Empanadas are handheld pastries with savory or sweet fillings. These Pumpkin Cheesecake Empanadas are a sweet way to make the most out of pumpkin spice season. They have a velvety pumpkin and cream cheese filling, a buttery, flaky crust, and a delightful dusting of spiced sugar. One taste, and you’ll agree they’re the best things since pumpkin-spiced lattes.
*This is an update from a post I published in October 2017. It has new images, copy, and metric instructions.*
What Are Empanadas?
Empanadas are Latin American pastries consisting of a dough filled with a sweet or savory filling. Argentinian empanadas are famous worldwide, but empanadas originated in Spain and the Iberian Peninsula. Many Spanish-speaking countries have their own versions of empanadas and run the gamut as far as fillings, dough, and cooking methods.
Empanada is a Spanish word that means “breading” or “to bread.” It can also mean “patty,” which makes sense since they’re similar to meat patties or pasties that many are familiar with.
Are Empanadas Fried or Baked?
Empanadas are baked or fried depending on which country you’re in. In Argentina and Venezuela, empanadas are often baked. In Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba, empanadas are often fried.
Even what empanadas are called varies from country to country; some regions within countries have different names. In Puerto Rico, empanadas are breaded pieces of meat, poultry, or seafood, much like a chicken-fried steak. The hand pies are called empanadillas or pastelillos, depending on which part of the island you’re from.
We’re going to bake these for our heart’s sake and because it’s less messy.
How Do I Make Empanada Dough?
Empanada dough is made with all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, sugar, salt, ice water, and an egg. The process of making empanada dough is much like making pie dough. Empanada dough is less flaky than pie dough is, however.
This dough is sweeter than what you use for a savory empanada, but you can easily convert it by reducing the amount of sugar or eliminating it altogether.
Make sure your butter and water are super cold. The dough needs to be cold when it goes into the oven, so the butter doesn’t melt prematurely and turn your pastries into a soggy mess. Cold ingredients ensure the water in the dough evaporates quickly and leaves pockets of air, which translates to flakiness.
Can I Make The Empanada Dough Gluten-Free?
To make gluten-free empanada dough, just replace the all-purpose flour in this recipe with 1-to-1 Flour.
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a 3-quart mixing bowl with your hands or a whisk. Beat the egg with a fork and stir the water into it in a separate bowl.
Cut the cold butter into 1/8-inch cubes. Add the butter cubes to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and quickly pinch them into the flour.
Pour the egg-water mixture into the flour-butter mixture once it looks coarse and sandy.
Mix the liquids into the dry mix until it comes together and no loose flour remains. Knead the dough on a lightly floured countertop for 30 seconds to bring the dough together. It’s okay if the empanada dough is a little dry because the dough will continue to hydrate as it rests in the fridge. Add a tablespoon or two of flour if the dough feels very sticky, though.
How Far Ahead Can I Make the Dough For Pumpkin Cheesecake Empanadas?
Wrap the empanada dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. This gives the water in the dough time to hydrate, and it also gives the butter time to firm up again.
You can make empanada dough up to 6 months ahead and store it, well-wrapped, in the freezer. You can also make the dough 3 to 4 days ahead and store it in the fridge wrapped in plastic.
How Do I Make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling?
Make the pumpkin cheesecake filling for the empanadas right after you put the dough in the fridge.
All you need is homemade or store-bought pumpkin puree, room temperature cream cheese, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice blend, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. I make the pumpkin cheesecake filling right after the dough because it needs to firm up, also. The filling is quite loose when you prepare it since the cream cheese is at room temperature. Once it goes into the fridge, it gets some body.
How Far Ahead Can I Make This Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling?
Add everything for the pumpkin cheesecake filling to a 3-quart mixing bowl and blend it together at low speed for 1 minute. Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl and beaters, and blend again, this time at medium speed, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it’s very smooth.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge until after you’ve rolled out the empanada dough. You can make the pumpkin cheesecake filling for the empanadas 1 or 2 days ahead of time. You can also freeze the filling for up to 2 months. Just be sure to thaw it in the fridge before using it.
What Do I Need To Assemble The Pumpkin Cheesecake Empanadas?
After the empanada dough chills, prepare the egg wash and the spiced sugar to finish their assembly.
The egg wash seals the edges of the empanadas and keeps the filling from leaking. An egg wash also gives empanadas a beautiful, glossy exterior when brushed on the surface. All you need for the egg wash is a large egg and cold water.
The spiced sugar is an easy way to add more flavor and texture to the empanadas and is quite easy to make. You just need more pumpkin spice blend and sugar for it.
Can I Replace the Pumpkin Spice Blend with a Different Spice?
Whisk together the egg and cold water in a small mixing bowl. You want to eliminate any clumps of the egg and create a smooth liquid. Next, use your fingers to combine the pumpkin spice blend and sugar in a separate bowl.
You can replace the pumpkin spice blend with a chai spice blend or just ground cinnamon if you prefer.
You can make both of these a week ahead. Store the egg wash in a covered container in the fridge and the spiced sugar in a jar or container in the pantry or a cabinet.
How Far Ahead Can I Fill the Empanadas?
Cut the empanada dough into 12 equal pieces (each piece will weigh about 1 3/4 ounce or 50 grams) and shape them into balls.
Grab a small rolling pin and roll each ball of empanada dough into a 6-inch disc. Lay the first disc on a sheet of wax paper or parchment and lay another sheet of paper on top of it. Roll out the remaining dough balls and separate each with a sheet of wax paper or parchment. This keeps the discs from sticking to one another.
Scoop two tablespoons of the pumpkin cheesecake filling onto the center of a disc once all the discs are ready. Brush the egg wash onto the edges of one half of the disc with a pastry brush. Fold the unbrushed half over the brushed and press down around the edges to seal the two halves together.
Continue filling and sealing the remaining pumpkin cheesecake empanadas like this. You can fill the empanadas up to 24 hours before baking them. Keep them in the fridge so the dough doesn’t get warm. Cover the empanadas with plastic film if you plan to store them for longer than an hour. That way, you avoid drying out the dough.
Can I Freeze the Empanadas Before Baking Them?
Press the tines of a fork around the sealed edges to further seal the empanadas. Place each empanada on a lined sheetpan and finish crimping the rest of the edges.
You can also freeze the pumpkin cheesecake empanadas before baking them. Freeze them until solid on a half-sheet pan lined with lightly-greased parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe storage bag or container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
You can bake them while they’re frozen (add an additional 5 minutes to the baking time) or thaw them in the fridge overnight, then bake.
How Do I Keep My Pumpkin Cheesecake Empanadas From Exploding?
Take the same fork and poke holes into the top of each empanada to vent it and keep them from exploding while they bake. The pressure steam creates inside the empanada as the filling cooks causes the holes to rupture some, but not poking any holes in the dough is why empanadas explode.
I only bake six empanadas at a time because I don’t want to crowd the pan. While the first pan is baking, I fill, seal, and crimp the second pan, then put the pan in the fridge. If your kitchen is particularly hot, I recommend putting both pans of empanadas in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to allow the dough to firm up again.
Brush a generous layer of egg wash over each empanada, then sprinkle a hefty pinch (about 1 teaspoon) of the spiced sugar over them.
How Long Do I Need to Bake the Empanadas?
Bake the pumpkin cheesecake empanadas for 20-22 minutes in a 400°F (204°C) oven. The empanada’s edges will be deep brown, and the tops will be golden brown. Yours might have some cracking where you pierced the vent holes, but that’s normal.
Use a spatula to remove the pumpkin cheesecake empanadas from the sheet pan to a cooling rack and allow them to cool for 15 minutes. You can bake the second pan of empanadas while you wait for the first batch to cool.
Can I Air Fry Pumpkin Cheesecake Empanadas?
To air-fry empanadas, assemble, seal, and vent them as instructed above, brush them with the egg wash, and sprinkle them with the sugar. Generously grease your air fryer’s tray with a neutral-tasting oil. Air fry them in batches at 350°F for 4 minutes. Turn them over, brush again with the egg wash and continue air frying for 4 to 5 minutes longer, or until golden brown.
How Do I Serve the Pumpkin Cheesecake Empanadas?
I serve pumpkin cheesecake empanadas as a dessert, but you can also serve them for breakfast. If you’re serving them for dessert, you don’t need to serve them with anything else. Add fresh fruit and/or yogurt and coffee or milk to them for a complete breakfast.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Because of the cream cheese, I recommend you store pumpkin cheese empanadas in a covered container in the refrigerator. Leftover empanadas can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can reheat them in the oven or an air fryer (both at 350°F or 177°C) for 10 or 3 minutes, respectively. You can also eat leftover empanadas cold.
Can I Freeze Empanadas After Baking Them?
To freeze empanadas after baking:
- Allow the empanadas to cool completely.
- Freeze the empanadas on a sheetpan until solid.
- Transfer the frozen empanadas to a food storage bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw them in the fridge overnight and reheat as instructed above.
These Pumpkin Cheesecake Empanadas may become your favorite pastry of pumpkin spice season. Let me know what you think of them in the comments below, and don’t forget to pin the recipe and share it with your crew.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Empanadas
at Sense & EdibilityEquipment
- small rolling pin
- 2 half-sheet pans optional
- pastry brush
Ingredients
For the Empanada Dough
- 2 1/2 cups (325 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) kosher salt
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) ice water
- 1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter diced
For the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 1 cup (245 grams) pumpkin puree
- 8 ounces (1 package or 226 grams) cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons, packed (35 grams) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (10 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) pumpkin spice blend
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt optional
For the Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) cold water
For the Spiced Sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) pumpkin spice blend
Instructions
Mix the Empanada Dough
- Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a 3-quart mixing bowl with your hands or a whisk. Beat the egg with a fork and stir the water into it in a separate bowl.
- Add the butter cubes to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and quickly pinch them into the flour.Pour the egg-water mixture into the flour-butter mixture once it looks coarse and sandy.
- Mix the liquids into the dry mix until it comes together and no loose flour remains. Knead the dough on a lightly floured countertop for 30 seconds to bring the dough together. It's okay if the empanada dough is a little dry because the dough will continue to hydrate as it rests in the fridge. Add a tablespoon or two of flour if the dough feels very sticky, though.
- Wrap the empanada dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. This gives the water in the dough time to hydrate, and it also gives the butter time to firm up again. Make the pumpkin cheesecake filling for the empanadas right after you put the dough in the fridge.
Prepare the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- Add the pumpkin puree, cream cheese, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice blend, vanilla extract and kosher salt to a 3-quart mixing bowl.Blend these ingredients together with an electric hand mixer at low speed for 1 minute.
- Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl and beaters, and blend again, this time at medium speed, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it's very smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge until after you've rolled out the empanada dough.
Prepare the Egg Wash and Spiced Sugar Topping
- Whisk together the egg and cold water in a small mixing bowl making sure to eliminate any clumps of the egg to create a smooth liquid. Next, use your fingers to combine the pumpkin spice blend and sugar in a separate bowl. Set the egg wash and spiced sugar aside while you roll out and fill the empanada dough.
Roll Out and Fill the Empanada Dough
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C).Line two half-sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper and set them aside.
- Cut the empanada dough into 12 equal pieces (each piece will weigh about 1 3/4 ounce or 50 grams) and shape them into balls. Grab a small rolling pin and roll each ball of empanada dough into a 6-inch disc.
- Lay the first disc on a sheet of wax paper or parchment and lay another sheet of paper on top of it. Roll out the remaining dough balls and separate each with a sheet of wax paper or parchment.
- Scoop two tablespoons of the pumpkin cheesecake filling onto the center of a disc once all the discs are ready. Brush the egg wash onto the edges of one half of the disc with a pastry brush.
- Fold the unbrushed half over the brushed and press down around the edges to seal the two halves together. Continue filling and sealing the remaining pumpkin cheesecake empanadas like this.
- Press the tines of a fork around the sealed edges to further seal the empanadas. Place 6 empanadas on the prepared sheetpan and finish crimping the rest of the edges. Take the same fork and poke holes into the top of each empanada to vent it and keep them from exploding while they bake.
Bake the Empanadas
- Arrange six empanadas to a sheet pan so you don't crowd the pan. Brush a generous layer of egg wash over each empanada, then sprinkle a hefty pinch (about 1/2 teaspoon or 3 grams) of the spiced sugar over them.
- Bake the pumpkin cheesecake empanadas for 20-22 minutes. While the first pan is baking, fill, seal, and crimp the second pan, then put the pan in the fridge.
- When fully baked, the empanada's edges will be deep brown, and the tops will be golden brown. Slight cracking where you pierced the vent holes is normal. Use a spatula to remove the pumpkin cheesecake empanadas from the sheet pan to a cooling rack and allow them to cool for 15 minutes. Bake the second pan of empanadas while you wait for the first batch to cool.
- Once cool, serve the pumpkin cheesecake empanadas for breakfast, brunch or dessert.
Notes
Air Fryer Instructions:
- Assemble, seal, and vent them as instructed above, brush them with the egg wash, and sprinkle them with the sugar.
- Generously grease your air fryer's tray with a neutral-tasting oil.
- Air fry the empanadas in batches of two or four at 350°F for 4 minutes.
- Turn them over, brush again with the egg wash and continue air frying for 4 to 5 minutes longer, or until golden brown.
Swaps and Substitutions:
- Convert this sweet dough into a savory dough by reducing the amount of sugar to 1 teaspoon (6 grams) or eliminating it altogether.
- To make gluten-free empanada dough, just replace the all-purpose flour in this recipe with 1-to-1 Flour.
- Use pre-made empanada discs (1 package) instead of making the dough from scratch.
- Replace the pumpkin puree with sweet potato puree.
- Swap the pumpkin spice blend for chai spice blend or ground cinnamon.
Tips and Techniques:
- Make sure your butter, egg, and water are super cold. The dough needs to be cold when it goes into the oven, so the butter doesn't melt prematurely and turn your pastries into a soggy mess.
- You can make the dough 3 to 4 days ahead and store it in the fridge wrapped in plastic.
- Make the pumpkin cheesecake filling for the empanadas 1 or 2 days ahead of time and store it in a covered container in the fridge.
- You can make both the egg wash and the spiced sugar a week ahead. Store the egg wash in a covered container in the fridge and the spiced sugar in a jar or container in the pantry or a cabinet.
- You can fill the empanadas up to 24 hours before baking them. Keep them in the fridge so the dough doesn't get warm.
- Cover the empanadas with plastic film if you plan to store them for longer than an hour to avoid drying out the dough.
- If your kitchen is particularly hot, put both pans of empanadas in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before baking them to allow the dough to firm up again.
Storage Instructions:
- Store leftover pumpkin cheese empanadas in a covered container in the refrigerator. Leftover empanadas can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat the empanadas in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 10 minutes or in an air fryer at 350°F (177°C) for 3 minutes.
- You can also eat leftover empanadas cold.
Freezer Instructions:
- You can make empanada dough up to 6 months ahead and store it, well-wrapped, in the freezer.
- You can also freeze the filling for up to 2 months. Just be sure to thaw it in the fridge before using it.
-
To freeze the pumpkin cheesecake empanadas before baking:
- Assemble the empanadas as instructed, then freeze them until solid on a half-sheet pan lined with lightly-greased parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Transfer them to a freezer-safe storage bag or container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
- Brush them with the egg wash, sprinkle the spiced sugar over them, then bake the empanadas while they're frozen (add an additional 5 minutes to the baking time) or thaw them in the fridge overnight, then bake after brushing and sprinkling.
- To freeze the empanadas after baking:
- Allow the empanadas to cool completely.
- Freeze the empanadas on a sheetpan until solid, then transfer them to a food storage bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw them in the fridge overnight and reheat as instructed above.
These had the most flaky crust and delicious filling! Such a fun dessert!
Do I have to share? These were simple to make and so good. Baked them up and even my neighbor said they smelled devine.
I made these for my family and probably ate half of them myself because they are so friggin good!! I love the pumpkin cheesecake filling with the flaky crust! OMG these empanadas are such a treat. I will definitely be making them again.
Thank you, Lilly!
This chicken empanada looksed delicious and easy to make.
My kids will loved them. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Jamie!