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Gluten Free | Vegan Empañadas or Hand-Pies

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A wholegrain gluten free vegan empañadas recipe for little hands!  By using a handful of wholesome ingredients, you will be well on your way to creating all sorts of filled pastries for your family!

optimized for pinterest gluten free empanadas cut in half and filled with jelly and dark chocolate on a white plate

 

I am not sure when I figured out that kids love almost anything in a pocket.  It’s novel, it’s cute.

Lately, my son has been totally obsessed with my Homemade Gluten Free Cereal Bars, and since we have been making them frequently, there have been many instances when I have had a touch of dough left.

Not one to waste any ingredients…I promptly put those scraps to use using my new dumpling presses (LOVE!!!).

With almost no effort, I get these adorable little hand pies perfect for little hands (and big ones too!).

The crust is no fuss and whole grain…and not too hard to work with!  We all go crazy for the low sugar berry jelly and dark chocolate combo!

BUT the options for fillings here are really endless.

  • Pie fillings?
  • Banana, chocolate, & sunbutter?
  • Homemade chocolate pudding?
  • A cashew cheesecake style?

And what about savory options?  I aim to make an unsweetened version of this dough soon so I can play with savory fillings perfect for lunches!! Stay tuned!

horizontal image of a deep brown crusted empañada filled with berries and chocolate on a square white plate upon a dark wooden surface

INGREDIENT HIGHLIGHT:  TEFF FLOUR

This is one of my my very favorite flours to work with, and I have it in my pantry at all times!

It has a lovely nutty flavor that blends in well to loads of recipes, and it packs a nutrition punch!!

From Dr Axe, ” It’s known to naturally balance hormone levels, boost immunity, stimulate digestion, strengthen bones, promote cardiovascular health and aid weight loss.”

  • high in protein
  • 29% of the DV iron in one serving
  • plenty of fiber
  • vast array of vitamins and minerals

Read here about some of the great reasons YOU should have some teff in YOUR pantry too!

Here are some additional recipes that include teff:

 

 

vertical image of overhead shot of a square white plate filled with a halved wholegrain empañada, a cherry red coffee mug, and a plate of additional hand pies on a dark wooden surface

Empañada or Hand Pie Recipe – Gluten Free:

optimized for pinterest gluten free empanadas cut in half and filled with jelly and dark chocolate on a white plate
5 from 1 vote
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Gluten Free & Vegan Empañadas or Hand-Pies

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 180 kcal
Author Tessa

Ingredients

  • 1 cup gluten free oat flour still need to test out an oat free version
  • 1 cup teff flour or more oat or brown rice flour If you can do gluten, I imagine spelt, and whole wheat pastry flour would work great!
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup palm sugar or other granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons chia meal or flax meal

Wet:

Filling:

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
  3. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk the wet ingredients. Pour into the dry mix and blend until a soft dough is formed. You may add a couple tablespoons milk if it is necessary. I use my hands to knead it all together, a mixer works too.
  4. Divide the dough into two pieces.
  5. Using two pieces of parchment (or similar), roll the dough into a thin, pie crust thickness, about 1/8" or slightly less.
  6. Either using a circle biscuit cutter, or a knife, cut the dough into similar sized circles, rectangles, or squares, apx the size your palm (no exact science, just keep the pieces the same size.
  7. Fill half of one square/rectangle/dumpling, with a teaspoon or two of favorite jelly, and a few dark chocolate chips.
  8. Gently fold each piece in half and press on the edges to seal. I used my favorite dumpling/empañada makers for this task...it makes them TOO cute!! Alternately, you could place another piece of dough on top and press around the edges.
  9. Using a sturdy spatula or pastry scraper, gently lift off and place on a prepared cookie sheet. (Incidentally, those are two MUST HAVE kitchen gadgets...they scrape from stainless steel and cast iron like a charm, and help me clean more things than they should!)
  10. TIP: When I use the dumpling maker, I use some coconut oil spray on the press to keep it from sticking.
  11. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the edges are JUST beginning to brown.
  12. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Gluten Free & Vegan Empañadas or Hand-Pies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 180 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Sodium 137mg6%
Potassium 105mg3%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Calcium 47mg5%
Iron 1.5mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

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Comments

    • Tessa Simpson says

      Krystal…it SO tasty..order some on iherb.com or amazon, you will definitely use it all…and I have more recipes that use it (I even use it in my all purpose often!). Teff is super tiny and will not mill well in my experience!

      Reply
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