Mince pies are one of the easiest things to make in an air fryer oven. The small chamber heats quickly, the fan crisps the pastry all round, and you can bake a single tray for visitors without heating the big oven first. This guide covers air fryer mince pies three ways: homemade from scratch, shop-bought pies warmed through, and pies straight from the freezer.
The timings below were written for the Fridja f77 Super Oven Pro, a 30L air fryer oven, and they work as a starting point for the compact f66 Super Oven too. Check your first batch a couple of minutes early and adjust from there.
Why mince pies suit an air fryer oven
Mince pies are small, so they cook in minutes. In an air fryer oven the hot air moves quickly around each pie, which helps the pastry colour evenly and keeps the bases from staying pale. It also has a few advantages over an air fryer drawer:
- A flat baking tray. The f77 comes with a baking tray, grill rack, air fry basket and crumb tray, so a standard bun tin or a sheet of foil cases sits flat and level.
- A light and a glass door. You can watch the tops turn golden without opening the door and losing heat.
- Precise control. The f77 lets you set the temperature in 5°C steps between 30°C and 230°C, depending on the mode, so a gentle warm-through is as easy as a full bake.
- Room for a batch. With 30L inside, there is room for a good batch. Measure your tin against the baking tray before you start, and bake smaller batches in the 15L f66.
How to bake homemade mince pies in an air fryer oven
Use your favourite shortcrust recipe or ready-made pastry. A little orange zest in sweet shortcrust is lovely.
- Chill the pastry. Cold pastry shrinks less. Give it 20 to 30 minutes in the fridge after cutting.
- Line the tin. Cut bases about 7.5cm across and lids about 6cm. Press the bases into a lightly greased bun tin or foil cases.
- Do not overfill. One heaped teaspoon of mincemeat per pie is plenty. Overfilled pies bubble over, and the sugary filling burns on the tray.
- Add the lids. Top with a pastry lid or star, press the edges together and cut a small slit in solid lids so steam can escape.
- Glaze. Brush with beaten egg or milk for colour. A pinch of caster sugar on top gives a gentle crunch.
- Preheat. Preheat to 180°C for 3 to 5 minutes. A hot oven sets the pastry quickly, which helps the bases crisp.
- Bake. Bake at 180°C for 12 to 15 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling is just bubbling at the slits. Check at 10 minutes, and turn the tray round if one side is colouring faster.
- Rest. Leave them in the tin for 5 minutes before lifting out, then cool on a rack.
If the tops brown before the bases are cooked, drop the temperature to 170°C and add 2 to 3 minutes. If the bases are pale, bake the next batch on a lower shelf position if your oven has one.
Making a crisp base
A soggy base is the most common complaint with homemade mince pies. Roll the pastry fairly thin, about 3mm, and make sure the oven is fully preheated before the tray goes in. Metal tins conduct heat better than silicone, so they give a crisper result. If you use silicone cases, stand them on the baking tray rather than the rack.
How to warm shop-bought mince pies
Shop-bought mince pies are already baked, so you are simply warming them through and refreshing the pastry.
- From the cupboard: 160°C for 4 to 6 minutes. Take them out of any plastic tray first and sit them on the baking tray or rack. Foil cases can stay on.
- Deep-filled or large pies: 160°C for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Mini mince pies: 160°C for 3 to 4 minutes.
Lower is better: at high heat the pastry catches before the filling is warm. For extra crisp pastry, give them a final minute at 180°C. Check the packet instructions too and treat these times as a guide.
Mince pies from frozen
Freezing is the best way to get ahead for Christmas. Homemade pies freeze well baked or unbaked.
Unbaked homemade pies
Assemble the pies in the tin, freeze them until solid, then pop them out into a freezer bag. When you want some, put them back in the tin or foil cases, glaze and bake from frozen at 170°C for 18 to 22 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling. There is no need to defrost them first.
Baked pies or frozen shop-bought pies
Warm them from frozen at 150°C to 160°C for 8 to 10 minutes. Check that the middle is hot before serving. If the pastry is browning but the centre is still cold, cover loosely with foil and give them a few more minutes. Foil is fine on the baking tray, but do not cover the bottom of the oven, the vents or the heating elements.
A quick timing guide
- Homemade, fresh: 180°C, 12 to 15 minutes
- Homemade, from frozen (unbaked): 170°C, 18 to 22 minutes
- Shop-bought, warm through: 160°C, 4 to 6 minutes
- Baked pies, from frozen: 150°C to 160°C, 8 to 10 minutes
- Mini pies, warm through: 160°C, 3 to 4 minutes
Whichever method you use, let the pies stand for a few minutes before eating. Mincemeat holds a lot of heat and the filling stays much hotter than the pastry feels, which is worth remembering with children.
Serving ideas
Brandy butter, clotted cream, custard or vanilla ice cream are all traditional. For something different, try a slice of Wensleydale alongside, a long-standing Yorkshire pairing. A dusting of icing sugar makes even shop-bought pies look homemade.
If you are planning a party spread, mince pies sit well next to other small bakes. Our guides to air fryer sausage rolls and pigs in blankets in an air fryer oven have timings for batches, so you can plan the savoury and the sweet together. Bake the savoury bites first, then turn down the heat for the mince pies.
Cleaning up after a batch
Mincemeat that bubbles over turns to sticky caramel, so wipe up spills once the oven has cooled but before they harden. The f77 baking tray, grill rack and air fry basket are dishwasher safe on the top rack at up to 40°C, and the crumb tray should be washed by hand. Our air fryer oven cleaning guide covers racks, trays and the glass door in more detail.
New to your oven? Our guide on how to use an air fryer oven explains settings, temperatures and timing, and if you have leftover pies on Boxing Day, the tips in how to reheat leftovers in an air fryer oven apply to pastry too. You can compare both models in our digital air fryer ovens collection.
Frequently asked questions
Can you cook mince pies in an air fryer?
Yes. Mince pies cook very well in an air fryer oven because the fan crisps the pastry evenly. Bake homemade pies at about 180°C for 12 to 15 minutes, or warm shop-bought pies at 160°C for 4 to 6 minutes. Check the first batch a little early, as every oven runs slightly differently.
How long do you warm mince pies in an air fryer?
Warm ready-baked mince pies at 160°C for 4 to 6 minutes, or 3 to 4 minutes for minis. Remove any plastic packaging first, but foil cases can stay on. A lower temperature warms the filling without burning the pastry. Let them stand for a few minutes, as the filling stays very hot.
Can you cook mince pies from frozen in an air fryer?
Yes, there is no need to defrost them. Bake frozen unbaked homemade pies at 170°C for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Warm frozen baked pies at 150°C to 160°C for 8 to 10 minutes and check the centre is hot. Cover loosely with foil if the tops brown too quickly.
Why are my mince pie bases soggy?
Soggy bases usually come from thick pastry, overfilling or a cold start. Roll the pastry to about 3mm, use no more than a heaped teaspoon of mincemeat and preheat the oven fully before baking. Metal tins give a crisper base than silicone, and a lower shelf position helps the bottoms colour.
Can I use a bun tin in an air fryer oven?
In an air fryer oven with a flat baking tray, such as the f77 Super Oven Pro, a standard bun tin or foil cases work well. Measure the inside of your oven before buying a new tin, and leave a gap around it so the hot air can circulate. In a smaller oven, bake in two batches.