It’s high time we share ourย recipeย forย Tamalesย de Elote.
Here we’re sharing this {Tamales de Elote} Easy Mexican Sweet Corn Tamales vegetarian recipe for Mexican-style sweet corn tamales that aren’t 100% authentic (read on for why) but are easy and seriously delicious.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you love sweet corn and tamales as much as we do, well it’s only logical that the two be even more magical when combined. I could have them even as dessert if you ask me, but yeah, I will add some spicy salsa too.
Recipe Ingredients
These are the ingredients that you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Dried corn husks
- Corn kernels
- Masa harina
- Packed brown sugar or piloncillo
- Baking powderย
- Kosher salt
- Ground Cinnamon
- Whole milk or almond milk
- Pure vanilla extract
- Unsalted butter
- Green chiles
- Salsa Verde
- Lime wedges
Corn kernels
How To Make This Recipe
These are the instructions that you’ll need to follow to make this recipe:
- Soak the husks: Bring a large pot or teakettle of water to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the corn husks, submerging them completely under the water. Let sit until soft and pliable, pressing down to cover them in water every few minutes.
- Cook the corn: Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil then add the corn and cook until itโs tender, then drain. Meanwhile, rehydrate the masa.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: Meanwhile, in a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the masa harina with sugar, baking powder, and salt. If making sweet tamales, add the grated cinnamon now.
- Rehydrate masa harina: In a medium microwave-safe bowl, warm the milk for 30 seconds, until just scalded and steaming. If making sweet tamales, add the vanilla extract now. Pour the warm milk over the masa and stir until just combined. Let cool at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Pulse the corn: In a food processor fitted with an S-blade, pulse the corn for about 6 pulses until a chunky puree forms. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the corn puree into the bowl with the masa mixture and stir until evenly combined.
- Beat the butter: Place the butter and sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. At medium-low speed, add the cooled masa mixture in six additions, beating well after each addition. If making spicy tamales, stir in the chopped green chiles now.
- Assemble the tamales: Remove 1 soaked husk from the water and arrange on a work surface with the narrow end pointing away from you. On the wide end, spread 1/4 cup of the tamale dough into a 5-inch long rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch husk border at the bottom.
Fold in the long sides of the husk, overlapping them to enclose the filling. Fold the narrow end toward you, over the tamale. Fold the wide end over the tamale and place seaside down on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining corn husks and tamale dough. - Start the steamer: Fill the bottom of the steamer with 2 inches of water. Place the steamer insert over the base and place any small corn husks in the bottom then add the tamales. Place a few of the remaining corn husks on top of the assembled tamales and cover the insert with a lid. Bring the water to a boil.
Reduce the heat to moderately low so the water is at a simmer and steam the tamales for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Check the water level periodically and add more as needed. - Check If The Tamales Are Cooked: To check if a tamal is cooked, remove one tamale to a work surface and carefully open the husk. If the husk peels back without much sticking, the tamale is cooked. If not, cover the pot again and check the tamales every 10 minutes until the filling no longer sticks to the husk. Uncover and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
- Serve: Serve the sweet tamales with crema, additional cinnamon, and queso fresco. Serve the spicy tamales with crema, crumbled queso fresco, and lime wedges.
Defining Elote
Just to make sure we’re on the same page, let’s talk about the word “elote.” Sinceย corn originated inย Mexico, it’s no surprise that there are aย lotย of specific words related to theย vegetables. There are a few uses for the wordย “elote” including in reference to the garnished grilled street corn that is adored by many Mexican food lovers.ย
But inย Mexicoย (and most of Central America), “elote” more generally refers to corn that is still on theย cob. As in fresh, recently-harvested corn as opposed to dried corn. Like so many words used inย Mexico, the word comes from the Nahuatl word “elotitutl” which translates to “tender ear.”
What Is Aย Tamal de Elote
Based on that definition, you can probably surmise that a “Tamal de Elote” is a tamal made with fresh corn.ย
It is most common to see this tamal inย Mexicoย in late summer into early fall when corn is harvested. At the most basic, it is a plant-based tamal that is prepared withย fresh corn kernelsย that are ground and then placed in freshย corn husksย before being cooked.ย It has a sweet flavor (because the corn is very tender) and its consistency is smooth.
Where Are Theseย Tamalesย From?
Also known as an “uchepo,” the fresh cornย tamaleย is a dish that comes from the Tierra Caliente area ofย Mexico, which extends across the states Michoacรกn and Guerrero,ย Mexico.ย Traditionally anย uchepoย is served withย cremaย and a cookedย tomatoย sauce.
These days you find variations on this tamal throughout Central America with some sweet and others savory.ย
This Is A Family Ofย Tamales
Here are a few variations you’ll find inย Mexico:ย
- In Chiapas, they’re known as picte and made withย lardย and sugar.
- In Milpa Alta, they’re made with sugar, butter, and cinnamon.
- In Oaxaca, they’re made with roasted corn,ย butter, sugar, and cinnamon.ย
- In Guerrero, they have egg yolks and milk added.ย
- In Nayarit they’re made with squash and sugar.ย
- In Zacatecas with poblano chiles andย porkย loin.ย
- In Sonora it’s also squash but also with lard, requesรณn cheese, cream, and evaporated milk.
How Thisย Recipeย Differs
There is a lot more variety in corn inย Mexicoย and the type used for making fresh cornย tamalesย tends to be drier and less juicy than that we find in the United States.ย
As such, we’re adding in someย masa harinaย (masaย corn flour) to thicken theย mixtureย even though that’s not traditional.ย
Tips To Make Thisย Recipe
- Easy Tamales: The reason that we consider this one of our easiest tamales recipes is because you simply make the dough and fill the husks as opposed to tamales that are filled, which take a few more steps to assemble.
- Use greatย masa harina: You can use Maseca brandย masa harinaย in thisย recipeย but we prefer the organic brands likeย Bob’s Red Mill,ย King Arthur, andย Masienda. Feel free to use blue cornย masa harinaย if you find it.ย
- Make Them Ahead: Yes, like otherย tamalesย you can make these well ahead of time. To do so, either freeze them uncooked and then steam them from frozen (probably 20 to 30 minutes more than the recipe calls for) until theย husksย peel away easily. Alternatively, you can cook them fully and then freeze them and then steam them until they’re defrosted.ย
Variations On Thisย Recipe
- Make It Spicy:ย While this version is a touch sweet, you could go to one extreme or the other and add inย rajasย to make it spicier or cream and more sugar or even brownedย butterย to make it more indulgent.ย
- Change The Garnish: We’re serving them with lime, cream, cheese, and some crushed chile flakes but feel free to use thisย spiced sugar syrupย or thisย chile chocolate sauceย for more sweetness.
- Vegan Sweet Corn Tamales: You can easily make these vegan tamales by using plant-basedย butter or coconut oil for the fat and then garnishing with a plant-based sour cream and a nut cheese.ย
Okay, that’s it!ย Goย stock up on all your bar essentialsย then head into the kitchen, make this, and share it with us byย taggingย @saltandwindย andย #swsocietyย on social!


{Tamales de Elote} Easy Mexican Sweet Corn Tamales Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 40 dried corn husks
(from about 1/2 pound package)
- 4 cups corn
kernels
- 3 cups masa harina
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
or pilocillo
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
plus more for serving (optional to make sweet tamales)
- 3 cups whole milk
or almond milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
(optional to make sweet tamales)
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
, softened
- 1 to chopped green chiles
, drained and rinsed (optional to make spicy tamales)
- Salsa verde, Lime wedges
, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Soak the husks: Bring a largeย potย or teakettle of water to a boil. Remove from the heat and add theย corn husks, submerging them completely under the water. Let sit until soft and pliable, about 30 minutes, pressing down to cover them in water every few minutes.
- Cook the corn:ย Bring aย mediumย saucepan of salted water to a boil then add the corn and cook until itโs tender, about 5 to 10 minutes then drain. Meanwhile, rehydrate the masa.Whisk the dryย ingredients:ย Meanwhile, in aย mediumย heatproof bowl, whisk theย masa harinaย with 1ย tablespoonย of the sugar, the 2 teaspoonsย baking powder, and 2 teaspoons of salt. If making sweetย tamales, add the grated cinnamon now.Rehydrateย masa harina:ย In aย mediumย microwave-safe bowl, warm the milk for 30 seconds, until just scalded and steaming. If making sweetย tamales, add the vanilla extract now. Pour the warm milk over the masa and stir until just combined. Let cool atย room temperatureย for 10 minutes.ย
- Pulse the corn: In aย food processorย fitted with an S-blade, pulse the corn for about 6 (1 second) pulses until a chunkyย pureeย forms. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the cornย pureeย into the bowl with the masaย mixtureย and stir until evenly combined.ย Beat theย butter: Place theย butterย and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat atย mediumย speed until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Atย medium-low speed, add the cooled masaย mixtureย in six additions, beating well after each addition. If making spicyย tamales, stir in the chopped green chiles now.
- Assemble theย tamales:ย Remove 1 soakedย huskย from the water and arrange on a work surface with the narrow end pointing away from you. On the wide end, spread 1/4 cup (or anywhere from 4 to 5ย tablespoonsย of theย dough) of theย tamaleย doughย into a 5-inch long rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inchย huskย border at the bottom.ย Foldย in the long sides of theย husk, overlapping them to enclose the filling.ย Foldย the narrow end toward you, over theย tamale.ย Foldย the wide end over theย tamaleย and place seaside down on aย baking sheet. Repeat with the remainingย corn husksย andย tamaleย dough.ย
- Start theย steamer:ย Fill the bottom of theย steamerย with 2ย inches of water. Place theย steamerย insert over the base and place any smallย corn husksย in the bottom then add theย tamales. Place a few of the remainingย corn husksย on top of the assembledย tamalesย and cover the insert with aย lid. Bring the water to a boil.ย Reduce the heat to moderately low so the water is at aย simmerย and steam theย tamalesย for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Check the water level periodically and add more as needed.
- Check If Theย Tamalesย Are Cooked:ย To check if a tamal is cooked, remove oneย tamaleย to a work surface and carefully open theย husk. ย If theย huskย peels back without much sticking, theย tamaleย is cooked. If not, cover theย potย again and check theย tamalesย every 10 minutes until the filling no longer sticks to theย husk. Uncover and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.Serve:ย Serve the sweetย tamalesย with crema, additional cinnamon, andย queso fresco. Serve the spicyย tamalesย with crema, crumbledย queso fresco, and lime wedges.
1 thought on “Easy Mexican Sweet Corn Tamales”
Thanks for sharing such a great helping infomation.