Our creamy Arroz con Leche recipe is the epitome of comfort food and so easy to make with simple pantry ingredients. We enjoy it hot or cold!
If you love pudding recipes, this Panna Cotta, Banana Pudding, and Tapioca Pudding are some of my favorites!
Enjoy the Warmth of Creamy Arroz con Leche!
Enjoy the Warmth of Creamy Arroz con Leche!During my first Spanish class in middle school my teacher taught us a song called “arroz con leche” and made us some to try. I think of her every time I make this recipe.
I’m a huge rice pudding fan, and love both the American-style baked rice pudding and this Mexican rice pudding. The biggest difference between them is the way the rice is cooked. American rice pudding typically uses leftover rice and is baked or cooked on the stove. Arroz con leche is made with raw rice that cooks right in the creamy, cinnamon milk mixture and often contains sweetened condensed milk.
How to make Arroz con Leche:
Cook Rice in Milk: Wash rice until water runs clear (to remove the outer starch layer). Combine milk, cinnamon stick, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat then bring to a low boil. Add rice and simmer, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Add raisins to a bowl then cover with very hot water to allow them to “plump” for a few minutes. Drain and set aside.
Finish: Remove cinnamon stick from cooked rice mixture. Stir in sugar and raisins then cook for 10-15 minutes more, stirring often to avoid burning. Remove from heat then stir in butter, condensed milk, and vanilla. Serve warm or cold, sprinkled with ground cinnamon on top!
Storing Instructions:
To Store: This Mexican rice pudding can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For best results, reheat on low in a pot on the stove. Add a splash of milk if it’s too thick.
Recipe Variations:
- Use leftover rice: Heat 3 cups of cooked rice, 2 cups whole milk, and 1 can sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan. Boil and simmer 15 minutes then remove from heat and stir in raisins, vanilla, and 1 tsp cinnamon.
- Cuban style arroz con leche– Stir in zest from 1 lemon.
- Mix-Ins: stir in coconut, nuts, or dried fruit.
- Brown Rice: Follow my instructions for my Brown Rice Pudding.
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Recipe
Arroz con Leche
Ingredients
- 1 cup short or medium grain rice
- 4 1/2 cups whole milk
- 12 oz can evaporated milk
- pinch of salt
- 1 Mexican cinnamon stick
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar or sub brown sugar or honey
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Wash rice until the water runs clear.
- To a medium saucepan over medium heat add milk, cinnamon stick, and salt. Bring to a low boil. Add rice and simmer, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Plump raisins: Add raisins to a bowl and cover with very hot water to allow them to “plump” for a few minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Finish: Remove cinnamon stick from cooked rice mixture. Stir in sugar and raisins and cook for 10-15 minutes more, stirring often to avoid burning. If it seems too runny, continue cooking and it will thicken further. If you would like it creamier, stir in a few tablespoons of milk.
- Remove from heat then stir in butter, condensed milk and vanilla. Serve warm or cold, sprinkled with ground cinnamon on top.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for a few days. Reheat on low in a pot on the stove. Add a splash of milk it needed, to thin it out.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe April 2020. Updated April 2022 and June 2024.
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I wasn’t clear about when to add the condensed milk or sweetened condensed milk? The directions were a bit vague but my understanding was to add evaporated milk with the 4.5 cups whole milk and the sweetened condensed milk at the end with the butter and vanilla. In retrospect not all that vague. It came out really well. The only change I made was to plump my raisins in the hot milk mixture and remove them with slotted spoon before adding the rice though I probably could have just left them in and added rice to plump and Cook all at once and save time. Delicious recipe. I will make this again for certain!