The best supermarket mince pies of 2025 revealed

5/5 

For people who find a full-sized mince pie too sweet and cloying to get through, these mini mince pies are just the ticket. They are the perfect little treat, easily finished in just two bites – although fans might find themselves getting through a whole pack rather easily if they aren’t careful. The pies are surprisingly moreish, perhaps thanks to the brown butter pastry that lends a rich, nutty flavour to the luxurious filling. The mincemeat is made with vine fruits, glacé cherries, almonds and apricots, with a splash of Cognac that helps bring out the plummy flavours and temper their sweetness to more bearable levels. Some customers warn that the pastry tends to crumble more easily if the pies have been warmed up, but if the solution is just to pop the whole thing in your mouth, then so be it.

– Kate Ng 

 5/5

At £16 for six, it’s safe to say that the Gail’s mince pies are some of the more expensive offerings out there.

But covered in brown demerara sugar and filled with juicy mincemeat, they’re certainly worth the extra pounds.

I found that they’re slightly more tangy than your average mince pie – possibly thanks to the candied citrus peel – and the pastry was sweet and crumbly, without falling apart in your hands. The ingredients are fancy too, with Sweet Jonagold apples, Calvados, vine fruits, cranberries, so you can see why they’re a bit more expensive than others on the market.

From a practical perspective, however, it’s worth noting that they come without the usual little tin foil tray, which could be inconvenient if you bought them for a party.

– Eleanor Dye

5/5 

Mr Kipling is known for its prowess in British confectionaries, so it’s no wonder that its mince pies were incredible. Sweet and fragrant, with a pastry that crumbles but doesn’t fall apart, it’s the perfect bite.

– Elmira Tanatarova

5/5

Now these are definitely one to place in your basket – especially if you have a house full of mince pie haters. The delicious gingerbread flavour came through straight away and I loved how M&S cleverly make the cup into a cookie by adding chocolate chips into it. It’s easy to overdo it when you have these many elements, but everything worked together really well. The fudgy white chocolate blondie centre was a delicious touch and I loved the smiley gingerbread man on top. These are way more moist and flavourful than the Rodney Reindeers.

– Gina Kalsi 

5/5

M&S collection mince pies. Rating 5/5. It’s just a really nice classic mince pie with all the fundamentals done well. I liked how crumbly the buttery pastry was and also they look really pretty with the snowflake top and the dusty sugar coating – they taste as good as they look! It had a gooey and sweet centre that was the perfect density, texture and taste. It’s a cut above a typical mince pie so I can see why it’s part of the collection range.

– Eleanor Dye 

5/5

These really were the perfect mince pie. The pastry was fresh and crumbly and the filling was tasty. But it was the buttercream that really made it – super boozy and rich and it just made for the perfect Christmas treat! Would definitely buy again.

– Amelia Wynne 

5/5

Oh my goodness, I did not expect to enjoy these as much as I did. Currently, I am trying to find an Asda in central London that stocks these. Every year, the supermarkets try to include those who don’t like mince pies by creating something they think their pickier customers would like. But they never succeed because they always create it with dried fruit. Asda has managed to avoid that while still capturing the essence of a mince pie with their toffee apple flavour – imagine the lovechild of a mince pie and apple pie. Sweet, spiced chunks of soft apple are encased in a wonderfully rich pastry. And just when you think it couldn’t get any better, it is topped with a pecan crumb. A 5/5 with no notes, well done, Asda. 

– Gina Kalsi

5/5

I didn’t think I’d enjoy these as much as I did – initially deciding to just sample one bite. However, within five minutes, I had scoffed both of these down. The whipped cream feels more like clotted cream, and the puff pastry is not so flaky that it falls apart, making for a sort of festive cream-tea-style-concoction.

– Elmira Tanatarova 

5/5 

The festive offering from the Co-op tasted like a jam tart from childhood – filled with nostalgia and the sweetness of childhood. The filling wasn’t as pastry as Tesco’s mince pies and you could make out act7ual, real fruit. The filling wasn’t too sweet allowing the pastry to shine and the little pies were well balanced and a joy to devour.

– Poppy Atkinson Gibson 

5/5

While we tend to opt for supermarkets to do our mince pie shops, this taste test has made me realise that the high street cafes may be the go-to places for the perfect bite. They’re usually bigger than the ones you get in the box, to make up for the single serving, and the pastry always tastes more fresh and buttery. This Nero mince pie was the perfect example of such a contender – with a generous filling that was sweet and tart, but not too saccharine.

– Elmira Tanatarova 

4/5

This rather unusual take on a mince pie is quite the surprise. Some might argue it’s not really a mince pie, but considering traditional mince pies used to include real beef and now they don’t – thank goodness – a bit of creative license can only be a good thing. Waitrose has taken a leap by creating a yellow mincemeat made with golden raisins, golden cherries and apricots, spiked with limoncello and vodka, and held together with a lemon-infused all-butter pastry. Italians might balk at the use of their lemony liqueur in a mince pie, but somehow it really works. The fruits are juicy and sweet, with the limoncello and vodka lending a slight alcoholic bitterness to balance it out. The pastry has just a hint of zestiness to tie it together, but its softness lets it down as it lacks the crumbly nature of a proper shortcrust, but it does the job well. These untraditional mince pies also look lovely with their star motifs and are bound to stand out in a Christmas feast. Waitrose recommends eating them with a dollop of clotted cream and a shot of limoncello to wash it all down – don’t mind if I do.

– Kate Ng

4/5

I decided to join this taste test to represent my fellow mince pie haters (not the slang term) – because the concoction is generally well, yucky. But to my pleasant surprise this doesn’t taste much like a mince pie at all, thanks to the additions of the crumble topping and orange and cranberry filling.

It’s also quite sizeable and yet not too deep, with the pastry and filling sharing equal equity so you’re not overwhelmed by the typical brown, sweet centre. By the way you’re advised to eat it either hot or cold, and I must say it would go nicely with warm custard. I will be eating another!

– Maria Okanrende 

4/5 

These were delicious and definitely buttery! If anything they were slightly too crumbly for my liking, but I definitely would reach for another if I was offered. Not the best mince pie I’ve ever had, but certainly a yummy Christmas treat.

– Charlotte Dean 

4/5 

As the team’s resident vegan, I was tasked with trying out the plant-based mince pie option. We opted for Waitrose’s, which happened to also be gluten-free. This made my heart drop a little – a feeling many vegans will be all too familiar with is being lumped in with the gluten-frees/other dietary requirement consumers. However, I need not have worried: these pies were excellent. In the interest of science (greed) I ate all four, using different methods. I heated one up, tried one heated with vegan cream, one cold with vegan cream, and one plain. My personal favourite was heated with cream. The filling was entirely as one would expect from any mince pie, free-from or otherwise, and was generous. It was the pastry that had me concerned, but it was delicious: not quite as crumbly as a typical pie, but it absolutely lacked the ‘grittiness’ that often characterises gluten-free baked goods. It’s worth noting the exterior of the pastry was generously sugared – which personally I liked (and was certainly made clear from the product illustration on the box). I don’t think anyone would notice this was gluten-free, and certainly they wouldn’t notice it was vegan. Was this the most luxurious mince pie in the world? No, but it was certainly tasty with a delicious crust and generous, traditional filling. I recommend them heated up with cream (vegan or otherwise). I would happily serve these to guests with both dietary requirements and those without.

– Maria Chiorando 

4/5

I was delighted by these rich and flavoursome mince pies, which were also good value at £2.77 for four. The filling had a strong, liquory taste, which I was hoping for, and the pastry case was buttery and relatively light. They were of a good size and there was plenty of filling inside. I enjoyed mine with a cup of tea!

– Monique Rubins 

4/5

Asda’s exceptional range didn’t quite live up to its name but wasn’t far off either. The pastry was lovely and crumbly, if slightly sweet, and the filling was delicious and fruity. The Valencian orange oil added a citrusy note to the boozy mincemeat which was a pleasant surprise and they looked pretty to boot – the only complaint would be not enough filling.

– Poppy Atkinson Gibson 

4/5 

The gingerbread in this wasn’t rich but these were quite indulgent, and I wouldn’t have more than one at a time. The short crust pastry was nice but I didn’t really get the maple flavour. I wouldn’t have picked it up, I think it got drowned out by the gingerbread. 

– Thomas Burton 

4/5 

This was one of the more structurally sound mince pies, it had very little crumb and held well. The filling was also really nice – but possibly a little too sweet. 

– Thomas Burton 

4/5

On first glance, the Costa mince pie looked rather big and typically larger than what you would expect to see for a café version of the popular Christmas snack. For my first mince pie of the season, it certainly did not disappoint. While the dusting could have been more even, my first bite was actually a rather welcome surprise. It tasted glorious and quickly melted in the mouth, with plenty of rich flavour that left me hungry for more. It also wasn’t too crumbly during consumption which I greatly appreciated, particularly considering I’m a notoriously messy eater and was sitting at my desk. All in all, I’d rank it an 8/10. I was pleasantly surprised and would definitely eat again!

– Ruth Stainer 

4/5 

The filling in Tesco’s mince pies was quite pasty and had the overall texture of mush which gave the impression of mass-produced fakery rather than homemade delights (surely the aim of every shop-bought mince pie)/. While the texture was off the taste was spot on and the pastry was also delicious. the cherry on the cake? They were beautiful to look at too!

– Poppy Atkinson Gibson 

4/5 

If you’re looking for a big mince pie, these are the place to go. They’re generously filled and deep in size, and dusted with icing sugar on the top (which reminded me of snow). These certainly get bonus points for their size and they’ve got lots of yummy fruit inside. They are very pastry-heavy however, which is always down to personal preference – but I personally found this slightly too much.

– Eleanor Dye 

3/5

These mince pies were a lot better than I thought, and I was pleasantly surprised. The frangipane was a really nice twist on the classic mince pie, without messing around with the original too much. Not sure I was really getting the Amaretto though. The subtle undertones of almond give it a unique flavour that complements the fruity mincemeat, and it has a pleasant, buttery pastry. They are however, a bit light on filling – perhaps a sacrifice has been made to allow room for the frangipane twist.

– Eleanor Dye 

3/5

These Sainsbury’s mince pies were nice enough but I just felt like they were missing something to make them truly exceptional. I felt like there was a lot of air in the actual mince pie which felt a bit stingy, although what I did eat was perfectly nice. They’re a good option if you’re looking for a standard mince pie, but don’t expect to have your socks blown off.

– Eleanor Dye 

3/5

Waitrose never fails to impress during the festive period, but among its stellar selection this year, this simply didn’t stand out to me. Every year, supermarkets blend frangipane together with mincemeat but unfortunately I’m not entirely sure it’s a combination that works, unless you commit to making the almond less fragrant. Waitrose didn’t, so it felt like the flavours were fighting one another.

– Elmira Tanatarova 

3/5

Aldi’s twist on a classic mince pie had all the hallmarks of a delicious treat but the first bite was rather disappointing. The almond flavour overpowered the delicacy of the mincemeat and the only flavour remaining was the booziness of the filling. The pastry was tasty though and they looked pretty even if they were difficult to get out of the foil casings.

– Poppy Atkinson Gibson