There’s nothing quite like homemade Empanadas de Pina, or Pineapple Empanadas. Crispy on the outside and bursting with bright, tropical pineapple, you won’t believe how easy it is to whip these up from scratch. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, snacking, or dessert. Make these and watch them fly off the tray.
These pineapple empanadas are truly something special and have the right texture, with a sweet, crispy exterior and flavorful, fruity filling. It’s a simple and classic recipe that is a staple in bread carts and panaderias around Mexico. I tested this recipe in many different ways and many, many times to get just right. There’s seriously something special about being able to recreate a recipe from a loved one’s childhood memory. No matter the occasion, these are a fun and easy kitchen project that will be a hit with kids and adults alike!
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What you need
For the Pineapple Filling
- Frozen pineapple chunks
- Sugar
- Lemon Juice
- Vanilla
- Cornstarch
For the Empanada Dough
- Flour
- Water
- Shortening
- Salt
- Sugar
Shortening or Butter?
- Shortening: Shortening is less sensitive to temperature changes, not only making it ideal if you're a beginner, but also, the more authentic choice (unless you use lard) for Mexican pastry recipes. Another plus is that using shortening means you will have vegan empanadas, which may or not be important to you, but it's always nice to have one or two recipes like that in your back pocket!
- Butter: Butter can add a rich, buttery flavor and, create a flakier dough. Due to it's water content, evaporation during the cooking process creates steam and contributes to flakier layers. However, butter can be challenging to work with as it's more sensitive to temperature. In my recipe testing, butter was delicious but ultimately didn't remind my husband of the empanada dough he remembered from his childhood.
How to Make Empanadas de Pina: Step-By-Step Instructions
Make the Pineapple Filling
- Defrost and drain pineapple chunks.
- Roughly chop the pineapple chunks and add to a medium saucepan with sugar, lemon, and vanilla. Stir and bring to a low boil.
- Cook pineapple, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. First bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring often so nothing burns. Then lower heat to medium low, and let it bubble and blip for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in cornstarch.
- Remove the filling from the heat, and let it cool to room temperature. Use a stick blender to blend the jam to your desired consistency.
Make the Cinnamon Sugar
At one point before the empanadas come out of the oven, make the cinnamon sugar coating. In a pasta plate or wide bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside until the empanadas come out of the oven. Alternatively, you can brush empanadas with egg wash before they go into the oven and leave them plain, or you can skip the cinnamon, and just use granulated sugar. It’s really a matter of personal taste.
Make the Empanada Dough
- To make the empanada dough, combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl to make the flour mixture: 4 cups of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar, and then using your hands or a pastry cutter, work in the 1 ¼ cups of shortening until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbles. NOTE: If you’d like your dough to have a yellow hue the way it does in some bakeries, you can use a few flecks of yellow gel food coloring and whip it into a small bowl with the shortening before you work it into the rest of the dough.
- Add the vanilla first, and then the water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together in a large ball. Cover and let chill in the fridge while you preheat the oven to 375F.
- Divide the dough into 12-14 chunks and roll into dough balls. Press the ball of dough down lightly onto a lightly floured surface, before rolling into a rough disc. (I’ve found this dough won’t give you a perfect circle.)
- Place 2-3 tablespoons of the pineapple filling in the middle of the dough circle, leaving approximately 1 inch of dough around the outside and close into a half-moon shape, sealing it shut by gently pressing the edges together with your fingers.
- Gently transfer the empanada to a parchment-lined baking sheet and crimp the edges down with the prongs of a fork. (Alternatively, you can fold these up as a triangle, see the video in the blog post to learn how!)
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the empanadas start to brown around the edges. Remove
- While still warm, coat with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Pro Tips for Making Homemade Pineapple Empanadas
- Bring filling to room temperature before using. It's important not to add hot pineapple to your empanada dough, which will make the dough into a soggy, sticky mess. Good news for meal preppers everywhere: You can make the filling the night before or up to a week in advance! If you decide to make these on a whim, you can bring your fruit preserves to room temp faster if you spread it out onto a 9x13 pan or a cookie sheet. This increases the surface area exposed to the air, allowing it to cool faster and more evenly. If you're truly short on time, a quick stint in the freezer -- just 15 minutes -- should do the trick!
- Try using a tortilla press. I like hand rolling my dough to reach my desired empanada thickness, but a lot of recipes call for flattening portions of dough with a tortillas press between a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap. This allows for a more even circle shape. The downside is that your empanadas might not be as thin.
- Trim scraggly edges. If your discs of dough aren't perfect circles and it bothers you once you've closed the empanada, you can cut some of the excess dough away to have a move even empanada. Just make sure what you're left with is still properly sealed. (I like those scraggly bits, though, because you'll get a few extra crispy bits along the edges.)
- Crimp the edges tightly with a fork to keep filling from bubbling out. If you find you’ve overfloured the dough to roll it out and that you can't quite crimp it shut, dip your finger into a glass of water and run it along one of the edges before closing.
- Dip into sugar as soon as you can safely handle the empanadas. This will help the sugar stick to the outside of the empanadas. If the sugar isn’t sticking to the outside of the warm empanada, you can brush the tops of your empanadas with melted butter and dip them into the cinnamon sugar that way. This method works if, say, you’ve accidentally walked away from the empanadas and they’ve completely cooled off. (Shoutout to all my multi-tasking parents out there!)
How To Top Your Empanadas
- With cinnamon sugar: This is our favorite way to top these empanadas de piña and I’ve included the quantities needed to do this as part of this recipe. You can omit the cinnamon if desired.
- With an egg wash: To do this crack an egg in a small bowl and whisk together with a tablespoon or two of water and brush onto your empanadas just before baking.
Empanada Shaping [Video]
How To Serve
Sweet empanadas make a wonderful breakfast treat, so you can enjoy them as is with a cup of coffee (for those old enough to partake in caffeinated beverages). But this can also be a wonderful dessert for special occasions. Dress your dessert empanadas up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream and you are good to go!
Storing and Reheating Your Empanadas
Baked and cooled pineapple empanadas can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw them in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.
To reheat your empanadas, you pop them in the oven or toaster oven at 350°F for 5 to 10 minutes. Or, reheat them in the air fryer at 325°F for 5 minutes. If you freeze your empanadas to reheat for later, I recommend dusting them with sugar AFTER you reheat.
Looking for More...
Empanada Recipes?
- Empanadas criollas, or Argentinian Beef Empanadas. These are stuffed with beef, egg, olives, and raisins. The perfect sweet and savory bite and a hit at any dinner party!
- Caprese empanadas are stuffed with mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil for a taste of summer that's irresistible year round.
- Savory empanada dough
Breakfast Recipes
- Ginger peach muffins: The perfect summertime breakfast muffin. Fluffy and tender crumb with a big top made crunchy with coarse sanding sugar.
- Sage Blackberry Buttermilk Scones: A non-traditional twist on a beloved breakfast treat. Whip up a batch to go with your morning cup of coffee.
- Cream Cheese Everything Bagel Bites: A family favorite that can't be beat. Eat them for breakfast or serve them up at dinner time for a surprise everyone will love!
📖 Recipe
Empanadas de Pina (Pineapple Empanadas)
There’s nothing quite like a homemade pineapple empanada. Crispy on the outside and bursting with bright, tropical pineapple, you won’t believe how easy it is to whip these up from scratch. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, snacking, or dessert.
Ingredients
Pineapple Filling
- 2 pounds frozen pineapple
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Empanada Dough
- 4 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ¼ cups shortening
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 8-10 tablespoons ice cold water
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Make the Pineapple Filling
- Defrost and drain pineapple chunks.
- Roughly chop the pineapple chunks and add to a medium saucepan with sugar, lemon, and vanilla. Stir and bring to a low boil.
- Cook pineapple, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. First bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring often so nothing burns. Then lower heat to medium low, and let it bubble and blip for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in cornstarch.
- Remove the filling from the heat, and let it cool to room temperature. Use a stick blender to blend the jam to your desired consistency.
Make the Cinnamon Sugar
- At one point before the empanadas come out of the oven, make the cinnamon sugar coating. In a pasta plate or wide bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside until the empanadas come out of the oven. Alternatively, you can brush empanadas with egg wash before they go into the oven and leave them plain, or you can skip the cinnamon, and just use granulated sugar. It’s really a matter of personal taste.
Make the Empanada Dough
- To make the empanada dough, combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl to make the flour mixture: 4 cups of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar, and then using your hands or a pastry cutter, work in the 1 ¼ cups of shortening until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbles. NOTE: If you’d like your dough to have a yellow hue the way it does in some bakeries, you can use a few flecks of yellow gel food coloring and whip it into a small bowl with the shortening before you work it into the rest of the dough.
- Add the vanilla first, and then the water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together in a large ball. Cover and let chill in the fridge while you preheat the oven to 375F.
- Divide the dough into 12-14 chunks and roll into dough balls. Press the ball of dough down lightly onto a lightly floured surface, before rolling into a rough disc. (I’ve found this dough won’t give you a perfect circle.)
- Place 2-3 tablespoons of the pineapple filling in the middle of the dough circle, leaving approximately 1 inch of dough around the outside and close into a half-moon shape, sealing it shut by gently pressing the edges together with your fingers.
- Gently transfer the empanada to a parchment-lined baking sheet and crimp the edges down with the prongs of a fork. (Alternatively, you can fold these up as a triangle, see the video in the blog post to learn how!)
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the empanadas start to brown around the edges. Remove
- While still warm, coat with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Notes
You cannot use piping hot pineapple preserves or else you will end up with a soggy, wet mess for dough. Make this the night (or up to a week) before or spread onto a 9x13 pan and pop into the freezer for 15 minutes.
You can freeze the empanadas on a cookie sheet before baking and then pop into a freezer bag and cook from frozen whenever the craving hits, however you may need to add a couple of minutes to the bake time if you do this.
You can also freeze the baked empanadas before coating with cinnamon and sugar. Let come to room temp and reheat at 350F for 5-10 minutes. Coat with cinnamon and sugar when they come out.
Looking for savory empanada recipes?
Try my empanadas criollas, a traditional Argentinian empanada, or my empanadas caprese, an empanada stuffed with mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
