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A pink sweet tamal with raisins and pecans sits on a corn husk on a white plate. A fork holds a bite, and pecans and raisins are on the side, highlighting the flavors of sweet tamales with raisins and pecans. The plate rests on a decorative orange and white tray.
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Sweet Tamales with Raisins and Pecans (Tamales Dulces)

Sweet, pink-colored tamales filled with raisins and pecans. A traditional Mexican dessert tamale, made vegan.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 114kcal
Author: Nancy Lopez & MexicanMadeMeatless.com

Ingredients

  • 24 corn husks or more as needed
  • 3 oz margarine or butter at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • small pinch salt
  • ½ cup sugar light muscovado or vegan friendly cane sugar
  • ½ lb masa harina the kind for tamales
  • 2 to 3 cups unsweetened almond milk at room temp
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 to 13 drops red food dye optional
  • 1 cup raisins
  • ¾ cup pecans roughly chopped

Instructions

Prep Corn Husks

  • Sort through them and remove any badly damaged or dirty ones, then soak in hot water for at least 30 minutes. Use a heavy bowl or plate to weigh them down to fully submerge and hydrate.

Prep Raisins

  • Place raisins in a small bowl and cover with plenty of water for 20 minutes. Drain and remove all excess water.

Make The Pink Masa

  • Cream the butter or margarine. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter/margarine until light and fluffy.
  • Add the baking powder, sugar, and salt and whip for a few minutes until airy and well combined.
  • Add half the masa harina with about 1 cup of the milk and whip until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and gradually whip in the remaining masa harina and milk.
  • Mix in the vanilla extract then add a few drops of the red food dye, adding more dye a little at a time until you reach the shade of pink you like. I added a total of 13 drops.
  • Gradually mix both drained raisins and chopped pecans into the masa until distributed throughout.
  • Drain the corn husks and pat dry.

Fold and Steam The Tamales

  • On the smooth side of the corn husk, add a 3 to 4 tablespoon dollop of the masa mixture.
  • Fold in the sides of the corn husk to secure the masa, fold up the bottom of the husk to shape the tamal. Repeat until all of the masa is used up.
  • Fill your steamer pot with water to the indicated line. Secure the steaming rack and begin standing the tamales upright onto the steaming rack.
  • Secure the lid on the tamalera pot. Turn heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Once you hear the water boiling and start seeing steam come out, turn heat down to medium low and steam for 1 hour.
  • After one hour carefully remove one tamal from the pot, set aside for 10 minutes, then slowly peel away the corn husk. If the corn husks separates easily from the tamal then it's ready, if not steam another 20 minutes.

Enjoy

  • Serve warm and enjoy as a dessert or with a cup of coffee, hot chocolate, or atole.

Notes

You can use vegan butter or vegan margarine, for a vegetarian version use regular butter. 
Milk: Use your favorite unsweetened plant milk or regular full fat milk for vegetarian version. 
Food Dye: Look for a vegan friendly brand or simply omit. 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 24tamales | Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 157IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg
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