Christmas mince pies are a festive staple, but not all supermarket versions are created equal. We gathered 11 options from Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, and IGA, ranging from $4.29 to $11, and conducted a brutal blind taste test. One taster compared a pie to ‘pencil shavings,’ while another scored a perfect 10. If you’re hosting Christmas this year, you need to know which pies are worth buying (and which ones to avoid at all costs!)
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The Better Homes and Gardens team and wider office blind taste-tested 11 supermarket fruit mince pies from Coles, Aldi, IGA and Woolworths
- While there were a variety of fun and unique flavours, the winner was Aldi’s Fruit Mince Brandy Crumble Tart. It scored an 8/10.
The best supermarket Christmas fruit mince pies
01
Aldi brandy crumble fruit mince tarts, $7.99
8/10
These brandy crumble fruit mince tarts from Aldi stole the show. They were the “perfect consistency with a good varied texture”, and in one word, were described as delicious. With a hint of brandy, it’s boozey without being overpowering. The texture was a fun crumble. All in all, it averaged out to be the top performer against its tough competition.
02
Aldi Jamaican rum deluxe fruit mince tarts, $6.99
7/10
During the taste tests, everyone wanted to try these. It was by far one of the most popular fruit mince pies, being the only one that didn’t have any leftovers. But while it scored a perfect 10 and a couple of 9.5’s, it also received a 2 and divided the reviewers. It was called “seriously exceptional” and compared to a bakery mince pie. “The case is delicious, cooked the right amount of time, and it’s almost bakery-level good.” They were “packed full of flavour” and “super sweet,” with many taste-testers saying they “like the chunky fruit.” But others said it was dry, underwhelming, and while it had nice pastry, it did not have a nice filling. It had a strong fruit flavour, the alcohol was too strong, and it was overall too sweet. “It’s like eating gin. It’s gluggy, and while it had a nice texture, it was too sweet.”
03
Aldi apple crumble fruit mince tarts, $7.99
7/10
Another Aldi mince pie is taking the top spot. Apple crumble is a classic dessert that’s loved by many, so transforming it into a fruit mince pie is genius. While a few questioned the appearance, saying it “looks like rabbit food or chicken pellets,” the apple flavour added a delicious sweetness against the crumbly texture of the pastry. This is a crowd-pleaser and a safe option if you’re bringing it to Christmas lunch.
04
Woolworths Davidson plum and gin fruit mince tarts, $10
6/10
Woolworths’ Davidson plum and gin fruit mince tart had a “nice hint of spice,” and was “yum, but you can’t have too much.” Others said the flavour could be nicer, and it was described as a “mix between apple pie and brown butter”. One person even said it “tastes too healthy” and “tastes like a crumble, not a mince tart”.
05
Coles brown butter and Jamaican rum fruit mince pie, $7.50
6/10
The Coles brown butter and Jamaican rum fruit mince pie was ranked just above average and divided many. A few people felt the alcohol was too strong, making it taste “yuck!”, and it was too doughy and too sweet. Others said it tasted “a bit raw”, while another said it was “lovely and light”.
06
Coles Christmas fruit mince pie, $5.50
6/10
The Coles Christmas fruit mince pie didn’t average out to rate very high because it received a high score of 9, and a low of 2. But most comments were positive. “Delicious, I actually like it, and I don’t like mince pies,” said one person. Another loved how “buttery” the pastry was. If it impressed a fruit mince pie hater, it must be alright.
07
Woolworths mixed berry mince pies
6/10
Woolworths’ mixed berry mince pie one was quite average in flavour and texture. Filled with a burst of berry flavours, it took most people by surprise. It didn’t land among the favourites of the day, earning a score that emphasises its nice, but not great.
08
Woolworths fruit mince pies with apple brandy, $11
6/10
Another example of a mediocre, yet nice fruit mince pie option. It has “delicious flavour” and “nice pastry and filling”, but for some it was “too sweet”.
09
Aldi fruit mince pies, $4.29
5/10
The Aldi fruit mince pies were not bad, but not great either. It was “too sweet and crumbly in texture”, but “tastes like Christmas”.
10
IGA Yarrows plum and gin tarts, $8.50
5/10
This one wasn’t a hit. “It tastes like pencil shavings. It’s so dry!” one person wrote. “Pure raisin flavour with an unmemorable sugary sweetness.” Sorry IGA, it seems this one missed the mark.
11
Woolworths fruit mince pies, $6
4/10
The worst was Woolworths’ fruit mince pies. Perhaps with a scoop of ice cream to break up the sweetness, it wouldn’t be so overwhelming in flavour. But this sad mince pie scored the lowest of the day.
How we tested the supermarket fruit mince pies
We set up a fruit mince pie taste-testing station in the BHG office. Coles and IGA generously provided fruit mince pies for us to try, but we purchased the Woolworths and Aldi options ourselves.
During the test, we anonymised each product by removing the packaging and assigning them a number. Tasters would then rate the fruit mince pies out of 10 based on appearance, texture and taste.
Scores were rounded to whole numbers and averaged. Each fruit mince pie was tested on its own (without additional fruit toppings, sauces, cream or ice-cream).
