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Classic arroz con leche is a Mexican variation of rice pudding that is sweetened with 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 Mexican sweets, you also won’t be able to resist our Mexican Hot Chocolate or Horchata!
What is Arroz con Leche?
Arroz con leche was a dessert that my mom grew up on. My great-grandma made it, and I wanted to find a recipe that tasted just like hers.
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 Mexican rice pudding, arroz con leche translates to rice with milk and can include 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 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
RICE. Combine water, rice, and cinnamon sticks in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, uncovered, and cook for 16–18 minutes.
SEASON. Drain any remaining liquid, remove the cinnamon sticks, and return the rice to the pan over medium-high heat.
SAUCE. Add sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk. Bring the milk mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring constantly. The milk can easily burn, so it is important to stir constantly as it thickens.
ENJOY! Divide rice among serving cups and sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve warm.
Topping Suggestions
There are lots of toppings you can add to this easy arroz con leche recipe from fruit to nuts. Here are some of our favorites:
- brown sugar or honey
- raisins, craisins, or dried fruit
- nutmeg or cinnamon
- coconut or chopped nuts
Recipe Tips
Make perfect Mexican sweet rice by starting with the best rice.
Rice. Long-grain white rice works best, brown rice may be used. Jasmine rice or basmati rice are both types of long-grain rice and are great choices for this recipe. For best results, avoid instant rice.
When cooking the rice be sure each piece has time to absorb the milk and becomes a soft and creamy consistency. If all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is not quite done, then add ½ cup water and continue to simmer so that the rice does not come out crunchy.
Make it without sweetened condensed milk. The sweetened condensed milk makes it more rich and creamy, but it can also be omitted. Use a mixture of ¾ cup more milk and ¾ cup sugar instead.
Make it in the slow cooker. We actually have a slow-cooker Rice Pudding on the site. Ingredients aren’t exactly the same, but the taste is very similar.
Variations. Golden and regular raisins are a classic to add to this dish. To use raisins, add them once you are cooking the rice (during the last 20 minutes).
Other additions include some of the toppings we listed above. Various fruits, nuts, and spices will change the recipe and add a bit more flavor.
Storing This Dessert
Make ahead of time. Allow Mexican rice pudding to come to room temperature before pouring it into an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for 5-6 days.
FREEZE. It can be frozen, but it may not have quite the same texture once it thaws. Leftover rice pudding can be stored in the same manner.
To reheat. We reheat it in a pot and add a bit more cinnamon to the top before serving. If it’s too thick, add a splash of milk when reheating. If you are in hurry you can reheat smaller portions in the microwave.
Recipe FAQ
You’ll want to choose long-grain white rice such as jasmine rice or basmati rice when making arroz con leche. For best results do not use instant rice.
One reason that rice may still be crunchy is that it has not been cooked long enough; another reason is that there was not enough liquid added. If it looks undercooked and dry, add ½ cup water and continue to cook.
For more Sweet Mexican recipes, check out:
Arroz con Leche
Ingredients
- 7 cups water
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 1 cup whole milk
- ground cinnamon, for topping
Instructions
- Combine water, rice, and cinnamon sticks in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, uncovered, and cook for 16–18 minutes.
- Drain any remaining liquid, remove the cinnamon sticks, and return the rice to the pan over medium-high heat. Add sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring regularly. The milk can easily burn, so it is important to stir frequently as it thickens.
- Divide rice among serving cups and sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- For the creamiest best-flavored dish, use the 3 different types of milk listed.
- After adding the milk(s) cook low and slow and stir frequently. This creates an even cook without scorching the bottom.
- Once done, let it cool slightly before serving to allow the flavors to meld and the texture to thicken.
- Use a simple cinnamon topping or add your favorite spices, fruits, or nuts.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ong the absolute best I top it with McCormick “cinnamon sugar “ the perfect recipe. Couldn’t be any better than this ! Reminds me of my childhood . 100000/10 recommend!!
100000/10 WOW! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe.
I love this recipe! I’ve followed it exactly as is and I have also made it with coconut sweetened condensed milk, evaporated coconut milk, and lactose free whole milk since my husband is lactose intolerant and it’s delicious!
Can u use 2%milk instead of whole.
Yes, though the whole milk will make it more creamy, so it might have a different texture.
I did and it came out perfect !
Can’t wait to try this recipe
This recipe is authentic and perfect!
Very disappointing. There is basically no flavor and it taste very bland.
This is the best Arroz con Leche recipe! A great base if you want to add in different flavors however it is amazing as is. The rice cook is perfect not too soft just right.
Great recipe! Made it according to directions and it turned out delicious. The right sweetness, creaminess, texture. Thanks for this! Made our noche buena extra special
I love arroz con leche. My mom always made it for us when we were kids and tried making it for my sons but never got it like my moms although my sons loved it . So let’s see how this comes out with ur help.
Very interesting, I think I’m hooked.
D
I added some craisins, a little butter and salt and Mexican vanilla this recipe is great even without those additions! ijust had always had it with good vanilla and raisins but had no raisins to m
e the craisins are better
Hello i always enjoyed having arroz con leche it brings me beautiful memories of my mom making it for me as a kid sadly my mom passed away a few years ago and i never learned how to make it but thanks to you im going to try and make some i know it won’t come out as good as my moms but im going to keep on trying till it does.
Came out a little thick after the 20m of simmering. Also a little too sweet so I ended up adding an extra half cup of milk at the end. Also added my cinnamon sticks back into the pot for the last 5 minutes of simmering.
My mom used to fold in egg whites that were beaten frothy. Have you tried it with this recipe? If so, how did it turn out?
Just made it for the first time It’s amazing which helps bc 20 minutes of continuous stirring was the only downside to this recipe. But it is absolutely amazing!! My wife says that I’m going to be making this repeatedly for the foreseeable future. Great recipe
Not sure why you need to be so rude here, but if you want to get technical and be truly honest, this dish originated as a Muslim dish and they brought it when they invaded Spain. THIS recipe is made the traditional Mexican way with regular, evaporated and condensed milks. It is made other ways in other cultures. The Spanish version calls for regular milk only. As my mother would say, “Look it up!”
As a Hispanic I really appreciate this recipe, brings back memories and written so I understand, long story, my Brain don’t work the same.
Thank you for the chance to win cookware! 😍
Easy, affordable, savory authentic Mexican recipe!
i was concerned about the water to rice ratio but gave it a try anyways, it came out so mushy ! would not recommend 😭
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try. Sorry to hear it didn’t turn out for you.
Have made this twice and love it!
Can this recipe be made in an Instant Pot?
I’m sure you probably could. I have never made this specific recipe in the instant pot, so I’m not sure how it would turn out. There is a point where you need to do some stirring while it cooks to avoid burning, which you couldn’t necessarily do in the instant pot. But you could try! If you do, you’ll have to let us know how it turns out.
My husband is diabetic so I subbed the sweetened condensed milk with whole milk as indicated and used Truvia baking blend, which requires 1/2 of the sugar indicated in the recipe. Came out perfect!
Making this right now! Can’t wait to see how this turns out.
Hope you enjoy!!
Was so excited to find an easy recipe for this! I followed it exactly, but it came out really soupy. How can I fix this?
It should thicken up quite a bit when it cools (especially if you are serving it cold). However, you can cook it a bit longer too and that will help to thicken it up.
Thank you for the recipe it turned out perfect
You’re welcome!! So glad you enjoyed it!
Perfect! That’s all i can say!
Thank you so much I made it exactly as you said and it came out amazing my boyfriend loved it !
Perfect! Reminds me of my childhood
hi, what if im only making for 2 or 3 people?
I’ve made this a few times already and it’s perfect. Next week I am making 15 batches of it for a PTO dinner fundraiser. After next week everyone in my very small New Hampshire town will have tasted this rice pudding!
Oh my goodness, This is the best recipe! I’m so glad I found this. So delicious 😋
The consistency and flavor were perfect! I love this recipe!!
Can you help me understand the first step please. After I combine the ingredients I feel like it takes over ten minutes for it to start boiling, uncovered, on med – high. After it boils then I just keep it boiling for another 16 – 18minutes?
Or should I be boiling it like on high first. Then uncover it, reduce to med – high and leave it like that for 16 – 18mins?
Yes, I’d say just follow what the instructions say, so cooking the rice on med-high until it boils and then leave uncovered and cook for 16-18 minutes. Hope you enjoy the recipe!!
Hello. I’m from Mexico but living in United States. I have eaten Arroz con leche since childhood, and it has always been one of my favorite desserts. I needed some guidance cause some times I forget ingredients or skip steps even if i have done this recipe 10 times. Your recipe is the same as my mom uses, and my rice came up super good, just I remembered. Thank you so much and congrats for your blog, super interesting recipes.
This is my go to recipe for rice pudding. I’ve also used bomba rice, to switch it up and it worked beautifully. I’ve added raisins soaked in rum for something a bit fancy.
thanks a lot of information
I’ve been looking for a good rice pudding recipe, so I’m excited to try it. We drink 2% milk so I’m wondering if I can use that instead of whole milk.
You could certainly give it a try! It should still work. Hope you enjoy the dessert!
Love u recipes
So so good! This recipe was so easy and tastes amazing!
Megusta el arroz con leche y esta manera de hacerlo es facil y practica , gracias
How much is one serving in cups? Trying to see how much I need to make for my daughters class and I don’t know how much each serving is.
Can you make with leftover rice?
You could certainly try. I always make it as the recipe says, but you can give it a try. You’ll have to let us know how it turns out if you do.
I just did this and it turned out great!! I used 2c cooked rice and added the cinnamon stick with the milks!
My abuela used to make the best arroz con leche and never kept a recipe so thank you so much for sharing this! QUESTION: I think we’re having a shortage due to supply chain issues but I can’t seem to find cinnamon sticks in my area. The shelves are completely empty. Am I able to use ground cinnamon in this recipe and how much?
I’m making this the night before. Storing in porcelain pot. Should I leave out or let cool and put in fridge? Thanks!
Thank you 👍
Ever since I was a little girl my mother and grandmother made arroz con leche. I don’t recall their exact process but the way I made it for my boys never tasted as well as theirs until I made your recipe! It may be wise to add “cook uncovered” so that it thickens properly. Oh my gosh, I love it and the only difference is I use almond milk and add 1-2 T ground cinnamon when I added the milks. Thanks for the share!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you found the recipe and enjoyed! Thanks for the feedback too.
I made this delicious recipe for my kiddos and they LOVED it! Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy to hear your kids loved it!
Hello. I am wondering if I can use arborio rice in this recipe?
Thank you!
I haven’t tried the recipe using arborio rice, but you certainly could. I believe that arborio rice absorbs a bit more liquid, so again, I’m not totally sure what the result would yield or if the liquid amounts would need altering. But if you give it a try, we’d love to hear how it turns out!!
This was excellent!!! I too was afraid it was too runny, but after cooking it sat for a little while and it thickened perfectly!!! Great recipe!!!
Thanks for the feedback! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
First time I’ve made this with the sweetened condensed milk- it’s delicious but a bit too sweet . I would like to revise recipe maybe add a bit more milk but I’m concerned it may be too watery. Perhaps more rice AND milk.
First time making this. It came out fantastic. A lot like the Portuguese rice pudding I’ve made in the past. This one is a lot quicker to make.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for giving it a try.
In the nutrition it says 1 gram of sugar? How can that be with all the sweeteners and milk?
can I use instant rice?
First time making arroz con leche. This reminds me of my mom’s! I am a new fan and follower because of this post! Thank you!!~
You’re welcome!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
2nd time making this rice and this turned out yummy! I do think, next time, I will have to purchase cinnomon sticks instead of usig powdered cinnamon. Thanks!
I’m going to make this for a group of my high school students who will be traveling to Costa Rica with me this summer. What is your best recommendation for heating it up in a crockpot?
If you are cooking it beforehand and then heating in the crockpot, I’d just turn it on high and let it warm up (stirring it a few times to make sure it doesn’t cook again). Once it’s warmed through, just leave the crockpot on warm. We also have a rice pudding recipe for the slow cooker. The ingredients aren’t exactly the same as the Arroz con Leche recipe, but the taste/texture is very similar. Here’s the recipe if you are interested in that one too: https://lilluna.com/rice-pudding/
Curious why so much water per rice ratio? Seems like an awful lot. Making this now. I’m very exited to see how it comes out
First time making this!!! It was amazing. Fantastic recipe!!!
Thank you!! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
Can you substitute using almond milk instead of the whole milk? Or can the whole milk be taken out completely?
I haven’t tried subbing for almond milk, but I imagine it would be just fine! You’ll have to let us know how it turns out if you make the swap. 🙂
Yes this rice pudding was so easy and taste so good so so good I’ve never left a comment but this deserved one well done
Thank you so much!! So happy to hear you enjoyed the dish.
So delicious! We ate the leftovers for breakfast with a little milk. I still had a little left so we froze it. It was even good after being frozen! Yum!
Thanks for sharing! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!!
Delicious! We’ve made this and absolutely loved it. I highly recommend this easy and tasty recipe.
Just finished making it, it was more pudding so I put a little more whole milk afterwards. It didn’t taste as sweet when I made it the first time(which turned out beautiful!) do I need to add something to make it more sweet?
We think it’s sweet as the recipe is written, but you can add in a little sugar too if you want it a bit sweeter.
was delicious! I added about a quarter cup of brown sugar because I have a super sweet tooth lol.
Mmm I bet the addition of sugar was delicious! So glad you enjoyed!!
Thanks for letting me go right to it.!!
You’re welcome!
Good
Thank you!
Super delicious, I didn’t use either the evaporated nor condensed milk, nor cow milk and I couldn’t have enough. I just used almond/Cashew silk milk. Very delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! And thanks for sharing what you used. I’m happy to hear it was tasty!
Very good recipe! Easy and tasted authentic! Thank you.
Thank YOU! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Really great and simple recipe. Only need a few products that I can stock up on at the store, I didn’t even need to add sugar. I did add one tablespoon of Vanilla extract when I added the milks. Great for one person to eat over a day or two, and only cost me like $3 to make a pot.
Make sure you follow the directions, I put two cups of rice because one looked like a little and I ended up having to throw half of the cooked rice away since it was so much. that rice expands really quick, one cup is plenty.
Thanks for the feedback! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe and that it’s affordable too!
What is the purpose of boiling the rice in water first and then in milk? You don’t want dry loose grains because it is not a side dish, lose a lot of starch to the drained water, and don’t avoid cooking the milk. Instructions of cooking the rice dry in water exist from all over the world. But why?
I call this a “milk porridge” and eat it a lot. But I simply combine water, milk, sugar and salt at the start. The amount of milk depends on how frugal I need to be. Then add volatile flavorings at the end: butter, vanillin and coconut oil. Vanillin is interesting because I can’t feel it while the porridge is warm. Serve with cinnamon.
I would say because when you boil it in water, it becomes a water drink called “horchata”; it’s and option, but it’s a good tastings water. “agua” ; it’s a drink that you can enjoy after the rice is cooked and drained. just try it next time. Save the water and add sugar and cinnamon, OH and don’t forget to shake it and drink it COLD. you’ll love it!! HORCHATA
Made this today because my daughter was asking for it. It was easy and perfect. Thank you for all your great recipes. Easy to follow and delicious.
Thank you so much for your kind words. I appreciate it! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and others. 🙂
Loved the recipe! Quick, easy and delicious.
Thank you!
You are so welcome! I’m so glad you like it as much as we do! 🙂
This recipe is outstanding. I swapped the cinnamon for dried parsley, onion, and garlic, and I replaced the milk with chicken broth. I also took the liberty to add some chopped up chicken breasts as well, and it was delicious. 5/7 out of seven, perfect score.
Sounds like you turned Arroz con Leche into Arroz con Pollo. Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing what you do!
Thanks for the laugh!
This is the best arroz dulce I have ever had. Sooo good. I do add some raisins. I’m so glad I found your recipe. Thank you for sharing!
I am glad you found it, too! Thank you for trying it!
Hi! I am wondering if almond or oat milk instead of whole milk is better for this recipe.
I haven’t tried, but you definitely could try 🙂
I used oat milk and believe it turned out better than using regular milk!
Awesome!! So glad to hear!
I made this without measuring, and just guesstimated most of it and it came out absolutely perfect.
Happy to hear that!! Glad you think so 🙂 Thank you!
Just made this. Instead if whole milk i used Vanilla rice milk. ( what I had on hand)Turned out awesome. Thanks for a wonderful recipe 😋
You are so welcome! Thank you for sharing what you did!
I love this recipe and plan on making it for dessert on Christmas. If I double it, do I need to boil the rice for twice as long?
You might need to. Just keep an eye on it 🙂
delisioso
Happy you think so 🙂 Thank you so much!
Hi there !
I Just love all your recipes !! They are soo yummy, your site is my go to for dessert, dinner & breakfast! Dont stop poSting new stuff !
Thank you for SHARING your good stuff !! (:
Awe, thank you so much for saying that! I am so glad you do! I will keep posting, if you keep stopping by!
You have it in the recipe that its made in 25 days, im pretty sure that you mean 25 minutes
LOL..thanks for catching that! I will fix that 🙂
LOL..I don’t think I meant that. I will fix that 🙂 Thank you!
Auick question… I only have 2% milk and short grain rice. Will it still work? Also, when the rice is boiling in the water, do you cover it, or no? Thanks!!
I am sure they will both work, but it might not be the exact same consistency. I personally haven’t tried, so I can’t say if it would be the same or not.
Going to make this for an at home school project i have to do! i cannot find the link to the video though, is there anyway you can send it to me?
I am sorry, I do not have a video, just the pictures. I hope that will still help 🙂 Good luck!
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!
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 🙂
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!
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.
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.
this is fabulous! So good!
This looks delicious! Can’t wait to make it.
So creative and I know this has to be absolutely delicious!
I bet the flavor is outstanding! I have to try this asap!
One of our favorite desserts! This recipe is so easy and so delicious!
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!
I love the combination of all these ingredients. It reminds me of tapioca pudding. Yum!
a very different kind of desert for me, thank you, like the sweet – savory contrast with rice
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 🙂
Thank you for trying it. I am not sure what happened. I haven’t had that issue before. Adding raisins is a good idea!
THis is Arroz Con Leche, try a rice pUdding recipe instead for your desired results
Arroz con leche is often runny, it’s not like a traditional rice pudding.
Sorry to hear it isn’t thickening for you. Did keeping it covered on low help at all?