This easy arroz con leche recipe is an irresistible creamy rice pudding that literally brings those Latin vibes to your kitchen! Super easy to make using only 6 ingredients for a fun Mexican dessert that is insanely cheap but satisfying!
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Our easy arroz con leche recipe is a sweet, authentic Mexican dessert that is filled with cinnamon and sugar! This takes rice to a whole new level!
I don’t like complicated, so I use only 6 ingredients with this recipe coming from my Grandma for a simple, no fuss arroz con leche recipe with milk!
Optionally topped with brown sugar, cinnamon, and crushed pecans, say hello to a delicious dessert perfect for that ramekin!
This post will go over everything you need to know to create this easy arroz con leche recipe.
Recipe difficulty: Bordering on moderate (The reason? Cooking the rice can be challenging but keep reading our tips below!)
I might be biased, but I think this is like the best arroz con leche recipe due to the simplicity of the ingredients! This is definitely not a dessert that needs to be complicated, and honestly there is no need to be fancy! This rice pudding is simple but delicious!
Sam’s Pro Tips for this Easy Arroz con Leche Recipe
Cooking the Rice (The hardest part!)
Rice can be tricky to cook, so if you’ve seen our Easy Filipino Biko Recipe with Toasted Coconut | Sweet Sticky Rice Cake, we listed some tips on making this easier!
However, the most important tip with rice is NOT to rush it!
As we cook our rice, we make sure to give time for the rice to steam so that we don’t get any crunchy pieces in our mexican arroz con leche recipe. Yuck!
Depending on the brand of rice used, you generally want to make sure after the rice is boiling that you reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer for an additional 5 minutes until the liquid on the top of the rice is gone.
After the 5 minutes, turn the heat off and let it sit covered while you prep the other ingredients. By being patient with the rice, you’ll get sugared soft goodness. Remember, patience!
Stir and Stir Some More
Since we are adding cinnamon and sugar to the rice, we really want to make sure every gain is evenly coated.
So, after the rice is mostly cooked, make sure to combine the rice well with these toppings to get that rich light brown color in this easy rice pudding recipe!
Once the milk is added you want to keep stirring to prevent spilling over and for the milk to overheat. It helps to keep the heat level to medium-low!
Getting the Right Consistency
To get that creamy arroz con leche consistency, have the rice simmer with the milk on Low for 5 minutes. That’s it!
Once it simmered, leave it alone covered for at least 10 minutes and you have the PERFECT consistency to this recipe as it will continue to thicken in this timeframe.
Don’t have it simmer for too long as most of the liquid will be reduced and might be too thick once it comes to room temperature!
How to Reheat this Arroz Con Leche?
Fair warning – This rice porridge will thicken in the refrigerator!
When reheating, it’s best to add a splash of milk to get that creamy consistency back. You can serve this mexican arroz con leche recipe cold, but it is extremely satisfying warm!
Plan to serve this rice porridge immediately after preparing or within a day for best results.
Key Ingredients – Easy Arroz con Leche Recipe
Below are some key and optional ingredients for this recipe:
- Rice: For this authentic mexican arroz con leche recipe, be sure to use a long-grain rice for the right consistency to your rice porridge. ½ a cup gives plenty in this recipe!
- Milk: We make our easy arroz con leche recipe without condensed milk as the milk combined with the cinnamon and sugar is already sweet enough! I used 2% milk for best results. Try not to use fat-free so that you can get that creamy consistency.
- Sugar: Plain white sugar is all you need for this easy rice pudding recipe to mix with the rice. ½ a cup is used!
- Cinnamon: We love our arroz con leche recipe with milk LOADED with cinnamon. That’s how we get that light brown color to this pudding! You can use cinnamon sticks if you want, but its more convenient for me using the ground cinnamon.
- Salt: A pinch to balance out the sweetness!
Toppings (Optional)
Here are some optional toppings to really make this arroz con leche POP:
- Crushed nuts (we love to use pecans!)
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Raisins
- Piloncillo
- Cocoa powder
More Variations to this Easy Arroz con Leche Recipe
There are a few ways you can variate this easy arroz con leche recipe. Here’s how:
- Try it with oat milk! That’s right! Substitute the milk in this Mexican dessert with oat milk for a different wholesome flavor! If you tried this, let me know in the comments below!
- What can I pair with this dish? For other dessert options to bring to that dessert table, don’t forget to include our Perfectly Sweet and Crispy Filipino Turon Recipe | Fried Banana Rolls or Creamy Filipino Leche Flan for Your Next Party for some all-time favorites!
Looking for some awesome printables that are totally FREE? Our favorite! Check out our FREE LIBRARY for our Grocery Checklist or our Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart printables to help you on your cooking journey!
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mexican rice pudding made of?
The main ingredients in arroz con leche are long-grain rice, milk, sugar, and cinnamon.
Why is the rice in my arroz con leche hard?
If the rice is hard, then the rice either wasn’t cooked long enough with the liquid or the heat level was too high.
How long is arroz con leche good for in the fridge?
This rice pudding can last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, but should be consumed within a day of preparing for optimal flavor.
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