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    Home » Recipes

    Pineapple Empanadas, or Empanadas de Piña

    Published: Feb 22, 2018 · Updated: Jun 4, 2019 by Maggie Unzueta

    This recipe for Pineapple Empanadas, or Empanadas de Piña, is a keeper. These yummy and vegan empanadas are sweet and slightly tart. They make a great dessert for everyone in the family.
    Jump to Recipe
    This recipe for Pineapple Empanadas, or Empanadas de Piña, is a keeper. These yummy and vegan empanadas are sweet and slightly tart. They make a great dessert for everyone in the family.

    This recipe for Pineapple Empanadas, or Empanadas de Piña, is a keeper. These yummy and vegan empanadas are sweet and slightly tart. They make a great dessert for everyone in the family.

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Stacked Pineapple Empanadas, or Empanadas de Pina, in a basket

    Do you know about my little brother yet? Well, he’s not so little. He’s 6’4”, smarter than the average bear, and a vegan. He is very busy right now getting his PhD in Computational Chemistry. He’s smart, remember? I decided to make him a vegan dessert. That’s why I made Pineapple Empanadas, or Empanadas de Piña.

    Hand holding fresh pineapple

    I contacted my fellow food blogger and friend Sonia from La Piña en la Cocina and discussed what I could make for my genius brother. She suggested I use her mom’s empanada dough recipe which does not use milk but a cinnamon tea base. It’s a tough dough to work with, she said, and many have had problems with it. My response: CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

    Pouring Liquid to Make Empanada Dough

    This dough is not your average dough. It’s not your average John “DOUGH”, it’s “Juan” of a kind. (lol) Make the cinnamon anise “tea.” Once cooled, add it to your flour mixture.

    Pastry cutter cutting shortening into dough

    This isn’t the smooth Pillsbury refrigerated dough we all know and love. I adapted her mom’s recipe slightly to make it more user friendly. I suggest adding more tea water. Enough to get the dough going. Here is the original recipe.

    Ball of Dough in Hand with Rolling Pin in the Background

    Here’s something else I recommend. Don’t roll out the entire dough like normal empanadas. Kinda like flour tortillas or buñuelos, make individual dough balls and roll each out. If you have a tortilla press, this will go quickly. If you don’t, roll out the dough then cut out your circle.

    Hand on Rolling Pin that is rolling out the dough

    The beauty of this dough: There’s no dairy. No need to worry about keeping it cold or warming up the dough with your hands. Love that!

    Chopped pineapple filling cooking in a pot

    For the filling… Since I was talking to Sonia, or as some people know her, “La Piña.” I decided to make my bro Pineapple Empanadas, or Empanadas de Piña. Chop the fresh pineapple, thicken up with cornstarch, and set aside to cool.

    Empanadas on a Cookie Sheet

    Add a spoonful of your pineapple filling to the dough and fold. I’m not as fancy as La Piña when it comes to empanada edge. I use a fork because it’s forking easy. Ha!

    Hands opening in half pineapple empanadas

    Who would ever guessed these Pineapple Empanadas, or Empanadas de Piña, are this good and 100% vegan?! Confession time: My family was somewhat upset when I only gave them one each. PhD-ing is hard stuff! My little brother deserves alllll the empanadas… minus the ones I ate. For testing purposes, of course. 😉

    Check out More Recipes from La Piña en La Cocina:
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    Stacked Pineapple Empanadas, or Empanadas de Pina, in a basket

    Table of Contents

    • 1 Pineapple Empanadas, or Empanadas de Piña
      • 1.1 Ingredients
      • 1.2 Instructions
      • 1.3 Video
      • 1.4 Notes
      • 1.5 Nutrition
      • 1.6 How would you eat Pineapple Empanadas, or Empanadas de Piña? Breakfast or Dessert?

    Pineapple Empanadas, or Empanadas de Piña

    This recipe for Pineapple Empanadas, or Empanadas de Piña, is a keeper. These yummy and vegan empanadas are sweet and slightly tart. They make a great dessert for everyone in the family.
    5 from 36 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 24
    Calories: 229kcal
    Author: Maggie Unzueta

    Ingredients

    • For the Dough:
    • 1 ½ cup water
    • 1 piece star of anise
    • 1-2 inch cinnamon stick
    • 3 ½ cups all purpose flour sifted
    • ½ cup sugar
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup shortening
    • For the Filling:
    • 1 fresh pineapple
    • 1 cup sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 2 tablespoons cold water
    • Additional Ingredients:
    • Water
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ cup sugar

    Instructions

    • For the Dough:
    • Combine the water, anise, and cinnamon stick in a small pot.
    • Bring to a boil.
    • Boil for 3 minutes.
    • Set aside and let cool.
    • Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
    • Heat the shortening in a microwave-safe bowl just until it begins to melt.
    • Cut the shortening into the flour with a pastry cutter or fork.
    • Strain the anise/cinnamon from water.
    • Start by mixing in ½ cup of warm “cinnamon tea” into the flour mixture.
    • Mix until dough forms. It will look slightly lumpy (not smooth).
    • Knead in a little more water and work the dough for 5-6 minutes.
    • You will use about 1 cup of the warm liquid, or whatever is needed.
    • Cover with a towel and let dough rest for 30 minutes.
    • For the Filling:
    • Cut up a fresh pineapple.
    • Chop into small pieces.
    • Discard the tough core.
    • To a stock pot, add the pineapple, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.
    • Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
    • Reduce the heat and let cook for 15 minutes.
    • Continue stirring occasionally.
    • With a potato masher, break up the larger pieces of pineapple.
    • In a small cup, stir together cornstarch and the cold water.
    • Add the cornstarch mixture to the pineapple.
    • Cook until the pineapple filling starts to thicken.
    • Remove from heat and let cool.
    • To Assemble:
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    • Dust your working surface with flour.
    • Make 24-28 small dough balls the size of a large golf ball.
    • With a rolling pin, roll each dough out to 2 - inch circles.
    • Add a 1 - 1½ tablespoons of filling to the center of each circle.
    • Fold over the dough and using a fork or fingers, press edges together to seal.
    • Transfer empanadas to a lined baking sheet.
    • In a small bowl, mix ground cinnamon + ½ cup sugar.
    • Brush water over the top of each empanada.
    • (For non-vegans, you can use an egg + water mixture instead of water)
    • Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the empanadas.
    • Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
    • While the empanadas are still warm, add more of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
    • Let cool and enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    Add more water if needed to bring the dough together. 
    For non-vegans:
    • You can use an egg + water mixture instead of water to brush the top of the empanadas.
    • You can also use butter instead of shortening to make the dough. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 86mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 22IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @MamaMaggiesKitchen or tag #MamaMaggiesKitchen!

    Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

    How would you eat Pineapple Empanadas, or Empanadas de Piña? Breakfast or Dessert?

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    About Maggie Unzueta

    Maggie Unzueta is the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer, videographer, and creator of In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been developing easy and authentic Mexican food, Mexican-inspired recipes, and traveling tips since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Karen

      March 02, 2021 at 3:39 pm

      5 stars
      I accidentally left my dough sit over night , is bad to use it ?

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        October 11, 2021 at 4:31 pm

        If it was outside, I would not use it. There isn’t any egg or milk, so even outside might be ok, but I wouldn’t chance it. Inside a fridge, it’s definitely ok to use.

        Reply
    2. Silvia

      October 11, 2020 at 6:53 pm

      5 stars
      Best empanadas ever!! Thank you

      Reply
      • Maggie U

        October 12, 2020 at 5:06 pm

        Thank you very much! So glad you enjoyed this recipe!

        Reply
        • Velma

          December 12, 2021 at 2:37 pm

          Will this recipe work with gluten free flour?

        • Maggie Unzueta

          December 14, 2021 at 9:02 am

          I have never tried it with gluten free flour. Sorry. Wish I could be more help.

    3. Kate | Veggie Desserts

      February 23, 2018 at 11:56 pm

      5 stars
      That spiced John ‘Dough’ sounds so good! Your brother is lucky to have you to make him such great treats.

      Reply
    4. Dana Sandonato

      February 23, 2018 at 5:31 pm

      5 stars
      These sound delightful! And I bet the homemade empanada crust makes these that much better <3

      Reply
    5. Pam Greer

      February 23, 2018 at 4:23 pm

      5 stars
      That is so sweet of you to make vegan empanadas for your brother!! I love the pineapple in these!

      Reply
    6. Rebecca | Let's Eat Cake

      February 23, 2018 at 3:02 pm

      I love empanadas and these pineapple ones sound super tasty! Thank you for the step-by-step tips on how to make them too!

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        February 23, 2018 at 3:08 pm

        Hi Rebecca, thank you! I love Pineapple Empanadas, or Empanadas de Piña, too. .. especially in the morning with a big cup of coffee. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Jill

      February 23, 2018 at 12:06 pm

      5 stars
      With all that flavor (especially added to the dough) these sound incredible!

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        February 23, 2018 at 3:00 pm

        Thanks. These Empanadas de Piña, or Pineapple Empanadas, were so good. And yes, that extra flavor goes a long way!

        Reply

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