Switch things up this holiday season and swap the pumpkin pie for these Pumpkin Tamales! Light and fluffy masa is sweetened with pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and brown sugar for a fun and seasonal twist on this traditional Mexican dish.
If you love dessert tamales, you’ve got to try my chocolate tamales and sweet tamales.
Everyone loves traditional savory tamales like red Mexican tamales or tamales de rajas, but equally as delicious are sweet tamales!
In my humble opinion, sweet tamales are underrated. They’re the perfect mix of sweet and savory since the rich and earthy maize flavor from the corn masa pairs well with ingredients like sugar, piloncillo, and dried fruits. These pumpkin tamales are a fun and unique way to enjoy warm and rich seasonal flavors with the traditional maize flavor of tamales.
What Are Pumpkin Tamales?
Pumpkin tamales are a fun and seasonal twist on traditional sweet Mexican tamales. They’re flavored with pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, chopped pecans, and light brown sugar, which creates a warm and rich flavor that pairs well with the earthy corn flavor from the masa harina. You can drizzle them with extra toppings like sweetened condensed milk, dulce de leche, extra chopped pecans, or pomegranate seeds for extra flavor and texture.
Ingredients You Need
- Corn husks: You’ll need about 18-20 corn husks for this recipe. You can find them at your local Mexican grocery store, in the international food aisle, or online. They vary in size and width, so you may end up with more or less tamales depending on the ones you choose.
- Masa harina: This is the main ingredient in the pumpkin tamal dough. You can find it online or at most grocery stores.
- Brown sugar: Sweetens the pumpkin masa and adds some extra depth of flavor. For extra richness, you can use dark brown sugar.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Adds some traditional warm autumn and winter flavors. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can use a mixture of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, and cloves.
- Baking powder: The leavening agent for the pumpkin masa which gives it its light and fluffy texture.
- Fine salt: A dash of fine salt helps balance the sweetness.
- Pumpkin puree: Adds some moisture and signature pumpkin flavor. You can use fresh or canned pureed pumpkin. I don’t recommend using pumpkin pie filling.
- Unsalted butter: The fat component for the masa. Some tamale recipes use shortening, lard, or oil for their masa, but to pair well with the sweet ingredients, I opted to use butter.
- Whole milk: Adds moisture and creaminess to the masa. You can also use water.
- Vanilla extract: Adds some extra depth of flavor. You can also use maple extract for an even richer taste.
- Chopped pecans Add texture to the pumpkin tamales. You can leave them out or substitute other nuts, such as almonds or walnuts.
How to Make Pumpkin Tamales
Make the pumpkin masa. Mix the masa, light brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Slowly add the pumpkin puree, unsalted butter, whole milk, and vanilla extract at low speed.
Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing the mixture for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Stir in the chopped pecans.
Fill the corn husks. Grab a softened corn husk and identify the smooth side and the side with ridges. Place the smooth side face up onto your palm or on a plate. Scoop about ¼ cup of the pumpkin masa into the middle – no need to spread it out since all the filling is already mixed in.
Fold together the long edges of the corn husk like a book, and then fold it once more. Fold the pointy edge over so that only one side of the corn husk is open and exposed. Set aside and continue assembling all of the tamales until you’ve used up all the dough.
Steam. Fill the bottom of the steamer pot with water and cover with the steamer insert. Place the tamales in the steamer with the open end facing up, making sure to lean them against the side of the pot so they don’t fall down.
Cover tightly with the lid and place the steamer over high heat. Bring the water in the steamer pot to a boil (you should be able to hear it bubbling), then reduce the heat to low. Cook for 1 ½ hours or until the masa is fully cooked.
Cool and serve. Remove 1 tamal from the steamer pot. Let it sit for 10 minutes. If the husk peels away easily from the masa, then it’s done. If the masa is still gooey or sticks to the husk, steam it for 15 more minutes, then check again.
When they unstick, remove all of them from the pot and let them cool for 10 minutes before serving to help them firm up and make them easier to unwrap.
Recipe Tips
- Prep in advance. The sweet tamale dough can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
- Don’t have a stand mixer? You can easily mis the pumpkin masa by hand, or with a hand mixer, just note it will take longer. Mix until the masa passes the water test.
- Let the tamales cool. The tamales will still be very hot and not fully set when finished steaming. Let them cool for 10 minutes before peeling back the corn husks and serving to allow them to set properly.
Variations
- Add more fillings. You substitute the chopped pecans for any nuts or dried fruit of your liking. Almonds and walnuts are great options. If using dried fruits like raisins, make sure to rehydrate first before stirring into the pumpkin masa.
- Add toppings. You can add toppings like sweetened condensed milk, dulce de leche, extra chopped pecans, and pomegranate seeds for an extra sweet treat.
Things You Will Need
- Tamale steamer pot. This is a key piece of equipment for making tamales. I used a 16-quart pot, but this recipe would also fit in a smaller pot.
- Corn husks. You can find corn husks at your local Mexican grocery store, in the international aisle of most grocery stores, or online.
Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to enjoy any sweet tamales, but especially these pumpkin tamales, is in the mornings with a cup of coffee or as an after dinner dessert with a cup of Mexican atole or Mexican hot chocolate. They’re so warm and filling, they’re truly a Mexican comfort food!
Storing and Reheating
To store, transfer the pumpkin tamales into a resealable bag or airtight container, still wrapped in the husks, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
To freeze, place cooked and cooled tamales in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months.
To reheat, steam them for 15 minutes in a steamer pot, heat them in the oven for 10 minutes at 350°F, or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes on high.
More Pumpkin Recipes
If you tried this Pumpkin Tamales Recipe or any other recipe on Isabel Eats, don’t forget to give it a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! I love hearing about your experience making it.
Pumpkin Tamales
Pumpkin tamales made from pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and brown sugar are a fun twist on traditional tamales!
Instructions
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Prep the corn husks. Add the corn husks to a large bowl, cover with boiling water, and allow them to soak and soften for 30 minutes.
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Make the pumpkin masa. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the masa harina, light brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and fine salt.
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With an electric mixer or using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, slowly beat in pumpkin puree, butter, milk, and vanilla extract.
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Increase the speed to medium and continue beating the pumpkin masa mixture for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. The masa should be the texture of thick hummus. Stir in the chopped pecans.
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Remove the corn husks from the water and pat dry with paper towels.
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Fill the corn husks. Grab a corn husk and identify which is the smooth side and which is the side with ridges. Place the smooth side face up onto your palm or on a plate. Scoop about ¼ cup of the pumpkin masa into the middle of the softened corn husks – no need to spread it out since all the filling is already mixed in.
-
Fold together the long edges of the corn husk like a book, and then fold it once more. Fold the pointy edge over so that only one side of the corn husk is open and exposed. Set aside and continue assembling all of the tamales until you’ve used up all the dough.
-
Prepare the steamer pot. Fill the bottom of the steamer pot with water and cover with the steamer insert. Place the tamales in the steamer with the open end facing up, making sure to lean them against the side of the pot so they don’t fall down.
-
Steam. Cover tightly with the lid and place the steamer over high heat. Bring the water in the steamer pot to a boil (you should be able to hear it bubbling), then reduce the heat to low. Cook for 1 ½ hours or until the masa is fully cooked.
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Check for doneness. Remove 1 tamal from the steamer pot. Let it sit for 10 minutes. If the husk peels away easily from the masa, then it’s done. If the masa is still gooey or sticks to the husk, steam it for 15 more minutes, then check again.
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Serve. Remove the tamales from the pot and let them cool for 10 minutes before serving to help them firm up and make them easier to unwrap.
Notes
- Prep in advance. The sweet tamale dough can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
- Add more fillings. You substitute the chopped pecans for any nuts or dried fruit of your liking. Almonds and walnuts are great options. If using dried fruits like raisins, make sure to rehydrate first before stirring into the pumpkin masa.
- Add toppings. You can add toppings like sweetened condensed milk, dulce de leche, extra chopped pecans, and pomegranate seeds for an extra sweet treat.
- Don’t have a stand mixer? You can easily mix the pumpkin masa by hand, or with a hand mixer, just note it will take longer.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1tamal, Calories: 217kcal (11%), Carbohydrates: 29g (10%), Protein: 2g (4%), Fat: 11g (17%), Saturated Fat: 5g (25%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 22mg (7%), Sodium: 111mg (5%), Potassium: 140mg (4%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 19g (21%), Vitamin A: 4414IU (88%), Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 70mg (7%), Iron: 1mg (6%)
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.