"We ranked eight fast food desserts for fall 2025, and the caramel apple empanada was a clear winner. It starts with a crispy, golden, deep-fried crust. Bite into it, and that buttery, crackly exterior gives way to a warm mix of tart yet sweet apples, spiced cinnamon, and decadent caramel. The empanadas are served warm, a conveniently hand-held version of that comforting feeling you get tucking into a homemade pie on Thanksgiving."
"When you think of the very best fall desserts, two flavors (other than the obvious pumpkin) undoubtedly come to mind: apple and caramel. Apple is tart, bright, and in-season and fresh-tasting; caramel is the sweet warmth that perfectly balances it. That dreamy pairing is what makes a certain fast food dessert number one in many fans' eyes. We're talking, of course, about Taco Bell's caramel apple empanada."
"These empanadas taste all the sweeter because of how long fans were deprived of them. Taco Bell introduced this menu item - like its own south-of-the-border spin on the iconic McDonald's apple pie - in the early 2000s, but inexplicably yanked it away in 2019. There was an uproar among Taco Bell enthusiasts, even leading to Change.org petitions demanding the caramel apple empanada's return."
Apple and caramel form a classic fall flavor pairing, balancing tart, fresh apples with sweet, warm caramel. The Taco Bell caramel apple empanada features a crispy, golden, deep-fried crust that yields to warm spiced apples and decadent caramel, served handheld and warm like a miniature pie. A ranking of eight fast-food fall desserts placed the empanada first. Taco Bell introduced the item in the early 2000s and removed it in 2019, prompting fan uproar and Change.org petitions. The chain reintroduced the empanada temporarily in fall 2024 and revived it again on the Decades Menu.
Read at Tasting Table
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]