Sweet Potato Empanadas

Name: Sweet Potato Empanadas
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon yeast; ⅓ cup warm milk; ½ stick butter, melted and cooled; 2 ½ cups all purpose flour; 2 lightly beaten eggs; ¼ cup sugar; ¼ tsp salt (I used Hawaiian Red); 2 lbs sweet potato; 5 oz Piloncillo; 1 Sri Lankan Cinnamon stick; 1-2 teaspoons Sri Lankan Cinnamon; ½ teaspoon ground cloves; 1 teaspoon whole anise seed; 1 teaspoon ginger, ground; 2 tablespoons applesauce (optional); 1 egg; 1 tablespoon milk; 1 teaspoon Sri Lankan Cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Anise seeds Cinnamon Cinnamon sticks Cloves Ground Main dish Nutmeg Sri lankan Vegetarian

Sweet Potato Empanadas

By Charlotte Oelerich

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Servings

We love empanadas in my household, and what’s not to love? The buttery crunch of pastry, your favorite fillings, they're not too big, but small enough that you can eat two (or more...), and still feel good about it! You can even get away with whipping up a batch of cream, and dunking these lovelies!

I chose sweet potatoes as a perfect autumnal filling, but you could also select pumpkin or butternut squash. I paired those with some of my all-time favorite warming spices, and used the caramel flavor of Piloncillo for some sugary deliciousness. My seven-year old assures me that they are better than she expected, and wonders when we will make more!

They fill me with childhood memories of baking with my Grandma, a time to relish her homemade food; while remembering the flavors of cinnamon, ginger and cloves that would fill her small farm kitchen.

The final blend of sweet potato, Piloncillo, cinnamon, anise, cloves, ginger and a sparkle of nutmeg will give you and yours a big, warm hug with time to remember all the family and friends who have been there to spice up your life.

Ingredients

Dough:

1 teaspoon yeast
⅓ cup warm milk
½ stick butter, melted and cooled
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 lightly beaten eggs
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt (I used Hawaiian Red)

Filling:

2 lbs sweet potato
5 oz Piloncillo
1 Sri Lankan Cinnamon stick
1-2 teaspoons Sri Lankan Cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon whole anise seed
1 teaspoon ginger, ground
2 tablespoons applesauce (optional)

Topping:

1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon Sri Lankan Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

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Directions

Prepare the dough: Let the yeast and warm milk sit for 5 minutes. Mix all other ingredients. Add the yeast/milk mixture. Knead for 5 minutes. The dough should be smooth. Let the dough rest in a covered oiled bowl for 1 ½ hours.
Boil 1 cup of water for 1 minute with 1-2 teaspoons of anise seeds, and a cinnamon stick. Use a sieve to filter out seeds and cinnamon. Save water. Use a food processor to pulse together the dry ingredients. Add the saved water 2 tablespoons at a time. You will not use all the water.
When the dough comes together, remove from the food processor and knead it for 2-3 minutes. Let rest under plastic wrap for 5-10 minutes. Divide into 12 balls and cover with plastic wrap.
Roll each into 7” circle. Add ¼ cup of sweet potato filling. Fold over into a half-moon shape. Crimp the edge with a fork. Follow the directions above to add the egg wash and spiced sugar topping. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Enjoy!

Recipe Note

Note: If you can't find piloncillo, you can substitute dark brown sugar.

Here's an alternative, quicker dough if desired.

Ingredients:

1-2 teaspoons whole anise seeds
1 cinnamon stick
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt (I used Hawaiian red)
¼ cup sugar
1 stick of cold butter, cut into cubes

Sweet Potato Empanadas

COMMENTS

Glenny on January 27, 2022

Hi Maureen,

Thanks for reaching out! This recipe will yield 12 empanadas.

Happy cooking!
Glenny
Maureen Murray on January 27, 2022

Can you provide an approximate yield for this recipe please? (how many “each”). Thank you!
Bernadette Powell on November 29, 2020

I made these with butternut squash. Next time I would use half the cinnamon because it’s a bit overpowering for my personal taste.
Laurie Mackenzie on November 03, 2020

I made a gluten-free and vegan version of the sweet potato empanadas, using a pie dough recipe from Alana Taylor-Tobin’s Alternative Baking book. Just had one for breakfast on the Dia de Los Muertos. Delicious!
Sharon Redgrave on November 03, 2020

These sound amazing! And since my husband is not fond of pumpkin, I will serve these as part of Thanksgiving dessert! Thanks for the recipe!

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Sweet Potato Empanadas

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Ingredients

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Filling:

Topping:

Directions

Recipe Note

Sweet Potato Empanadas

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