Classic Arroz Con Leche – a variation of rice pudding that is sweet and cooked with milk, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk and topped with cinnamon.
This delicious Mexican dessert is simple to make and a classic rice pudding recipe. If you love cinnamon and love pudding, you won’t be able to resist this yummy treat. Be sure to check out our Mexican hot chocolate and Tres Leches cake too!
What is Arroz con Leche?
Arroz con leche, aka rice pudding, was a dessert my mom grew up on. My great-grandma made it, and I wanted to find a recipe that tasted just like it. Fortunately, I did just that and now have introduced this delicious dessert to my own children. But, what is it exactly?
If you’re not familiar with rice pudding, arroz con leche is a Spanish dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and other ingredients like cinnamon and raisins. The dish also has some sort of sweetener, whether it’s sugar or sweetened condensed milk.
This rice can also be served warm or cold, but either way you have it, it’s a tapioca-like treat that is delicious. It can also be served as a breakfast dish too!
How to Make Arroz Con Leche
Add water, rice and cinnamon sticks to a large saucepan and cook on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and let cook for 16-18 minutes.
Drain liquid from the sauce pan, remove cinnamon sticks and put rice back in the pan. Add all 3 milks – evaporated milk, condensed milk and whole milk to the pan. Let come to a boil.
Reduce heat to LOW and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring constantly. The milk can easily burn so it’s important to stir as much as possible as it thickens.
Pour rice into cups and sprinkle on cinnamon. If you like more cinnamon, add 1 tsp of cinnamon (or more) in when adding the milks. We like to serve it warm, but it can also be cooled too.
substitutions & toppings
Can you make this with Brown Rice? Yes, although it may alter the consistency a little. It is a healthier version which gives you fiber.
Can you make it without sweetened condensed milk? We love that the sweetened condensed milk makes it more rich and creamy, but it can also be omitted. Just use a 3/4 cup more milk and 3/4 cup sugar instead.
Can you make in the slow cooker? Of course! We actually have a slow cooker rice pudding on the site. Ingredients aren’t exactly the same, but the taste is very similar.
What are the best toppings for arroz con leche? There are lots of toppings you can use from fruit to nuts, but here are some of our favorites:
- Brown Sugar
- Honey
- Raisins
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon
- Coconut
Variations & Storing
There are so many variations for this recipe. Golden and regular raisins are a classic to add to this dish, but since we aren’t huge fans, we omitted those. If you want to use raisins we recommend adding them once you are cooking the rice for the last 20 minutes.
Other additions include some of the toppings we listed above. Various fruits and nuts and spices will all change the recipe and a bit more flavor.
Can this be made ahead of time? Yes. Just store in the fridge in a tupperware for a few days. We reheat it in a pot and add a bit more cinnamon to the top before serving.
If it’s too thick, we recommend adding a bit of milk when reheating. 😉
We love that we have this simple but tasty recipe on hand that brings back so many memories for my mom! If you want an even easier version, be sure to check out our slow cooker rice pudding recipe.
For more favorite recipes, check out:
- Spanish Rice
- Tres Leches
- Mexican Hot Chocolate
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Sour Cream Rice
- Instant Pot Fiesta Chicken and Rice
Arroz Con Leche Recipe
Classic Arroz Con Leche - a variation of rice pudding that is sweet and cooked with milk, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk and topped with cinnamon.
Ingredients
- 7 cups water
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
- 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup whole milk
- cinnamon
Instructions
Add water, rice and cinnamon sticks to a large saucepan and cook on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and let cook for 16-18 minutes.
Drain liquid from the sauce pan, remove cinnamon sticks and put rice back in the pan. Add all 3 milks - evaporated milk, condensed milk and whole milk to the pan. Let come to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring constantly. The milk can easily burn so it's important to stir as much as possible as it thickens.
Pour rice into cups and sprinkle on cinnamon. If you like more cinnamon, add 1 tsp of cinnamon in when adding the milks. Serve warm.
Can this be made with almond milk for those who are lactose intolerant?
I personally haven’t tried, but I don’t see why not 🙂
a very different kind of desert for me, thank you, like the sweet – savory contrast with rice
I love the combination of all these ingredients. It reminds me of tapioca pudding. Yum!
I am really excited to try this! I have had it before, but haven’t ever made my own. This recipe looks super easy & delicious!
One of our favorite desserts! This recipe is so easy and so delicious!
I bet the flavor is outstanding! I have to try this asap!
So creative and I know this has to be absolutely delicious!
This looks delicious! Can’t wait to make it.
this is fabulous! So good!
This was so easy to make. Loved it. I do have a question tho, Can this also be eaten cold? And If I wanted to add some apple parts, when should I add them? At the very end or with the milk? Thanks! <3
Yes, it can be eaten cold, though I prefer it warm. I haven’t added apples, but I would think when I add the milk, so they have time to get soft, though I am not totally sure. I would have to try it out.
I remember my Dad loving this! i was so excited to try this recipe and guess what? i liked it- It is really good! thanks for the recipe, it reminds me of my dad.
My 6 yr old granddaughter had her tonsils out today and this was her craving when she woke up. Your recipe had all ingredients i had in house to make her happy <3
Yay! That’s awesome that she was craving this! Glad you had all the ingredients on hand 🙂 Thank you!
Can you tell what brand of white rice you use?
Would a long grain basmati rice work?
I can’t remember what the brand was, but it can be any brand. I have not tried the long grain basmati rice, but it should work 🙂
I am a seasoned cook and have made puddings before so the instructions were not hard to follow. When I got to the end my “pudding” looked like rice soup. so I strained the rice out. Added 3 beaten egg yolks to the liquid using the method of adding a little of the hot milk to the egg yolk while beating then pouring the egg mixture back into the milk. I cooked it until thick. I then added part of thsi back into the rice to get the consistency that I wanted. It is delicious. I only gave it 3 stars because the ORIGINAL recipe did not work for me. PS I also added 3/4 cup golden rasins at the end.
Thank you for trying it. I am not sure what happened. I haven’t had that issue before. Adding raisins is a good idea!
Love it!
So deLicious,
I Used only half of the condensed milk to cOntrol the sweetness and it turned out great!
I am so glad you liked it! Thank you for sharing that with me!