• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
trending now: summer recipes!
  • About
  • Press/Advertise
  • Contact

Isabel Eats

Easy Mexican recipes for home cooks

  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Dinner
      • Sides
      • Desserts
      • Appetizers
      • Drinks
      • Soups & Stews
      • Salads
      • Salsas
      • Sauces and Condiments
    • Diet
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Carb
      • Paleo
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
    • Meat
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Chorizo
      • Pork
      • Turkey
      • Seafood
    • Occasion
      • Christmas
      • Cinco De Mayo
      • Easter
      • Game Day
      • Summer
      • Thanksgiving
    • Type
      • 30 Minute Meals
      • Mexican Basics
      • Freezer Friendly
      • Grilling
      • Healthy
      • Instant Pot
      • Slow Cooker
      • Enchiladas
      • Tacos
  • Dinners
  • Kitchen Tips
  • Life
  • Shop
  • About
  • Subscribe!

    sign up to get my top 5 secrets to help you master mexican meals at home!

Browse by Course/Type/Diet

  • by course
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner
    • Sides
    • Desserts
    • Appetizers
    • Drinks
    • Soups & Stews
    • Salads
    • Salsas
    • Sauces & Condiments
  • by type
    • 30 Minute Meals
    • Mexican Basics
    • Freezer Friendly
    • Grilling
    • Healthy
    • Instant Pot
    • Slow Cooker
    • Enchiladas
    • Tacos
  • by meat
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Chorizo
    • Pork
    • Turkey
    • Seafood
  • by diet
    • Gluten Free
    • Low Carb
    • Paleo
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
  • by occasion
    • Christmas
    • Cinco De Mayo
    • Easter
    • Game Day
    • Summer
    • Thanksgiving
Jump to latest Browse All Recipes
HomeRecipes

Baked Apple Empanadas

  • Facebook
  • Email
By: IsabelPosted: 11/13/17

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclaimer.

Jump to Recipe
Baked Apple Empanadas are the perfect dessert for the fall and winter seasons! They're portable, delicious and super addicting.

Baked Apple Empanadas are the perfect dessert for the fall and winter seasons! They’re portable, delicious and super addicting.

Baked Apple Empanadas are the perfect dessert for the fall and winter seasons! They're portable, delicious and super addicting.

Move over pumpkin shmumkins, apples are taking over and these Baked Apple Empanadas are proof!

Is it just me or did the whole fall pumpkin craze never really hit this year? It’s probably just me. I made two pumpkin recipes last month and that was all I could muster. I just wasn’t as into it as I was in past years.

Is it possible I hit my pumpkin saturation point?! I never thought the day would come.

Surprisingly I’m not really sad about it. I’ve moved on to bigger and better things and have replaced all things pumpkin with all things APPLES!

Baked Apple Empanadas are the perfect dessert for the fall and winter seasons! They're portable, delicious and super addicting.

If only you could smell this apple empanada filling through the screen right now. It’s absolutely amazing and just smells like the coziest fall and winter. I made two batches of this recipe in a week and my whole house smelled like cinnamon and cloves for forever. It was glorious.

To make, you’ll need 5 Honeycrisp apples or your favorite baking apples (here’s a nice list of the best apples for baking), ground cinnamon, ground cloves, Mexican piloncillo found in the Hispanic section of the grocery store (or you can use brown sugar), vanilla extract and a little lemon juice. Then, just heat on the stove for 15 to 20 minutes until the apples have softened and begun to soak up all the juices and you’ve got the best little apple filling ever!

Next, you’ll need to make the dough, which is personally my favorite part to eat. ?

Since these are dessert empanadas, I made a pastry dough that’s buttery, flaky, slightly sweet and super addicting. Making it is pretty easy, especially if you use a food processor, but it can be a little time consuming since you have to make the dough, roll it out into 16 disks and then chill it in the fridge. If you’re looking to cut down on the total time spent in the kitchen, I recommend using store-bought frozen empanada discs like these found in the baking freezer aisle. They’re already cut into round disks and ready to go.

Once you’ve got the dough ready, the super fun part begins – filling the empanadas!

  • Baked Apple Empanadas are the perfect dessert for the fall and winter seasons! They're portable, delicious and super addicting.
  • Baked Apple Empanadas are the perfect dessert for the fall and winter seasons! They're portable, delicious and super addicting.
Baked Apple Empanadas are the perfect dessert for the fall and winter seasons! They're portable, delicious and super addicting.

I like using the finger technique that my family taught me to close and seal them up. All you do is fold over the empanada dough and try to line up the edges as much as possible. Then, using your index finger, fold the edge in a little and push your finger down to pinch it closed. Continue moving down the edge and pinching it closed every half an inch or so until the entire empanada is sealed.

If you find this technique difficult, keep practicing! I didn’t really get it right until after a few tries.

Alternatively, you could use the tines of a fork to press the edges together and seal them up. They’ll look a little different, but they’ll still be sealed, which is the most important part. Whichever technique you decided to do, just have fun with it!

The final step is cutting a small slit into the top of each empanada, brushing them with egg white and sprinkling turbinado sugar on top. This will help release some of the steam while they bake and create a crispy crust.

Baked Apple Empanadas are the perfect dessert for the fall and winter seasons! They're portable, delicious and super addicting.
Baked Apple Empanadas are the perfect dessert for the fall and winter seasons! They're portable, delicious and super addicting.

All that’s left to do is eat!

More empanada recipes

  • Pork Empanadas
  • Pumpkin Empanadas

Recipe

4.44 from 32 votes

Baked Apple Empanadas

Serves: 16 empanadas
Print
Rate
Baked Apple Empanadas are the perfect dessert for the fall and winter seasons! They're portable, delicious and super addicting.
Prep: 1 hour 25 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total : 1 hour 50 minutes
Baked Apple Empanadas are the perfect dessert for the fall and winter seasons! They’re portable, delicious and super addicting.

Ingredients

For the filling

  • 5 large honeycrisp apples, peeled and diced
  • 3/4 cup Mexican piloncillo, about 3/4 of a cone (or brown sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

For the dough

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 pinch of kosher salt
  • 1 cup cold butter (2 sticks) , cut into 16 pieces
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 1 egg white
  • 4 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Instructions

For the filling

  • Add all ingredients into a small pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are super tender and have soaked up a lot of the sugar and liquid, about 15-20 minutes.
  • Transfer cooked apples into a bowl and set aside to cool down. *

For the dough

  • In a food processor, mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter, eggs and water and pulse together until a clumpy dough forms. If not using a food processor, mix dry ingredients in a large bowl with a fork and use a pastry cutter like this one to incorporate the butter, eggs and water.
  • Transfer dough onto a floured work surface and knead into a ball. Cut into 4 pieces and then cut each piece again into 4 smaller pieces. You should have a total of 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball using the palm of your hands.
  • Working on your floured work surface, roll each ball into a flat disk about 6 to 7 inches in diameter using a rolling pin.  Place disks onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.
    To save room, I placed about 3 disks onto the parchment paper, placed another layer of parchment paper on top, and continued stacking disks onto the same baking sheet, making sure there’s always parchment paper in between each layer so they don’t stick together. Once all the disks are formed, cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.**
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
    Continuing to work on a floured surface, place about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the apple filling onto each flattened dough disk. Fold one side over and pinch the sides together using your index finger until the empanada is fully sealed. You can also press the edges together using the tines of a fork instead of your fingers. As long as the empanadas are sealed, you’re good to go.
    Placed the filled and sealed empanadas onto 2 large baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
  • Cut a small slit or poke a few holes in the top of each empanada to let some of the steam out while baking. Brush the tops of the empanadas with the egg white and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is lightly browned.

Isabel’s Tips:

Prepared filling can stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Prepared dough disks can be stored in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for up to a month.
You can use store-bought frozen empanada discs like these found in the baking freezer aisle instead of making your own dough.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1empanada Calories: 281kcal (14%) Carbohydrates: 37g (12%) Protein: 4g (8%) Fat: 12g (18%) Saturated Fat: 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 54mg (18%) Sodium: 15mg (1%) Potassium: 64mg (2%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 21g (23%) Vitamin A: 400IU (8%) Vitamin C: 4.1mg (5%) Calcium: 10mg (1%) Iron: 0.2mg (1%)
Author: Isabel Eats
Course:Dessert
Cuisine:Mexican
Baked Apple Empanadas are the perfect dessert for the fall and winter seasons! They're portable, delicious and super addicting.
Did you Make my Baked Apple Empanadas?Leave a comment below and tag @isabeleats on social media!
@isabeleats

You may also like…

  • These Easy Pumpkin Empanadas are the perfect handheld fall and winter treat stuffed with a delicious pumpkin filling and wrapped in a sweet pastry dough. They're baked, not fried!
    Easy Pumpkin Empanadas
  • Empanadas in a bowl ready to be eaten
    Empanadas Recipe
  • Baked Pumpkin Churros covered in cinnamon sugar are the perfect fall and winter dessert. They're baked, not fried, which means you can eat more of them!
    Baked Pumpkin Churros
  • This Easy Baked Mexican Chicken is quickly marinated in chili powder, cumin, oregano, and lime juice for a quick and easy weeknight dinner!
    Easy Baked Mexican Chicken
free ebook!

download my top 10 recipes book

Subscribe and receive a free e-cookbook of our Top 10 Easy Mexican Recipes!

Get My Copy!

Download my top 10 easy Mexican recipes!

This Healthy Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies recipe is easy, delicious and perfect for meal prep. It's gluten free, dairy free and paleo and Whole30.
Previous Post
Healthy Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
Next Post
Smoky Chipotle Tomato Bisque

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love hearing from you and seeing what you made!
Recipe Rating:




  1. Connie wyatt says

    Posted on 2/5 at 1:49 am

    Need a dip for the empanadas. The meat ones

    Reply
  2. Juan says

    Posted on 9/30 at 6:58 am

    5 stars
    How many calories do one have?

    Reply
    • Ana @ Isabel Eats says

      Posted on 1/17 at 3:40 pm

      Hello Juan! You can find the nutritional information on the recipe page towards the bottom, where it has all the information you need. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  3. Kate says

    Posted on 7/21 at 6:57 pm

    Can you freeze the empanadas before baking?

    Reply
    • Ana @ Isabel Eats says

      Posted on 2/16 at 10:48 am

      Hi Kate! We have not tried that but you are welcome to! I think they should be fine.

      Reply
  4. Lori says

    Posted on 12/26 at 12:20 pm

    5 stars
    I made these for the first time on Christmas morning and my family loved them! They were so delicious–the pastry is so flaky and buttery and the apple filling was to die for! I added extra cinnamon and will probably add more cloves the next time we make them. We used the extra apple filling over Blue Bell Homemade vanilla ice cream and pancakes and they were delicious!

    Reply
  5. angeal says

    Posted on 12/17 at 7:36 pm

    i made this for my familt ( im 13 ) and it was sooo good we all loved it and it was easy to make i dint get all of the ingredents for the dogh so i used pie crust and it works just fine

    Reply
  6. Kimi says

    Posted on 11/8 at 11:51 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve made these a few times…all came out great! Not as pretty as the ones in the pic but I’m a beginner…my family loves them even if they aren’t as cute!

    Reply
  7. Jennifer Mendoza says

    Posted on 6/21 at 9:40 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Isabel, I made these once and they came out great! In fact, I’m making them again right now 😍 Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  8. Joshua Cline says

    Posted on 2/11 at 11:20 am

    5 stars
    Made them for a class project, Everyone loved them!!! Especially the apple filling recipe. Instead of brushing them with the egg whites, I brushed the cinnamon apple juices on top and it caramelized on the empanadas.

    Reply
  9. Jessica says

    Posted on 9/24 at 3:27 am

    5 stars
    Haven’t made these yet, but planning to soon. Does the apple hold well after baking for 45 minutes? Thanks for the cool idea!

    Reply
    • Isabel says

      Posted on 9/26 at 8:43 am

      It does! They get nice and cooked, but not mushy.

      Reply
  10. Heather says

    Posted on 9/21 at 9:25 am

    These were great. My only issue was that I used the .. press with fork tines to seal… Method and since the edges were thin, they burned while the rest was perfect. I’ll have to try the finger / foldover next time.

    The dough was so easy! I’ve never had luck with pie dough. Do you think you could use this dough for a pie?

    Reply
    • joshua says

      Posted on 9/1 at 12:40 pm

      Hey, it’s me, 7 months after making them for a class project I’ve improved on my baking skills a ton. I am now going to make the homemade dough. Have been using your recipe’s for awhile thank you so much for helping me improve

      Reply
  11. Paige says

    Posted on 2/18 at 6:01 pm

    These were tasty, but they reallllly cracked on me after baking. They sort of looked like what the grand canyon looks like from an aerial view! ha. Does that mean I let the dough get too warm? I’m not a pro pie baker by any means. :/ Thanks!

    Reply
    • Morgan @ Isabel Eats says

      Posted on 4/19 at 1:00 pm

      Hi! I’m sorry to hear that. The dough might’ve been too warm. Try refrigerating it a bit longer before filling them and baking.

      Reply
  12. Christopher says

    Posted on 9/10 at 4:07 am

    5 stars
    These are phenomenal!

    Reply
    • Isabel says

      Posted on 9/10 at 7:29 am

      Thank you! So glad you like them!

      Reply
    • Debra Ortmann says

      Posted on 2/16 at 4:34 pm

      5 stars
      Haven’t made them yet, but I was looking for a recipe for fruit-filled empanadas, since Whole Foods quit carrying the peach empanadas that I LOVED. I have some refrigerated pie dough I might try first to make it really quick. Then I’ll try your dough recipe, since I really like the crust, too!

      Reply
  13. Karri says

    Posted on 4/4 at 8:08 am

    How should these be stored? Refrigerated or not? Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Isabel says

      Posted on 4/6 at 10:44 am

      I recommend refrigerating them 🙂

      Reply
  14. Bethany says

    Posted on 11/14 at 1:33 pm

    These look so delicious!

    Reply
    • Isabel says

      Posted on 11/16 at 7:27 am

      Thanks, Bethany!

      Reply
      • Chris says

        Posted on 9/30 at 4:55 pm

        Hi! I tried making these and the separate components turned out beautifully… Where things started to diverge from the recipe was when I tried to fill the pastry 😁. Not sure if I made the pastry too thick or should have let it come to room temp from the fridge? But I found it started cracking when i put the apple in and tried to fold and crimp (& I tried varying amounts of filling)

        Reply
        • Ana @ Isabel Eats says

          Posted on 2/23 at 11:32 am

          Hi Chris! Oh no! Do you mind elaborating? So we can help.

          Reply
  15. Sabine says

    Posted on 11/14 at 12:05 pm

    5 stars
    Isabel, these empanadas look delicious. The crust looks perfectly flaky. Can’t wait to try them!

    Reply
    • Isabel says

      Posted on 11/16 at 7:27 am

      Thank you so much! Let me know how you like them 🙂

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

¡Hola!

i’m isabel

A first-generation Mexican American who loves to cook! Here at Isabel Eats, you’ll find a mix of all your favorite authentic Mexican recipes with a twist! Read More

free email series!

5 Secrets to Mexican Cooking

My top 5 secrets to help you master Mexican meals at home in no time!

Sign me up!

Sign up to get My top 5 secrets to help you master Mexican meals at home in no time!

Cinco de Mayo Recipes

Bowl of queso dip surrounded by tortilla chips.

Easy Mexican Queso Dip

Guacamole in a molcajete with a tortilla chip.

Easy Guacamole Recipe

Chicken taquitos on a plate with shredded lettuce and pico de gallo.

Chicken Taquitos (Baked or Fried)

Mexican street corn on a large sheet pan

Easy Mexican Street Corn (Elotes)

A strawberry margarita in a glass garnished with a lime.

Strawberry Margarita

A slice of tres leches cake topped with fresh strawberries

Tres Leches Cake

Reader Favorites

Ready in only 10 minutes, this easy enchilada sauce is super simple to make and requires no dried chiles! Made with chile powder, tomato paste and more. #enchiladas #mexicanfoodrecipes #mexicanfood #mexicanrecipes

Easy Enchilada Sauce

Chile relleno on a plate with red salsa.

Chile Relleno Recipe

Flan on a plate with a slice cut out

Easy Flan Recipe

Chicken enchiladas in a baking dish topped with cilantro.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Juicy pork carnitas in warm corn tortillas topped with cilantro, onions and limes.

Easy Carnitas Recipe

These simple yet flavorful chicken tacos are easy to make and filled with super juicy and delicious boneless skinless chicken thighs. Perfect for weeknight meals and makes great leftovers! #tacos #mexican #glutenfree

Easy Chicken Tacos Recipe

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

5-star faves

Frozen margaritas in glasses topped with lime wedges.

Frozen Margaritas

These were absolutely delicious. So fresh and the perfect amount of sweetness.
A bowl of borracho beans

Borracho Beans

These beans are delicious! Garlic, onion, beer and bacon…you can’t go wrong, lol! I loved these!

Chile Colorado

This recipe is so perfect and delicious. My entire family loved it! Big kudos to you for such an authentic masterpiece!
follow along @isabeleats

Favorites

  • Tacos
  • Sides
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Desserts
  • Drinks
  • Salsas

Browse By Meat

  • Chicken
  • Beef
  • Pork
  • Seafood
  • Turkey
  • Chorizo
Back to Top
  • About
  • Press
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
© 2022 Isabel Eats Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled