It’s that time of the year when mince pies and Christmas cake become the daily snack of choice. I don’t know about you but I love Christmas treats so much. The fruity, slightly boozy indulgence of the mincemeat in mince pies and the buttery pastry gets me feeling festive every time I take a bite.

These Christmas Mincemeat Crumble Bars are an alternative to a regular mince pie and equally delicious. You get the buttery flavour from the shortbread base, the indulgent fruity mincemeat filling and with the addition of ground and flaked almonds into the mixture you get a rather spectacular nutty crumble topping.

In fact, for those who find mince pies a little sweet, you might find these a great replacement without losing the festive flavour. There is far less mincemeat per slice than you might get in a regular shop-bought mince pie. I know for some this might be a head-turner as excessive mincemeat filling can be a little too much.

These Christmas Mincemeat Crumble Bars are delicious served warm with clotted cream for dessert or alongside a cup of tea or coffee. They make a great gifting idea too. In fact, I packaged these bars up individually and wrapped them in ribbon as little gifts for my ballet fitness ladies. They went down a storm!