Pumpkin Empanadas Recipe
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4.4
186 reviews
Good
Pumpkin Empanadas Recipe
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This dough is a classic family recipe used by my grandmother, my mother and now my sister and I. We love this dough because it makes just enough to bake two dozen sweet empanadas. A sweet pastry pocket filled with pumpkin. These sweet treats are perfect with a cup of Mexican coffee before breakfast or after dinner. Our children love them because they are small enough and sweet enough to call dessert.
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Ingredients
Pumpkin Filling:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar packed firmly
- 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Empanada Dough:
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup shortening
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons sugar
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Instructions
Make Pumpkin Filling:
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar until it dissolves with the butter. Stir in the pumpkin and the spices. Continue to stir over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Make sure the filling is not too watery; otherwise let it cook for a couple more minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool down. After it’s cooled off for about 15 minutes, put the filling in the refrigerator to help it set for 30 minutes or overnight.
- You can make the Empanada Dough while the filling is cooling off.
Make Empanada Dough:
- Mix the first 3 dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening with the dry ingredients. Works better if you use your hands.
- Add the eggs, milk and sugar. Continue to work in with your hands. Split the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes. Take out one half of the dough and split it into 12-18 balls of dough. Depending on how small you want your empanadas. I prefer one dozen per half of the dough. They also fit nicely on one large cookie sheet.
Assemble and Bake Empanadas:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. You can fill your empanadas with any preserves made ahead of time.
- Roll out the dough into small round circles. Add a small dollop of filling on one half of the rolled out dough. Wet the bottom edge of the dough with water or milk to help seal the two halves. Fold over the dough to seal. Seal off the edges with a fork by pressing down along the two edges. This also makes for a pretty pattern when baked.
- Brush each empanada with egg whites, sprinkle with sugar and puncture each empanada with a fork to allow steam to escape while baking.
- Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray, or place the empanadas on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes on medium rack in the oven. If after 15 minutes you notice the bottoms of the empanadas starting to brown, move the cookie sheet to the top rack and continue to bake for the last 5 minutes.
Notes
- Make Ahead Tip: The filling can be prepared one week ahead of time and refrigerated in a covered container.
- Generally speaking, I like my pastries to be warm, especially when it's cold outside. That said, these little nuggets of goodness are perfectly tasty at room temperature as a snack. If you have a few extra minutes, though, I recommend heating them up in the toaster oven for an extra delicious treat.
- I actually recently found out that canned pumpkin is often not actually made from pumpkins, but rather from other winter squash. As such, feel free to swap in acorn or butternut squash purée, or even use some mashed sweet potatoes.
- If pumpkin is not your jam, try using another preserve that suits your taste. Apple butter is an excellent choice for the holidays, but really any jam will do!
- Yes! For best results, I recommend filling the pumpkin empanadas and freezing them on a sheet tray prior to baking. When you're ready to make them, simply pop them out of the freezer onto a lined baking sheet and bake according to the recipe instructions, adding on a few minutes to the overall time. Frozen, unbaked empanadas should last for up to three months in the freezer.
- You can also freeze the baked empanadas if you like, though the flaky texture of the crust will suffer a bit in cold storage.
Nutrition Information
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Calories
142kcal
(7%)
Carbohydrates
20g
(7%)
Protein
2g
(4%)
Fat
6g
(9%)
Saturated Fat
2g
(10%)
Cholesterol
17mg
(6%)
Sodium
67mg
(3%)
Potassium
71mg
(2%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
8g
(16%)
Vitamin A
64IU
(1%)
Calcium
31mg
(3%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 24empanadas
Amount Per Serving
Calories 142 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 142kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 20g | 7% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 17mg | 6% |
| Sodium | 67mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 71mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 64IU | 1% |
| Calcium | 31mg | 3% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
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Overall Rating
4.4
186 reviews
Good
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