sweet potato mini empanadas
I remember when I was little, my grandma in Mexico and my mom would make empanadas, both sweet and savory. This is a sweet empanada recipe. They remind me of my grandma's empanadas. This recipe is so good and easy to make, especially for kids. You can use any sweet filling, like apple or Nutella and bananas. You can also add raisins or nuts to the sweet potato filling. Or, a savory filling like picadillo or chicken. If doing savory, omit the 1/4 cup sugar in the dough.
Blue Ribbon Recipe
These sweet potato empanadas were a surprise for our taste buds. They tasted like sugar cookies with a sweet cinnamon pumpkin filling. Karina classified them as breakfast, but we think two or three could easily be a yummy dessert. The sweetened crust is golden brown and flaky. Inside is a smooth and creamy homemade sweet potato filling with just the right amount of sweetness from the brown sugar and honey. They do take a little time to prepare, but it's easy enough that kids can be involved.
Ingredients
- SWEET POTATO FILLING
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- DOUGH
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temp
- 2 sticks butter, room temp
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- TOPPING
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 cup sugar cinnamon mixture
How To Make sweet potato mini empanadas
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Step 1In a small pot, add diced sweet potato and cover with water. Boil for 20-25 minutes until fork tender. -
Step 2In a food processor, add butter, cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt. Pulse until dough comes together. You can also do this by hand or with a mixer.
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Step 3Put dough on a floured counter and make into a ball.
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Step 4Wrap with plastic wrap and let it chill for 1 hour. You can also do this ahead of time.
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Step 5After the potato is cooked, drain.
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Step 6Add back into the pot. Add brown sugar, honey, butter, cinnamon, and salt.
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Step 7Mash with wooden spoon or potato masher.
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Step 8Put mixture in plastic container (at this point, you can add raisins, optional) and put in fridge to cool for 1 hour.
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Step 9After 1 hour, get baking pans ready and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Flour your board or counter and roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Get your round cookie cutter. I use a 3-inch one. Start cutting out the dough.
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Step 10I got 36 rounds out of my dough.
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Step 11In each round, put 1 tsp full of filling in the middle of the round.
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Step 12Fold over and press edge down with a finger. Crimp with a fork. Repeat until you are done with all the rounds.
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Step 13Place empanadas on prepared cookie sheets.
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Step 14Whisk egg and water for an egg wash.
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Step 15Brush pastry with the egg wash.
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Step 16Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if desired.
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Step 17Bake for 20 - 25 minutes in the preheated oven.
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Step 18Let cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!
