Raspberry Cream Cheese Empanadas are the perfect light and flaky, delicious hand-held dessert empanada, and one of the best parts of summer. Fresh raspberries with a sweet cream cheese filling enclosed in flaky pie crust and baked until golden brown.
If you’re looking for a delicious dessert that’s a little different, then I have something you’re going to love. These dessert empanadas combine a flaky, homemade pie dough with a fruity, tangy raspberry and cream cheese filling to create a dessert that has everyone coming back for more. They’re baked, not fried, so there’s no messy cleanup, either! They’re the perfect summertime dessert for any party or cookout or simply to serve as a fun family dessert.
Raspberry Cream Cheese Empanadas
These empanadas start with homemade dough that bakes up golden and flaky. I cut the dough into circles and add a little homemade raspberry filling and cream cheese filling to them, fold them over, crimp them shut, and bake them until they’re golden brown. It’s an easy recipe that anyone can make, and the flavor is superb. Every bite is an explosion of summer, and it makes the perfect dessert for all of your favorite summertime foods.
Why You’ll Love This Raspberry Cream Cheese Empanada Recipe
- The flavor combination of the sweet and tart raspberries paired with cream cheese mixture is simply irresistible.
- They’re so delicious with the homemade flaky crust and the sweet raspberry cream cheese filling.
- They are a great grab-n-go snack that everyone will enjoy.
Raspberry Cream Cheese Empanadas Ingredients
You’ll need a few ingredients to make this recipe, but they’re all very simple and readily available at your local grocery store. There are no fancy or specialty items to look for!
- Raspberries
- Sugar
- Water
- Cornstarch
- Cream cheese
- Egg yolk
- Lemon juice
- Vanilla extract
- All purpose flour
- Salt
- COLD butter
- Vegetable shortening
- Ice cold water
- Large egg
How to Make Raspberry Cream Cheese Empanadas
Making this recipe is much easier than you might think. Although it’s completely homemade, the process for both fillings and the crust is easy and straightforward.
Step 1: Make the Dough
Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Then, cut cold butter and shortening into the flour with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Finally, add ice cold water one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork until the dough forms and sticks together.
Step 2: Chill
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees while the dough chills, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 3: Make the Raspberry Filling
Add raspberries and sugar to a small pan over medium heat. Mix water and cornstarch together and add to the saucepan. Cook on low for 5 to 7 minutes or until thickened. Set aside to cool.
Step 4: Make the Cream Cheese Filling
Beat the cream cheese until fluffy in a medium bowl. Then, add the sugar, egg yolk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat again until combined.
Step 5: Roll and Cut the Dough
Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut it into circles with a large biscuit cutter.
Step 6: Fill
Add a spoonful of cream cheese mixture to the center of the dough circles followed by a spoonful of the raspberry mixture. Then, fold the dough over, moisten the edges, and crimp closed with the tines of a fork. Place empanadas on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 7: Bake
Mix egg and water together in a small bowl and brush over the empanadas. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 400 degrees until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Cut your butter into small pieces, then refrigerate it until just before you’re ready to cut it into the flour.
- Be sure your water is ice cold.
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
- Always cook your berry mixture on medium heat to avoid scorching.
Variations
- You can make the berry filling with your favorite berries.
- Try making the filling with diced apples and some added cinnamon and nutmeg.
- For a super-rich crust, use lard in place of shortening.
- Sprinkle the empanadas with sanding sugar before baking.
What to Serve with Raspberry Empanadas
Try serving these empanadas alongside a small bowl of ice cream or top them with whipped cream and fresh berries. You can also dip them in cream cheese dip.
Recipe FAQ
Empanadas are baked or fried turnovers that can be filled with sweet or savory fillings. They’re traditional savory or sweet dishes common in Spanish, Southern European, Latin American, and Iberian-influenced cultures around the world.
The most iconic type of empanada is the beef-filled empanada which features ground beef, minced onion, a quarter hard boiled egg, and black olive.
Empanadas are best when served fresh out of the oven, but you can make the filling and dough the day before. Just refrigerate them separately and construct the empanadas when ready to bake and serve.
Empanadas can be sweet or savory, but most people usually make the savory variety. These empanadas can be filled with beef, chicken, pork, or seafood along with vegetables and seasonings.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Raspberry Cream Cheese Empanadas
Refrigerate these empanadas for up to 5 days in an airtight container. For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to a month in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
To reheat the empanadas, bake them on a baking sheet in the middle rack of the oven for 10 minutes at 300 degrees.
Try This Delicious Raspberry Cream Cheese Empanada Recipe Today
With a flaky, golden crust and a sweet and tangy filling of raspberries and cream cheese, these sweet empanadas will have everyone who tries one being for more. Give these raspberry cream cheese empanadas a try just once, and you’ll be making them again and again.
More Delicious Raspberry Desserts You’ll Enjoy
This Raspberry Pastry is an easy pastry braid recipe loaded with a cream cheese and a homemade raspberry filling wrapped up in a puff pastry “braid” and baked to golden perfection.
Raspberry Empanadas
Ingredients
Raspberry Filling
- 1 ¾ cup raspberries
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
Cream Cheese Filling
- 4 ounce cream cheese
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Homemade Crust
- 2 â…” cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup COLD butter, cubed
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 6-8 tablespoons ice cold water
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- Optional: powdered sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees after dough chills.
Homemade Crust
- In a large bowl, whisk flour and salt together.
- Using a pastry cutter, cut cold butter and shortening into flour until crumbly.
- Add ice cold water, a tablespoon at a time. Mix with a fork and repeat adding the water until dough forms and sticks together.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Roll out dough on a flour surface.
- Using a large biscuit cutter cut out dough circles.
Raspberry Filling
- In a small saucepan over low heat, add raspberries and sugar. Stir
- Mix water and cornstarch together until combined and add to the raspberry mixture.
- Cook on low for 5-7 minutes or until the raspberry mixture has thickened. Set aside to cool.
Cream Cheese Filling
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.
- Spoon a spoonful of cream cheese mixture in the center of the dough followed by a spoonful of raspberry mixture..
- Fold the dough over in half and moisten the edges.
- Using a fork, crimp the edges to secure.
- Mix egg and water together in a small bowl and brush over each empanadas.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
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The ingredients list sanding sugar but it is not included in the instructions. I assume it should be added after the egg wash.
Hi Darlene, Yes, that is when you would add it. I have powdered sugar added for these. I added it to the ingredient list. Thank you!