Blueberry Empanadas

It’s berry season, and I wanted to surprise my hubby with Blueberry Empanadas. They represent a combination of both our cultures.

Me: Mexican.
He: A product of Upstate New York.

He has found memories of picking berries and eat something called “rhubarb pie.”

I saw it once, and it looked like celery! Why would anyone make celery pie? Oh why? Oh why? Ay ay ay!

How to Make Blueberry Empanadas

This is such an easy dessert to put together. These are all the ingredients you will need.

Some people like to add a powdered sugar sauce on top. If that’s you, add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and water to the list of ingredients.

You can make your own dough if you want to, but I like to take shortcuts when I can.

You need fresh, ripe blueberries.

When my son was little and obsessed with blueberries, I would buy them in bulk when they were in season. They were cheaper this way.

• Rinse and let them dry fully.
• Place a plastic freezer bag.

They take only a few minutes to defrost. You can add them to Blueberry Smoothies or Mexican Oatmeal. They are so yummy and good for you too.

• Mix the blueberries and the sugar together.
• Set aside until ready to use.

By the way, you don’t need to refrigerate the blueberries while you roll out the dough.

That is, unless you are going to wait to assemble the empanadas, then I would put the berry sugar mixture in the fridge.

Please note: Authentic Mexican Desserts are typically not very sweet. So, I’m not adding a lot of sugar to the blueberries.

• Add some flour to a clean surface.
• Roll out the dough.

I also find that dusting off the rolling pin with flour helps in this process.

If you are using a refrigerated pie dough, be sure to let it come to room temperature before rolling it out. Look on the package. They sometimes put instructions on how to do this correctly.

It will break apart on you if it is too cold.

Each circle is about 3 inches in diameter. I was able to get 7 circles from one refrigerated pie crust.

Most refrigerated pie crusts come with two rolls of pie crusts, giving you 14 empanadas in total.

Blueberry Empanadas freeze well. If you are not going to eat all 14 right away, you can:

• Place them in a plastic freezer bag.
• Remove as much air as possible. Put in the freezer.
• Thaw completely and place 7 minutes in a 375 degree F oven.

They will last up to 3 months in the freezer.

• Add the filling to the center of the dough.
• Don’t add too much, or the edges will not seal.

This is only 1 tablespoon of filling. Remember that when they cook, the filling will condensed down like a jam.

I like to leave the berries whole, but you can mash them slightly to get more of the filling in the center.

FYI: I am calling these “empanadas,” but I’ve learned that they are also called “hand pies” or “turnovers.”

In Spanish, these are called Empanadas de Arándanos.

The other thing that I suggest is assemble the Blueberry Empanadas on the cookie sheet that is going to go in the oven.

That way, you don’t have to move the dough and berries over to the cookie sheet.

Or, you can assemble the empanadas and seal them, then move them over to the cookie sheet.

Whatever way you find easiest is fine.

• Fold over the dough.
• Seal the edges with a fork.

I love Authentic Mexican Food, but I will take shortcuts whenever I can find one.

For me, that’s sealing with a fork. If you’re into folding the edges over by hand, go for it.

I’m always impressed when I see the edges sealed by hand. They’re a lot of work!

• Make a few slits on top of the dough.
• You can also make an X with the knife.

This will help the Blueberry Empanadas breathe when they’re in the oven. Some of the filling will drip out. That’s inevitable.

Have you ever been at the panadería and wondered what type of empanada filling was inside? Then you choose one, get home, and it’s not what you wanted. I hate that!

By making a slit, there’s no wondering what is inside. 🙂

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Now the hard part…

• Let the Blueberry Empanadas cool slightly before eating.

I like to eat these with Café de la Olla, but ice cream or whipped cream would make good accompaniments.

Warm empanadas are simply amazing. The smell of freshly baked pastries is intoxicating!

It will make your entire family run to the kitchen, neighbors will be knocking, dogs will be begging. You’ve been forewarned. LOL.

Did you make this recipe? Please rate the recipe below!

More Empanada Recipes

Bake a big batch of Pineapple Empanadas, or Empanadas de Piña. Once you take a bite of that sweet and juicy fruit, you’ll want a dozen just for yourself. Did I mention this is also a completely vegan recipe? Oh yes!

Empanadas de Queso (Cheese Empanadas) – This has to be the easiest Mexican appetizer ever! Cheesy, spicy, and perfect for a party or just because. Only a few ingredients and minutes later, and you have a tasty treat ready to eat.

Empanadas de Calabaza (or Pumpkin Empanadas) are not just for the Fall. In Mexico, we eat these are year long. With a sweet and delicious filling and a flaky, buttery crust, they are hard to resist.

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