Pumpkin Empanadas are a cozy Autumn treat

Pumpkin Empanadas are a childhood favorite sweet that can be enjoyed for breakfast for dessert. Filled with rich cinnamon spiked pumpkin, these have all the flavors and feels of fall!
The word “empanada” means that is is something that is made with bread. An empanada is a stuffed turnover which is most traditionally filled with pumpkin puree. Even though ther are many empanadas that are fried, Pumpkin Empanadas are always baked.

You can add variations to your Pumpkin Empanadas, such as changing up the spices, or adding a little maple syrup or chopped nuts to the filling. Check out my recipe for Roasted Pumpkin and Apple Empanadas here…basically the same recipe but using apples as a sweeter. Also, I love using dulce de leche as an empanada glaze.

In this recipe, I added 2 washes and both are optional. The egg wash is brushed on before the Pumpkin Empanada is baked. Egg washes give a shiny coating to a baked empanada but will not change the flavor. The second wash is a honey glaze which is brushed on after the empanada is baked. The honey simply functions as a sweet stickiness that keeps the cinnamon sugar from rolling off the crust. I like the crunchiness of the granulated sugar sprinkled on top.

Pumpkin Empanadas will keep for a couple of days on the countertop and perhaps up to 4 days in the refrigerator. However, like most baked items, these spicy empanadas are best when they are fresh out of the oven. If you want one with your morning coffee, toaster ovens are excellent for reheating an empanada.