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Our Pumpkin Empanadas Recipe is the perfect way to get your pumpkin fix! These sweet empanadas use simple ingredients and are so delicious.
Similar to pumpkin pasties or mini pumpkin hand pies, this easy dessert recipe is perfect for serving as a fun option on Thanksgiving!
What is an empanada?
Empanadas are a type of stuffed pastry, like a hand pie or turnover. They can be savory, like Puerto Rican Beef Empanadas, Shrimp Empanadas, or Chicken Empanadas, or sweet like these Pumpkin Empanadas and Caramel Apple Empanadas.
Different empanada fillings include fruit, vegetables, meat, or cheese! You can fill them with just about anything you’d like to try, and you can fry or bake them. I’ve even tried macaroni and cheese empanadas!
If you have yet to try an empanada, now is the time! They are easy to make and are a real treat!
🎃 Empanada Ingredients
Empanada Dough
For this recipe, we use traditional pie dough ingredients to make our empanada dough from scratch. However, you can also buy ready-made dough!
If you want to save some time, you can use premade pie dough or Goya discos. Goya discos are specially made empanada rounds you can find in the freezer section of your grocery store!
Empanada Filling
These pumpkin hand pies have an irresistibly buttery and sweet pumpkin pie filling you will love, made with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, cloves, and dark brown sugar.
We use dark brown sugar for this recipe as it has a sweeter, stronger flavor than light brown sugar.
Brown Sugar Topping
To finish off these mini pumpkin pies, we top them with extra brown sugar and an egg wash.
The egg helps them brown in the oven, while the sugar gives them a nice crunchy element.
🔪 How to Make Empanadas with Pumpkin
- Mix pumpkin puree, dark brown sugar, a spoonful of butter, cinnamon, and cloves over medium heat. When the mixture thickens, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes, then add the egg. Store filling in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Combine flour, butter, white sugar, baking powder, and egg in a food processor. Process for 1-2 minutes until a ball is formed. Refrigerate the dough until chilled.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. On a floured surface, roll the dough and cut circles out of it (I used the top of a mug for this). Add about a tablespoon of filling into each circle, then fold into a half-moon shape and close it tightly. Roll the edges with your fingers to create a rope-like pattern, or crimp them down using a fork.
- Arrange the pumpkin empanadas on a baking tin lined with parchment paper. Brush them with beaten egg and sprinkle brown sugar on top.
- Bake until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. Serve, and enjoy!
🥟 Sealing the Empanada Filling (Repulgue)
Sealing empanadas is easy to do, but you can also get fancy with it! For many people, it’s become an art form.
After folding the dough, add 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of filling. Then, pinch the edges closed tightly with your fingers. I like to fold the dough inward along the edge to create a rope-like pattern.
You can also seal them simply by using a fork to crimp the dough. Whichever technique you use, the important part is to make sure you seal them completely so none of the filling leaks out.
🍴 What to Serve with Dessert Empanadas
Pumpkin empanadas are perfect to eat on their own, just a few minutes after letting them cool out of the oven. They go well with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!
Caramel or Butterscotch Sauce would be also a good choice. You can also serve them alongside other sweet empanadas, like our Caramel Apple Empanadas, for a Fall spread!
The best drink to accompany these wonderful pumpkin turnovers is a cup of coffee or hot milk with honey and cinnamon.
📖 Easy Empanadas Recipes
📖 Best Pumpkin Recipes
- Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe
- Pumpkin Juice Recipe
- Pumpkin Crunch Cake Dessert
- No Bake Pumpkin Cookies
- Starbucks Pumpkin Bread Recipe
- Pumpkin Cobbler with Spiced Butter Toffee
- Pumpkin Waffle Recipe
- Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
- Easy Pumpkin Muffin Recipe
- Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Balls
- Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
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📋 Recipe
Easy Pumpkin Empanadas Recipe
🍳 Equipment
🥘 Ingredients
Empanada Dough
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup butter cold (2 sticks)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 2-3 Tbsp. ice cold water
Empanada Filling
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 ground cloves
Brown Sugar Topping
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- brown sugar for sprinkling
🔪 Instructions
Make the dough:
- In a food processor combine flour, sugar, butter and baking powder. Pulse until the mixture resembles crumbs. Add egg and the water (start with 1 tbs and add more, if needed). Pulse until a soft dough forms into a ball.Take the dough out of the food processor and knead it just a little bit, to make sure all the ingredients are mixed well. Cover it with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Make the filling:
- In a small saucepan over medium heat mix all ingredients except the egg. Stir until the mixture starts simmering. Lower the heat and let simmer for few minutes until the liquid is reduced. Continue stirring to avoid burning.Remove from heat and let cool 5-10 minutes. Add the egg and stir until absorbed. Refrigerate the filling for 30-60 minutes. If you want to speed up the process, leave it in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Assemble:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a floured surface or between two sheets of parchment paper, roll the dough into a thin sheet. Use a pastry round cutter, a tea cup, or a round can to cut circles.
- Place some of the filling (about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons) in the middle of each circle of dough.
- Fold the circle into a half-moon shape. Press well the edges to avoid leaking: use a fork or make folds to resemble a rope.
- Arrange the prepared empanadas on a baking tin lined with parchment paper. Brush them with the beaten egg and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have time to make the dough, you can use pre-made pie dough or frozen Goya Discos, instead. Thaw them by transferring them to the fridge at least 4 hours before starting to prepare the empanadas.
jordin says
This recipe looks super delicious!