Golden Pumpkin Empanadas (Bakery-Style)

Every fall I make a batch of pumpkin empanadas and my teenager inhales them before they’ve even cooled down. My toddler? She just walks around holding one like it’s the most important thing in her life. That’s when you know a recipe is a keeper.

Jump to Recipe

These pumpkin empanadas started as a Día de los Muertos treat I threw together a few years back, and they’ve become a full-on October through November tradition in our house. The filling is warmly spiced, think pumpkin pie’s cooler, handheld cousin, and the pastry is buttery, flaky, and just sturdy enough to eat standing at the kitchen counter. Which is exactly how we eat them.

What makes this version different is the masa harina in the dough. It gives pumpkin empanadas that subtle corn flavor that takes them from “cute fall dessert” straight to something genuinely special.

Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Empanadas

• Ready in under an hour — no special equipment, no complicated technique
• Handheld and mess-free — perfect for parties, school events, or toddler snack time
• That filling though — spiced pumpkin with brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of cayenne for a little something extra
• Freezer-friendly — make a double batch and thank yourself later
• Uses pantry staples — you probably already have most of this in your kitchen right now

Ingredients for Pumpkin Empanadas

For the Dough:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, the base structure of the pastry
• ½ cup masa harina, adds that subtle corn flavor that makes these pumpkin empanadas taste authentically Mexican, not just fall-ified
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, cold is non-negotiable for flaky layers
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3-4 tablespoons ice cold water, add one tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together

For the Pumpkin Filling:

• 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling, plain puree only)
• ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of cayenne pepper, trust me on this one
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

For Finishing:

• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk (egg wash)
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar for dusting (optional but honestly do it)

How to Make Pumpkin Empanadas — Step by Step

Step 1: Make the Dough

Whisk together the flour, masa harina, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and use your fingertips to work them into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces still visible. Those little butter chunks are what create flaky layers when the dough bakes, don’t overwork it.

Step 2: Bring the Dough Together

Beat the egg lightly and add it to the flour mixture. Stir to combine, then add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing just until the dough comes together into a ball. It should hold its shape when pressed without being sticky. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Resting the dough relaxes the gluten so it’s easy to roll and doesn’t shrink back on you.

Step 3: Mix the Pumpkin Filling

While the dough rests, combine pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cayenne, vanilla, and salt in a bowl. Stir until smooth. Taste it. Adjust sugar or spice to your preference. The filling should be thick enough to hold its shape, if it looks watery, your puree might be loose, and you can stir in a tablespoon of masa harina to thicken it up.

Step 4: Roll and Cut the Dough

Preheat your oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough out to about ⅛-inch thickness, thin enough to get a good pastry-to-filling ratio but not so thin it tears. Use a 4-inch round cutter (or the rim of a wide-mouth jar) to cut circles. Re-roll the scraps and keep cutting until you’ve used all the dough. You should get about 12 circles.

Step 5: Fill and Seal

Place about 1 ½ tablespoons of pumpkin filling in the center of each dough circle. Don’t overfill, it’s tempting but the seam will blow out in the oven and you’ll have a pumpkin situation on your baking sheet. Fold the dough over into a half-moon and press the edges firmly with your fingers, then crimp with a fork. Press down firmly so they’re properly sealed.

Step 6: Egg Wash and Bake

Arrange the pumpkin empanadas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each one with egg wash, this is what gives them that beautiful golden-brown glaze. Use a fork or toothpick to poke a small vent hole in the top of each one so steam can escape. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until deeply golden. Let them cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes before eating, the filling will be lava-hot straight from the oven. Dust with cinnamon sugar while still warm if you’re going for it, and you absolutely should.

Amber’s Tips for Perfect Pumpkin Empanadas

Variations on Pumpkin Empanadas

Spicy Mexican Chocolate Pumpkin Empanadas

Stir 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and a ½ teaspoon of ancho chile powder into the pumpkin filling. It gives these pumpkin empanadas a moody, slightly bitter depth that pairs beautifully with the brown sugar sweetness. This one is absolutely a grown-up situation.

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Empanadas

Fold 3 tablespoons of softened cream cheese into the pumpkin filling before assembling. It makes the filling richer and a little tangier, almost like a pumpkin cheesecake inside a flaky pastry shell. My teenager declared this version “actually insane,” so there’s that.

Air Fryer Pumpkin Empanadas

Skip the oven and air fry at 375°F for 12 to 14 minutes, flipping once at the 7-minute mark. The pumpkin empanadas come out crispy on the outside and the masa harina dough gets this slightly toasty quality that I love. Perfect when you don’t want to heat up your whole oven for a small batch.

Savory Pumpkin and Black Bean Empanadas

Swap the sweet filling for ¾ cup pumpkin puree mixed with ½ cup seasoned black beans, a pinch of cumin, and shredded pepper jack cheese. Totally different direction for pumpkin empanadas, but this version works beautifully as an appetizer or light lunch.

What to Serve With Pumpkin Empanadas

These pumpkin empanadas are honestly great on their own, but if you’re building a spread:

• Café de olla — the cinnamon-spiced Mexican coffee is basically made for these
• Mexican hot chocolate — creamy, slightly spicy, and a natural pairing with the warm spices in the filling
• A simple fruit salad with tajín — cuts through the richness and adds a bright fresh note
• Vanilla bean ice cream — serve warm pumpkin empanadas à la mode for dessert and watch everyone’s eyes go wide

Storage and Reheating

Leftover pumpkin empanadas keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 325°F for 8 to 10 minutes to bring the pastry back to life. Microwaving works in a pinch but the dough gets a little soft, still delicious, just not as flaky.

For freezing, arrange unbaked pumpkin empanadas in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a zip bag. Bake straight from frozen at 375°F, adding 8 to 10 extra minutes to the bake time. Fully baked pumpkin empanadas also freeze well for up to 2 months.

Make-ahead tip: The dough and filling can both be made a day ahead and stored separately in the fridge. Assemble and bake when you’re ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use canned pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree for pumpkin empanadas?

I’d stick with plain pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie filling already has sweeteners and spices added, so your filling will end up overly sweet and you lose control of the spice balance. Plain puree lets you dial in exactly the flavor you want for these pumpkin empanadas.

Why is my pumpkin empanada dough tough?

Tough dough almost always means overworking. Once the water goes in, mix just until the dough holds together and stop. Overworking develops the gluten and turns your pastry chewy instead of flaky. Chilling the dough before rolling also helps, it relaxes any developed gluten and makes the dough much easier to handle.

Can I make pumpkin empanadas with store-bought pie dough?

Absolutely, and I won’t judge you one bit. Refrigerated pie dough works great, just roll it slightly thinner and you’ll still get a really good result. You’ll miss the masa harina flavor, but the pumpkin empanadas will still be delicious and it cuts your prep time significantly.

How do I keep pumpkin empanadas from bursting open during baking?

Two things: don’t overfill them (1 ½ tablespoons max) and make sure your seams are properly sealed. Press firmly with your fingers first, then crimp with a fork. The vent hole in the top is also important, it lets steam escape instead of building up pressure and splitting the seam.

Can pumpkin empanadas be made gluten-free?

You can try a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour, keep the masa harina as is since that’s naturally gluten-free. The dough will be a little more delicate to work with, so handle it gently and chill it well before rolling. Results vary by brand, but it can work.

Tried This Recipe?

Okay, if you make these pumpkin empanadas I genuinely want to know how they went, especially if you tried one of the variations. Drop a star rating and leave a comment below so other moms can find this recipe too. You’d be doing the whole community a favor.

DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I actually use in my own kitchen. Thank you for supporting Mom Flavor Lab!