Description
These Sugar Free Keto Mince Pies are a delicious, low-carb twist on the traditional British Christmas treat. Made with a buttery, nutty keto crust and a fruity, spiced filling free from sugar and high carbs, they offer a festive indulgence suitable for keto dieters. Enjoy these mince pies as a guilt-free holiday dessert that is rich in flavor and perfect for sharing.
Ingredients
Pastry
- 1 cup / 100g almond flour
- ¼ cup / 30g coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- Pinch of salt
- ⅔ stick / 70g cold butter
- 2 tbsp / 30g cream cheese
- 1 large egg + egg wash
Filling
- 1 small apple (140g), peeled and cut into small cubes
- ¼ cup / 20g flaked almonds, toasted and chopped
- Zest of ¼ lemon
- Zest of ½ orange
- ¼ cup / 20g sugar free dried cranberries
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons golden erythritol
- 2 tbsp / 30g melted butter
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
- 1 tablespoon brandy (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the filling: Place the apple cubes, lemon zest, orange zest, sugar free dried cranberries, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, golden erythritol, melted butter, water, and lemon juice (if using) into a saucepan. Simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens but still retains some moisture. Optionally mash with a fork for a less chunky texture. Stir in toasted almonds and brandy if desired, then set aside to cool.
- Make the pastry dough: In a food processor, pulse together almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt until well combined. Add cold butter chunks and cream cheese, then pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add one large egg and pulse to bring the dough together. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in greaseproof paper, and chill in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 180°C (350°F) and allow it to warm fully.
- Roll and cut the pastry bases: Roll the chilled dough between two sheets of greaseproof paper to about 3–4 mm thickness. Using a 7.5 cm cutter, cut out 6 bases. Gather leftover dough, re-roll, and cut two more bases. Place all bases in the freezer while preparing the tops.
- Prepare the tops: Re-roll the remaining dough to about the same thickness and cut out 8 stars (7 cm cutter) or other preferred shapes for the pie lids. If the dough becomes too soft to work with, chill again in the freezer for 5–10 minutes.
- Assemble the mince pies: Grease a shallow muffin or Yorkshire pudding tin with butter. Place each base in the tin, add approximately 1 tablespoon of the cooled filling on top, then cover with a pastry lid. Press gently to seal the edges slightly.
- Apply egg wash and bake: Brush the tops with egg wash to encourage a golden finish. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 18 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
- Cool and serve: Allow the mince pies to cool completely in the tin before carefully removing. Dust with powdered sweetener if desired and serve with optional whipped cream, keto custard, or keto vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Each mince pie contains approximately 6g net carbs. This recipe yields 8 mince pies weighing about 60g each.
- To reduce net carbs to 4.4g per pie, replace the apple with 1 ¼ cups / 150g peeled and cored chopped zucchini, and increase sweetener to compensate for less natural sweetness.
- Fresh cranberries can be used instead of sugar free dried cranberries, but require longer cooking to reduce liquid and additional sweetener to taste.
- Do not remove mince pies from the baking tray until fully cooled, as they are fragile when hot and firm up as they cool.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
