This is the best arroz con leche or rice pudding recipe. Creamy, sweet and easy to make this recipe is my all time favorite dessert and a holiday classic in my family!
What is Arroz con Leche?
There are different variations of arroz con leche in Latin America, this is my family recipe and it is simple and very easy to make. It's basically a dessert made with rice, milk, sugar and cinnamon. It will be the highlight of any meal.
This Colombian-Style arroz con leche is sweet, creamy and delicious. The rice pudding will thicken more as it cools, so be careful not to overcook it. The best part of making this rice pudding recipe for a dinner party is that you can make it the day before and it will taste even better after chilled in the fridge overnight.
This is one of my favorite Colombian desserts. I hope you enjoy making my simple and easy Arroz con Leche recipe!
To make this rice pudding you will need
Long-grain white rice, cinnamon sticks, water, whole milk, pinch salt, butter, vanilla extract, sugar and sweetened condensed milk. The exact amounts, tips, and cooking instructions are listed in the printable recipe card below, you can also find the step by step video to make this arroz con leche below the recipe.
This rice pudding recipe is sweet, if you prefer your rice pudding less sweet, just add less sugar, but don't skip the sweet condensed milk, because it adds a wonderful flavor and texture to the dish.
Here are other Colombian desserts you may want to try:
Coffee Mousse (Esponjado de Café)
Colombian Fruit Cocktail (Salpicón de Frutas)
Fried Bananas (Bananos Calados)
Arroz con Leche Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup long-grain white rice washed
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 2 cups water
- 4 cups milk
- Pinch salt
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 12 oz can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- In a small pot, add water and cinnamon sticks, bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Set aside and discard cinnamon sticks.
- Place the rice and the cinnamon water in a large saucepan, over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add salt, butter, vanilla extract, 2 cups of milk, and sugar. Stir well to mix and cook uncovered for approximately 15 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium low. Add the remaining milk and condensed milk. Stir with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the rice pudding thickens to desire consistency.
- Stir well and remove from heat, and let it cool at room temperature. The consistency should be very creamy. Refrigerate for a least 1 hour or overnight.
Video
Notes
- Arroz con Leche can stay in the fridge up to 4 days.
- I like to use long grain rice to make this arroz con leche recipe
- If your rice is still hard or crunchy when all the liquid has been absorbed, add ¼ cup of more milk and ¼ of water and return to a simmer with the lid on.
- This rice pudding recipe is sweet, if you prefer your dessert less sweet add less sugar.
Curious Student
How much does this recipe make.
Erica Dinho
4 to 6 servings
grace
i was so surprised when i had rice pudding for the first time--i didn't expect to like it but it was amazing!
patricia
I have made this twice for my dad who is from Colombia who has loved it both times I have made it.
Edward
If you're a rice pudding fan, this Arroz Con Leche recipe is one to try. It was delicious!
Susan
I made this arroz con leche recipe for a party and it was a hit. Sweet and delicious.
Karen
This recipe is delicious and I make it a lot.
However, it is way too sweet. I completely omit adding any sugar and just use the sweetened condensed milk and it suits my tastes better. So, if you don't like it super sweet that's a good way to make it.
Also if you own a rice steamer (like I do), you can boil the cinnamon sticks and use that water in the rice steamer to steam the rice, then add it back to the pot and do the milk thing.
Jenn
I made this arroz con leche recipe and it was delicious. It's sweet and creamy.Very good recipe. I am going to make it again soon!
Dean
This is my theory on why some people commented on uncooked rice.
Interrupting the cooking of rice will make it hard or impossible to finish cooking.
Try this experiment. Cook some rice half way then let it cool, then start cooking it again; you will never be able to cook the rice completely.
My suggestion would be to either heat your milk before adding it, or add it very slowly so the rice doesn’t get chilled while it’s cooking.
Miriam
This is an easy recipe for homemade arroz con leche, I love this Latin dessert. It was very good.
Sara
This is a simple Arroz Con Leche Recipe, is so easy, yet so satisfying.
Jenn
You have the best Colombian recipes. I made this rice pudding, Bunuelos and Arepas. Thanks.
Adriana
We made this recipe yesterday and it was very good. Sweet and delicious.Thanks.
Kelly Ospina
Very good recipe. The consistency and texture are perfect, nice and thick and creamy, and it was very easy to make. I did find it to be sweeter than I like, so next time I make it I will cut the sugar in half, at least.
Catalina
This was my first time ever making arroz con leche on my own, and a lot of people enjoyed it! Although I found it to be way too sweet for my liking.
Nina
Same here! I just made it for the first time and it’s sooo yummy but a tad bit too sweet! And I have a sweet tooth, so I’m guessing it will be overwhelmingly sweet for others as well.
I will adjust sugar next time.
Maria
Hi,
I live in London and spend my life trying to recreate my childhood home from Cali with music, photos and food. I have just made this for Christmas dinner dessert, I made it exactly as you said, only difference was right at the end I only had to leave it for 40 mins instead of an hour and 15. The rice was already soft and the milk was starting to stick. So I turned it off and have let it set over night. WOW! this tastes better than my aunts. I am so proud to have been able to make this, it is the perfect sweetness. Mum requested raisins so I added those at the end. AMAZING RECIPE! Thank you so much ! and so easy! I feel like a total professional! ps. I used one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder instead of sticks (totally sold out everywhere because of Christmas) and it still worked perfectly! Thanks again M.x
Merete
You saved my day!
I miss Colombia a lot, but now after founding this lovely page with all kinds of precipices, I'm bit more happy! Just had the wonderful rice desert, my favorite!