Pumpkin Cheesecake Tamale
With sugar and spice in the dough and delicious cheesecake style filling in the middle Pumpkin Cheesecake Tamale are a delicious dessert everyone will love.
Yes yes yes I know. I published this without any narrative for almost a week. My motivation is been slacking, to say the least. I can get the recipes finished and photographed, but writing hasn’t been my strong suite lately.
Usually when this happens, I look to keyword to help form the story behind the recipe. Not today. There’s two keywords that are relevant here. That’s not a lot to go on. And I’ve already talked about tamales and their history, how I came to love them, and why they’re so good when I made the pumpkin chorizo tamales with pumpkin mole for Pumpkin week a couple of years ago.
Man, I really thought that recipe was last year. Now I can’t remember what I made last year. My how the time flies when you’ve been blogging this long. All the special events just sort of blend together and I can’t keep each year separate in my head anymore.
Not to worry! I’ve made a list of all of them at the end of this post. You can see all 31 recipes I have that include pumpkin them. No, not all of them are for Pumpkin Week, but most of them are. I try to make 5 recipes every year and I’ve participated in Pumpkin Week for going on 5 or 6 years now? So, yeah that can work out to be about 25 to 30 recipes.
This year I wanted to make a sweet tamale. They’re not as common and popular as their savory counterpart here in this area. However, I’ve had some when Mom sent order them online and sent us a bunch of an Arizona company I think?
She ordered a bunch for the two of us and, well, the hubs really isn’t a tamale fan. However, he did like the chorizo ones I made a couple of years ago. I was surprised. He has tried them every time I order them out. Granted I haven’t liked all the ones I’ve tried when I order them out. They’re too light and puffy. I want a dense and rich tamale. Not one that looks like it’s been boiled in broth.
They shouldn’t cut like butter in my opinion.
I knew I could take the basic recipe I used last year to make these tamales. However, I didn’t want to have the pumpkin in the masa this time around. I wanted the pumpkin to be in the filling. The pumpkin cheesecake filling! Oh yeah, baby. I did it. Put pumpkin cheesecake flavor inside the cinnamon and sugar tamale.
There are plenty of recipes that have no filling for sweet tamale. To me, that’s boring. I want a filling! I don’t want to just eat the masa dough. Granted it is delicious but can be dry if you’re not careful. So, a good filling can go a long way to making these off the charts tamale!
Now, I’m going to confess something to you. I had no idea masa has a expiration date. Did you know that? I mean, the smallest bag I could find was as large as a regular flour bag. I used 2 cups in the other recipe. That left like a TON of masa left.
Had I known that it wouldn’t be that great I would have put it in the freezer. So, next time I make tamales I’m putting it in the freezer. If you’re planning on trying these and don’t plan on going through the whole bag soon. Say it with me!
Put it in the freezer!
And, well, I’m thinking of making some chocolate ones for Christmas, so I’ll definitely be putting the bag in the freezer. I might have to try to recreate the chicken pot pie ones Mom ordered us, too. They were super delicious and like comfort in a tamale. As if a tamale wasn’t comforting enough. Well, they are for me.
There is something about that steamed, creamy masa that’s slightly fluffy from the baking powder. These have body. They will not fall apart when you cut into them like some I’ve had here. They’re more like drop dumplings in chicken and dumplings than tamale like I’m used to.
And that’s probably a regional thing. Who knows? Maybe I’ll to look up the regional differences in the tamales. That would be interesting. At least to me it would be. I’m always interested in the regional differences in the same dish across a country or the nation.
Hmm. Maybe this is something I focus on for a later post. I wonder if there’s a national tamale day. There is! Dad’s birthday. March 23. That’s too funny. He loves tamales so it’s only fitting. Guess I know what I’ll be posting about next March. And maybe in December, too. Stay tuned!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Tamale
With sugar and spice in the dough and delicious cheesecake style filling in the middle Pumpkin Cheesecake Tamale are a delicious dessert everyone will love.
Ingredients
- 2 cups masa harina
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 to 2 cups water
- 20 - 30 corn husks
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Combine the masa harina with the next seven ingredients (brown sugar through cloves). Add the olive oil.
- Using your hands, mix until well combined.
- When the oil is completely incorporated, add the water 1/2 cup at a time until the batter holds its shape but is also easy to spread. Set aside.
- Combine the pumpkin puree with the cream cheese and remaining ingredients. Beat with a whisk (or hand mixer) until creamy and combined.
- Using an offset spatula, knife, or your hands, spread a 1/4" this layer of masa mixture onto 2/3 of the larger side of the corn husk making sure to leave at least 1 inch of room on one side to allow the tamales to seal properly.
- Place 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin mixture down the center of each tamale and roll making sure the edges of the dough meet. If the husk happens to tear, simply place another one behind it to keep the tamale from escaping.
- After you roll the tamale, fold the end under and place, fold side down, in a large pot fitted with a steamer basket. Make sure that are snug but not stuffed into the pot as the dough will expand during cooking.
- Continue rolling and folding the tamales until all the masa and pumpkin filling is used.
- Place about a cup of water in the bottom of the pot and steam for an hour; making sure to check the water level mid-way through cooking and add more as needed.
- Serve the tamales topped with caramel syrup and a light dusting of cinnamon.
Nutrition Information
Yield
20Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 251Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 6mgSodium 140mgCarbohydrates 46gFiber 5gSugar 11gProtein 7g
Pumpkin season is here, and we are celebrating our love of pumpkin with #PumpkinWeek hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. All week-long 26 bloggers will be sharing over 80 pumpkin-filled recipes for all your Autumn celebrations, including breakfasts, baked goods, savory pumpkin recipes, desserts, and drinks.
Savory Recipes
- Instant Pot Pork and Pumpkin Chili by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Dessert Recipes
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Tamale by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Pumpkin Pie Tamales by The Spiffy Cookie
Hi Christie, I just wanted to let you know in the cooking instructions on step #8 you have a typo.
8. Continue rolling and folding the tamales until all the masa and chorizo is used.
It should say pumpkin filling is used rather than chorizo.
These sound yummy around Holiday’s.
Guilty! I copied and pasted the recipe from the chorizo ones I made and missed that one. Thanks!