How much masa for sweet tamales
Sweet tamales (tamales dulces) take about 1.5 to 2.1 cups of masa harina per dozen, with 0.4 to 0.6 cup of fat and 0.2 to 0.3 cup of sugar in the dough. I opened three recipes on 2026-10-17 that print both amounts and a yield, and divided each by its yield. That is a little less masa than the 2 to 2.5 cups the planner uses for a savory dozen.
| Recipe | As printed | Yield | Harina, cups per dozen | Fat, cups per dozen | Sugar, cups per dozen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| My Slice of Mexico, tamales de dulce | 2 cups masa harina, 1/4 cup butter plus 1/2 cup margarine, 6 tbsp sugar | about 16 small | 1.50 | 0.56 | 0.28 |
| Little G's Treats, tamales dulces (Des Moines festival PDF) | 4 cups masa harina, 1 cup shortening or lard, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup raisins | about 29 | 1.66 | 0.41 | 0.21 |
| Dora's Table, sweet orange tamales (vegan) | 4 1/4 cups masa harina, 1 cup vegan butter; the sugar goes into the orange marmalade | 24 | 2.13 | 0.50 | in the filling |
Per-dozen values are my own division of each printed amount by its printed yield, sorted from least masa to most. The sugar in the Dora's Table recipe is cooked into an orange marmalade filling, so it has no dough figure here.
What decides the amount
The scoop. My Slice of Mexico puts about 1/3 cup of masa paste in each husk and calls the result small tamales. Little G's Treats uses about 1/4 cup and gets 29 from 4 cups of harina. Dora's Table spreads 2 to 3 tablespoons of dough per husk, and its 4 1/4 cups for 24 is the most masa per dozen, about 2.1 cups.
The liquid is added by feel. My Slice of Mexico says 2 to 3 cups of hot water for 2 cups of harina, adding water until the paste is smooth. Little G's uses 3 cups for 4 and wants a dough like Play-Doh that does not crack. Dora's Table uses 4 cups, half of it almond milk, for 4 1/4.
Two of the three add raisins: 1/4 cup in My Slice of Mexico, 1 cup in Little G's. Steaming is 45 minutes to an hour in Little G's and 40 minutes in Dora's Table. The same test applies as on how long to steam tamales: the masa should be firm and come away from the husk.
If you buy fresh masa, Food Network's tamales de dulce uses 1 pound with 1/2 cup of lard or butter and 3/4 cup of sugar. It lists 6 servings and no tamale count, so I could not turn it into a per-dozen figure.
Sweet dough by dozens
| Dozens | Tamales | Masa harina, cups | Fat, cups | Sugar, cups | Liquid, cups |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | 1.5 to 2.1 | 0.4 to 0.6 | 0.2 to 0.3 | 1.3 to 2.3 |
| 2 | 24 | 3 to 4.2 | 0.8 to 1.2 | 0.4 to 0.6 | 2.5 to 4.5 |
| 3 | 36 | 4.5 to 6.3 | 1.2 to 1.8 | 0.6 to 0.9 | 3.8 to 6.8 |
| 4 | 48 | 6 to 8.4 | 1.6 to 2.4 | 0.8 to 1.2 | 5 to 9 |
| 5 | 60 | 7.5 to 10.5 | 2 to 3 | 1 to 1.5 | 6.3 to 11.3 |
| 6 | 72 | 9 to 12.6 | 2.4 to 3.6 | 1.2 to 1.8 | 7.5 to 13.5 |
| 8 | 96 | 12 to 16.8 | 3.2 to 4.8 | 1.6 to 2.4 | 10 to 18 |
| 10 | 120 | 15 to 21 | 4 to 6 | 2 to 3 | 12.5 to 22.5 |
These ranges are my own picks from the three recipes above, spanning the lowest and highest per-dozen value. Three recipes is a small sample, so the top of each range is the safe side. Liquid is 1.25 to 2.25 cups per dozen; the table rounds to one decimal.
Making sweet and savory together
Count the dozens of each kind and add the two masa lines. The tamalada planner covers the savory side, and a sweet tamale uses the same husks, so take the husk line from it for the full count. For the savory fat see how much lard for tamales, and for the day itself how to host a tamalada. Mark the sweet ones so they stay apart in the pot. My Slice of Mexico ties a strip of husk around the tamale for this, and Little G's tints the masa pink with red food coloring.