Pumpkin Cheesecake Empanadas

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: Hispanic, Latin American

Keyword: empanadas, pastry, pumpkin, pumpkin spice

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 25

chilling time (for the dough and filling): 30

Total Time: 1 15

Servings: empanadas

Calories: 391kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

A handheld Latin American pastry with a velvety-smooth pumpkin and cream cheese filling. It's sure to be your favorite all season long.

Print Recipe

Equipment

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:
1. 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.
2. Transfer them to a freezer-safe storage bag or container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
3. 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:
1. Allow the empanadas to cool completely.
2. 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.
3. Thaw them in the fridge overnight and reheat as instructed above.

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