Cherry Empanadas

Delicious cherry pies you can hold in your hand - what could be better? That's right - we are talking about cherry empanadas, which prove that these Mexican favorites don't just have to be savory. They make great desserts too!

The filling

You have a couple of options here. One is quick and easy -  use cherry pie filling! The other is to create a filling that's just the way you like it, by making it yourself!

The dough

Once again, you have the quick and easy option of using frozen empanada rounds, which do the job perfectly and work wonderfully with the tasty cherry filling. Other easy options include using frozen puff pastry or pre-made pie dough.

Alternatively, you can make your own empanada pasrty, which is a lot easier than you might think and - since it's homemade - tastes extra special.

How to make cherry emapanadas

Here we have both types of recipes for you - one uses pre-made ingredients and is ready in minutes, the other needs a little more time but is worth the effort!

Quick and Easy Cherry Empanadas

1 pack of frozen empanada dough rounds, thawed

1 can of cherry pie filling

1 beaten egg

cinnamon sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 
2. Spoon a tablespoon of cherry pie filling on to the center of each round of dough. 
3. Dip a finger into water and moisten the edge of the dough, all the way around.
4. Fold the dough over in half and press the edges together firmly.
5. Press all along the edge with the tines of a fork, which will help seal the empanada and looks nice too! 
6. Cut a small slit into the top of each emapanada, then brush with beaten egg.
7. Bake for around 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown. Cool for a few minutes, then dust with cinnamon sugar and serve.
8. These cherry empanadas are delicious served warm or cold.

Homemade Cherry Empanadas

Homemade cherry pie filling:

6 cups fresh cherries, pitted

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2/3 cup granulated sugar (you can increase this if the cherries are a little sour)

4 tablespoons cornstarch

1. Put all the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Immediately reduce the heat to low and cook gently for around 10 minutes, stirring often.
3. Cool befofre use.

Empanada dough

Here's our easy recipe for empanada pastry, which tastes great with this cherry pie filling.

Cut the pastry into circles and fill and bake as in our 'quick and easy' recipe, above!

If you enjoy sweet empanadas, then why not try a sweet and savory combo with our Guava Cheese Empanadas Recipe!