Want to make your brownies extra-christmassy? Add mincemeat! These Easy Mincemeat Brownies combine the classic Christmas flavours of dried fruit, brandy and spice with rich, chocolatey and wonderfully fudgy brownies, to make a delicious Christmas treat! Better still they are super simple to make and take just 30 minutes. Perfect for Christmas parties, Christmas bake sales… or even an alternative to Christmas pudding on Christmas day itself! (This recipe is also a great way to use up leftover mincemeat after Christmas.)
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Got spare mincemeat – make brownies!
If you find yourself with a spare jar of mincemeat this year, and you want to make something other than mince pies, I highly recommend making these easy peasy Mincemeat Brownies.
Mincemeat Brownies combine the classic Christmas flavours of dried fruit, brandy and spice with rich, chocolatey and wonderfully fudgy brownies, to make a delicious Christmas treat!
Perfect for Christmas parties, Christmas bake sales… or even an alternative to Christmas pudding as a dessert on Christmas day itself! (This recipe is also a great way to use up leftover mincement after Christmas.)
Better still they are super simple to make and take just 30 minutes!
How to make Mincemeat Brownies
You are going to LOVE how easy peasy these Mincemeat Brownies are to make!
All you need to do is melt the butter in a saucepan. Meanwhile combine the plain flour and cocoa in a bowl, and whisk together the eggs and sugar. Add the (slightly cooled) melted butter to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk, then pour the egg/sugar/butter mixture into the flour/cocoa mixture and gently stir together until just combined. Next spoon in anywhere between a half to a whole jar of mincement (my preference is for a whole jar!) and stir well to combine.
Tip into a prepared brownie tray, then cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes depending on how gooey you like your brownies in the middle. Easy peasy!
(Full recipe given in the recipe card below.)
How much mincemeat to put in Mincemeat Brownies
This really comes down to your own personal tastes. Personally, I like to add a whole 411g jar. Adding a whole jar of mincemeat will give you brownies that are packed full of fruit and spice. But you can absolutely use less if you just want a hint of fruit and spice. In that case I recommend using 200g.
Why does mincemeat come in 411g jars?
You may be wondering why mincemeat come in 411g jars…
I’ve often wondered this too.
You might think it’s because it’s a round number in ounces, but it’s not… 411g is 14.5oz. So why does mincemeat come in 411g jars?
Weirdly the internet does not have a definitive answer… but I have a theory!
You’ll see that mincemeat is usually sold in the exact same shape and size jars as marmalade and jam.
Marmalade and jam are typically sold in jars that are 454g – which is exactly 1lb (one pound) in imperial measurements. Obviously marmalade and jam have been made for a long time in the UK – from a long time before we moved to using metric as standard in UK shops. Rather than move to a more round number, like 500g, most marmalade and jam manufacturers stuck with the 1lb size and that is why you see marmalade and jam sold in 454g size jars today.
Since mincemeat is heavier than marmalade and jam, you can only fit 411g mincemeat in the same size jar.
And my theory is marmalade and jam manufacturers did not want to go out and buy a whole load of different size jars just so they could fit a more ‘round number’ quantity of mincemeat in their jars. So they just used the exact same jars and that is why we have the weird 411g quantity in jars of mincemeat.
Can you add extra brandy to Mincemeat Brownies?
Absolutely! If you want to make these brownies extra boozy, I recommend adding 2-3 tablespoons brandy, at the same time as you add the mincemeat.
No-chocolate brownies?
You’ll notice that these delicious Mincemeat Brownies do not contain any chocolate – only cocoa powder. There are lots of good reasons for this, which you can read about in my regular brownie recipe!
How to store Mincemeat Brownies
Once cooled, store these brownies in an airtight container, such as a cake tin.
How long will Mincemeat Brownies last?
Although they will taste at their absolute best on the day they are made, these brownies will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Can you reheat Mincemeat Brownies?
These brownies are just as delicious cold, so there is no need to reheat them.
However, if you want to reheat them, you definitely can! Simply place the brownies on a baking tray and place in a preheated oven set to 180C / 160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F for 5-10 minutes, or until piping hot.
Can you freeze Mincemeat Brownies?
Absolutely! These Mincemeat Brownies freeze really well. When they have cooled, pack them into an airtight and freezer-proof container, separating the layers with baking paper, then put them in the freezer where they will keep for up to 3 months.
Defrost at room temperature for a couple of hours before serving. Serve at room temperature or reheat as above.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
- Christmas Tree Brownies
- Iced Mince Pies
- Crumble Topped Mince Pies
- Easy Puff Pastry Mince Pies (Only 3 ingredients!)
- Easy Mincemeat Christmas Cake (The BEST Christmas Cake Hack!)
- Easy Mincemeat and Apple Crumble
Crumble Topped Mince Pies
Easy Mincemeat Brownies
Ingredients
- 150 g butter
- 150 g plain flour (US - all purpose flour)
- 60 g cocoa (see Note 1)
- 2 medium eggs
- 300 g soft brown sugar (light or dark – whichever you prefer – see Note 2)
- 411 g jar mincemeat (I use Tesco Finest)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a gentle heat. As soon as the butter is melted, take the pan off the heat and allow to cool – do not allow it to bubble.
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F.
- Grease and line a 23 x 23cm (9 x 9 inch) brownie pan. See tips in THIS POST for how to line a brownie pan.
- Combine the flour and cocoa in a large bowl.
- Crack the two eggs into a jug (or another bowl) and whisk lightly.
- Add the sugar to the eggs, and whisk lightly to combine the eggs and the sugar.
- Add the cooled melted butter to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk lightly to combine all the wet ingredients.
- Pour the egg/sugar/butter mixture into the flour/cocoa mixture and gently stir together until just combined.
- Add the mincemeat and stir until evenly mixed in.
- Tip the brownie batter into the prepared tray, spread the batter out to the corners and smooth the top.
- Place in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes depending on how gooey you like your brownies in the middle. (Don’t test with a skewer because you want them to be a bit gooey inside!)
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin – until cool enough to handle – then lift out and chop into 16 squares.
- Can be eaten hot or cold.
Notes
- I suggest 60g cocoa, but if you prefer a more milk chocolate style brownie, cut down to 30g… or if you prefer a super-dark brownie, bump up to 90g cocoa. Anywhere between 30g and 90g works just fine in this recipe, with no need to adjust the other ingredients.
- The type of sugar you use will affect the flavour of the brownies. Dark soft brown sugar will give you a richer flavour. If you prefer your brownies less rich, I recommend you use light brown sugar. (You can even use caster sugar, if you don’t have any brown sugar – but if you do the flavour will be even less rich, and slightly sweeter.)
- Adding a whole jar of mincemeat will give you brownies that are packed full of fruit and spice. You can use less mincemeat if you just want a hint of fruit and spice. In that case I recommend using 200g / 7oz.
- If you want to make these brownies extra boozy, I recommend adding 2-3 tablespoons brandy, at the same time as you add the mincemeat.
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Disclosure
This blog post contains affiliate links, this means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
Baxter says
When do you add the mincemeat? Thanks.
Eb Gargano says
Oh no! How on earth did I manage to miss that out? Sorry… the mincemeat should be added after the flour/cocoa. I have updated the recipe card to make that clear!
Nigel Clipperton says
Hi. I cannot see when to add the mincemeat. Am I missing something
Eb Gargano says
Oh no! How on earth did I manage to miss that out? Sorry… the mincemeat should be added after the flour/cocoa. I have updated the recipe card to make that clear!