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Best mince pies for Christmas 2025
We asked a panel of leading baking experts to blind-taste supermarket mince pies to uncover the tastiest options for your table this Christmas.
Our experts thought Waitrose's premium pies outshone the rest, but they also liked a cheaper alternative from a budget rival.
Some supermarket mince pies disappointed our panel with their crumbly pastry, lacklustre mincemeat and soggy bottoms.
Best mince pies – see the full results from our expert taste test and find out how your favourite compares
Best supermarket mince pies 2025
Waitrose No1 Brown Butter Mince Pies with Cognac (£4 for 6) were the clear favourite in our mince pie taste test.
They're a Best Buy for the second year in a row, earning the seal of approval from our panel of baking experts.
Our experts loved the classic Christmassy aroma, 'moreish' brown butter pastry and full-bodied, fruity mincemeat bursting with rich brandy and festive spice.
They're some of the priciest we tested, but they're worth splashing out on if you're after some delicious mince pies to indulge in this Christmas.
Available from Waitrose.
Which other mince pies impressed our experts?
M&S Collection Mince Pies (£4 for 6) didn't match up to Waitrose, but our experts still thought they were a step up from most others they tried. They praised the citrussy aroma, fruity flavour and nice balance of spice and zest.
Iceland Luxury All Butter Mince Pies (£3 for 6) came close behind in third place, impressing with their moist, fruity mincemeat and delicate, buttery pastry. At £3 a pack, they're slightly cheaper than our top-scoring pies, too.
Available from Ocado and Iceland.
Which mince pies were least liked?
Asda Exceptional Luxury Mince Pies (£2.84 for 6) were the poorest pies on test, according to our experts.
They were described as ‘unbearably sweet' and 'one dimensional', with an unpleasant synthetic flavour and pale, claggy pastry.
If you're looking for something 'exceptional' this Christmas, this isn't it.
How do mini mince pies compare?
To find out whether smaller snack-sized versions are as good as full-sized pies, we asked our experts to try Waitrose No1 Mini Brown Butter Mince Pies with Cognac (£4 for 9 mini pies, available from Waitrose).
They weren't big fans overall, noting that the ratio of pastry to filling wasn't quite right. They said there was too much pastry and not enough juicy, fruity mincemeat filling to balance it out.
The mini pies also had a star-shaped hole in the top, which stopped them from retaining as much moistness, resulting in slightly dry mincemeat.
For more festive food and drink recommendations, see our guides to the best champagne, the best Christmas pudding and the best place to buy turkey and trimmings
