2 Ways to Prepare Mexican Sweet Tamales

If you like sweets, don't miss these Mexican tamale recipes that we're going to show you. They can be prepared with different fillings and the result is very tasty.

Written and verified by the nutritionist Saúl Sánchez Arias.

Last update: 28 April, 2023

Tamales are Mexican sweets that can be filled with different ingredients to achieve incredible flavors. It is a dish eaten by almost everyone in Mexico, although they should be eaten in moderation. Typically, they contain a significant amount of simple sugars, which, ingested in excess, could be harmful to sedentary people. Find out how to make Mexican sweet tamales today!

It’s good to remember that desserts have a place in the context of a balanced diet. The key is to make sure you don’t eat them too often. Also, it’s best to prepare them at home rather than opting for industrial varieties that can contain trans fats and poor-quality additives that directly affect the functioning of the human body.

Nutella sweet tamales

Of course, it’s also possible to prepare the hazelnut cream at home, but this will take a lot longer. If you opt for the industrial product, make sure you buy a variety that doesn’t contain trans lipids. These have been shown to increase the levels of inflammation in the body.

Ingredients

• 500 grams (20 oz) of corn dough
• 1/2 cup condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 cup of warm milk
• 400 grams (16 oz) of Nutella
• 1 pinch of salt
• 200 grams (8 oz) of vegetable shortening or butter
• 30 tamale leaves

Step-by-step instructions

1. Soak the tamale leaves in hot water to soften them. The process can take between 15 and 30 minutes.
2. To make the dough for the Nutella tamales, mix the corn dough, baking powder, and lard or butter in a bowl.
3. Add the condensed milk and warm milk, and stir well.
4. When the texture of the dough is smooth, include the Nutella in it, along with a pinch of salt. The result should be slightly moist.
5. To form the tamales, place a portion of dough on the tamale leaf and then wrap, closing well.
6. Stack each of these elements on top of a steamer and cover with leftover tamale leaves or a damp cloth to cook for one hour. After that time they’re ready to enjoy.

Sweet tamales with dulce de leche

It’s possible to make tamales with dulce de leche (caramelized milk) with different flavors and you can even use coloring to provide the final touches. In this case, however, the added sugar content is high.

For this reason, people with diabetes should be very careful. When suffering from this pathology, it’s usually a good idea to limit carbohydrate intake, according to a study published in Nutrients.

However, simple sugar can be included in the diet of healthy people on an ad hoc basis. In the case of regular exercise, this nutrient could contribute to muscle recovery. There’s evidence that its administration with a certain amount of protein can stimulate muscle glycogen synthesis.

Ingredients

• 500 grams (20 oz) of tamale flour
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 250 grams (10 oz) of vegetable shortening or butter
• 1 can of condensed milk
• 50 grams (2 oz) of sugar
• 100 milliliters of milk
• 2 drops of red vegetable coloring
• Tamale leaves
• Raisins

Step-by-step instructions

1. Beat the butter until its texture becomes creamy. It may take about 10-15 minutes.
2. At the same time, mix the dry ingredients; that is, the tamale flour, and baking powder, with a teaspoon of sugar and salt.
3. Separately, soak the tamale leaves. Just soak them in a bowl of warm water for around 15 minutes.
4. Once the butter is ready, add the dry ingredients and mix again.
5. Add the milk and the condensed milk; make sure all the ingredients are properly stirred in. The only thing left to do is to color the dough with the red coloring.
6. Now it’s time to form the tamales. To do this, place some of the dough on the tamale leaves. You can also add some raisins inside.
7. Once assembled, place them in a pot and cook them in a bain-marie for an hour over low heat. After that time, they’ll be ready to eat.

Prepare Mexican sweet tamales at home the easy way

As you have seen, preparing Mexican tamales at home isn’t difficult. They’re a sweet and very tasty dessert that will please almost everyone. In addition, the fillings are varied, so the recipe can be adapted to create different variants to suit the consumer’s taste.

Finally, remember that it’s important to moderate the presence of simple sugars in the diet. It’s advisable to prioritize the intake of complex carbohydrates and quality proteins and fats. In this way, many complex and metabolic pathologies can be prevented.