Decadent orange & cream cheese mince pies (2026 recipe)

7 Nov

This is not your average mince pie recipe, but features zesty orange pastry and an indulgent cream cheese filling - a decadent treat for Christmas! The thing that makes these mince pies so decadent is that the pastry is made with fresh oranges giving it a wonderful tangy taste. Each mince pie is also filled with the traditional mincemeat filling and a generous dollop of cream cheese frosting is also sealed inside the case. Eaten warm they are so tasty and the cream cheese is a welcome surprise.

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A hand holding half a mince pie showing the dark fruit and white cream cheese filling against a festive bokeh background — Look at that beautiful cream cheese filling in these mince pies!

Five golden mince pies with fluted edges dusted in icing sugar on a slate board with festive decorations in background — A bit of icing sugar dusting is the perfect way to present these mince pies

Growing up I was not a fan of dried fruit in cakes and biscuits like so many young children (don’t get me started on why garibaldis should be consigned to room 101). So needless to say, mince pies were on my firm list of no-nos! My Mum used to do an annual big Christmas bake with a friend, filling the house with smells of canapés, cakes and Christmas treats, and one year she made these mince-pies. The rest, as they say, is history!

When I shared this on Instagram last week, followers who have sampled these mince pies were quick to message privately asking for some to be immediately boxed up and sent in the post. It is honestly that good! With the festive season now in full swing, I decided it was time to cook up a batch of these delicious mince pies.

The recipe makes 24 mince pies

Ingredients for mince pies including a jar of mincemeat an egg an orange and butter arranged on a table with a bowl — Getting all the ingredients ready is a good way to feel more Christmas-y!

Ingredients for orange & cream cheese mince pies

Orange pastry mix ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make the orange pastry elements of the mince pies:

500g plain strong flour (1.1 lb all purpose flour)
150g icing sugar (5.3 oz powdered or confectioners sugar)
375g unsalted butter (13.2 oz)
1 orange - zested and juiced
1 egg beaten

Cream cheese filling ingredients

The following are the ingredients for the mince pie filling made from cream cheese:

I jar of good quality mincemeat filling
350g caster sugar (12.3 oz granulated or superfine sugar)
280g full-fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese (9.9 oz)

Serving suggestion for your mince pies

Don’t forget to top off your Christmas mince pies with some (or all!) of the following:

Devon clotted cream - especially from Gays Creamery in Dawlish or
Brandy butter

Method for orange pastry & cream cheese mince pies

Heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius (356 Fahrenheit)
Grate the butter into a large bowl (this makes it easier to rub in the flour below)
Sieve in the flour
Rub until it resembles a fine breadcrumb texture and there are no lumps of butter

Person holding a block of butter wrapped in brown greaseproof paper over a white mixing bowl in a dimly lit kitchen — Use good quality butter

Close up of a metal grater being used to shred cold butter into a white bowl for a homemade mince pie pastry recipe — Grate the butter to make it easier to rub in flour

White flour being sieved over a pile of grated butter in a ceramic bowl to begin the process of making shortcrust pastry — Sieve the flour

A mound of white flour sits on top of grated butter in a white bowl next to a metal grater and festive fairy lights — Flour and butter ready for rubbing to create breadcrumb

  
    Sieve in the icing sugar and lightly stir
Zest an orange and squeeze the juice and add as much as needed to bring together the pastry
Don’t overwork the pastry, it should come together just enough to create a soft ball
Roll out to 3mm thick on a lightly floured surface

Hands rubbing cold grated butter into white flour in a ceramic bowl to create a breadcrumb texture for mince pie pastry — Rub the flour and butter together

Hands using a metal sieve to sift white flour into a large ceramic bowl for making festive orange pastry dough — Sieve in the icing sugar

Pouring whisked egg and orange zest into a bowl of white flour to create a citrus flavoured pastry dough for mince pies — Zest and juice of once orange

Hands kneading a ball of smooth yellow pastry dough over a white ceramic bowl next to a metal baking tray and pastry cutters — Bring the pastry together, don’t overwork it

  
    Butter your tin mould
Cut out the pie shapes using a fluted cutter; you will need a slightly larger cutter for the base and a smaller one for the top
Spoon in the mincemeat filling
Whip your cream cheese and caster sugar together until there are no more lumps and spoon the mix on top of the mincemeat. Take care not to overfill each one

Hands carefully lining a metal cupcake tin with circles of raw fluted pastry to create bases for homemade festive mince pies — Add your pastry rounds to your buttered tin

Person scooping dark fruity mincemeat from a glass jar into raw pastry cases in a metal baking tin on a linen tablecloth — Spoon in your mincemeat

Spooning thick white cream cheese filling onto dark mincemeat inside raw pastry cases in a grey metal cupcake baking tray — Spoon in your creamcheese frosting

Close up of hands pressing a fluted pastry lid onto a mince pie base filled with dark mincemeat and white cream cheese sauce — Seal the lid on each mince pie

  
    Using a pastry brush apply an egg wash around the rim and seal the lid 
Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes checking the pastry colour isn’t too dark
Leave to cool slightly in the tin to allow the pastry to firm up
Dust with icing sugar and serve warm

Six golden brown baked mince pies with fluted edges arranged in two rows on a dark slate board over a light linen tablecloth — Leave to cool

Six mince pies on a slate board being dusted with a fine layer of icing sugar against a background of festive fairy lights — Dust with icing sugar

A person reaching for one of six golden mince pies dusted with icing sugar and arranged on a dark grey slate serving board — Best eaten while still warm

Hand holding a halved mince pie showing a dark fruity filling alongside a white cream cheese layer and a dusted pastry lid — Inside a mince pie!

Serve while still warm, with clotted cream or brand butter!

These will keep in an airtight tin for several days, but they probably won’t hang around very long as they are incredibly moorish!

What else do I need to know about orange & cream cheese mince pies?

Frequently asked questions on orange & cream cheese mince pies

What makes these mince pies so special is the combination of orange and cream cheese.
This adds a rich, fresh twist to the traditional mince pie; you get that classic Christmas flavour profile that’s both indulgent and festive.
Classic mince pies tend to focus on a fruity spiciness whereas this version adds brightness through the orange with its citrus sweetness.
There’s of course the cream cheese too which is a wonderful complemen to the citrus and spice, bringing a wonderful smooth velvet texture.
This fusion of flavours and textures elevates this mince pie, giving it a layered complexity that feels special and celebratory - perfect if you’re looking to try a modern twist on the old favourite mince pie!
To make the orange flavour pop in these mince pies, use both orange zest and freshly squeezed juice in the filling.
On the other hand, for even more intense citrus-iness, add a very small dash of orange extract or even orange liqueur, like Cointreau or Grand Marnier; the latter would give a grown-up touch.
Another option is to add some candied orange peel to the top of the pies as a decorative topping. This gives a hint of sweetness of what’s inside plus a concentrated burst of orange.
The layering of the orange elements brings depth to the mice pie as a whole with interesting pops of citrus throughout.
Lemon or lime can work beautifully in these mince pies for those who enjoy a sharper, slightly tangy citrus kick.
Lemon zest and juice adds a bright, zesty acidity that pairs well with the richness of the cream cheese.
Lime, on the other hand, introduces a tropical note, offering a bold, almost exotic twist to the traditional mince pie flavour.
Cream cheese filling brings a luscious, creamy texture that softens the mince pie, giving it a lighter, more velvety bite.
It adds a cheesecake-like consistency that contrasts with the richness and spice of the mince - it’s really smooth and indulgent!
The cream cheese also mellows out the pie’s overall sweetness, but you still get a subtle tang that cuts through the sugariness for balance.
The cream cheese and this contrast is what makes this mince pie recipe so indulgent!