Pumpkin Empanadas with Spiced Pumpkin Filling
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
These pumpkin empanadas, known as empanadas de calabaza in Spanish, have a flaky homemade crust with cinnamon sugar on top and a sweet pumpkin filling that’s flavored with cinnamon, ginger and cloves. They’re delicious warm, either on their own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, although I recommend you give them a few minutes to cool first before serving!
Pumpkin empanadas are a Mexican-inspired dessert, and the dough varies between recipes. I’ve found that some have a soft, bread-like crust, while these are more like sweet hand pies. The filling is made with canned pumpkin, so you can enjoy them any time of year, although pumpkin and cinnamon always remind me of fall and you can make your own pumpkin puree with fresh pumpkin if you prefer.
Pumpkin Empanadas at a Glance
Prep: 40 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes, including the filling
Chilling and Cooling: 40 minutes
Total: 2 hours
Yield: 16 empanadas
Cuisine: Mexican
Main ingredients: Pumpkin puree, all-purpose flour and vegetable shortening
Cooking method: Baking at 375°F (190°C)
Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Why You’ll Love It
- No fresh pumpkin preparation: A can of plain pumpkin puree saves you the roasting and peeling.
- Homemade pastry: Chilled shortening dough gives these empanadas a flaky crust and you don’t need a mixer.
- Make-ahead option: You can prepare the dough and filling the day before, then assemble and bake when you’re ready.
- Cinnamon-sugar crust: This might be my favorite part! The sugar adds a little crunch to the flaky pastry for a nice texture/flavor contrast.
- Vegan option: With vegetable shortening and no eggs or dairy ingredients, they’re vegan-friendly.
Ingredient Notes
The complete ingredients list and full quantities are in the recipe card below.
- Pumpkin puree: Make sure to use plain canned pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sugar and spices, which would change the sweetness and seasoning.
- All-purpose flour (plain flour): Weigh it if you can. If you measure by volume, spoon it into the cup and level the top without packing it down.
- Vegetable shortening: Chill it before mixing the dough. Use solid vegetable shortening, such as Crisco, and measure it by weight or pack it firmly into the measuring cup.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is to sweeten the filling and dough. It also gives the cinnamon topping its sweet taste and crunchy texture.
- Spices: Cinnamon goes into the dough, filling and topping. Ground ginger and a small amount of cloves are to season the pumpkin.
How to Make Pumpkin Empanadas
The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cook the pumpkin filling first, then leave it to cool while you prepare and chill the dough. Once both are ready, roll individual pastry circles, add the filling and fold them into half-moons. Crimp the edges with a fork, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake.
Tips for Rolling and Sealing
- Work with cool dough: I like to keep half in the refrigerator while I roll the first 8 empanadas. If you find your dough cracks because it’s too cold, you can let it sit for a few minutes before trying again.
- Check the filling: It should hold a mound on a spoon with no liquid collecting around it. Cook it a little longer if need be, and make sure it’s completely cooled before filling the pastry.
- Leave room to seal: Keep about ½ inch (1.3cm) around the edge free of filling. A light dab of water helps the pastry edges stick together.
- Press the edges firmly: Seal them with your fingers before adding the fork marks. Mine stuck a bit so I dip the fork in flour which helped.
Substitutions and Variations
- Fresh pumpkin: Replace the canned puree with 15 ounces (425g) cooked, mashed pumpkin. Drain off excess liquid before weighing it, then cook the filling as directed.
- Brown sugar: Swap the filling’s granulated sugar for ½ cup (107g) packed light brown sugar.
- Less clove: Omit the cloves if you don’t like their flavor. Keep the cinnamon and ginger.
- Store-bought dough: Plain pie dough (shortcrust pastry) is an option if you’d prefer to skip making the crust. Buy enough to roll 16 circles about 5 inches (13cm) across.
Handy Equipment
- Mixing bowls: Use a large bowl for the dough and a small bowl for the cinnamon sugar.
- Small saucepan: Cook the pumpkin filling in a pan with enough room to stir without spilling.
- Rolling pin: Roll the individual dough portions into circles. The linked set also includes a pastry blender.
- Baking sheets: Use two parchment-lined sheets so the empanadas have space between them.
You’ll also need measuring cups and spoons or a kitchen scale, parchment paper (baking paper), a spoon, a fork, a small knife, food thermometer, reusable wrap or plastic wrap and a shallow plate for cooling the filling. You can cut the shortening into the flour with a pair of knives if you don’t have a pastry blender.
Vegan Pumpkin Empanadas Serving Ideas
Serve the empanadas warm or at room temperature. They’re sweet enough to enjoy on their own, although vanilla ice cream is lovely with a warm pastry. Coffee or tea is a good pairing for an afternoon snack. If you’re planning a Mexican meal, a platter of Mexican fruit offers a fresh dessert option too.
How to Store Pumpkin Empanadas
- Refrigerate: Let the empanadas cool, then refrigerate in a covered container within 2 hours of baking, or 1 hour if the room is above 90°F (32°C). Use within 4 days.
- Reheat: Warm in a 325°F (165°C) oven until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Cover loosely with foil if the topping starts to brown too much.
- Freeze: Wrap cooled empanadas individually and place in a freezer-safe container. Use within 2 months for best quality, then thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Make ahead: Keep the wrapped dough and cooled filling in separate covered containers in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Allow very firm dough to soften just enough to roll.
Pumpkin Empanada FAQs
They’re called empanadas de calabaza. Calabaza means pumpkin or squash.
Yes. Use the cooled filling, cut the pastry into circles and seal the edges well. Follow the pastry package’s oven temperature and bake until the pastry has risen and browned. Puff pastry makes a different crust, so don’t use the homemade dough’s baking time as a fixed guide.
Bake these empanadas. The shortening crust and cinnamon-sugar topping are designed for oven baking.
Yes. Use the same volume of chilled lard and add the ice water gradually until the dough holds together. Lard is an animal fat, so empanadas made with it won’t be vegetarian or vegan, if that’s a factor for you.
Pumpkin Empanadas with Cinnamon Sugar
Ingredients
- 3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour (plain flour), plus extra for dusting
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ⅛ cups (216g) vegetable shortening, chilled
- 6 to 12 tablespoons ice water, as needed
- 15 ounces (425g) plain canned pumpkin puree
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon water, for lightly moistening the pastry tops, plus extra for sealing
Equipment
- 2 Baking sheets
- Mixing bowls
- Small saucepan
- Rolling Pin
- Measuring cups and spoons or kitchen scale
- Small knife
- Food thermometer
- Pastry blender or 2 knives
Method
- Combine the pumpkin, filling sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the filling holds a mound on a spoon and has no loose liquid. Cook longer if needed. Spread on a shallow plate and leave to cool completely while you prepare and chill the dough.
- Combine the flour, dough sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the chilled shortening with 2 knives or a pastry blender until you have coarse crumbs with little pieces of fat still visible.
- Add 6 tablespoons ice water and stir gently with a fork. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, only until a handful of the dough holds together when squeezed.
- Gather the dough without kneading, divide into 2 disks and wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the topping sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Divide each dough disk into 8 equal pieces for 16 portions in total. Keep half the portions refrigerated while working with the others. On a lightly floured surface, roll each into a circle approximately 5 inches (13cm) across and about ⅛ inch (3mm) thick.
- Divide the cooled filling evenly among the circles, using roughly 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons in each and leaving a ½-inch (1.3cm) border. Lightly moisten the edge with water, fold over and press firmly to seal. Crimp with a fork and cut a small slit in the top with a knife.
- Arrange on the prepared sheets with about 1 inch (2.5cm) between them. Using damp fingertips, lightly moisten the tops with the measured topping water, then sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar. Don't soak the pastry.
- Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops and bottoms are golden and the pastry is baked through. Rotate and swap the sheets halfway through baking.
- Let the empanadas cool on the sheets for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use plain pumpkin puree, not sweetened pumpkin pie filling.
- Add only enough ice water to bring the dough together without making it sticky.
- These are quite small, so I recommend 2 empanadas per person as a serving.
- Refrigerate cooled leftovers for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Homemade Pumpkin Pastries for Fall
A batch of pumpkin empanadas is a lovely way to enjoy pumpkin without baking a large pie. Serve a few while they’re warm and save the rest for later in the week. The cinnamon-sugar topping makes them extra delicious!
Other Recipes to Try
For a savory pumpkin dish, try my pumpkin risotto with chicken or this lightly spiced pumpkin soup. And if it’s another sweet option you’re looking for, my banana bread with applesauce goes well with coffee.
