Portions: 8 porciones Calories: 398kcal |
Brighten up your table this holiday season with these delicious baked apple empanadas, filled with juicy apples with cinnamon, and other spices, and covered in a flaky crust that is very simple to make. Enjoy the true aroma and flavor of the holidays.
By - Revised . Original Nov 11, 2015.
Apple Empanadas with Spices [Recipe & Step by Step].
Why we ❤️ it
- The apple filling is easy to prepare, and you can use almost any type of apple by simply adjusting the cooking time.
- The dough is quite simple to prepare, so there's no need to complicate things.
- You can leave everything half-prepared and bake it when you're ready to serve for delicious, steaming empanadas.
Apple Empanadas with Spices [Recipe & Step by Step]
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Utensils and tools
Ingredients
Apple filling
- ¼ stick salted butter, [57g] melted
- ½ teaspoon cloves powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger, see notes
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ¾ cup brown sugar, [150g]
- 8 apples, Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and diced (see tips)
- ¼ cup raisins, or sultanas, optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour, [30g]
For the dough
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, [120g] plus extra for dusting the work surface
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon sugar (white, granulated), [13 g]
- 2 tablespoon salted butter, [85g] melted
- ¼ cup very cold water, [237 ml]
For the egg wash
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon whole milk, or skim milk
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
Preparation
1. Making the apple filling
In a saucepan, combine the butter, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Heat over medium-low heat until the butter begins to melt. Stir until the butter is completely melted. Add the apple, raisins, and lemon juice and stir to combine.Cover the saucepan and heat over very low heat (it should not boil while cooking) until the apples are cooked but still firm, stirring gently once or twice so they cook evenly.⚠️ Cooking the apples may take 15 minutes, but the time will depend on the variety of apple you use (see tips).Remove the apples from the heat and cool to room temperature. Once cooled, sprinkle with flour stirring until evenly coated. Chill the apple mixture in the refrigerator.
2. Preparing the dough (while the filling is cooling)
- Combine flour, baking soda and sugar and whisk with a fork to combine. Drizzle with the melted butter and whisk to mix as well as possible. Slowly add the cold water, working the dough with your hands until it forms a cohesive ball, but it's not sticky.Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Prepare the egg wash
Mix the egg yolk, milk, and sugar and beat until it is mixed. Set aside in the refrigerator.
4. Making the empanadas
Divide the dough into eight equal balls. Place a ball on a silicone mat (or between two pieces of plastic wrap) and roll out the dough until it is very thin.Lightly brush the circles with the egg yolk glaze (only the top side). Place 1½ tablespoons of filling on each circle and fold and press to seal. If you have any dough or filling left over, repeat the process to make more empanadas.💡 You can also use an empanada press to get them uniformly shaped and sized.Brush the empanadas with the remaining egg wash. Place the empanadas on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Refrigerate while the oven preheats.
5. Baking
Preheat the oven to 350°F [200°C].Bake the empanadas for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
6. Serving
Remove from the oven and let cool until warm to the touch before serving, or serve at room temperature.
Top tips
- Apples: Granny Smith apples are my preferred choice for this recipe. If you only have other varieties available, you can use them and just keep an eye on the cooking time, as other apples may take more or less time to cook.
- Prep ahead: You can prepare the dough and leave it wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. You can also have the filling ready for the same amount of time.
Shape, fill, and bake the empanadas shortly before serving.
Serving suggestions
Serve these apple cinnamon empanadas as dessert after dinner, or as part of your Christmas or Thanksgiving appetizers.
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Nutrition
Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 248mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 488IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
Brighten up the holidays with this delicious baked apple empanadas recipe. A rich apple filling with cinnamon and other spices, wrapped in flaky butter pastry.
Notice I have switched from cinnamon sticks and whole cloves to powder in the recipe, much easier than grounding them at home.
I don't have brown sugar, can I use white sugar?
Yes, you absolutely can. The color and sweetness may vary, but it would still work.
I made the empanadas and they turned out amazing. I followed the recipe except I didn't add cloves because my family is not keen on it, other than that, same same. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for trying my recipe and sharing your experience, Catherine. I am glad you were able to make the changes to your liking.
Thanks for sharing your recipes I have never tried empanadas de manzana but I'll make them for Xmas.
I used cinnamon powder and cloves powder to my taste and it worked fine.
Good recipe. The dough is not the one I am used to, but it was Ok. I like the filling much more than the dough.
Thank you for the review. I am glad you like it well enough. 🙂
In our home we use Bramley apples for our apple pies, so that's what I used for this recipe. Highly recommend this change.
Thanks for trying my recipe, and for the tip, Sandra. If I find them in my local shops I intend to try your idea.