McDonald’s is sadly not bringing back the beloved Festive Pie this year; however, there is a way that cooks can make it themselves.

Even better, it will cost 72p per serving, which is great if someone is craving a sweet treat from a fast-food restaurant.

Nick Drewe, trend expert at online discount platform Wethrift, has shared a copycat recipe for the beloved and much-missed pastry. This homemade version is more festive, tastes fresher, and is slightly healthier than its deep-fried counterpart.

The Festive Pie is a variant of the Apple Pie; it features a crisp, flaky pastry filled with mincemeat and custard.

Cooks can also make these pies vegan by using vegan puff pastry and vegan custard. Ensure the mincemeat you use is also vegan; most are, but ensure there is no suet in the ingredients list.

Festive Pie recipe

Ingredients (from Tesco)

• 53g puff pastry from a ready-rolled pack (£1.20 for 320g)
• Two tbsp/30g mincemeat (£1.85 for 411g)
• Two tbsp/ 30g custard, chilled (£1.60 for 400g)
• One egg, whisked for glazing (£1.60 for mixed size free range eggs)

Total, £6.25 (72p per serving)

Method

First, remove the puff pastry from the fridge 10 minutes before using it. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Unroll the puff pastry and cut it into six even squares.

Take one of the pastry squares and, using a brush, apply egg wash along the edges to form a border.

Once the border is brushed, add mincemeat and custard to half the pastry, ensuring no filling spills outside the egg-wash border.

Fold the other half of the pastry over the filling and crimp down the edges with a fork. Repeat this process for each of the six pies, placing each onto the baking sheet.

Place the pies in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up. Then, preheat the oven to 180C.

After 10 minutes, remove the pies from the freezer and cut a small slit in the centre of each pastry to allow steam to escape. Brush the tops with the remaining egg wash, then bake for 20-25 minutes.

Once baked, allow the pies to cool slightly before serving.

Meanwhile, these pies can also be deep-fried in vegetable oil. Follow the same steps, but skip the egg wash when glazing the outside of the pastry.

When ready to cook, heat the oil to 180°C (350°F) and fry the pies for three to five minutes. Ensure the pies are well-sealed to prevent custard from leaking into the oil. Do not overcrowd the fryer.