We've uncovered two sets of Best Buy supermarket mince pies to delight this Christmas, one of which is also a Great Value pick, showing that spending less doesn't have to mean sacrificing quality.
We asked a panel of three baking experts to blind-taste nine premium supermarket own-label mince pies to find the tastiest treats for your festive feasting.
Dan Lepard, award-winning baker, food writer and broadcaster, Great British Bake Off 2021 semi-finalist Jurgen Krauss and French pastry chef and Bake Off: The Professionals 2022 winner Nathan Rave rated each product on taste, aroma, texture and appearance.
Some supermarket pies came in for criticism for being under-spiced, or having a gloopy filling. The best, however, had crisp crusts and flavour-packed filling, with a lovely spiced aroma to get those festive juices flowing.
Our experts also tried a selection of budget, mid-range and premium 'free-from' vegan mince pies, and found one option that impressed above the others.
Read on to find out which mince pies are worth buying this Christmas.
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Which? Best Buy mince pies - and the best cheap ones
Waitrose won out in our annual mince pie taste tests with its delicious traditional-design mince pies.
If you're looking to cut costs, or don't have a Waitrose nearby, Aldi's cheap and cheerful pies are an impressive alternative.
Best overall: Waitrose No.1 Brown Butter Mince Pies with Cognac - 74%
£3.50 for 6 (58p per pie)
Likened to homemade pies thanks to their classic, understated appearance, these winning Waitrose pies had a buttery aroma with a great balance of sweetness, warmth from the brandy and cognac and a citrussy aftertaste that won't disappoint.
Available from Waitrose.
Best Buy and Great Value: Aldi Specially Selected All Butter Mince Pies - 73%
£1.75 for 6 (29p per pie)
Aldi's mince pies still have the look of luxury about them, thanks to stylish packaging and an attractive snowflake-topped design. Our experts praised the thick, buttery and crisp pastry, well-balanced flavours and filling that packed plenty of texture.
At almost half the price of the top Waitrose mince pies, they're a great choice if you're looking to keep Christmas costs down but don't want to miss out on festive essentials, or have a crowd to feed.
Available in-store and online from Aldi
Find out the full rankings and how your nearest supermarket fared in our guide to the best mince pies of 2022 (full results available to Which? members only)
Vegan mince pies compared
We asked our experts to taste a selection of four free-from mince pies at different price points to see which, if any, stood out from the crowd. All were gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Waitrose triumphed on the free-from front too, beating options from Co-op, Tesco and Asda.
As with its standard mince pies, the free-from versions (£2.70 for 4, 67.5p each) had a classic appearance, crisp pastry, and the balance of flavours was great - with sweetness from the cranberries and tang from the orange peel providing a fruity finish.
Available to buy from Waitrose.
Spice up your (mince) pies
Want to get the best from your mince pies? We asked the experts for their top serving tips:
- Serve them warm - our experts unanimously agreed that mince pies are better served warm as it enhances the spices, adding a homemade aroma and flavour that will entice your guests into the kitchen. Oven is best, as the fruity insides can superheat in the microwave (and the pastry can go soggy). To save energy, you can slip them in when you take out the main meal, and leave them in the still-warm oven to heat up.
- Sprinkle some 'snow' - mix 30g of icing sugar, 1 tsp of cornflour and 1 tsp of cinnamon, ginger or mixed spice and sprinkle over warmed mince pies just before serving. This will make the pies look pretty and taste fabulous. The added cornflour prevents the sugar crystals from clumping together and will prolong the snow effect.
- Sample savoury - want to shake things up? Try a bold savoury contrast; our experts suggested sprinkling stilton over the top and serving with cranberries.
See all our top-rated christmas food, including the best champagne, cheaper fizz, red wine, brie and the best Christmas puddings in our guide to the best food and drink for 2022.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/best-mince-pies-for-2022-revealed-by-which-a7wqG1S32PMZ