Our Pumpkin Empanadas are copycat recipe of one of our favorite taco chains, Taco Time. Taco Time is a Pacific Northwest Taco chain. Our copycat pumpkin empanadas are made with a flour tortilla and are extremely easy kid-friendly dessert for the fall. We highly recommend dipping these empanadas in whipped cream!
Recipe Ingredient Notes
- Cream Cheese
- Sugar
- Pumpkin Puree
- Vanilla
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Flour Tortillas
- Cinnamon
Equipment Needed
- Mixing Bowls – these bowls come in 3 sizes and are used for mixing and serving.
- Stock Pot – a great pot for making soup or deep frying your empanadas.
- Tongs – these tongs are great for pulling your empanadas out of the hot oil.
How to Make Pumpkin Empanadas
- Cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
- Add in pumpkin, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Place ⅓ of mixture into the center of each tortilla. Spread around the whole tortilla getting ½ inch from the edge of the tortilla.
- Place ⅓ of mixture into the center of each tortilla. Spread around the whole tortilla getting ½ inch from the edge of the tortilla.
- Roll up carefully and secure with a toothpick.
- Place each empanada into a pan full of vegetable or canola oil that is heated to 325 -350℉.
- Fry until golden brown, turning so both sides cook.
- Place on a paper towel to drain grease.
- Remove toothpick after frying.
- Combine the sugar and cinnamon on a plate with sides.
- Roll the hot empanada in the cinnamon sugar mixture until coated on all sides.
- Top the empanada with whipped cream, or you can dip it in the whipped cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
An empanada is a Latin American pastry turnover that can be filled with a variety of ingredients. They are either baked or fried. Empanadas are usually shaped into a half moon. They are filled with delicious filling and folded over with the edges pinched tight. The sizes vary from bite-sized to Calzone size. We made this
The authentic empanadas are made with a savory dough. The dough is softer using milk instead of water. It is the dough they use for traditional empanadas.Some people that don’t want to use a tortilla or make their own dough for empanadas will often use a puff pastry dough. There are many shortcuts you can take and still enjoy the delicious empanada taste.
The options are endless on what you can stuff into your empanada. Some of our favorite fillings for sweet empanadas are cherry pie, apple pie, jam (any flavor), and Nutella. For savory empanadas, we like cheese, meat, and seafood fillings.
You can bake the empanada instead of frying. Deep frying is the traditional way to prepare an empanada. But baking would be a healthier option. To bake an empanada, you will need to heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly brush the empanadas with oil before baking. Place them all on a parchment lined baking sheet. For meat and cheese empanadas, you can coat the dough with an egg wash before baking. Bake until golden brown and heated through.
Explore More Delicious Pumpkin-Flavored Snacks
We absolutely love pumpkin recipes, especially in the fall and winter. Check out our comprehensive collection of pumpkin recipes here.
- 4-Ingredient Pumpkin Dip
- Pumpkin Pie Truffles
- Pumpkin Spice Energy Bites
- Pumpkin Spice Muddy Buddies
- Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispies
- Roasted Pumpkin Spice Almonds
Pumpkin Empanadas
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese 1 package, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 8 large flour tortillas ( 8 or 9 inch)
Sugar Coating
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅙ cup cinnamon
Instructions
- Cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
- Add in pumpkin, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Place ⅓ of mixture into the center of each tortilla. Spread around the whole tortilla getting ½ inch from the edge of the tortilla.
- Place ⅓ of mixture into the center of each tortilla. Spread around the whole tortilla getting ½ inch from the edge of the tortilla.
- Roll up carefully and secure with a toothpick.
- Place each empanada into a pan full of vegetable or canola oil that is heated to 325 -350℉.
- Fry until golden brown, turning so both sides cook.
- Place on a paper towel to drain grease.
- Remove toothpick after frying.
- Combine the sugar and cinnamon on a plate with sides.
- Roll the hot empanada in the cinnamon sugar mixture until coated on all sides.
- Top the empanada with whipped cream, or you can dip it in the whipped cream.
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