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    Home » Vegan Mexican Recipes » Empanadas de Camote (Sweet Potato Empanadas)

    Empanadas de Camote (Sweet Potato Empanadas)

    Published: Nov 6, 2019 · Modified: Jul 3, 2022 by Dora S. · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    These beautiful freshly baked empanadas de camote are filled with sweet potato, slowly simmered in cinnamon and anise. The dough is hand-kneaded and rolled out, then baked with the fragrant sweet potato filling. I like to eat them right out of the oven with a steaming cup of Mexican hot chocolate.

    Sugar, anise, and cinnamon syrup in a small stainless steel pot
    Flour and sweet potato syrup in a large glass bowl

    I used to think empanadas were a Mexican thing but soon discovered that almost every country has their own version. Whether they are sweet or savory, they are incredibly delicious, easy to eat, and the perfect food on the go.

    Flour mixture mixed together in glass bowl
    Kneaded dough on a wooden surface

    Empanadas by Doña Consuelo

    This recipe was given to me by Doña Consuelo, a friend of my cousin Esperanza. Doña Consuelo had heard that my little nephew has severe allergies and can’t enjoy most of the pan dulce available in our town, so she graciously shared her recipe for these empanadas de camote, which just so happen to be vegan.

    Cubed sweet potatoes cooking in a stainless steel pot

    Doña Consuelo is one of those OG cooks that has never written down a recipe, and measures everything by fistfuls. So my beautiful cousin had her over to her house and had her recreate the recipe, and then proceeded to measure every fistful of flour and pinch of anise. She passed the recipe to me and I couldn’t wait to share it with you.

    Mashed sweet potato in a glass bowl

    I decided to pay her a visit to thank her for the recipe and just chat. Sitting in her living room, lamenting that she could no longer use her hands to knead the dough or make them for her family (she has arthritis), she reminisced about the traditional candies that are hand made in Múzquiz, her home town. She talked about the treats she ate as a child, and how she wished they were made with the same quality today.

    Sweet potato plopped in the middle of dough disk

    All of this has me pondering on the importance of passing down family recipes and adapting them for the new generation. Food is such an important part of our culture and we shouldn’t let the traditional recipes disappear with the previous generations. Save your family recipes!! Make them vegan, make them yours!

    Empanadas ready to bake on a sheet tray.

    The Recipe: Empanadas de Camote

    • The original recipe called for vegetable shortening, but I have substituted it for coconut oil, but you could also use melted vegan butter.
    Chef Dora and Doña Consuelo posing for a photo
    • I also reduced the amount of sugar (believe it or not!), but you can sub with piloncillo, sugar in the raw or muscovado sugar.
    • I used the orange-fleshed sweet potatoes.
    Empanadas de camote on a blue plate, cup of coffee and cinnamon stick
    A close up of an empanada de camote cut in half.
    Empanadas de camote on a blue plate, cup of coffee and cinnamon stick. The top empanada is cut in half showing the filling.
    Save Recipe Go to Recipe Box
    5 from 3 votes

    Empanadas de Camote (Sweet Potato Empanadas)

    These beautiful freshly baked empanadas de
    camote are filled with sweet potato, slowly simmered in cinnamon and anise.
    Pin Recipe Print Recipe
    Prep Time2 hrs
    Cook Time40 mins
    Total Time2 hrs 40 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Servings: 16 empanadas
    Calories: 321kcal
    Author: Dora S.

    Ingredients

    Sweet Potato Syrup:

    • 2 ½ cups Water
    • 2 Ceylon cinnamon sticks, 2 inches long
    • 1 ½ tsp. Anise seed
    • 1 ½ cups Sugar, granulated
    • 1.6 lb. Sweet potato, peeled, cut into large dice (About two large ones)

    Empanada Dough:

    • 17.6 oz. All-Purpose flour
    • 2 ½ tsp. Baking powder
    • ⅔ cup Melted refined coconut oil (the original recipe used shortening)
    • ¼ cup Sugar
    • 1 tbsp. Ground cinnamon
    • 1 ⅓ cup Sweet Potato Syrup (see above)
    • 2 tbsp. Almond milk
    • 1 tbsp. Maple Syrup
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    To make the syrup:

    • Combine the water, cinnamon sticks, anise seed, and sugar in a small pot. Bring to a simmer over low heat and simmer softly for 30 min. Strain. Reserve 1 1/3 cups of the syrup and set aside.
    • Pour the rest of the sweet potato syrup in a small pot and add the sweet potato. Bring to a very low simmer, cover, and let cook for 45 min. (It’s going to seem like it’s not enough liquid to cook the sweet potatoes, but we’re basically going to steam them in the syrup. As they cook they will release liquid as well.) Drain and mash with a fork.
    • While the sweet potatoes are cooking, in a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, and cinnamon. Add the melted coconut oil and mix well.
    • Add half of the reserved sweet potato syrup to the bowl while mixing with your hands. The dough will begin to come together. Add the rest of the syrup gradually if needed so youtr dough is moist but not overly sticky or wet.
    • Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough becomes elastic and smooth, but not sticky. Let it rest for 45 min.
    • Preheat oven to 350F.
    • Divide the dough into 16 equal portions and roll them into balls ( 2 oz. each). On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick.
    • Place 1 tbsp. of the filling in the middle of the dough round. Fold the dough over to enclose the filling, and crimp the edges with a fork to seal or seal them decoratively as the Argentinians do. Pierce each empanada three times with a fork near the crimped edge.
    • In a small bowl combine the almond milk and maple syrup. Use this to brush the empanadas and bake for 35 – 40 min. or until the empanadas are golden brown on the bottom.

    Video

    Notes

    The original recipe called for vegetable shortening, but I have substituted it for coconut oil, but you could also use melted vegan butter.
    I also reduced the amount of sugar (believe it or not!), but you can sub with piloncillo, sugar in the raw or muscovado sugar.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1empanadas | Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 29mg | Potassium: 275mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 6435IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @dorastable or tag #mexicangonevegan!
    « Vegan Barbacoa Sinaloense
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lady Vandercat

      November 21, 2022 at 11:37 am

      Mexican food is my life. Thank you for making so many great vegan versions of my favorites!

      Reply
    2. Yolanda

      November 03, 2022 at 6:51 am

      5 stars
      I tried this recipe and an making them again. They are delicious. Can I make the dough the day before?

      Reply
      • Dora S.

        November 07, 2022 at 9:27 pm

        yes

        Reply
    3. Mona Lopez

      November 23, 2021 at 5:30 am

      My mom made these every year but has passed one. I and my cousin tried these last year and my mom would have loved the masa. So perfect. I will have to sweeten filling to match hers but basically as close to mom’s as I remember. Thank you. Mom didn’t use or leave her recipe.

      Reply
      • Dora S.

        November 23, 2021 at 8:42 pm

        I'm so happy that they could bring back a little bit of your mom

        Reply
    4. Diana

      June 23, 2021 at 10:49 am

      Can I use Crisco vegetable shortening? Do I melt it into liquid?

      Reply
      • Dora S.

        June 24, 2021 at 2:47 pm

        Yes, you can use Crisco and yes you do melt it.

        Reply
    5. sandra

      April 05, 2021 at 12:06 pm

      thanks for the recipe! Q- should I be careful about over-kneading the dough or is that not something to worry too much about?

      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Dora S.

        April 20, 2021 at 9:14 am

        Yo don't have to worry too much about that

        Reply
    6. Ann

      November 05, 2020 at 6:46 pm

      5 stars
      The empandas were delicious. I will always use this recipe to make empandas.

      Reply
    7. Beto D.

      January 25, 2020 at 3:00 pm

      Can't wait to try this recipe, but I have One Big question before I start::
      Is that 17.6 ounces of flour by weight or by volume? How much is that in cups of flour? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Dora S.

        February 09, 2020 at 9:19 pm

        It's by weight. It's about 3 3/4 cups of flour.

        Reply
    8. Kitty Maldonado

      December 22, 2019 at 12:20 pm

      Is the syrup supposed to thicken? So excited to try.

      Reply
      • Dora S.

        December 22, 2019 at 2:06 pm

        It will thicken a little bit,but not really into syrup consistency

        Reply
        • Kitty Maldonado

          December 23, 2019 at 5:56 am

          Thank you. They are so amazing! I made one batch for a party last night and will make another for Christmas Eve. My dough was super sticky when kneading but came together fine after sitting.

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