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Sweet corn cakes, aka tomalitos, are a sweet yet savory side to any Mexican feast. Creamy, bursting with flavor, and easy to make!
Featured with this recipe
These sweet corn tomalitos taste just like the sweet corn cake at the Mexican restaurant, Chevy’s. It is a popular restaurant that has the best tomalitos. These corncakes are made for a crowd! They add to the perfect mexican meal. It’s a hearty dish that adds bulk and tons of flavor to your dinner plate!
This Mexican sweet corn cake is a MUST make when creating a Mexican dinner. This side dish is made with corn, butter, and heavy cream. To help give this a creamy, flavorful, and delicious dish! It is very similar to cornbread with real whole kernels.
Ingredients for Sweet Corn Cake Recipe
Take your corn to the next level by baking it with these special ingredients. The blend of corn, cornmeal, a little sweetness, and whipping cream gives this side dish a great combination. Complete your dinner with this special corn cake recipe!
- Butter – Soften the butter to help blend it with the hand mixer.
- Cornmeal – Used for texture and sweetness in these corn cakes.
- Frozen whole-kernel corn – Make this even easier with thawed corn.
- White sugar – Added for just enough sweetness and balance out the flavors.
- Heavy whipping cream – Gives a creamy taste to the corn mixture.
- Salt – Just enough to help build the corn cake as it is baking in the oven.
- Baking powder – This helps the corn cakes rise in the oven. The fluffiness and texture will increase in the pan growing it taller.
How to Make Tomalitos
These sweet corn cakes are the perfect combination for any meal. It is super easy to make and comes together quickly. Combine the ingredients, choose how you would like to serve the corn cakes, then bake the dish or dishes. It is perfect for feeding a crowd or small ramekins for individual servings.
- Beat – In a medium bowl beat butter with a hand mixer until it is creamy. Add cornmeal and water until well blended. Using a food processor, process thawed corn, but leave it chunky. Stir into the butter mixture.
- Combine – In a separate bowl, mix cornmeal, sugar, cream, salt, and baking powder. Add to the cornmeal mixture and stir to combine.
- Prepare – Pour batter into an ungreased 8×8 inch baking pan, casserole dish, or 6 custard cups if you want individual servings. Smooth the batter and cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Place the pan into a baking dish that is filled with water. The corn cake will be baked in a water bath to maintain moisture.
- Bake – Preheat the oven to 350-degree oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Allow cooling for 10 minutes.
What to Serve with Sweet Corn Cakes
This creamy corn side dish would pair perfectly with any of these delicious Mexican dishes. Make a complete meal with these Johnny cakes. They are the best with any of these main dinners.
- Cheesy Grilled Mexican Chicken and Rice
- Mexican Lasagna
- Easy Chicken Tacos
- Steak Fajita Bowls
- Grilled Carne Asada
- Restaurant Style Mexican Rice
“Simple and easy to make using a food processor. This is my second day making this in a row the family and I love it. I melted some cheese on top and added canned diced jalapenos to the mix. Super moist and I love that I can save on using eggs because this recipe doesn’t use eggs.”
-Kelly
Frequently Asked Questions
Tomalitos are mini corn cakes that can be used to replace tortillas. It is a side dish and made similar to a casserole. It is a popular dish in Central America. Tomalitos are mini corn cakes that can replace tortillas. This recipe, is used as a side dish, much like a casserole. It’s a popular dish in Central America.
This side dish is perfectly baked in a casserole dish. It is simple to make! Simply spoon the casserole onto a plate. Enjoy eating with a fork or spoon.
Corn is always a healthy and delicious vegetable. For this recipe, corn cakes are a great nutritious choice but are good to enjoy with a balanced diet.
Corncakes are known to be originated in Rhode Island. They are called Johnny Cakes in Rhode Island and other places in Central America.
More Corn Sides
Corn is one of those sweet sides that can taste more like dessert than a “veggie” and makes a delicious side to any meal. Try some of these sweet corn recipes for your next family dinner and see for yourself how easy they can be.
How to Make Sweet Corn Tomalitos
Sweet Corn Tomalitos (Corn Cake)
Equipment
- Hand Mixer
- 9×13 inch pan
- 8×8 inch pan
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1/3 cup cornmeal
- 1 1/2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn thawed
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- In a medium bowl beat butter with a hand mixer until it is creamy. Add ⅓ cup cornmeal and water and until well blended. Using a food processor, process thawed corn, but leave it chunky. Stir into the butter mixture.
- In a separate bowl, mix cornmeal, sugar, cream, salt, and baking powder. Add to the cornmeal mixture and stir to combine. Pour batter into an ungreased 8×8 inch baking pan, casserole dish, or 6 custard cups if you want individual servings. Smooth the batter and cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Place pan into a 9×13 inch baking dish that is filled a third of the way with water. The corn cake is baked in a water bath to maintain moisture.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Oh wow, this looks so delicious. My family is going to devour it!
Adding this to our Taco Tuesday Menu! Sometimes you just need something other than beans and rice.
Simple and easy to make using a food processor. This is my second day making this in a row the family and I love it. I melted some cheese on top and added canned diced jalapenos to the mix. Super moist and I love that I can save on using eggs because this recipe doesn’t use eggs
So glad it was a hit! I love the addition of the jalapeños.
Looks good, have you tried making this in a steam convection combi oven, wondering if it will work the same but without the water bath?
We haven’t tried it that way, but let us know how it goes if you try it!
My family and I loved this recipe! I just substituted the heavy whipping cream with coconut cream and it was soooooo delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I have a question, you listed a third cup of cornmeal and then again a Fourth cup of cornmeal correct?.. One goes to the first set of instructions and the other goes to the second, same thing (Cornmeal) just divided correct? I am trying to make this recipe, sound delicious just want to make sure I have the right amounts and that I am reading instructions correctly.
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Yes, that’s right. You use 1/3 cup cornmeal the first time cornmeal is mentioned, and then 1/4 cup the second time.
I know that this was a while ago and it seems that no one caught the mistake but here it goes. You statement “Add to corn flour mixture” is strange as you don’t list a “corn flour”. I think the correct terminology would be to say “Add to items from Instruction #1.
Other than that, this sounds like a great food item that I am going to have to make.
Cheers!
Thank you for catching that! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! It’s been way too long since I’ve eaten at Chevys, and I’m pretty sure I’ve dreamt of their corn cake– I miss it that badly. This dish brought back all the good memories! The flavor was spot on. Mine came out a bit more crumbly than I remember; I may have overcooked it, or it may be because I substituted the heavy cream for whole milk. I also could not find the masa harina at my grocery store, but extra corn meal fit the bill. I feel like this dish is going to be essential everytime I make Mexican food from here on out! Thank you!
So glad you liked it so much! The heavy cream definitely makes it more rich and creamy but whole milk works great if that’s what you have on hand. Thanks for the 5-stars!
masa harina was not mentioned in the recipe.
I thought masa harina was corn meal, possibly the
grind would be different.
THANK YOU so much for posting this recipe. Like you, I ate at Chevy’s only once. And, like you, the sweet corn tamalitos was the best thing on my plate. Dinner is done for tonight, but you bet yer boots I’m making this tomorrow! And your cheese enchiladas on homemade tortillas.
Did you ever make it?
Rebecca … Did you ever make it?