Strawberry Mince Pie Tart (Vegan Gluten-Free)

A summery twist on a classic Christmassy dessert, this tart is easy to prepare and makes a showstopping dessert that is vegan and gluten-free. A flaky pastry filled with a strawberry infused mincemeat topped with more strawberries and dairy-free ice cream.

This post may seem a little “out there” but bear with me on this one – I even had to convince my dad (the ultimate mince pie fiend) that this would be a winner. And I am glad to say that he absolutely loves this one. It basically means you can have mince pies and strawberries and (ice) cream all year long, well, at least in the summertime when the strawberries are the ripest.

When a UK supermarket challenged me to create a Christmas dish for summer, I had so many ideas, but this Strawberry Mince Pie Tart stood out to me. Everyone loves a good mince pie and there is something so special about a mince pie tart, that is, one giant mince pie. Slice it up and serve for the tastiest dessert. This tart is:

• Easy and quick to make
• Packed with warming spices
• Filled with juicy fresh strawberries
• Encased in a flaky shortcrust pastry
• A great crowd-pleasing dessert
• Vegan and easily gluten-free
• Delicious with a scoop, or three, of dairy-free ice cream

The method for this Strawberry Mince Pie Tart is simple to follow and you can even prepare this ahead of time to enjoy cold or to warm back up and serve warm. It all starts with prepared pastry, which is likely to be accidentally vegan and you can buy a gluten-free pastry if needed, too. Fill a pie dish with the pastry and then use the rest to cut out stars or other shapes which will sit on top. If you did want to make your own pastry, try my recipe featured here for a flaky coconut sugar golden pastry or here for a gluten-free pastry.

Now onto the filling, the most exciting part. As it bubbles away, this Strawberry Mince Pie Tart truly smells like Christmas with a little summery lift:

• Dried mixed fruits: I used a mix of raisins, sultanas, and dried cranberries but you could also add in chopped dates, apricots and figs as long as they are chopped small.
• Fresh strawberries: for the strawberry element. These melt into the mincemeat.
• Orange juice: this adds to the lovely zesty-ness of the tart. You could also use apple juice, if you like.
• Chopped nuts: I use a mix of chopped nuts just make sure they are very small. This adds a lovely crunch to the mincemeat and if you are avoiding nuts, you can use chopped seeds like sunflower seeds.
• Cinnamon and ginger: for the classic Christmas dessert flavours.
• Plant-based milk: just a little to brush the pastry all over to help it turn golden and crisp in the oven.

Simply stir together all the ingredients for the mincemeat and warm them in a saucepan until bubbling away and thickening. The fruits will soften and it will smell amazing, then you know it’s ready. You can make up extra of the mincemeat to keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks in a clean, sealed container.

Making the Strawberry Mince Pie Tart:

• Blind bake the pastry: this makes sure there are no soggy bottoms. You can bake this while the mincemeat cooks.
• Fill the pastry with the mincemeat: then top with the star cut out pastries.
• Bake until golden: it will be crisp on the edges, tops.
• Serve warm or cold: with dairy-free ice cream, cream, yoghurt or on its own.

This Strawberry Mince Pie Tart really is a summer come Christmastime winner and I hope I have convinced you to welcome a little bit of mince pie Christmas-ness into your summer this year!

If you are looking for other summery or pastry desserts, how about my:

• Strawberry and Rhubarb Custard Tart
• Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
• Vegan Lemon and Blueberry Loaf
• Chocolate Cream Tart
• Vegan Apple and Cranberry Crumble

Strawberry Mince Pie Tart (Vegan Gluten-Free)

• Servings: 9-12
• Time: 40 minutes plus cooling
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

A summery twist on a classic Christmassy dessert, this tart is easy to prepare and makes a showstopping dessert that is vegan and gluten-free. A flaky pastry filled with a strawberry infused mincemeat topped with more strawberries and dairy-free ice cream.

Ingredients

• 1 x 320g roll shortcrust pastry (GF, where needed)
• 250g dried mixed fruits
• 100g strawberries, roughly chopped
• 100ml orange juice
• 50g almonds, chopped very small
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp plant-based milk
To serve:
• Dairy free ice cream
• Fresh strawberries
• Icing sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180*C and grease a 8 or 9-inch round tin (or loose-bottomed tin) and line with two strips of parchment paper that overhang the edge.
2. Unroll the pastry and shape it carefully into the greased tin, working your way up the sides and pressing into the grooves and trim off the excess. Cover the excess pastry. Prick the base of the pastry all over with a fork and bake for 15 minutes and remove from the oven.
3. Meanwhile, make the mincemeat. Add the dried mixed fruits, strawberries, orange juice, almonds, cinnamon and ginger to a saucepan, bring to the boil and then simmer over a medium heat with a lid on for 15 minutes or until soft.
4. Roll out the leftover pastry and cut out stars or other shapes.
5. Fill the pastry case with the mincemeat, place the pastry stars on top and brush with the plant-based milk. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden on top.
6. Serve warm or cold with dairy-free ice cream, extra strawberries, and icing sugar. Leftovers will keep covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.

I look forward to hearing what you think of this Strawberry Mince Pie Tart so please let me know in the comments below and if you do make it, please tag me as I would love to see! I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With strawberry Christmas love x