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This baked apple empanadas recipe is the perfect fall dessert that is not only delicious but portable as well.
When it comes to fall, I'm all about apples - from baked apple cider donuts to an apple mojito to apple cider chicken.
But an apple pie is probably the most well-known recipe. Good thing about these apple empanadas are they are basically a hand held version. I mean what's wrong with being able to carry around a dessert.
And while empanadas typically lean savory - like these vegetarian empanadas or shrimp empanadas, you can never go wrong with sweet.
If you are concerned about the crust, it is quite simple to make and very similar to pie crust if you've ever made your own. It create a light and flaky crust that just melts in your mouth when you bite into it.
And what is better than some cooked down apples with some sugar. So with fall upon us, give these apple empanadas a try.
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Ingredient Notes
- Empanada dough - homemade dough is quite easy and so tasty but pre-rolled pie crust works.
- Apples - Granny Smith are my go-to as they have high acidity so they aren't super sweet but also hold well together when baked.
- Sugar - helps sweeten the filling while also creating a caramel like flavor as it cooks down.
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe, you can mix up some of the ingredients. Some variations include:
- I mentioned above that I like to make my own dough, but you can easily just use store-bought pie crust.
- I'm a fan of Granny Smith apples, but Honeycrisp is a good substitute.
- I like to use light brown sugar for sweetness, but granulated sugar or dark brown sugar work well.
- Cornstarch helps thicken the filling, but all-purpose flour can be used too.
Step-by-Step Photos
Pulse together the flour and salt before adding in the butter and pulsing 15 times. Add in the egg and water and blend until it clumps together.
Flatten into a disc and cut in half. Add the apples as well as the rest of the filling ingredients to a skillet.
Cook the apples over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. While it is cooling, roll out the dough to ⅛" thickness.
Start cutting 5" circles and fill each with 2 tablespoon of apple filling before pressing together and crimping with a fork.
Add the apple empanadas to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash before sprinkling some sugar on top. Bake at 375°F for 30-35 minutes or until done.
FAQs
Empanadas mean "to wrap in bread" in Spanish. It is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling. It can be sweet or savory, but is typically savory.
While the dough is easy enough to make if you're short on time you can use a pre-rolled pie crust. Canned biscuits or crescent rolls pressed and rolled thin also work.
Granny Smiths are best for apple pies as they hold their shape and give the filling a great sweet-tart flavor. However if you like your pie sweeter, you can go apples like Galas, Pink Ladies or Honeycrisps.
Yes. You can make the dough and filling and store in the fridge for up to 1 day. You can also assemble the unbaked empanadas and cover in plastic in the fridge for up to 2 days before baking.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the vegetarian empanadas to baking sheet and reheat for 10-15 minutes or until the filling is warmed through. If they are starting to brown, just cover with aluminum foil
Bake vs Fried
I personally like baking these empanadas as they are a little healthier and you don't have to deal with the oil, but you can also fry them.
Add oil to a deep pan or pot so that it reaches 1 inch in depth. Heat oil to between 365°F. Fry in batches, 3 at a time, 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown.
Serving Suggestions
These apple empanadas are delicious on their own, but can always be improved. Some additions include:
- Additional apples
- Vanilla bean ice cream
- Nuts like pecans, walnuts or almonds
- Whipped cream
- Granola
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use an empanada dough press to make life easier when filling and folding.
- If the dough is becoming a little warm due to being out too long when adding the filling, just place the filled empanadas back in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking.
- Use an egg wash on the outside of the dough to get the empanadas golden brown.
- Leftover apple empanadas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Other Dessert Recipes
If you’ve tried this apple empanadas recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Apple Empanadas
Ingredients
Empanada Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup ice cold water
Filling
- 6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced into ½ cubes
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Using a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture becomes coarse meal, about 15 pulses.
- In a small bowl, combine egg and water. Add the egg mixture to food processor and pulse until it starts to clump together. DO NOT pulse until ball is formed. It should be crumbly with large clumps of dough.
- Turn dough only a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Cut in half and flatten each ball slightly to form a disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and put in fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- Heat medium saucepan over medium heat. Add apples, sugar, butter, cornstarch, lemon juice and cinnamon. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until apples are tender and liquid has evaporated. Stir in vanilla extract and let cool.
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out dough to ⅛ inch thickness. Cut into circles about 5 inches in diameter using a ring cutter or small bowl.
- Put about 2 tablespoons filling in the center of each circle. Put some water around the entire edge, so once folded it will stick together. Wrap dough around filling to form empanada, pressing edges together. Crimp with a fork. Cut a small slit or poke some holes to allow steam to vent. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Notes
- Use an empanada dough press to make life easier when filling and folding.
- If the dough is becoming a little warm due to being out too long when adding the filling, just place the filled empanadas back in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking.
- Use an egg wash on the outside of the dough to get the empanadas golden brown.
- Leftover empanadas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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