Cuban Empanada 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 gluten free.
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. Baking tends to yield a paler, softer shell, while frying gives the blistered, crisp exterior you get on both empanadas here. The baked Venezuelan Pastelito is a separate item, not the empanada.
Sweetness
The Venezuelan Empanada is described as slightly sweet from the corn-flour dough. The Cuban Empanada is savory, with no built-in sweetness.