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These Strawberry Empanadas are the perfect dessert with any Mexican dish. Sweet, delicious, and so easy to make, your whole family will love them!
Featured with this recipe
At the end of any great meal, sometimes you just want to finish with something sweet. This dessert empanada is a combination of warm, crunchy tortilla, sweet strawberry filling, and cinnamon sugar on top.
What is an Empanada?
An empanada is a Spanish or Latin American pastry turnover that can feature a variety of sweet or savory fillings, prepared either baked or fried. The word “empanada” translates literally to mean “enbreaded.” In other words, wrapped or coated in bread. Yum! Right? We use this baked method with tortillas, instead of dough, for convenience. We have a great recipe for homemade flour tortillas that is amazing with this recipe. But if you want to take the easier route, you can usually find raw flour tortillas in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. You can also find them at Costco.
Ingredients in Strawberry Empanadas
- Raw flour tortillas
- Strawberries
- Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Butter
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
So Many Fillings, So Little Time
There are a variety of fillings that you can use in addition to fresh strawberries. Here are a few more sweet fillings to try with this recipe:
- Substitute fresh berries or sliced fresh peaches in place of the strawberries
- Nutella and strawberries (spread Nutella on the inside of the tortilla before adding the strawberry filling)
- Strawberry cheesecake (mix 4 ounces cream cheese with ¼ cup sugar, spread on the inside of the tortilla before adding the strawberry filling)
- Banana filling (mix 4 cups of sliced bananas with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
- Chocolate banana filling (same as above, but add a handful of chocolate chips)
- Apple filling (mix 4 cups of sliced apples with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
Frequently Asked Questions
It really depends on your taste. Baking empanadas is a healthier way to go, but takes a little longer to cook. The crust of the empanada is softer, but if baked properly, still has a crisp outer shell. Fried empanadas cook up quicker and are crispier, but can also be greasy.
All kinds of fruits can be used to fill dessert empanadas. We use fresh strawberries in this recipe, but apples, peaches, apricots, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and bananas can all be used for the fruit filling.
Traditionally empanadas are filled with a savory filling. Chicken, pork, and beef are common fillings along with vegetables, and/or cheese.
5-Star Reviews
“So, so good!! They were gone within seconds!! My family wants to try with other fruits!”
-Kristyn
“Thanks a lot for this strawberry empanada! Very delicious and easy to make! Thank you!”
-Alyssa
Make a Mexican Feast
Gear up for Cinco de Mayo, or any day of the year and enjoy a Mexican feast. Try some of our most popular Mexican-inspired recipes!
How To Make Strawberry Empanadas
Baked Strawberry Empanadas
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (almond extract can also be used)
- 1 pound strawberries
- 8 raw flour tortillas store bought or homemade
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- cinnamon and sugar to taste
Instructions
- Mix sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside. Mix water and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When heated and melted together, slowly add in the sugar/cornstarch mixture while stirring constantly. Continue to stir over heat until sauce becomes thick, then remove from heat and add the vanilla.
- While the mixture cools, slices the strawberries and place them in a medium bowl. Pour the mixture over the strawberries.
- Add a spoonful of the strawberry filling along the center of a raw tortilla.
- Wrap the tortilla up and try to fold in the edges so the sauce stays inside. Lightly brush the top of the empanada with butter then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Repeat until all tortillas are filled. Place each one on a baking sheet.
- Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes, until tortillas are cooked and golden.
Notes
More Filling Options
- Substitute fresh berries or sliced fresh peaches in place of the strawberries
- Nutella and strawberries (spread Nutella on the inside of the tortilla before adding the strawberry filling)
- Strawberry cheesecake (mix 4 ounces cream cheese with ¼ cup sugar, spread on the inside of the tortilla before adding the strawberry filling)
- Banana filling (mix 4 cups of sliced bananas with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
- Chocolate banana filling (same as above, but add a handful of chocolate chips)
- Apple filling (mix 4 cups of sliced apples with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
Nutrition Information
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Homemade Empanadas are the absolute BEST! I love that you can fill them with any kind of fruit you prefer. We like to add whip cream or ice cream with them too.
So, so good!! They were gone within seconds!! My family wants to try with other fruits!
Sweet empanadas are just as delicious as savory ones! I think strawberry filling is my favorite!
Thanks a lot for this strawberry empanada! Very delicious and easy to make! Thank you!
This looks delicious! Can I make them the night before and store them in the fridge?
They really taste better fresh, I noticed that the leftovers got a little soggy.
Enchiladas, not empanadas.