Review: Taco Bell's Caramel Apple Empanada Is Back And Better Than Ever

Taco Bell first got into the dessert game back in 1980 when it introduced Cinnamon Crispas. Others came after, like Cinnamon Twists and the Choco Taco. Things really heated up in 2004, when Taco Bell dropped the Caramel Apple Empanada, as a part of its Big Bell Value Menu. At the time of its release, The Palm Beach Post's Lunch Guys reviewers called this hand pie a "sexier, Mexier" version of McDonald's famed hot apple pie. It has since come and gone from menus, and was last seen in 2019.

In February, Taco Bell held an Apple-like event where it revealed almost everything that was going to hit stores in 2024. Emcee for the event was Chief Marketing Officer Taylor Montgomery, who teased that fans could vote which beloved item from the past would return: the Meximelt or the Caramel Apple Empanada. The vote never came to be, as fan enthusiasm demanded that both be brought back. They became a part of the Decades Menu, joining the likes of the Green Sauce Burrito, Gordita Supreme, and the Tostada.

Four of those Decade items have been available to order since Halloween, and after a slight delay, the Caramel Apple Empanada is now finally here for the taking. So, is this blast from the past a modern memory maker, or should it be tossed back into the forgotten zone of our minds? The Takeout took a bite to find out. This chew and review is based on taste, dessert-iness, and overall lovability.

Starting on November 21, the Caramel Apple Empanada is returning to participating nationwide locations of Taco Bell, for a limited time only, and while supplies last. It is the latest item to join the Decades Menu, and can be found under that special submenu, and under the "new" submenu, as well.

The empanada can be ordered anytime Taco Bell or Taco Bell Cantina is open, including ones that are open for breakfast. It can be ordered in-store, at the counter, a kiosk, or drive-thru were available. Advanced ordering for dine-in, pick-up, or delivery where available, can be placed through Taco Bell's website and app. The empanada can only be ordered a la carte, and its suggested retail price is $2.99 for a single empanada, although prices may vary per location. There are no customization options available with this item, which comes in a single serving size. If Taco Bell rewards members completed the "decades challenge" of ordering the Tostada, Green Burrito, Meximelt, and Gordita Supreme by November 20, their reward is snagging a Caramel Apple Empanada for only $1. From November 21 through 24, a free Caramel Apple Empanada comes with an Uber Eats Taco Bell order that totals $20 or more.

The Caramel Apple Empanada is made up of a pasty with caramel apple filling, topped with icing. The pastry is made-up of enriched wheat flour, water, shortening (palm and soybean oil), canola oil, rice flour, dextrose, salt, sugar, baking soda, dough conditioner (sodium metabisulfite), soy lecithin. The caramel apple filling consists of diced apples, brown sugar, water, modified food starch, milk, non-fat milk, whey, butter, natural flavors including butter, sugar, salt, cellulose gum, citric acid. The icing brings together the ingredients water, modified food starch, non-fat milk, tapioca dextrin, tapioca starch, salt, dextrose, xanthan gum, locust bean gum.

The empanada is prepared in canola oil and contains the allergens gluten, wheat, milk, and soy. A single Caramel Apple Empanada nets 280 calories, 13 grams of total fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 260 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 14 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

It took over five minutes to receive my empanada, but the good news is that it was being fried fresh, and not just sitting under a heat lamp. As I took it out of its paper sleeve, it had a welcoming warmth to it, but wasn't too hot to handle. I placed it on the table and began to admire its contours. This semi-circular pie is curved on one side, with beautifully fried bubbles all about. The backside looked like a flattened tortilla shell. Leaning in for a whiff, it mainly just smelled like fried dough.

I limited my first bite to just a nibble of the empanada's outer shell. No sweetness to be found there, but I was instantly a fan of its flaky crunchiness. With my next bite, the empanada revealed its wondrous molten flavors inside. First, the gooey caramel filling touched my tongue, and my tastebuds confirmed that I was happy to receive more and more of it. Further bites included pieces of apple, which leaned more mushy than firm, but since they weren't giant pieces, it didn't take away from the pie's enjoyment. The caramel filling both dominated the interior's volume, as well as its taste, and delivered just the right amount of sweetness. The apples seemed kind of secondary, but again, I was okay with it. The luscious innards paired with the lightly salted empanada shell made for quite the dynamic duo of deliciousness.

Somehow in two decades time I had never had the pleasure of making contact with Taco Bell's incredible Caramel Apple Empanada. Now, after delectably downing one in 2024, I hope it never disappears from menus again.

Be warned — this treat is not only delicious, but it can be dangerous. After some bites, the hot filling squirted out and surprisingly hit the side of my mouth. Burning never tasted so good. Other times it oozily dripped and landed on the paper holder below. That came in handy later after I finished the empanada, and was desperate for one last taste. I actually found myself licking that filling directly from the paper. That's how great it really was. I actually had a second empanada idly sitting by while I ate the first. After 10 minutes, it retained its heat, and kept its innards equally warm, proving it to be a durable and solid go to to-go item.

While the Caramel Apple Empanada is pegged as a dessert, I was actually able to order it up during morning hours at my local Taco Bell. It ended up being the perfect way to start the day. It would probably also be a more than acceptable alternative to bothering with a whole apple pie this holiday season, and serving to friends and loved ones you really care about.