Even if your celebration is small this year, with tasty plant-based meals like these, your Thanksgiving will be a fiesta. Chef Eddie Garza cooks for many well-known vegan stars like Harley Quinn Smith, Kate Mara, Daisy Fuentes, and Richard Marx, so we had to reach out and ask which recipes are beloved by him and his celebrity clients. This Thanksgiving-inspired recipe, influenced by Eddie's Latino background, Mexican Chocolate Dessert Tamales, is perfect to add variety to your feast. Yes, you will have the pumpkin and apple pies, but this surprising dessert is sure to be unexpected and remembered for a lifetime. Get creative, get the kids involved, and get cooking!

Mexican Chocolate Dessert Tamales

Ingredients

  • 12 large corn husks, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes then patted dry
  • 3 cups corn masa flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup of sugar
  • 5 tablespoons vegetable shortening
  • 3 cups warm water
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips

​Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine dry masa flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Mix well. Add vegetable shortening and use hands to combine with the dry mix. Little by little, add water and mix until the batter is consistent in texture.
  2. Using the back of a large spoon, place about 3-4 tablespoons of batter in the center of the corn husk. Spread batter evenly across the wide end of the husk.
  3. Place spoonful chocolate chips in the center. Gently roll husk over to surround the filling. Fold the bottom under to finish forming tamale.
  4. Repeat until all 12 husks are filled. In groups of 4, gently tie tamales together using kitchen twine.
  5. In a medium deep steaming pot, place tamales upright on their folded ends, tightly packed together. (Tip: Fill empty space with heat-resistant cup or mug, but make sure to leave room for steam to move around the pot.)
  6. Add about 2 inches of water at the bottom of the pot, making sure the water line is below the steamer basket. Cover and steam for 35 to 40 minutes, adding more water to the pot as needed. Remove from heat.
  7. Let tamales sit uncovered in the pot for about 15 minutes or until tamales are firm and pull away from husk easily. Serve tamales warm.

Nutritionals 

Calories 428 | Total Fat 18.2g | Saturated Fat 6.9g | Sodium 391mg | Total Carbohydrates 65.7g | Dietary Fiber 5.6g | Total Sugars 19.4g | Protein 6.7g | Calcium 118mg | Iron 5mg | Potassium 255mg |

Chef Eddie Garza is a celebrity chef and popular Latinx TV host. 

For more vegan Thanksgiving ideas, check out this guide to 25 plant-based holiday recipes.

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