Mince Pie Rolls Recipe | A Christmas Twist on Cinnamon Rolls

These mince pie rolls are my Christmas twist on the classic cinnamon roll.

Soft, fluffy dough filled with sweet mincemeat, finished with orange icing and zest, they smell and taste just like Christmas.

Watch the Recipe Video Below

Mince Pie Rolls Recipe | A Christmas Twist on Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 8

Ingredients

Dough

450g x Bread Flour

50g x Caster Sugar

7g x Fast-Action Yeast

½ tsp x Salt (a pinch)

200ml x Whole Milk

90g x Butter

1 x Medium Egg

Extra Flour (for kneading)

Filling

400g x Sweet Mincemeat

To Finish

Warm Marmalade (for glazing)

100g x Icing Sugar

1–2 tsp x Orange Juice

Orange Zest (for grating on top)

Method

Make the Dough

Place the bread flour and caster sugar into a large mixing bowl. Lightly whisk together, then make a well in the centre.

Place the fast-action yeast on one side of the bowl and the salt on the other side. This helps prevent the salt from slowing down the yeast activation.

Set the bowl aside briefly.

Heat the Milk and Butter

Pour the whole milk into a heavy saucepan and add the butter. Place over a low heat and warm gently until the butter has just melted. Remove from the heat and leave to cool back down to room temperature.

Combine the Ingredients

Crack the egg into the flour mixture. Once the milk and butter mixture has cooled slightly, pour it into the bowl as well.

Mix everything together until it forms a dough.

Knead the Dough

Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Knead for 5–10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky. You can use a little extra flour if needed, but the dough will become less sticky as you knead.

Knead by stretching the dough away from you, rolling it back, rotating, and repeating until smooth.

Shape the dough into a ball.

First Rise

Place the dough back into the bowl and cover with a clean, damp cloth. Leave somewhere warm for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Roll and Fill

Once risen, turn the dough out and roll it into a large rectangle about 1 cm thick.

Spoon the sweet mincemeat over the entire surface and spread it evenly.

Shape the Rolls

Roll the dough up tightly, starting from one long edge. Pinch and fold over the first turn, then continue rolling until you have a large sausage shape.

Cut into 8 equal-sized pieces.

Second Rise

Place the rolls onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, laying them down so the spiral faces upwards. Gently press them down so they are an even size/hight.

Cover with a clean, damp cloth and leave to rise again for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Bake

Preheat the oven to 170°C fan.

Once risen, uncover the rolls and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Glaze

While still warm, brush the tops with warm marmalade to add shine and extra festive flavour.

Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Orange Icing

Mix the icing sugar with 1–2 teaspoons of orange juice to form a thick, smooth paste. Add the juice gradually until you reach your desired consistency.

Place the icing into a piping bag and drizzle over the cooled rolls.

Finish with a light grating of orange zest on top.

To Serve

The rolls should be soft, sweet, and full of mince pie flavour, with a fresh orange finish. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.