Vegan Empanadas With Black Beans (Easy Recipe!)

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With flaky dough and a flavor filling, these easy vegan empanadas are a show stopper! Stuffed with a combination of black beans, corn, red peppers, and spices, they are warm, comforting pockets that soothe the soul!

I absolutely love empanadas. When we were traveling through Argentina we ate our fair share of them because they are so delicious!

Empanadas are flaky pastry stuffed with various fillings, and they can be both savory and sweet. They are a popular main dish in Latin America. Depending on where you are, the seasonings and fillings vary. You can stuff virtually anything you like inside these pastry pockets!

A traditional empanada recipe includes a combination of some type of meat and cheese. But this vegan empanada recipe is 100% vegan and is a healthier twist on the original recipe, from the flaky pastry dough, to the savory black bean filling.

It’s perfectly spiced, super filling meal, and works great as a side dish or an appetizer too. These vegan empanadas are super family friendly and great for serving a crowd!

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👩‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

• Vegan friendly
• Super simple recipe
• Healthy, baked empanada recipe
• Perfectly spiced filling
• Flaky crust
• Easily adaptable with different vegetables and spices
• Best vegan empanadas ever!

🥘 Ingredients

This easy recipe calls for just a few simple ingredients that you can find at most grocery stores!

Dough: The vegan empanada dough is a super simple dough recipe that requires only two ingredients; all purpose flour and plain coconut milk yogurt. If you’re not vegan feel free to use plain milk-based yogurt instead. Just be sure that you get unsweetened yogurt. You can also use whole wheat flour or even spelt flour instead of all purpose for additional fiber. Lastly, if you don’t want to make the dough from scratch, you can try this recipe with pre-made vegan puff pastry, but you may have to adjust the baking time.

Vegetables: These plant based empanadas are filled with nutrient-rich vegetables including red onion, garlic, red pepper, yellow pepper, and corn. They get a kick of spice from one jalapeño pepper.

Black Beans: You’ll need a 15 ounce can of black beans. I recommend using no salt added organic beans. Be sure to drain and rinse the beans thoroughly before adding them to the filling.

Spices: The filling of these healthy empanadas is perfectly spiced with paprika, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Add some black pepper or cayenne pepper for more heat.

📖 Variations

Not too spicy! Leave out the jalapeño pepper, and reduce the amount of chili powder, and you’ll have a mild-flavored filling.

Add different veggies! Depending on the season feel free to substitute any of the vegetables. In the winter and fall months, these veggie empanadas would taste great stuffed with butternut squash or sweet potatoes. In the spring and summer months, these would taste great with zucchini, eggplant, or vine-ripened tomatoes!

Make these gluten-free! Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour mixture to make the dough to make these into gluten free vegan empanadas.

Bean and Cheese Empanadas: Add some vegan cheese shreds to make these super cheesy!

Other Vegan Empanada Filling Ideas! There are so many options for stuffing these empanadas! Try additional vegetables, green bell pepper or poblano pepper, refried beans, mashed potatoes, tempeh, vegan beef crumbles or a vegan chorizo, or more spices to achieve the taste and texture you prefer!

🔪 Instructions

Make The Homemade Dough: For the empanada dough recipe, combine flour, coconut yogurt, and ½ tbsp water in a medium mixing bowl, mix until it forms a dough. Another option is to mix the ingredients in the food processor with the dough attachment.

Knead Dough: Turn out onto the dry surface lightly dusted with flour. Gently knead the dough until a nice smooth dough forms, do not over mix.

Let Dough Rest: Place the dough ball into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or cling film. Set aside at room temperature while preparing the remaining ingredients.

Make The Vegan Empanada Filling: Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the diced onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, peppers, and corn. Sauté for another 5-6 minutes. 

Finish Filling: Add all remaining ingredients and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Roll Out Dough: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F / 180 C. Place dough on a lightly floured surface. Divide the ball of dough in half and, with a rolling pin, roll out thin. 

Cut Empanada Rounds: Using a round pastry cutter or cookie cutter, cut dough into rounds.

Stuff With Empanada Filling: Add 1-2 tbsp of cooked bean mixture to the center of each dough circle. Place any remaining dough to the side. Run a little water around the edges of the dough.

Fold And Seal: Fold the dough rounds in half and seal the edges with a fork.

Prep For Baking: Place the filled empanadas on a baking tray lined with baking paper (parchment paper). Lightly spray with spray oil.

Bake Empanadas In the Oven And Serve: Bake the black bean empanadas for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with tomato salsa.

❓ Recipe FAQs

💭 Expert Tips

• Allow the dough time to rest. About 10-20 minutes is best.
• Be sure to cover the dough with plastic wrap to hold in the moisture.
• Roll the dough out to about 1/4 of an inch thick.
• Don’t over fill the dough.
• Lightly wet a pastry brush, and brush the edge of each dough circle with water so that the dough sticks together when sealed with a fork.
• For a golden and finished product, use a pastry brush to top each unbaked empanada with a vegan egg wash. Melt vegan butter, and brush over the top.

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