TamalesMedium

Sweet Tamales

Name: Sweet Tamales
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 135 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 tbsp Vanilla essence; 40 Dried corn husks; 250 ml Milk; 400 g Lard; 100 g Raisins; 1 tbsp Baking powder; 0.5 tsp Salt; 200 g Sugar; 1 tsp Red food colouring; 1 kg Masa flour for tamales

135 min (45 prep + 90 cook) Medium 20 servings Centro de Mexico

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 4 Feb 2026 · Updated: 23 Mar 2026

Sweet pink tamales with raisins, perfect paired with a warm cup of atole.

About this recipe

Sweet tamales, with their characteristic pink colour, are a favourite with children and adults alike. The dough is sweetened with sugar and tinted with red food colouring, then studded with raisins and sometimes pineapple. They are best enjoyed with atole or hot chocolate, particularly on Dia de la Candelaria.

History & Origin

Sweet tamales have pre-Hispanic roots, as the ancient Mesoamerican peoples prepared tamales sweetened with maguey honey and wild fruits to offer to their gods. With the arrival of the Spanish, cane sugar, raisins and the red colouring that gives them their iconic pink hue were introduced. The tradition of pairing them with hot atole dates back to the colonial era and continues to this day in the celebration of Candlemas. They are especially popular among Mexican children and can be found at virtually every tamal stall in the country. A curious fact is that in Mexico City it is customary to order a 'guajolote', which is a sweet tamal inside a bolillo or telera bread roll, creating the famous tamal sandwich.

Estimated cost

£16.68

Total cost

£0.83

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

400

Calories

22g

Protein

37g

Carbohydrates

15g

Fat

Fibre

807mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Remoja the hojas de maiz en water hot durante 1 hour. Escurre y reserva.
2
Beat the pork lard at high speed for 5 minutes until it is spongy and white in colour.
3
Add the sugar to the whipped lard and continue beating for 2 more minutes until fully incorporated.
4
Add the maize flour, baking powder, salt, warm milk and vanilla essence. Beat at medium speed for 3-4 minutes until you have a smooth, spreadable dough.
5
Anade el colorante rojo vegetal y mezcla until la corn dough (masa) tome un colour rosa uniforme. Incorpora the raisins y mezcla with a espatula.
💡 Agrega el colorante little by little hasta alcanzar el tono rosa deseado. Es mas facil agregar that remove.
6
Unta 2 tablespoons de corn dough (masa) rosa en el centre de each hoja de maiz. No es necesario agregar relleno; the tamales dulces tradicionales solo llevan la corn dough (masa) with raisins.
7
Fold the sides of the husk towards the centre and the bottom tip upwards. Place the tamales upright in the steamer.
8
Steam for 1 hour and a half over medium heat. The tamal is ready when the husk peels away cleanly without any dough sticking to it.
9
Deja reposar 10 minutes before de servir. Acompana with un vaso de atole de vainilla o chocolate hot.
💡 Estos tamales are the clasicos of the Dia de la Candelaria (2 de febrero). Al that le sale el munequito en la rosca de Reyes, le toca hacer the tamales.