Mexican Arroz con Leche (Traditional Rice Pudding)
Mexican Arroz Con Leche is a creamy and comforting rice pudding made with simple ingredients like rice, milk, cinnamon, and sugar. It’s a traditional dessert served warm or chilled, often sprinkled with ground cinnamon.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon, for garnish
Instructions
- Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear.
- In a large pot, combine rice, water, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes until rice is tender and water is mostly absorbed.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and add the whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and sugar to the pot.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 20–25 minutes until the mixture thickens and becomes creamy.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and cook for another 2–3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Serve warm or refrigerate and serve chilled.
- Sprinkle with ground cinnamon before serving.
Notes
- Adjust sugar depending on your desired sweetness level.
- Stir constantly toward the end to avoid sticking or burning.
- You can add raisins or a bit of lemon zest for extra flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 25mg