Underwhelming pastry? A bit of scrimping on the filing? Mince pies can fall short, and if you’re not willing to risk a lacklustre pie this year, then you've come to the right place. Yes, in the name of investigative journalism, the IndyBest team spent an afternoon blind-tasting mince pies from different supermarkets to find our winners for 2025.
Supermarket Christmas food gets more extravagant and innovative each year, but it’s safe to say there’s always room for the festive staples. And there are now even more mince pie iterations than ever, from crumble-topped delights to mince pies that incorporate sweet frangipane, or those made with puff pastry instead of the typical shortcrust.
To help you choose which pies to buy, our team of experts tasted and rated offerings from all the major supermarkets, including Asda, M&S and Lidl. Some were mediocre, others really wowed us. But one supermarket really stood out from the rest.
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How we tested
We tucked into nine different mince pies from major UK supermarkets (hard work, we know). This included premium options from Waitrose and M&S, as well as budget-friendly picks from Lidl and Asda. Each mince pie was taste-tested blind, and rated on taste, appearance, texture and – a crucial factor when choosing the best mince pies – the filling-to-pastry ratio.
Morrisons The Best signature collection mince pies: £2, Morrisons.com
- Pack size: 2 per pack
- Cost per mince pie: £1
Declared “the perfect mince pie” by one of our testers, Morrisons’s The Best signature collection mince pies took the top spot in our blind taste-test. With a nutty brown-butter pastry and a filling that struck the perfect balance between sweet and boozy, these were dubbed the best supermarket mince pies – our testers unanimously agreed.
The festive pies only come in a pack of two, so are slightly pricier than most supermarket options, which typically come in packs of six or four. However, if you’re looking for a decadent mince pie with a deep filling and pastry that tastes homemade, you can’t go wrong with these star-topped treats from Morrisons.
If you’re buying for Christmas celebrations and want more mince pies for your money, we’ve listed a great budget-friendly option below, which also impressed.
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference all butter mince pies: £3.50, Sainsburys.co.uk
- Pack size: 6 per pack
- Cost per mince pie: 58p (29p with Nectar)
We’ve got to give these Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference mince pies a mention. The ‘all butter’ pastry really lived up to its description – it was rich, golden, and had just the right amount of bite. Our testers loved the intricate design (perfect for plating up at Christmas parties) as well as the rich, brandy-infused filling.
Food and drinks writer Emma Henderson tested a wide range of this year’s best mince pies, and these were one of her favourite supermarket picks. Emma agreed the pastry was the star of the show and said: “The pastry...though a little crumbly when cutting into it, has a really excellent creamy buttery flavour to it”.
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