Authentic Arroz Con Leche Recipe

Luscious, practically foolproof, and utterly delicious, this creamy Arroz Con Leche recipe is the perfect balance of rich and sweet. Serve warm or cold topped with strawberries in the spring or stir in plump raisins in the winter. Naturally gluten-free!

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If we had leftover rice when we were kids my mom would always reheat it for breakfast with whole milk, heaping spoonfuls of sugar, and cinnamon. She called it rice cereal and I thought it was the most delicious breakfast in the whole world.

Come to find out she was basically making Arroz Con Leche and serving it for breakfast but I didn’t know that, and I’m guessing she didn’t know that either.

My mother is a Midwestern white woman who never made a single Mexican recipe when we were kids but was thrifty and loved sugar so it made sense to reheat leftover rice with milk, sugar, and cinnamon in such a delicious way.

The technique that separates Mexican-style rice pudding from other recipes is that the rice is cooked in water first. Let’s take a closer look at why this makes a difference and how to make it!

What Is Arroz Con Leche?

Arroz Con Leche (Rice with Milk), is the ultimate comfort food dessert. It is loved throughout Latin America and in Mexican American homes as well.

It’s no secret that canned milk made a significant impact on the world of Latin sweets—Tres Leches Cake anyone? And just like Tres Leches, Arroz Con Leche recipes also have evaporated milk, condensed milk, and some have fresh whole milk as well.

This creamy, sweet and supple pudding is simple to make because like I mentioned above, recipes for Arroz Con Leche call for the rice to cook in water first, then you add the milk. This makes it almost impossible to undercook the rice or burn the milk—two of the most common problems when making rice pudding.

Why You Must Try This Recipe

Easy, one-pot dessert. This rice pudding recipe is perfect when you are in the mood for something sweet without a ton of clean-up. Everything gets cooked in one pot, making it a total breeze.

Super creamy, ultra comforting. With a little more than 5 ingredients you have one of the great recipes for soothing your soul after a long day. Served warm it is a cozy recipe for winter or served cold, a chilled treat in the summer.

More To Explore

Authentic Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Easy Chamoy Sauce Recipe

How To Make A Mangonada

Ingredients for Arroz Con Leche

What’s not to love about a 5-ingredient recipe? I don’t always have sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk on hand, but if you are some who does you could easily make this recipe tonight!

• Long grain rice. I prefer fragrant Jasmine rice but any long grain rice will work.
• Water
• Evaporated milk
• Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Canela (Ceylon cinnamon sticks) or a Cassia cinnamon stick. Canela is the soft, leathery cinnamon sticks you find in bulk in Latin markets. They have a soft, floral flavor and clean cinnamon aroma. If you can’t find them, use one Cassia cinnamon stick instead. These are the harder, more intense cinnamon found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.
• Kosher salt
• Strawberries. Sliced and tossed in sugar, for serving (optional). Other topping options could be just a simple sprinkle of ground cinnamon or raisins (which I would mix in during the last few minutes of cooking so they could plump up).

How To Make It

Arroz Con Leche is so easy to make from scratch, just be sure to stir it occasionally as it cooks so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom and be careful about it bubbling over after you add the milks. Don’t walk away too long or you’ll have a mess on your hands.

Step One

Cook rice in water. Combine rice and water in a large saucepan (I use my small, 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset Dutch oven). Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to dislodge any rice stuck to the bottom.

Step Two

Add milks and simmer. Add the remaining ingredients (except strawberries). Bring to a simmer then turn heat to low and cook, uncovered, until rice is tender. Start checking after 20 minutes, but it could take as long as 30 minutes.

Stir occasionally while rice cooks to make sure to get any rice stuck to the bottom. Remove from heat immediately once rice is tender. It’s okay if it looks soupy, it will thicken as it sits.

Step Three

Serve! If you’d like to serve it with strawberries, slice the strawberries and toss with sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve Arroz Con Leche warm, room temperature, or cold with strawberries on top. You can also simply sprinkle the top with ground cinnamon and serve.

Some Of Our Other Favorite Mexican Recipes

• How To Make Mexican Chorizo From Scratch
• Chicharrones de Harina
• Best Ever Canned Black Beans
• Shredded Beef For Tacos
• Authentic Chile Relleno Recipe
• Pickled Red Onions
• Jugo Verde {Mexican Green Juice}

An Arroz Con Leche Recipe That’s As Simple As Can Be

One-pot, 5 ingredients, decadent and delicious. What’s not to love?! Let me know when you make it by snapping a pic and tagging me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) ! Also, sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!

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Resources

My Mexico City Kitchen: Recipes and Convictions [A Cookbook] by Gabriela Camara