Skip To Main ContentMasterClass logo
|Articles
At Work
Log In
Sign Up
Food

Gabriela Cámara’s Sweet Tamales de Guayaba Recipe

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Oct 12, 2023 • 5 min read

Tamales are self-contained meals, made with both sweet and savory fillings and conveniently wrapped in their own compostable plates. Since they’re usually made en masse, tamales are a Mexican food staple, appearing most often at parties and celebrations.

Each winter, Chef Gabriela Cámara, of Mexico City’s Contramar, San Francisco’s Cala, and Onda in Los Angeles, favors a guava filling for sweet tamales while the tropical fruit is in season, but feel free to try this recipe with other high-pectin fruits, which make for jammy fillings—plums, apples, pineapple, and berries are all excellent choices.

Learn From the Best

Sign Up

3 Tricks For Making Sweet Tamales

  1. 1. Use butter. Although lard is traditionally used in Mexican cooking to add fat to the masa, Gabriela uses butter in her recipe, whipping it in a standing mixer until it’s very fluffy before adding the fresh masa. Incorporating a lot of air will help the tamal retain a light texture when cooked.
  2. 2. Wrap it well. The second trick to a good tamal is wrapping it well to ensure that it won’t fall apart once it’s in the steamer. The traditional tamal wrapping is a corn husk, but some tamales are wrapped in banana leaves; corn husks are better for firm or dry fillings, while banana leaves are used more often to contain very wet or soupy fillings, like barbacoa.
  3. 3. Try piloncillo sugar. The guava filling in this recipe calls for piloncillo, or unrefined whole cane sugar that looks like a craggy brown cone (you can find it at Latin markets). If you can’t track down piloncillo at any stores near you, mix 220 grams of brown sugar with 40 grams of molasses. You’ll also need cinnamon for the filling, so keep an eye out for Mexican cinnamon sticks, known as canela, which are rich and flavorful (you can use ground cinnamon in a pinch).
Gabriela Cámara’s Tamales de Guayaba Recipe

Gabriela Cámara’s Tamales de Guayaba Recipe

email recipe
3 Ratings | Rate Now

makes

12 to 15 tamales

prep time

5 min

total time

1 hr 30 min

cook time

1 hr 25 min

Ingredients

For the guava filling:

For the masa:

For the fresh whipped cream:

  1. 1

    Place the corn husks in a large bowl of warm water to soften while you’re preparing the filling.

  2. 2

    In a small sauce pot set over medium heat, combine the piloncillo, cinnamon, and water. Slice the guavas in half and use a spoon to carefully scoop the flesh and seeds into the pot with the piloncillo mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to low and simmer until the liquid reduces slightly and thickens into a viscous syrup, about 10 to 12 minutes. (The guava flesh should disintegrate in the liquid.) While the filling is cooking, slice the guava peels into strips, about 1⁄4-inch thick. Set aside. Once the liquid thickens, set aside to cool slightly.

  3. 3

    Remove the cinnamon sticks from the piloncillo mixture (if using). Using an immersion blender set on low speed, carefully blend the filling until smooth and uniform, about 1 to 2 minutes. Strain the filling through a fine-mesh strainer placed over a clean bowl. Use the back of a spoon to press the filling against the sides of the strainer in order to remove the seeds and keep all of the liquid. Once all of the liquid has been collected in the bowl, discard the seeds.

  4. 4

    Add the sliced guava rinds to the bowl with the filling, and stir to incorporate. The mixture should resemble a caramel with pieces of guava rind. Set aside while preparing the masa.

  5. 5

    In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until very fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and add the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and ground star anise.

  6. 6

    While whisking on medium speed, slowly add golf ball-sized chunks of fresh masa to the bowl. Wait until each chunk is incorporated before adding the next. Once all of the masa has been added, increase speed to high and whisk until the mixture resembles heavy whipped cream, about 2 to 3 minutes.

  7. 7

    Remove the corn husks from the water and gently blot to dry. Using a spoon or a spatula, spread two generous spoonfuls of the masa dough into the husk, forming a small well in the center for the filling. Be careful not to overfill the corn husks—the masa dough should be completely enveloped in its wrapping or it will leak out while cooking.

  8. 8

    Add a spoonful of the guava filling into the well you created in the masa, again being careful not to overfill—the masa should envelop the filling, just as the corn husk envelops the masa. Use the sides of the corn husk to gently press the filling into the masa.

  9. 9

    To seal the tamal, gently squeeze the masa and filling toward the back of the husk, pushing out any air, and then fold the bottom of the husk underneath. The tamal should be “closed” at the bottom and “open” at the top. Set the tamal on a plate and repeat the filling process with the remaining masa and guava.

  10. 10

    Fill a deep stockpot with two to three inches of water, then set a steamer basket into the pot. (The water should not be high enough to touch the tamales.) With the heat off, arrange the tamales in an upright position, sealed side on the bottom of the basket. Arrange them side-by-side so that they hold each other upright. Cover the pot and turn the heat up to medium. Steam the tamales for 1 hour, checking the pot intermittently to ensure that the water has not evaporated. Check the tamales for doneness by slicing one open—it should feel firm to the touch. Turn off the heat and let the tamales sit in the steamer until you’re ready to serve.

  11. 11

    Add the heavy cream and sugar to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (you can also add the ingredients to a large bowl and use a hand mixer). Mix the ingredients until soft peaks form.

  12. 12

    To serve, remove the tamales from the steamer with tongs or your hands, and open the packets. Eat directly from the husk, or remove the tamal and transfer it to a plate. Serve with fresh whipped cream or extra guava filling if desired.

Become a better chef with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by culinary masters, including Gabriela Cámara, Chef Thomas Keller, Massimo Bottura, Dominique Ansel, Gordon Ramsay, Alice Waters, and more.