Soft crust like empanada on the outside with a warm apple and cinnamon inside these Apple Cinnamon Empanadas (Empanadas de Manzana y Canela) are like a hand held warm apple pie. You won’t be able to just eat one!

Jump to:
How to store
They can be stored in a zip lock bag or an air tight container at room temp for 3-5 days.
How to make apple cinnamon empanadas
For the Filling:
Begin by first preparing your filling because it will need to cool before adding it to your empanada dough.
Start by peeling 4 apples and removing the core.
Chop your apples into small bite size pieces.
To a pot over medium-low heat add 3 tablespoons of butter, the chopped apples, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and ¾ cup of sugar. Cook for about 10 minutes or until soft, but not mushy. (Note: Remember, they will continue to cook in the oven when we bake the empanada).
Next, in a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with ½ tablespoon of water. Make sure there are no lumps and after the 10 minutes of cooking the apples add the cornstarch slurry to the pot with the apples. Mix well.
Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until your mixture has thickened.
Cool your apples for about 20 minutes before adding them to your dough.
For the Dough:
For the dough, start by creaming the butter and cream cheese together.
Add the flour to the butter and cream cheese mixture until well combined.
Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes.
Once your dough has rested and the filling has cooled, it’s time to roll out the dough.
Start by making dough balls about the size of your palm or 2 ounces each.
Use a tortilla press or a rolling pin to flatten your dough balls into a disc that is about 5 inches in diameter and ¼ in thick.
Take about 1 tablespoon of filling and place it slightly off-center. Do not overfill because it might spill out during baking.
Using a little bit of egg wash, moisten the edges of the flat dough.
Fold the dough over itself and press together with a fork to crimp the edges. Place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart from each other. Continue until you run out of dough.
At this point, you can either brush the tops of the empanadas with an egg wash or leave as is and you can roll in cinnamon sugar after baking.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for approximately 25-30 or until a light golden brown
If you are rolling them in cinnamon sugar, make sure it’s done as soon as they come out of the oven. In a bowl big enough, add the sugar and cinnamon, mix well. Add an empanada to the sugar mixture and toss to coat. Remove and leave them cool on a cooling rack.
Once it has cooled a bit enjoy!
Notes:
For a more in depth explanation on how to roll out the dough, check out my post on How to Make Empanada Dough.
Similar Recipes
Apple Cinnamon Empanadas (Empanadas de Manzana y Canela) Recipe
Description
Soft crust like empanada on the outside with a warm apple and cinnamon inside these Apple Cinnamon Empanadas (Empanadas de Manzana y Canela) are like a hand held warm apple pie. You won’t be able to just eat one!
Ingredients
For the Filling:
4 apples – honey crisp, granny smith or gala
3 tablespoons of butter
½ teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
¾ cup of sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ tablespoon of water
For the Dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 sticks (1 cup) of softened butter
8 oz cream cheese – softened
Egg Wash:
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk or cream
Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
½ cup sugar
½ tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
For the Filling:
Begin by first preparing your filling because it will need to cool before adding it to your empanada dough.
Start by peeling 4 apples and removing the core.
Chop your apples into small bite size pieces.
To a pot over medium-low heat add 3 tablespoons of butter, the chopped apples, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and ¾ cup of sugar. Cook for about 10 minutes or until soft, but not mushy. (Note: Remember, they will continue to cook in the oven when we bake the empanada).
Next, in a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with ½ tablespoon of water. Make sure there are no lumps and after the 10 minutes of cooking the apples add the cornstarch slurry to the pot with the apples. Mix well.
Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until your mixture has thickened.
Cool your apples for about 20 minutes before adding them to your dough.
For the Dough:
For the dough, start by creaming the butter and cream cheese together.
Add the flour to the butter and cream cheese mixture until well combined.
Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes.
Once your dough has rested and the filling has cooled, it’s time to roll out the dough.
Start by making dough balls about the size of your palm or 2 ounces each.
Use a tortilla press or a rolling pin to flatten your dough balls into a disc that is about 5 inches in diameter and ¼ in thick.
Take about 1 tablespoon of filling and place it slightly off-center. Do not overfill because it might spill out during baking.
Using a little bit of egg wash, moisten the edges of the flat dough.
Fold the dough over itself and press together with a fork to crimp the edges. Place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart from each other. Continue until you run out of dough.
At this point, you can either brush the tops of the empanadas with an egg wash or leave as is and you can roll in cinnamon sugar after baking.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for approximately 25-30 or until a light golden brown
If you are rolling them in cinnamon sugar, make sure it’s done as soon as they come out of the oven. In a bowl big enough, add the sugar and cinnamon, mix well. Add an empanada to the sugar mixture and toss to coat. Remove and leave them cool on a cooling rack.
Once it has cooled a bit enjoy!
Leave a comment