Desserts

Which budget supermarket fruit mince pie tastes best?

We taste tested budget festive offerings from Coles, Woolworths and Aldi. Here's what we found. 
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Last updated: 14 Nov 2023
fruit mince pie packs from aldi coles and woolies

Fruit mince pies can be polarising. For some, they’re the very essence of Christmas; for others, they’re akin to squashed fly guts mixed with cloves. 

But one thing’s for sure: they’re a common fixture in Christmas celebrations year after year. (Whether or not that’s a good thing depends on how you feel about them!)

For some, they’re the very essence of Christmas; for others, they’re akin to squashed fly guts mixed with cloves

For many Australians, Christmas budgets will be tighter than usual in 2023. That’s why this year, we’ve focused on budget supermarket mince pies, asking CHOICE staff to put their tastebuds on the line by blind taste testing the cheapest mince pie offerings from Coles, Woolworths and Aldi supermarkets.

Here’s how they compared.

Read more:
Top tips to cut the cost of Christmas
CHOICE staff take their taste testing responsibilities very seriously.

Which was the best fruit mince pie?

We asked CHOICE staff to taste each fruit mince pie, then vote for their favourite. This was a blind taste test, meaning that no one knew which pie was which. 

CHOICE staff take their taste testing responsibilities very seriously, so everyone weighed the options carefully before casting their votes. 

And for the second year running the winner is…. Aldi! Once again, it was only by a whisker. 

The German giant garnered almost 42% of the votes, while Woolies was hot on its heels with 39% of the votes. 

Unfortunately Coles just couldn’t keep up with the competition, with only 19% of votes going to their pies. 

And while Aldi won the popularity contest, it’s also a win for bottom lines: Aldi pies cost just 57 cents each ($3.39 for a pack), compared with Coles’ and Woolies’ pies, which cost 58 cents each ($3.50 per pack). That’s good news for mince pie fans who want to spend a little less this year.

Text-only accessible version

Fruit mince pie taste test 2023

Which pie got the most Christmas cheers?

Aldi42% of votes57 cents eachWoolworths39% of votes58 cents eachColes19% of votes
Read more:
The supermarket Christmas ham you should add to your shopping list

What was on the table

Here are the fruit mince pie offerings from each of the supermarkets, in order of favourite to least favourite in our staff taste test. 

1. Aldi Kringle and Co Fruit Mince Pies (42% of votes)

  • What the pack says: “Traditional Fruit Mince Pies with a home-style lattice top.”
  • Price: $3.39 for a pack of 6 (360g)
  • Price per pie: 57 cents

What CHOICE staff said: “It tastes more decadent and luxurious than the others. I could easily eat a whole pack of six in one go.” – Lou

2. Woolworths Shortcrust Fruit Mince Pies (39% of votes)

  • What the pack says: “Shortcrust pastry with fruit mince filling.”
  • Price: $3.50 for a pack of 6 (360g)
  • Price per pie: 58 cents

What CHOICE staff said: “I think it has a better crunch and texture than the other two and seemed less sweet.” – Edward

3. Coles Christmas Fruit Mince Pies (19% of votes)

  • What the pack says: “Shortcrust pastry filled with fruit mince.”
  • Price: $3.50 for a pack of 6 (360g total)
  • Price per pie: 58 cents

What CHOICE staff said: “I chose this one because the flavour was nice – it suited my palate. The crunch was good, too.” – Steve

So there you have it. If you’re after a classic fruit mince pie on a budget this Christmas, it’s good to know you can save a little on the Aldi option without disappointing your guests.

Unless of course, you’re one of those who think all mince pies taste like spiced insect innards, in which case we suggest you stick with the shortbread assortment.

Read more:
Our expert Christmas cooking tips
Margaret

I joined CHOICE in May 2018 as a content editor and since then have performed a number roles within the editorial team, most recently contributing articles as a journalist.  Coming to CHOICE after more than 20 years in media means I can use my experience to contribute to stories that really make a positive difference to people. I spend a lot of time working with people across the organisation to understand the work we're doing and develop the stories that we want to tell about that work. Over the course of my career, I've written on a wide variety of topics and enjoy making complex subjects easy to understand.  The opportunity to uncover bad practices and help Australians understand how to avoid falling victim to shonky products and services is one of the best things about working at CHOICE. Find me on LinkedIn.

I joined CHOICE in May 2018 as a content editor and since then have performed a number roles within the editorial team, most recently contributing articles as a journalist.  Coming to CHOICE after more than 20 years in media means I can use my experience to contribute to stories that really make a positive difference to people. I spend a lot of time working with people across the organisation to understand the work we're doing and develop the stories that we want to tell about that work. Over the course of my career, I've written on a wide variety of topics and enjoy making complex subjects easy to understand.  The opportunity to uncover bad practices and help Australians understand how to avoid falling victim to shonky products and services is one of the best things about working at CHOICE. Find me on LinkedIn.

Alice

I'm a content creator and marketer here at CHOICE – which basically just means that I write stuff. CHOICE's testing is so comprehensive that we publish vast amounts of data on all the products we test. We know that not everyone likes to wade through numbers to find the best product, so my job is to take the data and translate it into something more easily digestible for readers who are time-poor or just want to know the best products to buy – and which to avoid. I also get to dream up fun ways of taste-testing products, like the Tim Tam challenge and the Democracy Sausage taste test. I write about all kinds of things, from health insurance to heaters and BBQs to bargain-hunting, so each day is different and I'm lucky that I get to learn about all the different things CHOICE does to help consumers.

I'm a content creator and marketer here at CHOICE – which basically just means that I write stuff. CHOICE's testing is so comprehensive that we publish vast amounts of data on all the products we test. We know that not everyone likes to wade through numbers to find the best product, so my job is to take the data and translate it into something more easily digestible for readers who are time-poor or just want to know the best products to buy – and which to avoid. I also get to dream up fun ways of taste-testing products, like the Tim Tam challenge and the Democracy Sausage taste test. I write about all kinds of things, from health insurance to heaters and BBQs to bargain-hunting, so each day is different and I'm lucky that I get to learn about all the different things CHOICE does to help consumers.

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