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These tamales de elote are some of the easiest tamales I’ve ever made. Canned sweet corn gets blended into a masa with sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla, then scooped into corn husks and steamed. They’re so good with a cup of coffee!
A Note from Isabel
My family is big on tamales. We usually make red pork tamales, green chicken tamales, and tamales de rajas, but nobody ever really made tamales de elote. I’ve had them plenty of times, though, and every time I’d take one bite and tell myself I needed to learn how to make them.
So I finally did, and I couldn’t believe how easy they are. There’s no filling to cook and no spreading masa across a stack of husks. You just blend the corn, mix it into the dough, and scoop it right in.
If you’ve never made tamales before, this is where I’d start. They’re sweet, soft, and full of corn flavor, and you can make them any time of year since the corn comes from a can.
What Are Tamales de Elote?
Tamales de elote, or sweet corn tamales, are tamales made with corn blended right into the dough. Elote means fresh corn on the cob in Spanish, and the corn is the star here. There’s no filling. The whole tamal is the sweet corn dough, and it steams up soft and tender.
They’re different from sweet tamales, or tamales dulces, which start with plain masa and get their flavor from sugar, cinnamon, and usually raisins.
You’ll also hear about uchepos from Michoacán. Those are fresh corn tamales made mostly with corn and little to no masa, and they’re usually served savory with crema, salsa, and cheese.
Sweet corn in the U.S. is juicier than the starchier corn used in Mexico, so most corn tamales made here, including mine, use masa harina to help the dough hold its shape.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Along with a few staples like baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt, here’s what you’ll need. The full amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Masa harina: This is the same corn flour used for corn tortillas. Look for it in the international foods aisle or get it online.
- Canned or frozen corn: I use 4 cans of sweet kernel corn, drained and rinsed, which is about 6 1/3 cups. You can find it any time of year, and there’s no cutting kernels off the cob. Frozen corn works too. Just make sure it’s completely thawed and drain off any water first.
- Oil: A lot of recipes use lard or butter, but my family has always used oil in our tamales. The dough comes out soft without being greasy, and it keeps these vegan. Canola, avocado, vegetable, or corn oil all work.
- Corn husks: You’ll need about 24 dried corn husks. Look for them at Mexican grocery stores or get them online.
How to Make Tamales de Elote
Once the husks are soaked, these come together fast since there’s no filling to cook and no masa to spread.
Mix the masa. Stir together the masa harina, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, then work in the oil with your hands. It should feel like wet sand and hold together when you press it.
Blend the corn. Pulse the drained corn and vanilla extract in a blender with the vanilla extract until it’s finely ground. It’ll look like a chunky purée, but there shouldn’t be any whole kernels left.
Add the corn to the masa. Pour the blended corn into the bowl with the masa.
Mix the dough. Stir everything together with a fork until it looks like a thick paste.
Fill and fold. Scoop a heaping 1/4 cup of dough into the middle of each soaked husk, no spreading needed. Fold the long sides over like a book, then fold the pointy end up.
Steam and serve. Steam the tamales open side up for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the husk peels away easily. Let them rest for 10 minutes, then serve with café de olla or champurrado.
Recipe Tips
- Rinse the corn well. Draining and rinsing gets rid of the canning liquid, so your dough doesn’t end up too wet.
- Use the smooth side of the husk. Every husk has a smooth side and a ridged side. Put the dough on the smooth side so the tamales unwrap cleanly.
- Don’t worry if they’re soft. They’ll feel a little squishy right out of the steamer, but they firm up as they cool, so don’t skip the rest time.
- Make the dough ahead. It keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, so you can split the work over two days.
Tamales de Elote FAQs
Keep them in their husks in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, steam them for about 15 minutes, warm them in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes, or microwave them for 1 to 2 minutes.
Yes! Let them cool completely, then freeze them in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 6 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight and reheat them the same way.
Yes. Any large pot with a steamer basket works. Just stand the tamales up with the open end facing up and lean them against the side of the pot so they don’t tip over.
This recipe is both, since it uses oil instead of lard or butter and masa harina is made from corn. If you need them to be strictly gluten-free, double-check the labels on your masa harina and baking powder.
Tamales de Elote (Sweet Corn Tamales)
Equipment
- Large steamer pot (16-quart or larger)
Ingredients
- 24 corn husks (about ¼-⅓ pound)
- 4 (15.25-ounce) cans sweet kernel corn, drained and rinsed (about 6 ⅓ cups)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups masa harina
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- ⅔ cup canola oil (vegetable, avocado, or corn oil also works)
Instructions
- Prep the corn husks: Add the corn husks to a large bowl or pot. Pour enough hot water over the corn husks to cover them completely. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and let them soak for 1 hour to soften them up. Meanwhile, blend the corn and make the sweet tamale dough.
- Blend the corn: Add the corn and vanilla extract to a large blender. Pulse until the corn is medium to finely ground. It won't be completely smooth, but there shouldn't be any whole kernels in the mix. Set aside.
- Mix the masa harina: In a large mixing bowl, add the masa harina, granulated sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Mix together to combine.
- Add the oil: Add the corn oil and mix together with your hands, working the dough through your fingers until everything is well combined and incorporated. The dough should feel a little crumbly, almost like wet sand, and should lightly hold its shape when pressed together.
- Add the blended corn: Add the blended corn. Mix together with a fork until fully combined.
- Finish prepping the corn husks: Drain the water from the corn husks and pat them dry. Remove and discard any corn silk that may be on the husks. Lay the husks flat onto a baking sheet for easy access.
- Fill the corn husks: Grab a large corn husk and identify which is the smooth side and which is the side with ridges. Place the smooth side face up on a plate. Scoop a heaping 1/4 cup of the tamale dough into the middle of the softened corn husk.
- Fold: 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. Place in a bowl with the open end facing up, making sure to lean them against the side so it doesn't fall down. Repeat until all the tamales have been filled and assembled.
- Prepare the steamer pot: Fill the bottom of the steamer pot with water and cover with the steamer insert. Place the sweet 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, and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Rest and serve: Carefully transfer the tamales to a baking sheet or serving platter and let them sit and cool slightly for 10 minutes. They may be a little squishy when you first take them out of the steamer, but will quickly firm up once they have time to cool. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: Keep cooked tamales in their husks in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat them in a steamer for 15 minutes, in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes, or in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled tamales in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 6 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Make ahead: The dough keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Frozen corn: You can use about 6 1/3 cups of frozen corn instead of canned. Thaw it completely and drain off any water before blending.
- Not quite done? If the dough still sticks to the husk, put them back in the steamer for a few more minutes and check again.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Mexican Recipes
This post was originally posted in December 2021 and has been updated with more helpful tips to help you make the best tamales de elote on the very first try.
Made these tonight and they came out moist and delicious. I substituted the canned corn with 3 16 oz bags of frozen organic super sweet corn that I thawed in the fridge overnight. I also left out the vanilla and cinnamon and added one tsp of sugar. They came out perfect.
Thank you for this recipe.
I made some for my mom and she was happy and liked the tamales de elote. Do you have the recipe for the savory tamales de elote?
If you do please share it with me.
Thank you again Isabel
Thank you for this easy recipe; I made the tamales but add a little more sugar, because my family has a sweet taste. Also, I used parchment paper instead of husk, and completely cover them. I use parchment paper because the corn husk are currently quite expensive.
Muy ricos los tamales, el sabor me recuerda a los uchepos que se preparan en Michoacán cuando los elotes están tiernos. Es maravilloso poder preparar estos tamales en cualquier época del año.
En lugar de prepararlos con masa harina los preparé con harina P.A.N amarilla y no les puse canela.
Muchas gracias por la receta.
Hola Willow! Muchas gracias!
I want to make and the sweet tamales in an Instant Pot and am wondering how much time to pressure cook them for, and how long to slow release.
Hi Kelly! You can cook them in your instant pot using a steam try and then pressure cook on high for 45 minutes, and then let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes!
How much water do we put in the instapot?
Hello can make in aluminum foil?
Hi Pedro! We haven’t tried this recipe in aluminum foil so I’m not too sure. If you try it let us know how it goes!
Hi Isabel! I recently made these tamales de elote, and they were delicious! I followed your recipe without changing anything. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe. I had been looking for an easy and tasty recipe for a year now to no avail.
Cam these tamales be cooked in an Instant Pot?
Hello Dianne! There’s actually a recipe on the website for instant pot tamales that goes into more detail. Hope this helps!