with the sugar.
Caster sugar – this brings the sweetness to the frangipane. You can use golden caster sugar for a more golden colour or granulated sugar if that is what is available.
Eggs – use free-range eggs if you can. I recommend choosing large eggs stamped with the British Lion logo.
Ground almonds – ground nuts are a key ingredient in frangipane. They help give it a delicious flavour and moist texture. Almonds are the most traditional option.
Eating apples – I know you might think it is best to use cooking apples, but they would be far too tart for this Mincemeat and Frangipane Tart. I like to use Royal Gala here.
Lemon juice – this helps prevent the sliced apples from browning.
Apricot jam – slightly warmed apricot jam gives this Mincemeat and Frangipane Tart a beautifully glossy finish.
Whipped cream – a simple spoonful of whipped cream is all that is needed to finish off this delicious dessert.
Substitutions and Variations:
- Vanilla – for a sweet vanilla flavour, add a couple of drops of vanilla extract or some vanilla bean paste to the frangipane. Avoid vanilla essence as it is made from artificial ingredients and will give this Mincemeat and Frangipane Tart a synthetic taste.
- Almond extract – if you want to increase the almond flavour, add a couple of drops of almond extract to the frangipane. You don’t need too much – a little goes a long way!
- Nuts – you can swap the ground almonds for other ground nuts like hazelnuts or pistachios. It is tricky to get hold of ready-ground versions, so blitz your own in a strong blender until the same consistency of ground almonds. Pistachios will produce a rather green, festive-looking, frangipane!
- Apples – although this is a Mincemeat and Frangipane Tart, it would be equally delicious with ripe pears instead. You can even use a mixture of both.
- Icing sugar – a dusting of sieved icing sugar looks super pretty on top of the cooled tart and adds a festive ‘snowy’ effect. If you can find it, try using vanilla icing sugar. Trust me, it is so delicious!
- Whipped cream – elevate your whipped cream to crème chantilly by adding a little sugar and vanilla extract/bean paste. Alternatively, serve with a dollop of crème fraîche for a bit of tang. Lashings of custard, pouring cream or brandy sauce are also super tasty. You also can’t go wrong with a spoonful of ice cream or brandy butter.
Directions:
Here’s a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe below for detailed instructions.
ONE: Preheat oven to 200C/180C Fan, then roll out pastry dough to fit a 23cm (9-inch) tart tin, line the tin, press into edges, and trim excess pastry.
TWO: Spread the mincemeat over the base in a smooth and even layer. Pop in the fridge to chill while you make the frangipane.
THREE: For the frangipane: in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, followed by the ground almonds, until you have a smooth frangipane. Set aside.
FOUR: Core and slice the apples into half moon shaped and pop into a bowl and squeeze over the lemon juice, making sure all the apple slices are coated.
FIVE: Spread the frangipane over the chilled mincemeat in a smooth and even layer. Next, starting from the outside, arrange the sliced apples on top, creating a spiral shape.
SIX: Bake tart for 40 minutes, brush with warm apricot jam and bake 5 more minutes, then cool completely before serving cold or warmed with whipped cream.
Cooking Tips:
- Preheating the baking tray: popping the baking tray into the oven whilst you prepare the Mincemeat and Frangipane Tart helps achieve a deliciously crisp pastry base.
- Softened butter: it is really important to make sure your butter is softened before you begin making this Mincemeat and Frangipane Tart. If it is too hard, it won’t cream with the sugar and you will end up with clumps of butter in the frangipane.
- Lemon juice: don’t worry, this won’t make the tart overwhelmingly lemon-y! Squeezing lemon juice over apples helps stop it going brown. This is ideal when you want a dessert that looks as good as it tastes.
- Bargain mincemeat: the quality and price of readymade mincemeat varies hugely. If you opt for a shop bought version, I recommend buying the best you can afford. You can jazz up budget options with a little citrus zest, chopped nuts, apple and/or a drizzle of honey. Also, savvy shoppers take note! In January (or even the week after Christmas), mincemeat is often reduced to pennies. I bought a stash of luxury mincemeat earlier this year reduced to 50p. Don’t worry, they have a long shelf-life!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! I have used a sheet of ready-rolled pastry for ease, but you can make your own shortcrust pastry. I suggest a sweet shortcrust. You can make one with ground almonds to increase the almond flavour.
Not at all – there is no shame whatsoever here. If you don’t have time to make your own mincemeat, it is absolutely fine to use a shop bought version. I recommend having a taste and jazzing it up with a few nifty additions. Lemon or orange zest, diced apple, a drizzle of honey or chopped nuts are my favourites.
Absolutely! Traditional frangipane is made with ground almonds, but you can blitz up hazelnuts or pistachios to the same consistency, if you prefer. Obviously the flavour will be different and the pistachios will produce a rather green frangipane. I think that would look rather festive and make it the perfect alternative Christmas dessert!
Yes, it can be made totally ahead of time and left in the fridge for 1 day. You can either serve it cold or warm it in the oven at 160c for 15 minutes or so, to warm it through slightly. I like to cover it with foil when heating it up so the top doesn’t dry out.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
My Panettone, Orange and Dark Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding is perfect for full-on comfort vibes. Think of it as bread and butter pudding made even more delicious. I also have a brilliant Chocolate Brownie Trifle which can be made as fancy or fuss-free as you like. Or why not try my super easy Ice Cream with Baileys? It uses just 4 ingredients and takes only 15 minutes prep! For something less festive, try my Blackberry Pie with Cream Cheese or Jam Tartlets.
For other festivities, you need my Whole Baked Camembert in Puff Pastry recipe as well as my Air Fryer Pigs in Blankets. Bread Sauce is another classic festive recipe too, don’t miss it!
Easy Baking Recipes
Jam Tartlets
Easy Baking Recipes
Plum Yogurt Cake
Easy Dessert Recipes
San Sebastián Cheesecake
Easy Dessert Recipes
Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding
Made this recipe and loved it?
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Mincemeat and Frangipane Tart
Ingredients
- Plain flour, for dusting
- 1 x 320g all-butter ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
- 400 g mincemeat
- 50 g unsalted butter, softened
- 50 g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 100 g ground almonds
- 3 eating apples such as royal gala
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 tbsp apricot jam, slightly warmed
To serve:
- Whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan and place a large non-stick baking tray inside to heat up.
- Meanwhile, lightly dust a work surface and rolling pin with flour and unroll the pastry sheet. Roll out until it is slightly thinner and a couple of cm larger than a 23cm (9-inch) loose-based tart tin.
- Carefully lift the pastry up and use it to line the tart tin, pressing into the edges. Trim any excess pastry using a sharp knife.
- Spread the mincemeat over the base in a smooth and even layer. Pop in the fridge to chill while you make the frangipane.
- For the frangipane: in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, followed by the ground almonds, until you have a smooth frangipane. Set aside.
- Core and slice the apples into half moon shaped and pop into a bowl and squeeze over the lemon juice, making sure all the apple slices are coated.
- Spread the frangipane over the chilled mincemeat in a smooth and even layer. Next, starting from the outside, arrange the sliced apples on top, creating a spiral shape.
- Carefully place on top of the preheated baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes – or until the pastry is cooked and the frangipane is golden and firm. Brush with the warm apricot jam, then return to the oven for 5 minutes.
- Leave to cool completely before removing from the tin and setting onto a flat plate.
- Serve slices cold or slightly warmed with whipped cream.
