Easiest Fruit Empanada Recipe from Spain

We know that baking can be a little bit intimidating, and that’s why we bring you an article with one of the easiest sweet recipes that you will find.

We are talking about the fruit empanada recipe, a twist on the classic savory empanadas that works really well.

If you aren’t familiar with the empanadas dessert don’t worry, here you will get all the necessary information to make this recipe, and also some tips for storing and serving this Spanish dessert recipe.

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Background of the Dish

It is believed that the dessert empanadas recipe was created in Catholic churches in the south of Spain since these empanadas were served for massive religious holidays

This is because it is much easier to serve an empanada (you only need a napkin) than a cake or a large pie (you must cut portions and end up making a mess every time).

As time went by the fruit empanada recipe gained popularity outside of the churches, and nowadays you can find it at any bakery in Andalusia. 

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Things You’ll Need for Fruit Empanada Recipe

To make this fruit empanada recipe you need flour, sugar, butter, egg, and strawberries as the main ingredients.

The only kitchen utensil that you need for this dessert empanada recipe is a large round cookie cutter or something similar to give the round shape to the dough (a glass can work too).

Ingredients

For the dough

• 2 cups (250gr) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• ¼ cup + 3 tbsp (100 gr) butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 egg
• A pinch of salt

For the filling

• 1 cup (170gr) chopped strawberries
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup (50gr) sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 lemon zest

How to Make Fruit Empanada Recipe – Step by Step Guide

1. To make this fruit empanada recipe you have to start with the filling. Grab a bowl, and mix the strawberries cut into small cubes with the sugar, the vanilla essence, the lemon zest, and the cornstarch. Let it rest and take flavor while you prepare the dough.

2. Now grab another large bowl, and pour the flour, baking powder, and salt. You can mix using a large wooden spoon or with your hands.

3. Next, cut the butter (that has to be at room temperature) into small cubes and put it on top of the flour. Knead with your hands until everything is integrated.

4. After that, you have to crack an egg, put it on top of the dough, and add the vanilla essence and sugar. Knead for about 10 minutes.

5. Then add the milk while kneading. Continue kneading for another 5 minutes.

6. Once the dough is moldable and smooth, it’s ready. Leave it in the bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen cloth (or plastic wrap) to rest for 15 minutes. During that time, preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).

7. After that time, stretch the dough with the help of a rolling pin and cut it with a round cookie cutter (or something similar). You should have about 12 to 15 circles for the sweet empanadas (depending on the size of the cutter).

8. Now, put a little (one tablespoon) of the strawberry filling in the middle of the cut dough, fold it on itself to have the shape of a half moon, and pinch the edges with a fork. It is key to pinch it properly so that the filling doesn’t spread out.

9. As you make the empanadas, place them on a greased tray or cover them with parchment paper.

10. Then, cook the strawberry empanadas for 15 minutes in the oven. If they are not golden or you think they need more time, let them in the oven but check every 5 minutes or less (to prevent them from burning).

11. Let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes and serve the fruit empanada warm.

Substitution of Ingredients

We simply adore this sweet empanada recipe, because you can play a lot with the ingredients, and the finished result will still be amazing.

You should use the dough ingredients as listed, but you can switch the flour to gluten-free flour if necessary.

In that case, you should add 1 tablespoon of cream cheese to the dough, it might sound weird, but it will give it the moisture that usually gets from regular flour (gluten-free flour on its own makes it dry).

If you don’t want to make the dough, you can use store-bought puff pastry (or another similar one) for this fruit empanada recipe.

Then for the sweet empanada filling you can use a store-bought strawberry confit, some jam, or anything that you have at hand.

You can do it like other sweet empanada recipes and use a different fruit, such as the apple empanadas.

Tips on Serving Fruit Empanada Recipe

This fruit empanada recipe is perfect for when you have some guests over at your house and you want to impress them, or even for a normal small gathering.

The reason why they are so great is that they taste like an amazing strawberry pie, but you don’t have to cut slices to serve them, just place them on a nice dish and let everyone grab some.

They are known as dessert empanadas, but you can also have them for breakfast or as a snack at any time of the day.

If you want to elevate this empanada dessert, serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, the different flavors and temperatures blend really well on this dish, just make sure to serve them with a knife and fork in that case.

How to Store Fruit Empanada Recipe

Once you finish making this fruit empanadas recipe you can choose to eat them right away or store them for later.

Since they have a lot of fruit as their filling, we recommend that you store these empanadas in the fridge for up to 5 days (and not at room temperature).

You can store it for a couple of hours at room temperature, and if you want to do it for longer, then take them to the fridge where they can last up to 30 days.

In any case, you have to let them come to room temperature before storing them and place them in a covered container (with plastic wrap or a lid).

Some sweet Spanish recipes that can be stored at room temperature are Spanish sugar cookies, Spanish chocolate chip cookies, and the famous churros.

Recipe Card: Fruit Empanada Recipe

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