Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Empanadas

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These are the ultimate comfort food snack. Between the flaky dough and the cheesy filling, you’ll be sure to satisfy an empanada craving. If you’re vegan or not, don’t miss out on these.

And check out the vegan buffalo ranch…

Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Empanadas Recipe

Yield: 10-12 medium-sized empanadas

Broccoli Mac n Cheese Ingredients

.5 lb pasta (half the bag)- suggestion: macaroni, ditali, or another bite-sized pasta shape

1 stick plant butter (I used Country Crock.)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened plant milk (I used Planet Oat.)

8 oz vegan cheddar (I used Violife.)

1/2 head of broccoli and stalk cut into little florets and small, bite-sized pieces

1 Tablespoon oil

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Garlic powder to taste

Pastelillo Empanada Dough Ingredients

2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon (15 g) white sugar

1/2 teaspoon (5 g) kosher salt

1/2 cup water (120 g)

1.5 oz (shy of a 1/4 cup, 47 g) neutral-flavored oil, like canola or vegetable

6 cups oil (vegetable or canola) for frying

Vegan Buffalo Ranch (Yields 2 cups)

1.5 cups vegan mayo

1/4 cup unsweetened plant milk

1.5 teaspoon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried dill

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Salt to taste

1/8 - 1/4 cup buffalo sauce, depending on how spicy you want it

Directions

1. In a medium to large pot, boil pasta until al dente. That’s typically 2 min less than what the packaging says. Drain, set aside.

2. In a small pot, melt butter then whisk in flour until smooth. Add milk and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cheese and whisk until fully melted and incorporated.

3. Pour cheese sauce onto pasta and mix well. Set aside.

4. Sautee broccoli over medium heat in oil and spices and season with salt to taste. Cook until it begins to become tender. Add to the mac and cheese and mix well. Set aside.

5. In a large bowl or in a stand mixer attached with a dough hook, add all the ingredients and mix until you get a cohesive dough ball. If doing it by hand, place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is completely smooth. If using a mixer, allow the dough hook to mix until smooth. Set dough aside and cover with a towel or plastic wrap to rest for 30 min.

6. While the dough is resting, make the buffalo ranch. Simply whisk all ingredients together at once and it’s done. Set aside.

7. On a smooth surface, using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until about .5 cm thick. Using a bowl, cookie-cutter, cup, whatever you have, cut out disks to your desired size. If you want 10-12 empanadas cut the disks out to 4 inches in diameter.

8. Roll out each disk a little further to make them about .5 inch larger. Fill each disk with 2 Tablespoons worth of the broccoli mac n cheese.

9. Fold the disk in half forming a half-moon shape and seal the edges using a fork. Be sure to press down firmly to seal properly.

10. In a large pot, heat up oil until it reaches 350 degrees. Making sure not to crowd the pot, carefully place as many empanadas as you can fit comfortably. Fry each side until golden. About 5 min total.

11. Drain fried empanadas on some paper towels and allow them to cool for 4-5 min, then enjoy with some buffalo ranch!

12. Freeze any extra, unfried empanadas!