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Arroz con Leche, or Mexican rice pudding, is a comforting and simple no-fuss Mexican dessert guaranteed to satisfy any sweet tooth! It can be served hot or cold and is made with only 6 ingredients.
Want more Mexican desserts? You’ve got to try this tres leches cake, fresas con crema, or Mexican brownies!
What is Arroz con Leche?
Arroz con Leche, or Mexican rice pudding, will forever remind me of my family. It’s a comforting, simple, and easy dessert made from a few ingredients, including long-grain white rice, sugar, milk, and cinnamon sticks. It can be served hot or cold and is eaten year-round!
There are many arroz con leche recipe variations out there. Some include sweetened condensed milk, others use whole milk, some use evaporated milk, and some use a combination of all three!
I like to keep things as simple and as uncomplicated as possible, and this version is just how my mom makes it. This recipe uses only 6 simple ingredients that you most likely already have in your kitchen.
Arroz con Leche Ingredients
- Milk: Whole milk is best for a creamy and thick consistency, but 2% also works.
- Sugar: I used granulated sugar, but you could also use dark brown sugar to add a subtle caramel flavor.
- Rice: Long-grain white rice is best. Varieties like jasmine and basmati also work.
- Cinnamon: You’ll need 2 cinnamon sticks. Either the Ceylon or Cassia variety works great.
- Salt: A pinch of salt adds balance to all the sweetness in this recipe.
How to Make Arroz con Leche
- Cook the rice: In a large pot or Dutch oven, mix together the water, rice, cinnamon sticks, and salt. Bring it to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add milk and sugar: Stir in the milk and sugar and bring to a boil again. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring often, until the arroz con leche has thickened.
- Serve: Serve in bowls with desired toppings or refrigerate for 2 hours and serve cold.
Recipe Tips
- Keep stirring. Stir the mixture often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and the milk from burning.
- Too thick? If the arroz con leche thickens too much, stir in a splash of milk or water until the pudding reaches your desired consistency.
- For the best results, use long-grain white rice. Jasmine and basmati rice also work great.
Variations
Add mix-ins like raisins or other dried fruits. I recommend adding it when you add in the milk. This gets the fruit to plump up in the pudding and adds a great texture to each bite!
Use sweetened condensed milk instead of granulated sugar. This is a popular variation that makes the pudding decadent, extra creamy, and sweet. To make this variation, omit the sugar and add 1 (14-ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk.
Arroz con Leche Toppings
Once your arroz con leche is ready to eat, here are a few great options for what to top it with:
- Chopped pecans, walnuts, or sliced almonds
- A dusting of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice
- Brown sugar or shredded coconut
- A drizzle of honey, cajeta, or dulce de leche
Storing and Reheating
Storing and Freezing: Arroz con leche can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days. You can also freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Just be aware that the texture may change slightly when reheated.
Reheating: It is best reheated in a pot on the stove or in a bowl in the microwave. You should add a splash of milk or water as it may have thickened a bit too much in the fridge.
More Mexican Recipes
Arroz con Leche
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cups milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Optional toppings: ground cinnamon, chopped nuts, raisins
Instructions
- Combine the water, rice, cinnamon sticks, and salt in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the milk and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring often until thickened.
- Serve warm or refrigerate for 2 hours and serve cold.
- Garnish with ground cinnamon, chopped nuts, or raisins if desired.
Video
Notes
- Milk: Whole or 2% milk is recommended. I don’t recommend using skim/nonfat milk. This recipe has not been tested using a milk alternative like almond, soy, oat, or cashew milk, though I’m sure it would work!
- Mix-ins: If you’d like to add in a mix-in like raisins or other dried fruit, I recommend adding it when you add in the milk.
- Storage + Freezing: It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-6 days. You can also freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Just be aware that the texture may change slightly when reheated.
- Reheating: It is best reheated in a pot on the stove or in a bowl in the microwave. You may need to add a splash of milk or water since it will have thickened in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in December 2017 and has been updated with new photos, more helpful tips, and a slight recipe tweak for better overall results.
I have made this recipe many many many times and it always turns out good! I usually add a bit of vanilla extract in as well. Thank you for sharing–my family always enjoys this dish!
This recipe was soooo good and delicious. I made some minor modifications(not because the original was bad). Rather than using whole milk, I used whole fat oat milk (unsweetened) and substituted the sugar for sweetened condensed milk. I’m soooo in love and ready to indulge over the next couple of days.
Loved it. Easy to make. My momma is in a nursing home and I took her some, she loved it. Tasted just like the one she used to make us when we were younger. Thank you Isabel.
I made this for my family last night and everybody, even my 14 year old picky eater LOVED it! It was delicious and so easy to make. This one is a keeper!!
Thank you! My sons love the Dora book “Sharing Day” in which Dora makes Arroz con Leche with her abuela. They asked if we could make it too and this recipe is very helpful since I don’t have condensed/evaporated milk in the pantry right now.
Great recipe. I will advise to reduce the amount of sugar if you are not so into really sweet food. Some will find it perfect like the original recipe but for me was ways too much, I knew it since I read the recipe so I added half cup, taste it and then add more until I got the amount I was looking for. For the rest this is the perfect recipe, creamy, rich, fragrant.
Ps. I added a spoonful of orange blossom as my Syrian husband loves the smell of it mixed with cinnamon.
Great recipe! I have type 1 diabetes so I can’t have a ton of sugar. So many recipes online call for condensed milk which is way too sweet. My aabuelita always used milk but sadly she passed away so I can’t ask her for her recipe. Yours is great! I just substituted sugar with Solenda and monk fruit sweetener. I also added a teaspoon of white vanilla from Mexico. It was great! Thanks for your recipe!!
Thanks for this yummy, simple rice pudding recipe! I’ve never made rice pudding before but saw a well-known TV cook / blogger (PW!) make some on one of the episodes of her programme but she used condensed milk, which I didn’t have, but I had the other basic ingredients, sort of, and decided to look up other recipes too and came across this one which seemed ideal. Guess what though? I only had a little milk left in my fridge so I used regular powdered milk and also about 3 tablespoons of coconut milk powder. Also, I used less sugar and used soft brown, not granulated white, plus a little trickle of golden syrup, and a dash of vanilla essence. When it was done I put some in a bowl, added a few raisins and a sprinkle of cinnamon. It was yummy! I’ve got plenty left for a few more portions. 😋
worked out really good. Thanks for sharing. I was looking for a recipe that didn’t require sweetened condensed milk and here it was.
I added an extra cinnamon stick than what the recipe called for.
I used 0% milk, but added butter to substitute for the lack of fat content.
I also added some vanilla extract during the last 3 minutes of cooking, which increased the tastiness of the pudding.
I’m so happy you liked it, Josh! That’s so interesting, I’ve never made arroz con leche with sweetened condensed milk before so I didn’t know that was a thing.
I did on accident once, it was way too sweet lol. In my house growing up we always used canned evaporated milk and sugar. This is my favorite thing to eat for breakfast on cold days!! Thanks for reminding me of more wonderful memories! You are truly awesome!
I was taught to add sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk, it’s really common for Mexican variation of arroz con leche ❤
Same here! It’s almost impossible to find one without condensed milk. We are Latinos and also always used condensed milk. I wanted a recipe to use with my instant pot without the condensed milk but I still can’t find one, I’ll have to try myself and cross my fingers.
The recipe was easy to follow. This was delicious – it tastes like my mom’s rice pudding. I followed the recipe but I reduced the sugar by half which was perfect.
What a great easy-to-follow recipe! My husband and daughter loved it. I loved the fact that it only requires ingredients that are usually on hand. Will definitely do this again…soon!
Thanks for the review, Jessica! I really appreciate it! 🙂