Strawberry Chocolate Empanadas
Strawberry Chocolate Empanadas are sweet, flaky, and just plain fun to make. Filled with juicy strawberries and melty chocolate, they’re the kind of dessert that feels special without being overly complicated, perfect for sharing with someone you love! These Latin style turnovers or hand pies are made with a homemade sweet empanada dough filled with strawberries and chocolate chips (or creamy Nutella).
I’ve made this strawberry chocolate empanadas recipe for Valentine’s Day more than once, and they never fail to feel festive and a little nostalgic. There’s something about a buttery empanada dough paired with warm chocolate and fresh fruit that is so good, especially when shaped into hearts and sprinkled with sugar.
You can go all-in with Nutella, stick to chocolate chips, or mix the two depending on what you have on hand. They’re great baked ahead of time, easy to decorate, and just as good warm from the oven as they are at room temperature!
What are strawberry chocolate nutella empanadas?
Strawberry chocolate empanadas are sweet empanadas or hand pies made with a buttery pastry dough and filled with strawberries and chocolate or hazelnut spread like Nutella. They’re baked until golden and flaky, making them a dessert version of the classic savory empanada.
Ingredient Notes
- All-purpose flour: Forms the base of the empanada dough and gives it structure.
- Sugar: Lightly sweetens the dough without overpowering the filling.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness.
- Butter: Creates a rich, flaky dough. Cold butter helps produce the best texture!
- Eggs: Add richness and help bind the dough together.
- Milk: Brings the dough together and keeps it tender. Use any kind of milk you have on hand.
- Strawberries: Fresh strawberries add brightness and natural sweetness. Dice them small to prevent excess moisture!
- Chocolate chips or Nutella: Provide richness and sweetness. You can use one or mix both for extra indulgence.
- Egg wash: Helps the empanadas bake up golden and shiny.
- Sugar or sprinkles: Add a festive finishing touch, especially for Valentine’s Day!
Variations & Substitutions
Swap strawberries for raspberries or chopped cherries for a similar fruity filling. You can also use dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet for a richer flavor!
For a dairy-free option, use plant-based butter and dairy-free chocolate.
Store-bought empanada dough can also be used in a pinch, though homemade gives the best texture. You can also use store bought pastry dough – a sweet pâte sablée will resemble the texture of my sweet empanada dough the closest, but a pâte brisée style pastry dough will be flakier and less sweet.
For a double chocolate variation, make these using my chocolate empanada dough recipe instead of the classic sweet empanada dough.
Tips for the Best Strawberry Chocolate Empanadas
- Chill the dough. Resting the dough makes it easier to roll and helps prevent shrinking during baking. Cold dough also leads to flakier empanadas!
- Don’t overfill. Too much filling can cause leaks in the oven. A balanced ratio of strawberries to chocolate keeps everything sealed.
- Shape them into heart shapes! Especially for Valentine’s day, I like to use a cookie cutter and cut the empanada dough into heart shapes. It makes them even more fun and festive!
- Seal well. Press the edges firmly and use a fork or repulgue to ensure the empanadas stay closed while baking.
- Chill before baking. Refrigerating the assembled empanadas helps the butter firm up and reduces the chance of filling leakage!
Serving Suggestions
Serve strawberry chocolate empanadas warm for melty chocolate centers, or at room temperature for a cleaner bite. They’re perfect on their own or paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of chocolate sauce!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze strawberry nutella empanadas?
Unbaked empanadas freeze well. Freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag and bake directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes. You can also freeze the baked ones as well, to reheat them simply put them in a toaster oven or bake them at 325F until fully reheated and crispy.
Do strawberries make the empanadas soggy?
Dicing the strawberries small helps prevent excess moisture. Avoid overfilling to keep the dough crisp, too!
Can I use only Nutella or only chocolate chips?
Absolutely. Both work well on their own, or you can mix them for a richer filling!
Strawberry Chocolate Empanadas
Ingredients
For the sweet empanada dough:
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour 375 grams
- ¼ cup sugar 50 grams
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 16 16 tablespoons or 2 sticks of unsalted butter, cold 16 tbs = 8 ounces/225grams, cut into 16 pieces
- 2 eggs
- 4 tablespoons of cold milk 60 ml, add more or less if needed
For the strawberry and chocolate or Nutella filling:
- 2 cups of diced strawberries
- 1 cup of chocolate chips or 1 cup of nutella / hazelnut chocolate spread – you can use only chocolate chips or only Nutella, or a mix of both
For baking/decorating the empanadas:
- 1 egg whisked – to be used as egg wash
- Baking sprinkles and/or sugar
Instructions
For the sweet empanada dough:
- Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Mix well.
- Add the pieces of butter and mix well.
- Add the eggs and milk and continue pulsing to mix. If the dough is still dry, add additional milk, one tablespoon at a time.
- The dough will be ready when clumps start to form.
- Remove the dough from the food processor and form the dough into 2 balls, flatten into thick discs, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- To make the empanada discs or hearts you can either form the dough into several small balls (golf size), then roll each ball out into a circle form.
- Another option is to roll out the whole disk of dough into a thin layer and cut out round disc shapes for empanadas, using round molds or a small plate or cup as a mold. For heart shaped empanadas use a heart cookie cutter mold.
- For the heart shaped empanadas it actually works best to roll out each small ball into a circle form, place the chocolate strawberry filling in the middle, then add another layer of roll out dough on top.
- Then use your fingers to press and seal the empanadas. Then use a heart shaped cooking cutter or mold to cut out the empanada. This method makes it easier to seal the empanada and keep a heart form than cutting out the heart shape before filling.
Strawberry chocolate empanada assembly and baking:
- For either the classic shaped or heart shaped empanadas, place a spoonful (large or small depending on empanada size) of the nutella or chocolate chips on the center of each empanada discs, add the diced strawberries on top of the chocolate.
- For the heart shaped empanadas, you can be bit more generous since you will be covering them with another layer of dough. The ratio of chocolate to strawberries is up to you, but in general the chocolate flavor is stronger than the strawberry flavor, so to have enough strawberry flavor you might want to add more strawberries than chocolate.
- To close and seal the classic shaped empanadas, fold the disc and seal the edges by pressing the edges with your fingers. If needed, you can brush the inside edges with egg white or a bit of water, it will act as a glue for the empanadas. You can do a final seal by pressing the top of a fork against the edges.
- For the regular shaped empanadas, you can also try a curl type seal, called repulgue or churito, by using your fingers to twist the curl the edges.
- To close the heart shaped empanadas, add the additional layer on top and use your fingers to seal the edges. If using already cut out heart shapes, then the next step is to use a fork to add an additional seal – optional. If you used round shaped disks, then use a heart shaped cutter to cut the dough, then re-seal with fingers again. You can also cut out a small heart shape on the top layer.
- To decorate the empanadas, you can use the scraps of dough to roll out and cut out small shapes: hearts, stars, etc. Then place these on top of each empanada.
- Brush the empanadas with the whisked egg mix, and then sprinkle with sugar or baking sprinkles.
- For best results, refrigerate the empanadas for at least 30 minutes before baking – this also helps them seal better and prevents the filling from leaking out.
- Pre-heat oven to 375F (190 C).
- Bake at 375F (190 C) for 15-20 minutes or until golden on top.
- You can also sprinkle some cacao powder on top for an extra touch of chocolate.
- You can serve these chocolate strawberry dessert empanadas warm or room temperature.
Step by step preparation process photos for chocolate strawberry empanadas:
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