Authentic Arroz con Leche Recipe – Creamy Latin Rice Pudding

Arroz con leche is a traditional Latin American rice pudding that's creamy, sweet, and infused with cinnamon. This easy arroz con leche recipe uses simple ingredients to create a comforting dessert that's perfect for holidays or everyday treats.

Jump to:

• What is Arroz con Leche?
• Why You'll Love This Arroz con Leche
• Arroz con Leche in Panamá
• Rice Pudding Origins
• Rice Pudding Recipes around the world
• How to Make Arroz con Leche
• Step-by-step photos:
• Vegan Arroz con Leche Version
• Frequently Asked Questions
• My Favorite Latin Desserts
• 📖 Recipe

What is Arroz con Leche?

Arroz con leche - literally "rice with milk" - is a creamy, warmly spiced rice pudding that has been a staple dessert across Latin America and Spain for centuries. It's made by slowly simmering rice in milk with cinnamon and sugar until the mixture thickens into something velvety and deeply comforting. The dish traces its roots to the Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula, where rice-based sweets were common, and Spanish colonists later brought it to the Americas, where it took on a life of its own. Simple to make, endlessly adaptable, and loved by every generation - it's the kind of recipe that feels like home no matter where you grew up.

Why You'll Love This Arroz con Leche

• Creamy, rich texture with warm cinnamon flavor
• Authentic Latin American dessert
• Simple ingredients you likely already have
• Perfect for holidays, gatherings, or comfort food
• Can be served warm or chilled
• Make-ahead friendly - tastes even better the next day, straight from the fridge
• Easy to customize with raisins, rum, or other spices

Arroz con Leche in Panamá

Where I grew up in Panama, rice pudding was celebratory. When a baby got their first tooth, the grandmother would make a huge batch of it. Next, it was packaged into small bottles to hand out to family and friends. The kicker is that this rice pudding wasn't really for the baby. Nope! We soaked the raisins in rum, so it was for the adults.

Besides the baby's first tooth, we enjoyed rice pudding on many other occasions. It was a quintessential comfort dessert. I mean, who is going to say no to creamy, sweet rice pudding topped with cinnamon plus the tang of rum? Not me!

Rice was on the table for nearly every meal growing up in Panama. I can think of very few excuses not to have rice. I'd like to say that turning rice into a dessert was only natural; this sweet little dish has origins from far away. But I digress, in Panama, we made our Arroz con Leche with cinnamon and evaporated milk. This traditional arroz con leche recipe has roots in Spain and spread throughout Latin America with regional variations. There are endless other variations from country to country (just like my savory turnovers, empanadas!)

Rice Pudding Origins

Rice pudding likely originated in Northern Spain and has Moorish origins. Both cinnamon and rice are key ingredients in Arabic cuisine. While this is the base for many versions of the recipe, the rice pudding you order in Spain will likely have orange or lemon peel, another Arab influence. (Lemons actually hail from the Middle East, now you know!) In 711, Muslim forces conquered the Iberian Peninsula and what we know to be present-day Spain was the heartland of Muslim civilization. The Muslims ruled this part of the world until 1492, when Granada surrendered to the Castilian forces.

Now how did our delicious rice pudding recipe travel all the way to the New World? Most likely, the Spanish colonists brought it to Latin America. Here, it has been modified over and over to suit ingredient availability and local tastes. In many Latin American countries, there will be a combination of milk, coconut milk, evaporated milk, or sweetened condensed. On top of that, every household makes it differently.

Rice Pudding Recipes around the world

In Colombia, you will likely get your arroz con leche with a grated coconut garnish. In Costa Rica, you'll find butter with hints of nutmeg and in Peru, they use cloves in their rice pudding recipe. Egg yolks are not uncommon in many Latin American variations of the recipe and they certainly add a very creamy, rich texture to the comforting pudding. (Pro tip: egg yolks will save your rice pudding if it's too runny!)

If you were to enjoy a bowl of rice pudding in India (Kheer), it would likely be flavored with cardamom, rosewater, raisins, and a garnish of crushed pistachios. In Iran, your rice pudding might be a brilliant shade of yellow because they use saffron to flavor it.

How to Make Arroz con Leche

What's so lovely about making arroz con leche is that you only need a few simple ingredients for it to come together. It's also a very flexible recipe if you're vegan or lactose intolerant! My recipe calls for regular milk, but you can use non-dairy milk or even canned coconut milk if you choose. Keep in mind, coconut cream is very rich and shouldn't be swapped for coconut milk.

As far as rice goes, I recommend using long-grain rice. Short-grain rice is too sticky and will naturally make the pudding too thick. In a pinch, you can use Arborio Rice because it absorbs liquids quickly, but you need to be prepared to adjust your cooking methods and stay near the pot to add more liquid.

Careful with the amount of sugar you add to your rice pudding. Sugar attracts water molecules, so too much of it won't allow the liquid to absorb into the rice. Unlike other dishes that can be sped up with more heat, arroz con leche requires patience.

Step-by-step photos:

• Step 1: Gather all your ingredients and have them measured out and ready to go before beginning the dish.
• Step 2: Place the rice in a large fine mesh colander

• Step 3: Put the raisins in a bowl and pour some rum over them until they are just submerged. This is about ½ cup. Microwave the raisins in the rum for about 30 seconds to warm them up in the rum. This will help them soak up some rum.
• Step 4: Add the rice, cinnamon sticks, and milk to a large soup pot or Dutch oven on medium heat. Stir the rice to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. You can stir a bit less often at the beginning and more after about 30 minutes. You will need to simmer for about 45 minutes to one hour until the rice is very soft.

• Step 5: Once the rice is soft, remove the cinnamon sticks.
• Step 6: Stir in the evaporated milk.

• Step 7: Add the sweetened condensed milk.
• Step 8: Add the vanilla and a pinch of salt to the pot and stir to combine.

• Step 9: Strain the rum from the raisins and then add the raisins to the pot and stir to combine. Drink the strained rum or save for a cocktail, cheers!
• Step 10: Combine all the last ingredients and keep stirring until you have a nice creamy, slightly thick consistency of soft yogurt.

Vegan Arroz con Leche Version

Use the same process above, but change out the milk, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk for these ingredients below..

• 6 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
• ½ cup agave nectar (start here, adjust to taste/sweetness)
• ½-1 cup additional almond milk as needed during cooking to the desired consistency

Frequently Asked Questions

 
Do you want to explore more Latin dessert recipes? One of my favorites is coconut flan that is a baked custard with a caramel sauce. Many family gatherings would likely include tres leches cake. If you are in a hurry, you can pick up some puff pastry at the store to make some pastelitos de guava that are easy to fill and bake.

My Favorite Latin Desserts

If you enjoy this arroz con leche, be sure to explore more traditional Latin desserts on Ethnic Spoon. Try pastelitos de guava for a flaky, sweet pastry filled with rich guava paste, or coconut flan for a silky, caramel-topped custard with tropical flavor. barriguitas de vieja are a fun Puerto Rican treat - small, sweet fritters with a soft, cake-like center - and tres leches cake is always a favorite, soaked in three kinds of milk for an ultra-moist, indulgent dessert. These recipes share the same comforting sweetness and are perfect for rounding out any meal or celebration.

📖 Recipe