It wouldn’t be Christmas without fruit mince pies! And if you’re looking to wow your guests this festive season, Choice has rounded up the best-tasting store-bought fruit mince pies.
The consumer advocacy group reviewed 26 products from brands including Aldi, Bakers Delight, Coles, Walkers, Woolworths and more. Each fruit mince pie was scored on a range of criteria, such as visual appearance, aroma, flavour, mouthfeel, eatability and pastry-to-filling ratio.
And drumroll, please! Aldi’s Specially Selected Sloe Gin Fruit Mince Tarts took out the top spot, earning an 83 per cent Choice expert rating, thanks to its “European-looking, appealing appearance” and “light, crisp, buttery, melt-in-mouth pastry”. The best part is, a six-pack will only set you back $4.99.
Coles’ Finest Traditional Fruit Mince Pies achieved second place, with Choice experts describing them as “a pleasant product with a good balance of filling and pastry”. The fruit mince pies earned an 81 per cent Choice expert rating and cost just $6 for a six-pack.
Aldi’s Specially Selected All Butter Almond Mince Tarts wasn’t far behind, with a Choice expert rating of 80 per cent. While the mince tarts faired well in the pastry department, the experts believed the filling needed a little more work. A six-pack is just $4.99.
Supermarket giant Woolworths claimed fourth, fifth and sixth places with its Fruit Mince Pies (80 per cent), Gold Gin Infused Pear and Riberry Fruit Mince Tarts (80 per cent), and Summer Berry Mince Pies (80 per cent).
Meanwhile, other fruit mince pies that made the top 10 included Bakers Delight’s Fruit Mince Tart, which earned a 78 per cent Choice expert rating, Coles’ Finest Sloe Gin Fruit Mince Pies, which earned a 77 per cent Choice expert rating and Woolworth’s Blood Orange & Fig Mince Pies, which also earned a 77 per cent Choice expert rating.
And if you’re coeliac or have a gluten intolerance, Coles’ Gluten Free Fruit Mince Pies took first place, with a Choice expert rating of 77 per cent.
“There are so many flavourful options this year,” Choice food expert Rachel Clemons said. “There were some interesting ones such as ‘blood orange and fig’, ‘spiced orange and cranberry’ and our top scorer ‘sloe gin’.”