Welcome to a delightful twist on a classic! These sweet pineapple tamales Mexican recipe combines the gentle texture of rice flour with the tropical sweetness of pineapple, creating an almost like little cake wrapped up in a corn husk. This unique recipe is perfect for adding a touch of sweetness to your gatherings or a joyful surprise to any meal.
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Hands down this is my favourite type of tamal! My aunt used to make them for my family while growing up. Whenever I asked her what was the secret to such a delightful fluffy texture and taste, she would never say... until she finally revealed it was the rice flour and butter that made these tamales so delectable.
Jump to:
- Why you'll love this recipe
- Recipe Ingredients
- Ingredient Notes
- How to prepare these tamales step by step
- How to know if your tamales are done?
- Storage
- Reheating
- Additions
- Substitutions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Ready to make these tamales?
- You Might Also be Interested in Making this other Tamale Recipe:
- Recipes You'll Also Love:
Why you'll love this recipe
- Lighter Texture: The use of rice flour makes these tamales softer and lighter than those made with traditional masa harina, offering a pleasant and digestible alternative that's perfect for dessert or a sweet treat.
- Perfect for Celebrations or as a breakfast or lunch option: These pineapple tamales are ideal for special occasions, holidays, or as a unique sweet option for your everyday breakfast and/or lunch.
- Innovative Take on Tradition: This recipe puts a creative spin on the traditional tamal by using traditional Mexican cooking techniques and fusing the sweetness of pineapple and the lightness of rice flour. It offers a delightful blend of classic and contemporary flavors, appealing to both tamale purists and culinary adventurers.
Recipe Ingredients
To make these delicious tamales you'll need:
Ingredient Notes
- White rice flour and all purpose flour. When combined, these flours will help achieve a balance between being firm enough to hold together well while remaining tender and not overly heavy.
- Sweet condensed milk. Besides the pineapple chunks, the condensed milk adds to the sweetness of this tamales without making them overly sweet.
How to prepare these tamales step by step
This is a quick overview of the steps to prepare these tamales. For a more detailed description, please refer to the recipe card.
Step 1. To a bowl with warm water, add in the corn husks. Let the husks sit in the water for at least 2 hours or until they've softened up and are pliable.
Step 2. Mix the white rice flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon in a bowl.
Step 3. Using a stand mixer set at speed level 2, mix the unsalted butter with the sugar for 3 minutes or until it reaches a creamy texture. If using a hand held mixer, mix for 8 minutes approximately.
Step 4. Add in to the mixer bowl the sweet condensed milk and the vanilla extract. Mix for 1 minute.
Step 5. To the mixer bowl, add in the eggs one by one slowly, scraping down the sides while mixing at a low speed level.
Step 6. Incorporate the dry ingredients (white rice flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamom) and pecans to the mixing bowl. Stir by hand with a spatula to combine.
Step 7. Add in the evaporated milk to the mix and continue stirring by hand until well combined for one more minute.
Step 8. Remove the husks from the water. Dry up with a kitchen towel.
Step 9. For the filling, spoon two tablespoons of the mixture into the corn husk and spread out leaving some space between the top and the bottom of the corn husk.
Step 10. Add 2 or 3 pineapple chunks to the center of the tamal.
Step 11. For the folding, fold the sides of the corn husks so they overlap the filling and the narrower part of the husk closes upwards.
Step 12. To a tamalera or a tall pot with a steamer basket set on the bottom, add in enough water so that it almost touches the bottom of the steamer basket. Bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat to medium to maintain a simmer.
Step 13. Place a layer of corn husks on top of the steamer basket.
Step 14. Sit on top of this layer the tamales standing up with the folded end of the husk towards the bottom of the pot.
Step 15. Cover the tamales with another layer of corn husks or a kitchen towel to keep the water from evaporating too quickly. Cover the pot with a lid.
Step 16. Steam the tamales for approximately 1 ¼ hr - 1 ½ hr.
Step 17. To check for doneness ,pull a tamal out of the pot with kitchen tongs. Open up the tamal. If the tamal pulls away easily from the corn husk, they are done.
Step 18. Let the tamal rest for 10 minutes after been ready so they firm up a bit and enjoy!
How to know if your tamales are done?
After 1 ¼ hour of been cooking, pull a tamal out of the pot with kitchen tongs. Open up the tamal. If it pulls away easily from the corn husk, the tamales are done. If if doesn't , place back the tamal into the pot and check back again in 10 minutes.
Storage
Cool the tamales completely after steaming. Store them in an airtight container, zip log bag or wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. They will stay well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
For freezing, place the tamales in a freezer bag or in an airtight container. Freeze the tamales for up to 3 months.
Reheating
To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen, then steam for about 15 minutes. If reheating in the microwave, wrap up the tamal in the husk in a damp paper towel and microwave for 1 ½ minutes at 50% power level. This will help retain their moisture and texture.
Additions
- Dried Fruit. For added sweetness, add in dried fruits to the tamales mixture, such as dried raisins or dried cranberries. When adding dried fruits, consider chopping them into small pieces to ensure even distribution throughout the masa.
- Coconut: Shredded coconut or coconut flakes would add a tropical flavor that pairs beautifully with pineapple. You could mix it into the dough or sprinkle it on top before serving for added texture and sweetness.
Substitutions
- Use other nuts: Instead of pecans, you can add in chopped up walnuts, hazelnuts or cashews to the tamales mixture.
- Light Brown Sugar for White Sugar: Using light brown sugar instead of white sugar can add a mild molasses flavor to the tamales, enhancing the depth of sweetness without drastically changing the taste profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course! You can prepare the tamales a day or two in advance and refrigerate them. Simply re-steam them for about 15 minutes when you're ready to serve, or microwave them for a quick heat-up.
If reheating in the microwave, wrap up the tamal in the husk in a damp paper towel and microwave for 1 ½ minutes at 50% power level. This will help retain their moisture and texture.
You can use any tall pot with a steamer basket. For best results, once the tamales are placed inside the pot, cover the top with a damp cloth or a layer of tamales husks under the lid to trap the steam.
Yes, this recipe is quite versatile. Alongside pineapple, you could add dried fruits like raisins or cranberries, or instead of pineapple, experiment with other fresh fruits such as chopped up peaches for different flavours.
Ready to make these tamales?
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Sweet pineapple tamales Mexican recipe
Ingredients
- 30 corn husks
- 250 grams white rice flour sifted
- 68 grams all purpose flour sifted
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 180 grams unsalted butter set at room temperature
- 50 grams white sugar
- 150 milliliters sweet condensed milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs set at room temperature
- 30 grams pecans chopped up
- 30 milliliters evaporated milk
- 120 grams canned pineapple cut into chunks
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Instructions
- To a bowl with warm water, add in the corn husks. Make sure all husks are fully covered with the water. Place something slightly heavy on top of the husks so they remain submerged in the water. Let the husks sit in the water for at least 2 hours or until they've softened up and are pliable.
- To a bowl, add in the white rice flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamom. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer set at speed level 2, mix the unsalted butter with the sugar for 3 minutes or until it reaches a creamy texture. If using a hand held mixer, mix for 8 minutes approximately, or until it reaches a creamy texture.
- Add in to the mixer bowl the sweet condensed milk and the vanilla extract. Mix for 1 minute so it combines with the butter mixture.
- To the mixer bowl, add in the eggs one by one slowly, scraping down the sides while mixing at a low speed level to avoid curdling.
- Incorporate the dry ingredients (white rice flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamom) and pecans to the mixing bowl. Stir by hand with a spatula to combine.
- Add in the evaporated milk and continue stirring by hand until well combined for one more minute.
- Remove the husks from the water. Dry up with a kitchen towel to remove any excess water.
- For the filling, spoon two tablespoons of the mixture into the corn husk and spread out. Depending on the size of the corn husk, leave about 1 -1 ½ inch of space between the masa mixture and the top and bottom of the corn husk. If you have any tears in the corn husks, use an extra piece of corn husk to patch the tear.
- Add 2 or 3 pineapple chunks to the center of the tamal.
- For the folding, fold the sides of the corn husks so they overlap the filling and the narrower part of the husk closes upwards.
- To a tamalera or a tall pot with a steamer basket set on the bottom, add in enough water so that it almost touches the bottom of the steamer basket, but making sure that the water does not touch the steamer basket. Bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat to medium to maintain a simmer.
- Place a layer of corn husks on top of the steamer basket.
- Sit on top of this layer the tamales standing up with the folded end of the husk towards the bottom of the pot. Do not overcrowd the pot so the tamales have some room to expand.
- Cover the tamales with another layer of corn husks or a kitchen towel to keep the water from evaporating too quickly. Cover the pot with a lid.
- Steam the tamales for approximately 1 ¼ hr - 1 ½ hr.
- To check for doneness ,pull a tamal out of the pot with kitchen tongs. Open up the tamal. If the tamal pulls away easily from the corn husk, they are done. If the masa is still sticking to the husk, rewrap the tamal, place it back in the pot, cover and let them cook for 10 more minutes.
- Let the tamal rest for 10 minutes after been ready so they firm up a bit.
Notes
- Corn Husks Breaking: If the corn husks tear or break while you're filling or folding them, they may not hold the tamal contents securely.
- Filling is Too Runny: If the tamal filling is too wet or runny, it might leak out of the husks or result in soggy tamales.
- Tamales are Undercooked: Sometimes tamales might still be sticky and not fully set when you open the husk.
- Tamales are Too Dry: Over-steaming or too high heat can lead to dry tamales.
- Mixture curdles when adding in the eggs: Curdling is a common issue when making batters, especially when cold ingredients are mixed into creamed butter and sugar.
Nutrition
You Might Also be Interested in Making this other Tamale Recipe:
- Fluffy Vegetarian Beans and Cheese Tamales- If you love savory tamales, this recipe is a must-try. Beans are blended into the masa for a rich, delicious flavor, and I share the key mistakes to avoid for the fluffiest results.
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