This Taco Bell Birthday Cake Empanada copycat is a homemade take on the Milk Bar collaboration. It combines a creamy cake batter-flavored filling with golden, crispy empanada dough, then adds pink glaze and rainbow sprinkles. Made with cream cheese and a few simple ingredients, it’s a fun way to recreate the dessert at home.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Empanadas
- Empanada dough: 10 discs (about 4–4½ inches wide), made for frying and without lard.
- Cream cheese: 4 oz (113 g) of full-fat, brick-style cream cheese, softened.
- Confectioners’ sugar: ½ cup (60 g) to sweeten the filling.
- Cake batter flavoring: ¼ teaspoon of alcohol-free OliveNation Cake Batter Flavor Fountain.
- Egg wash: 1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon of water to seal the edges.
- Vegetable oil: Enough for about 1½ inches of oil in a deep pan.
For the Pink Glaze
- Confectioners’ sugar: ½ cup (60 g) for the glaze.
- Heavy cream: 1–1½ tablespoons, added gradually to adjust the consistency.
- Pink food coloring: A small amount of alcohol-free food coloring.
- Rainbow sprinkles: 1 tablespoon for decorating.
How to Make Birthday Cake Empanadas
Make the filling. In a medium bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, and cake batter flavoring until smooth and well combined.
Prepare the dough. Thaw the empanada discs according to the package directions. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water.
Add the filling. Place about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each dough disc. Leave about ½ inch around the edges so the empanadas can be sealed.
Fold and seal. Lightly brush the edges with egg wash. Fold each disc in half over the filling, then press the edges firmly with a fork to seal.
Heat the oil. Pour about 1½ inches of vegetable oil into a heavy, deep pot. Heat to 350°F (175°C), using a deep-fry thermometer to check the temperature.
Fry the empanadas. Carefully add a few empanadas to the hot oil without overcrowding the pot. Fry for approximately 2–3 minutes per side, turning carefully, until golden brown and the dough is cooked through. Let the oil return to 350°F between batches.
Drain and cool. Transfer the fried empanadas to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Allow them to cool before adding the glaze.
Make the pink glaze. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ½ cup confectioners’ sugar with 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and a small amount of pink food coloring. Add a little more cream, if needed, until the glaze is thick but easy to drizzle.
Decorate and serve. Spoon the pink glaze over the cooled empanadas and immediately add the rainbow sprinkles.
Tips for Making Birthday Cake Empanadas
- Use dough made for frying. Check the package before starting, since some empanada discs are intended for baking. Keep unused discs covered so they don’t dry out while you work.
- Don’t overfill the empanadas. Too much filling can make the edges difficult to seal and increase the chance of leaks during frying. Keep the dough edges free of filling.
- Watch the oil temperature. Use a thermometer to keep the oil close to 350°F. If the oil is too hot, the outside may brown before the dough cooks through. Fry a small first batch to check the results.
- Let the empanadas cool before decorating. Adding the pink glaze while they’re still hot can make it run off instead of coating the pastry.
If you enjoy homemade fried desserts, try our funnel cake fries for another sweet treat.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate: Store leftover empanadas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking.
Reheat: For empanadas without glaze, warm them in a 350°F oven until the filling reaches 165°F. Add the pink glaze and sprinkles after reheating. Glazed empanadas are better served without reheating, since the topping may melt.
Freeze: Freezing this cream cheese-filled version hasn’t been evaluated, so the texture after thawing is uncertain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Taco Bell describes it as a crispy, golden empanada filled with cake batter-flavored filling and topped with pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles. This homemade copycat uses a cream cheese-based filling, but it isn’t Taco Bell’s official recipe.
Yes. Taco Bell introduced the Milk Bar Birthday Cake Empanada on October 15, 2026, at participating U.S. restaurants for a limited time, while supplies last. The company hasn’t announced a specific end date.
Taco Bell announced a starting price of $3.49 per empanada. Actual prices may vary by restaurant and ordering method.
Taco Bell Birthday Cake Empanada (Milk Bar Copycat)
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 10 empanadas 1x
Description
A homemade Taco Bell Milk Bar Birthday Cake Empanada copycat with a cream cheese cake batter-flavored filling, pink glaze, and rainbow sprinkles. An unofficial version made with empanada dough for frying.
Ingredients
- 10 empanada dough discs (about 4–4½ inches wide), made for frying and without lard
- 4 oz (113 g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (60 g) confectioners’ sugar, for the filling
- ¼ teaspoon alcohol-free OliveNation Cake Batter Flavor Fountain
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water, for the egg wash
- Neutral vegetable oil, enough for about 1½ inches in a deep pot
- ½ cup (60 g) confectioners’ sugar, for the pink glaze
- 1–1½ tablespoons heavy cream
- Alcohol-free pink food coloring, as needed
- 1 tablespoon rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
- Make the filling. In a medium bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, and cake batter flavoring until smooth and well combined.
- Prepare the dough. Thaw the empanada discs according to the package directions. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water.
- Add the filling. Place about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each dough disc. Leave about ½ inch around the edges so the empanadas can be sealed.
- Fold and seal. Lightly brush the edges with egg wash. Fold each disc in half over the filling, then press the edges firmly with a fork to seal.
- Heat the oil. Pour about 1½ inches of vegetable oil into a heavy, deep pot. Heat to 350°F (175°C), using a deep-fry thermometer to check the temperature.
- Fry the empanadas. Carefully add a few empanadas to the hot oil without overcrowding the pot. Fry for approximately 2–3 minutes per side, turning carefully, until golden brown and the dough is cooked through. Let the oil return to 350°F between batches.
- Drain and cool. Transfer the fried empanadas to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Allow them to cool before adding the glaze.
- Make the pink glaze. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ½ cup confectioners’ sugar with 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and a small amount of pink food coloring. Add a little more cream, if needed, until the glaze is thick but easy to drizzle.
- Decorate and serve. Spoon the pink glaze over the cooled empanadas and immediately add the rainbow sprinkles.
Notes
- Dough: Use empanada discs made for frying and without lard. Follow the package directions for thawing.
- Filling: Avoid overfilling the dough, and keep the edges free of filling to help prevent leaks during frying.
- Frying: Keep the oil near 350°F (175°C) and cook in small batches. Cooking times may vary depending on the dough and empanada size.
- Glaze: Let the empanadas cool before adding the pink glaze and rainbow sprinkles.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and store in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days. Reheat unglazed empanadas until the filling reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Nutrition: Nutritional values are estimates per empanada, based on 10 servings. Actual values may vary depending on the dough brand, ingredient choices, portion sizes, and amount of oil absorbed during frying.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cooling Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 empanada
- Calories: 260 kcal
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 19 mg
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