Tamal asado con coco is a variant of the traditional Costa Rican tamal asado, combining corn masa with shredded coconut and coconut milk, adding a distinctive tropical touch.
It’s a mostly savory preparation, with added sugar giving it a special flavor where coconut leaves its characteristic mark.
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Costa Rican Baked Coconut Corn Cake
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Costa Rican
Ingredients
- 1 kg of freshly ground corn masa (about 2.2 lb)
- 300 g of white cheese, grated (about 10.5 oz)
- 3 of eggs
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1 cup of natilla (sour cream)
- 1/2 cup of sour milk
- 1/2 stick of butter
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of dried shredded coconut
- 1 can of coconut milk (350 g)
Instructions
- Mix the ingredients, combine the corn masa with the grated cheese, sugar, eggs, natilla, dried coconut, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
- Add the coconut milk, stir in the coconut milk and sour milk, mixing until you get a smooth batter.
- Preheat the oven, heat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Grease the pan, grease a large rectangular baking pan.
- Pour the batter, pour the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly.
- Bake, bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden and a knife inserted comes out clean.
- Serve, let it cool slightly and serve cut into portions.
Tips for getting it right
- Using freshly ground masa notably improves the tamale’s final texture.
- Combining dried coconut and coconut milk intensifies this variant’s characteristic tropical flavor.
- Checking doneness with a knife keeps the tamale from drying out from overbaking.
- It’s a mostly savory preparation, with just enough sugar added to achieve its distinctive flavor.
Traditional variations
- It’s a variant of traditional tamal asado, adding coconut for a tropical flavor profile.
- There’s also a version with yuca and coconut, known as tamal de yuca y coco.
How to serve
Tamal asado con coco is served as a dessert or afternoon snack, warm or at room temperature, alongside coffee.
It’s a Costa Rican specialty that combines the tradition of tamal asado with coconut’s tropical touch.
Recommended sides
- Coffee
Did you know?
Tamal asado con coco combines mostly savory ingredients with added sugar, giving it a special, unique flavor.
There’s also a variant called tamal de yuca y coco, which replaces the corn masa with yuca.
Frequently Asked Questions
It differs by the addition of dried coconut and coconut milk, which add a distinctive tropical flavor.
Freshly ground masa notably improves the tamale's final texture, resulting in a softer outcome.
It's a mostly savory preparation, with just enough added sugar to give it a particular flavor balance.
Yes, there's also tamal de yuca y coco, which replaces the corn masa with grated yuca.
