Arroz con Leche (Mexican-Style Rice Pudding)
A creamy, cinnamon-scented home-style Mexican rice pudding—simple pantry ingredients, stovetop method, and a favorite for serving warm or chilled.
45 min
start to finish
10 min
hands on
Easy
difficulty
6
servings
Ingredients
Contains dairy. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.
Roughly, per serving
290 kcal7g protein40g carbs8g fat
An estimate, not a lab analysis.
Method
Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh sieve under cold running water until the rinse runs mostly clear.
Rinsing removes surface starch so the pudding stays creamy rather than gluey.
Put the rinsed rice and 1½ cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, until the rice has absorbed most of the water and is just tender, stirring once or twice.
You want the grains softened but not fully creamy yet—this step shortens the final simmer.
If using raisins, put them in a small bowl and cover with hot water or rum; set aside to plump while the rice cooks.
Soaking plumps raisins so they stay juicy in the pudding.
Add the whole milk, sugar, cinnamon stick, and salt to the saucepan with the par-cooked rice and bring back to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
Simmer uncovered, stirring every 3–5 minutes so the bottom doesn't stick, until the mixture is thick and creamy and the rice is tender—about 25 minutes.
Stirring prevents scorching and helps release the rice starches for a creamy texture.
Remove the pan from the heat, fish out and discard the cinnamon stick, stir in the butter, vanilla, and the drained raisins (if using).
Let the arroz con leche sit and cool in the pan 10 minutes to thicken slightly; it will continue to firm up as it cools.
Serve warm or chill completely before refrigerating—the pudding firms more when cold.
Portion into bowls and sprinkle with ground cinnamon to serve.
Worth knowing
- Use medium- or short-grain rice if you have it; long-grain will still work but the texture is less creamy.
- To make it lighter, substitute half the whole milk with low-fat milk, though richness will be reduced.
- Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator 3–4 days; stir in a splash of milk when reheating if it’s too thick.
- For a richer, sweeter version common in some Mexican households, replace ½ cup of the milk with ¼ cup evaporated milk or add 2–3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk.
Make it yours
Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.
VegetarianKid friendlyBudgetMeal prep
More Mexican cooking
An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Mexican cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be vegetarian as listed.