Cuban vs Venezuelan Empanada

By Sofrito Latin Cafe. September 15, 2026.

Both empanadas live on the same Small Bites board at Sofrito Latin Cafe in Orlando, and both are fried. The quick tell is the dough: the Cuban Empanada uses wheat flour and stays savory, while the Venezuelan Empanada uses corn flour, tastes slightly sweet, and is tagged gluten-free on our menu.

The dough

The Cuban Empanada is built on fried wheat-flour dough. It fries up smooth and pastry-like, with a savory, bready character. The Venezuelan Empanada uses fried corn-flour dough, which gives it a coarser, corn-forward bite and a naturally gluten-free base.

Fried or baked

At Sofrito Latin Cafe, both of these empanadas are fried, not baked. If you are comparing empanada styles in general, baking tends to yield a paler, softer, more pastry-like shell, while frying gives the blistered, crisp exterior you get on both empanadas here. On this board, the baked pastry to look for is the Venezuelan Pastelito, which is a separate item, not the empanada.

Sweetness

The Venezuelan Empanada is described as slightly sweet, a trait that comes from the corn-flour dough. The Cuban Empanada is savory, with no built-in sweetness, so it reads more like a classic pastry turnover.

Typical fillings

The Cuban Empanada comes with your choice of beef or chicken. The Venezuelan Empanada comes with your choice of shredded beef or cheese. If a cheese empanada is what you want, the Venezuelan is the one to order, since the Cuban is meat only.

Side by side verdict

Orlando ordering map

• Want gluten free: order the Venezuelan Empanada (corn flour, tagged gluten-free).
• Want cheese, no meat: order the Venezuelan Empanada with cheese. The Cuban is meat only.
• Want savory and classic: order the Cuban Empanada with beef or chicken.
• Want chicken: that is Cuban only. Venezuelan is beef or cheese.
• Trying both: get one of each off the Small Bites board and taste the wheat versus corn difference back to back.

Frequently asked

Which empanada is gluten free at Sofrito Latin Cafe?

The Venezuelan Empanada, because it is made with corn-flour dough. The Cuban Empanada is wheat based and is not gluten free. Both are fried, so ask your server about shared fryers if you need to avoid gluten.

Are the empanadas fried or baked?

Both the Cuban and Venezuelan empanadas are fried at this location.

Which one is sweet?

The Venezuelan Empanada is slightly sweet from the corn-flour dough. The Cuban Empanada is savory.