Sweet yuca tamales are individual Costa Rican tamalitos: a dough of grated yuca with cheese, sugar, and egg, wrapped in corn husks and baked.
They’re a great choice to go with coffee at gatherings or as a snack at family parties.
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Costa Rican Sweet Yuca Tamales
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 20 tamales
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Costa Rican
Ingredients
- 500 g (½ kg) yuca (cassava)
- 500 g (½ kg) grated white cheese, not too salty
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of melted butter
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- Flour, as needed (by the spoonful)
- Corn husks
- Oil for brushing the husks (spray oil works well)
- Natilla (Costa Rican sour cream), to serve (optional)
Preparation
- Prepare the yuca, peel the yuca, remove the central fiber, and grate it very finely; then squeeze it by hand to remove excess liquid and transfer it to a large bowl.
- Make the dough, add the cheese, sugar, melted butter, baking powder, and salt, and mix well; add the eggs one at a time and, finally, work in flour by the spoonful until the dough isn’t too wet.
- Fill the husks, preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F); brush the inside of each husk with oil, spoon in a spoonful of the mixture, close the edges, and fold the tip down. Place the tamales on a baking sheet; there’s no need to tie them.
- Bake, bake for about 30 minutes, turn them over, and bake about 5 minutes more: the husk turns golden, but check that the dough is firm.
- Serve, let the tamales cool a little before serving; if you like, serve them with natilla.
Tips
- Squeeze the grated yuca well: if too much liquid remains, the dough won’t set in the oven.
- Use a mild white cheese so it doesn’t overpower the sweetness of the dough.
- Add the flour gradually, only as much as needed so the mixture isn’t too wet.
- A golden husk isn’t enough: check that the dough is firm before taking them out.
Traditional variations
- They can be served on their own or with natilla.
- Different from this recipe are the yuca and coconut tamal, which is baked in a pan, and savory yuca tamales with pork, which are wrapped in plantain leaves.
How to serve
Serve the tamales slightly cooled, in their husks, with coffee or as a snack at family parties.
Recommended pairings
- Coffee
- Natilla
Did you know?
Unlike Costa Rican corn tamales, which are wrapped in plantain leaves and boiled, these sweet tamalitos have a yuca dough, come in corn husks, and are baked.
Frequently Asked Questions
In corn husks brushed inside with oil. The edges are closed and the tip folded down; there's no need to tie them.
To remove excess liquid, so the dough is drier and sets well in the oven.
After about 30 minutes at 180 °C (350 °F) and 5 more minutes after turning them, the husk turns golden; also check that the dough is firm.
No. The yuca and coconut tamal is a different Costa Rican preparation, with coconut and condensed milk, baked in a pan and cut into portions.
