Vegan mincemeat crumble bars - mince pies in a quick and easy to make traybake form!

A crunchy, oaty biscuit base and crumble topping are filled with sweet, fruity mincemeat. It can all be made in one bowl and is much easier than rolling out pastry!

A stack of vegan mincemeat crumble bars.

These vegan mincemeat crumble bars are a great quick and easy alternative to traditional mince pies at Christmas time.

They consist of a crunchy, oaty biscuit base, topped with fruity mincemeat and a crumbly topping.

The base and crumble topping are made from the same mixture, so they are really simple to make and you only need the one bowl.

I adapted my popular berry crumble bars recipe to make these, it works extremely well as a festive version!

They are a little more rugged and substantial than mince pies, but in a good way. A slice makes a great filling snack with a cup of tea (or a mug of mulled wine).

What Do I Need To Make Vegan Mincemeat Crumble Bars?:

Mincemeat: No, for anyone outside of the UK, this doesn't contain actual meat. It is a mixture of dried fruits, sugar, alcohol, fat and spices which is used to make mince pies at Christmas.

Lots of shop-bought mincemeat is vegan friendly, but do check the jar just in case as occasionally it may contain beef suet or butter. I used one from Tesco.

You can also use home-made mincemeat.

Plain flour: Just regular plain (all-purpose) flour is best. I haven't tried making these gluten-free. I imagine they would work fine with a plain gluten-free flour blend plus ¼ tsp xanthan gum but they may be extra crumbly.

Oats: Adding porridge oats to the base and crumble gives it a lovely texture. Don't use jumbo oats, regular supermarket own-brand oats are best.

Light brown soft sugar: Using light brown or muscovado sugar adds flavour. I don't recommend swapping this for any other kind of sugar or sweetener.

Butter: You need to use a vegan block butter, not the spreadable kind in a tub. I use Naturli Vegan Block or Flora Plant Butter.

Baking powder:

Cinnamon: I just add a little bit to ramp up the spices from the mincemeat. You could use mixed spice instead.

Vegan mince pie bars on a sheet of baking parchment.

How To Make Vegan Mincemeat Crumble Bars:

(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)

Mix together the plain flour, oats, light brown soft sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Add the cold vegan block butter and rub it in using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and no lumps of butter remain.

Step 2, the butter rubbed into the dry ingredients.

Tip about two thirds of the mixture into a square tin, pack it down firmly then bake until golden.

Step 3, the base before and after baking.

Spread over the mincemeat then scatter over the rest of the crumble mixture, press it down very slightly.

Step 4, adding the mincemeat and crumble topping.

Bake until golden.

Vegan mincemeat crumble bars on a sheet of baking parchment surrounded by spices, orange slices and Christmas ornaments.

Top Tips:

All of my recipes are developed using grams, and as with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup conversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!

The bars will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for around 4 days. They can also be frozen.

I make nine large squares, but you could also cut them into twelve fingers.

They would make a great dessert served warm with custard or ice cream.

You can add a bit of extra dried fruit to the mincemeat if you like, a handful of dried cranberries would work well.

More Vegan Christmas Recipes:

If you tried this recipe let me know how it went! Rate it, leave a comment or tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

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