Classic arroz con leche is an indulgently creamy homemade dessert that comes together on the stovetop with ease. Serve this sweet, classic treat warm or cold, lightly dusted with ground cinnamon and watch it disappear!
Why You Will Love This Arroz Con Leche Recipe
It’s not Christmas in our house until we have a warm pot of this sweet rice pudding on the stove and a batch of coquito in the fridge! Arroz con leche literally translates to rice with milk, but we call it delicious in any language. Here are a few reasons why you’ll agree:
- Comforting: Creamy, thick and sweet, every luxurious spoonful feels like a warm hug. The flavor is reminiscent of tres leche cake due to the use of three different milk products.
- Easy: Made simple with readily available ingredients, most of which you probably already have sitting on your pantry shelves.
- Authentic: If you’re a rice pudding fan, you’ll appreciate this traditional Spanish treat made with classic ingredients.
- Versatile: You can serve this rice pudding warm or cold! Serve it chilled for a refreshing treat on a hot day, or serve it warm for a comforting dessert on a chilly night!
- Gluten-Free: Full of wholesome ingredients, this rice pudding recipe appeals to everyone, but especially those avoiding gluten.
For more creamy, dreamy pudding recipes, check out homemade banana pudding, tembleque (Puerto Rican coconut pudding), and this decadent capirotada (Mexican bread pudding).
What You’ll Need
This simple recipe uses just a few ingredients that are budget friendly and easy to find. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Rice: Use plain, long grain white rice for this recipe. Other varieties could be used but will change the taste and texture.
- Water
- Cinnamon Stick: Usually sold with 3 or 4 in a jar or bag, this whole spice version is located near the other ground spices.
- Milk: Use whole milk for the creamiest pudding.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: This is a thick, sweet and deliciously rich canned milk product located on the grocery store baking aisle.
- Evaporated Milk: A shelf stable, canned milk product, evaporated milk has a bold creamy taste. You can substitute it for half and half.
- Sugar: Use regular, granulated sugar, a mix of brown and white sugar for a caramelized flavor, or a good quality, equal measure sugar substitute.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract produces the best flavor.
- Raisins: Not a fan? Omit them or try one of the variations suggested below.
- Ground Cinnamon: Sprinkle on top for a lovely presentation and extra toasty flavor.
How to Make Arroz Con Leche
Let’s take a look at the steps for making this rice pudding recipe. It’s simple and easy. If you can stir a pot, you can make perfect rice pudding! Scroll down to the recipe card for full detailed instructions.
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- Rinse: Place rice in a mesh strainer and rinse until water runs clear.
- Cook: Add rice, water, and cinnamon stick to a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until rice is soft.
- Add Milks: Stir in all three milks, sugar, vanilla and raisins (optional). Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened.
- Cool: Remove arroz con leche from heat and allow to cool. Remove cinnamon stick and discard. Pudding will thicken as it sits.
- Serve: Enjoy this rice pudding warm or allow to cool to room temperature, and then chill to serve cold. Top with cinnamon before serving.
Tips and Variations
Get ready to make a cozy dessert everyone will love, but before you get started, check out these helpful tips and tricks:
- Toasted Cinnamon: Lightly toasting the cinnamon stick in a dry pan before using will enhance the cinnamon flavor.
- Additional Cinnamon: You only need a single stick for the pudding, so toast an additional one to use for garnish. Finely grate the toasted cinnamon with a microplane grater on top before serving.
- Adjust the Thickness: This arroz con leche recipe will thicken up as it simmers and then cools. For an extra thick pudding, cook it a little longer. Do keep in mind that it thickens considerably when chilled in the fridge if serving cold.
- Adjust the Sweetness: If you prefer a less sweet arroz con leche, try replacing the sweetened condensed milk with another can of evaporated milk. From there, sweeten as desired with honey, sugar, or even maple syrup.
- Raisins: Don’t like raisins? Try your favorite chopped, dry or fresh fruits such as cherries, cranberries, pear, apple, pineapple or shredded coconut.
- Other Additions: Try dark chocolate chips, caramel sauce, toasted nuts or top with whipped cream.
How to Store and Reheat Rice Pudding
Rice pudding makes a great make ahead dessert and stores wonderfully. Here’s how:
- Fridge: Arroz con leche can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about 5 days.
- Reheat: To reheat, place the desired portion in a saucepan over low heat. You may need to add a splash of milk if it seems too dry. Heat until warmed through. You can also microwave it for 30 seconds at a time, stirring often.
- Freeze: To freeze, store in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Transfer to fridge to thaw overnight before serving chilled or reheating.
Yield: 8 servings
Arroz Con Leche (Spanish Rice Pudding)
Classic arroz con leche is a creamy homemade dessert that comes together on the stovetop with ease! Serve this sweet rice pudding warm or cold, lightly dusted with ground cinnamon.
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 4 cups water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk, or half and half
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup raisins, optional
- Ground cinnamon, for serving
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Instructions
- Place the rice in a fine mesh sieve, and rinse it until the water runs clear.
- Place the rice, cinnamon, and water in a large saucepan. Bring the rice to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is soft. Be careful not to break the rice by stirring it too much.
- Once the rice is soft, add the whole milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. If you are using raisins, add them as well.
- Bring the mixture to a low simmer and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened.
- Remove from the heat and allow to sit and thicken even more. You can serve the Arroz con Leche now, while it is warm, or let it cool completely and refrigerate it to serve chilled. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon before serving.
Notes
Storage: Arroz con leche can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about 5 days.
Reheat: To reheat, place the desired portion in a saucepan over low heat. You may need to add a splash of milk if it seems too dry. Heat until warmed through. You can also microwave it for 30 seconds at a time, stirring often.
Freeze: To freeze, store in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Transfer to fridge to thaw overnight before serving chilled or reheating.
Toasted Cinnamon: Lightly toasting the cinnamon stick in a dry pan before using will enhance the cinnamon flavor. You only need a single stick for the pudding, so toast an additional one to use for garnish. Finely grate the freshly toasted cinnamon with a microplane grater over the top before serving.
Adjust the Thickness: This arroz con leche recipe will thicken up as it simmers and then cools. For an extra thick pudding, cook it a little longer. Do keep in mind that it thickens considerably when chilled in the fridge if serving cold.
Adjust the Sweetness: If you prefer a less sweet arroz con leche, try replacing the sweetened condensed milk with another can of evaporated milk. From there, sweeten as desired with honey, sugar, or even maple syrup.
Raisins: Don’t like raisins? Try your favorite chopped, dry or fresh fruits such as cherries, cranberries, pear, apple, pineapple or shredded coconut.
Other Additions: Try dark chocolate chips, caramel sauce, toasted nuts or top with whipped cream.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 525kcal, Carbohydrates: 97g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 142mg, Potassium: 536mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 53g, Vitamin A: 334IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 351mg, Iron: 1mg
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Can I serve this cold?
Absolutely! When I plan to serve it chilled, I like to stir in about a cup more of milk so it’s a looser consistency. As the rice pudding chills in the fridge, the rice will soak up more of the liquid.
Can this luscious dessert be made in the crockpot?
Hi Sheree! I honestly have not tried it and am not 100% how it would go. I did google and saw some recipes for ‘crockpot rice pudding’ and a lot of them use minute rice and different amounts of liquid. Without testing it myself, I can’t properly tell you the right ratios to use, so I think you’d be a lot better off finding one of those recipes to try in the crockpot instead! Hope this helps!
I’ve become hooked on the stuff I get in the store. Most other recipes make this look super complicated. God Bless U! I thank U and my husband thanks I, from the bottom of our hearts and pocketbooks. The amount of $$ I save making “my own” is astonishing! Everyone compliments it too, they say it’s better than the store bought.
My son and my grandkids love it so much
oh my! it was delicious! i was nervous but had no reason to be. recipe was great to follow and the arroz con leche was amazing, better than i could have expected.
Oh my goodness! What a tasty dessert! I love rice pudding and this recipe has allowed me to make it myself at home. The family loves it!
Delicious, thanks for posting. Made this morning, shared with family. Got rave reviews. Highly recommend.
Should the rice cook covered??
I did not cover it!
Made this non dairy and left out the sugar. Came out really good.
As a side note…this is pretty much the same way many Cubans make it.
This was very good! I used the measurements mentioned and it was a tiny bit too sweet for me but it didn’t stop me from inhaling it! Delicious!