Make your easter brunch even more memorable with sweet Carrot Cake Tamales. Combining the best elements of dessert and tradition, these tamales are filled with spiced carrot goodness and offer a fun surprise for your guests. Serve with cream cheese icing for an extra-special finish.
Tamales are endlessly versatile. They range from savory comfort food to inventive desserts. Carrot cake tamales are a perfect example of that creativity. They blend warm spices and sweet carrot cake flavors into tender masa. Once you make them once you’ll want to make them again. I’ve made rich chocolate tamales that look like fingers for Halloween.
While sweet tamales are delicious, I grew up with savory tamales. We made them from scratch when I was a kid. My favorite were the beef tamales filled with seasoned taco style beef. But my new favorite is seasonal pumpkin chorizo tamales to classic. These variations show how one traditional dish can be reimagined in surprising and memorable ways.
What Type of Cornmeal Is Used to Make Tamales?
For authentic tamales, look for masa tamal. It is a coarser ground corn that makes for a fluffier tamale with a rustic flavor. You can use masa harina instead of masa tamal. It makes a smoother and more delicate tamal. It does require a little more moisture and you will need to do the float test to make sure enough air is incorporated. I beat mine and then let it set for 10 minutes and checked the consistency. I wound up adding another 1/2 cup of milk before the dough was ready.
There are three main types of masa harina: white, yellow, and blue. And those can be organic, tamale, or instant. Tamale is usually coarser to stay lighter and moister during steaming. This is the kind I can typically find in my local grocery store. I did stumble on some blue masa which is always fun because of its blue color.
White masa harina has the mildest flavor and most delicate flavor of the three. Yellow has a more pronounced corn flavor. Blue is nuttier and earthier than all three. With these differences in flavor you’ll want to select a masa harina that matches your recipe. Lighter tamales like dessert or chicken would be best made with white or blue. Yellow masas is perfect for heartier tamales like beef or chorizo.
Preparing the Homemade Carrot Puree
Initially, I toyed with getting some carrot baby food. Don’t look at me like that. It’s just carrots and water. Which is basically what I would make from scratch. But, since I had carrots that I needed to use, I decided to make homemade carrot puree.
I had a bag of baby carrots. I put those in a microwave safe container with about 1/3 cup of water. Then I put the lid on and microwaved them for 7 to 10 minutes or until they were soft and easy to break in half. Finally, I pureed the cooked carrots in a food processor until smooth. This homemade carrot puree adds vibrant color, moisture, and natural sweetness to your tamale dough.
Making the Tamale Dough
In a large bowl, combine masa harina, sugar, baking powder, a pinch of salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Mix in the carrot puree, melted butter (or vegetable oil for a dairy-free option), and a splash of vanilla extract. Gradually add warm milk (dairy or non-dairy) and beat until the dough is light, airy, and easily spreadable. The dough should resemble a thick cake batter.
What’s Best for Wrapping and Steaming?
You have several options for wrapping your dessert tamales:
Corn husks: Traditional, add an earthy flavor, and are easy to fold.
Banana leaves: Impart a subtle tropical aroma and lend a striking presentation.
Parchment paper: Convenient and readily available; perfect for dessert tamales.
Aluminum foil: Seals in moisture well but doesn’t add flavor.
Choose according to your preference and what’s available—there’s no wrong choice for this sweet treat!
Tips for Making Perfect Tamales
Soak corn husks or banana leaves in warm water for at least 30 minutes before use.
Spread the dough thinly and evenly for the best texture.
Don’t overfill; a tablespoon or two of filling per tamale works well.
Arrange tamales standing upright in the steamer to cook evenly.
Steam over gentle heat and resist the urge to open the lid too often—this keeps the steam in and ensures fluffy tamales.
1 to 1 1/2 cups warm milk (or non-dairy milk as preferred)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup golden raisins
Soaked corn husks (see notes for alternatives)
Steps to Make These Dessert Tamales
Prepare all ingredients: soak your husks, make the carrot puree, and measure your dry ingredients.
Sort through the husks and find ones that are too small or too cracked to use for a tamale. Tear those into strips to use to tie the tamales closed.
Mix the masa harina, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl.
Add the carrot puree, melted butter, and vanilla. Gradually mix in the warm milk until you reach a spreadable consistency. It should resemble hummus or peanut butter. You can put a bit of dough into a glass of water, and it should float. If it doesn’t float continue mixing and adding milk until it does.
Pat the husk dry and spread about 2 tablespoons of dough onto each one, leaving space at the edges. If one is too narrow you can find another narrow one and layer them to make one big enough for a tamale.
Sprinkle the chopped walnuts and raisins down the center.
Roll up each tamale making sure to overlap the edges or make sure they touch to keep the walnuts and raisins in. Fold the end under and tie the tamale closed with a strip of husk.
Assembling and Steaming the Tamales
Place a steamer basket upside down in a pressure cooker. See the notes for traditional steaming instructions. Arrange the tamales vertically with the open ends facing up. Add 3/4 to 1 cup of water to the pot. Fasten the lid, turn the seal to closed, and cook on high for 20 minutes. Allow the steam to naturally release. Tamales are ready when they pull away cleanly from the wrapper and feels set but moist.
Serving and Enjoying Your Carrot Cake Tamales
Serve the carrot cake tamales warm, either straight from the steamer or gently reheated. They’re perfect on their own, or alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. They’re delicious drizzled with a cream cheese glaze or dusted with powdered sugar. Add a sprinkle of extra cinnamon or a few chopped nuts on top to complete the presentation.
The carrot cake tamale bursts with warm, comforting flavors reminiscent of classic carrot cake. The tender dough is infused with sweet carrot and aromatic spices. The walnut and raising filling adds a delightful crunch and subtle sweetness. Each bite offers a harmonious blend of moist cake-like texture and the nutty, fruity notes, making for a uniquely delicious treat.
While the tamale itself contains all the carrot cake flavor you can make a cheesecake style filling. I made a similar cheesecake style filling for my pumpkin cheesecake tamales. Simply take some room temperature cream cheese and combine it with a 1/2 cup of carrot puree with a little brown sugar and some more gingerbread spice and cinnamon.
Either way you serve these up, carrot cake tamale will be a new hit for your Easter and spring dinners. But since carrots are available year-round, you can make and enjoy these tamales any time you want!
Carrot Cake Tamales
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Make your brunch even more memorable with sweet Carrot Cake Tamales. Combining the best elements of dessert and tradition, these tamales are filled with spiced carrot goodness and offer a fun surprise for your guests
1 to 1 1/2 cups warm milk (or non-dairy milk as preferred)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup golden raisins
Soaked corn husks (see notes for alternatives)
Instructions
Prepare all ingredients: soak your husks, make the carrot puree, and measure your dry ingredients.
Sort through the husks and find ones that are too small or too cracked to use for a tamale. Tear those into strips to use to tie the tamales closed.
Mix the masa harina, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl.
Add the carrot puree, melted butter, and vanilla. Gradually mix in the warm milk until you reach a spreadable consistency. It should resemble hummus or peanut butter. You can put a bit of dough into a glass of water, and it should float. If it doesn’t float continue mixing and adding milk until it does.
Pat the husk dry and spread about 2 tablespoons of dough onto each one, leaving space at the edges.
If one is too narrow you can find another narrow one and layer them to make one big enough for a tamale.
Sprinkle the chopped walnuts and raisins down the center.
Roll up each tamale making sure to overlap the edges or make sure they touch to keep the walnuts and raisins in. Fold the end under and tie the tamale closed with a strip of husk.
Place a steamer basket upside down in a pressure cooker. See the notes for traditional steaming instructions. Arrange the tamales vertically with the open ends facing up. Add 3/4 to 1 cup of water to the pot.
Fasten the lid, turn the seal to closed, and cook on high for 20 minutes. Allow the steam to naturally release. The tamales are done when the dough pulls away cleanly from the wrapper and feels set but moist.
