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Home » Recipes » Desserts » Arroz Con Leche

Arroz Con Leche

Last Updated November 19, 2020. Originally Posted December 18, 2017 By Maggie Unzueta

This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Arroz con Leche is a classic Mexican dessert. Creamy, sweet, and delicious. It will have you saying, mas por favor, or more please.
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Arroz con Leche in a glass container topped with raisins and sprinkled with ground cinnamon.

Arroz con Leche served in 2 glasses next to 2 spoons

The other day, the hubs and I were in the kitchen, and I asked him to grab me some cumin from the spice cabinet. He said, “All I see is cinnamon.” He counted 4 different containers of ground cinnamon and 8 whole sticks of cinnamon. I’m not going into a cinnamon addiction program… yet. My fellow Mexicans understand my obsession. I love the stuff! I put it in my coffee. I put it in my pork dishes. I even put it in Arroz con Leche because I’m all about (no, not that base) 😉 but easy Mexican desserts.

Cinnamon and Star of Anise

Rice in dessert? I know. It sounds weird, right? This is not complicated either like incredibly delicious flan or pastel de tres leches. Arroz con Leche, or Mexican rice pudding, is creamy and milky. It’s sweet, but not overly sweet. It’s a simple dessert, a classic in our Latin cuisine. Just like tamales and salsa, I can tell you stories of when…

Adding Rice to the Pot

My grandma used to take Arroz con Leche up a notch. She would make thin pancakes almost like crepes. Stuff them with leftover Arroz con Leche from the day before and roll them up like a burrito.

Cooked Rice in a pan

Discard the cinnamon stick and anise. Then drain the liquid. From here, people will add rum or egg yolks. Some people add orange rind, some people don’t. It varies from Latin country to Latin country. You will even see differences between Mexican states and Mexican regions. The recipe below is the way my grandma and my mom make it. That means: raisins! They plump up nicely and burst in your mouth as you bite into them. Yum!

Raisins in a bowl

You can’t go wrong with Arroz con Leche. It’s easy-to-make, creamy, and so yummy. Hope you enjoy!

Arroz con Leche served with cinnamon and raisins

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Arroz con Leche served in bowls and topped with powdered cinnamon.

Arroz Con Leche

Arroz con Leche is a classic Mexican dessert. Creamy, sweet, and delicious. It will have you saying, mas por favor, or more please.
4.75 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 367kcal
Author: Maggie Unzueta

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white rice
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 whole star of anise
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 4- oz evaporated milk can
  • 1 7- oz sweetened condensed milk can
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon for topping

Instructions

  • To a large stockpot, add the rice, water, cinnamon, and anise.
  • Cook for 18 minutes.
  • Drain any excess water and discard the cinnamon sticks and anise.
  • Add milk, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla to the rice pot.
  • Stir to mix.
  • Bring to a simmer on low heat.
  • Add raisins.
  • Mix and turn heat off.
  • Serve and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

Notes

You can add rum or egg yolks. Some people add orange rind it's up to you.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 367kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 125mg | Potassium: 466mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 289IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 318mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @MamaMaggiesKitchen or tag #MamaMaggiesKitchen!

Arroz con Leche served with cinnamon and raisins



Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

What’s your favorite EASY dessert?

 

Filed Under: Desserts

About Maggie Unzueta

Maggie Unzueta is the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer, videographer, and creator of In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been developing easy and authentic Mexican food, Mexican-inspired recipes, and traveling tips since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Laura

    June 21, 2016 at 1:33 pm

    I love rice pudding – so warm and comforting! Your recipe looks terrific and I love the addition of star anise.

    Reply
    • Maggie Unzueta

      June 30, 2016 at 2:51 pm

      Oh yeah. I love the flavor that star anise gives.

      Reply
  2. Sophie Beland

    June 21, 2016 at 2:07 pm

    This looks like a really interesting dessert, and one that I already have all the ingredients for at home!

    Reply
    • Maggie Unzueta

      June 21, 2016 at 2:36 pm

      I hope you make this! You’ll love it. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Marci

    June 22, 2016 at 5:39 am

    This looks fantastic and easy. I have a ton of rice in my pantry so can’t wait to give it a try!

    Reply
    • Maggie Unzueta

      June 30, 2016 at 2:51 pm

      You’re going to love it. So yummy!

      Reply
  4. JOANNE

    December 31, 2017 at 11:56 pm

    Love the sweet rice try it with cinnamon toast.

    Reply
    • Maggie Unzueta

      January 3, 2018 at 6:24 pm

      Now that’s different. I’ll have to try that! Thank you.

      Reply
  5. Christi

    May 27, 2018 at 1:27 pm

    This sounds amazing!!! Super simple! I have been craving arrzo con leche (rice pudding) for a few weeks. I have all the ingredients ready for it I just need to make it. Yummy! Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
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iBienvenidos! I'm Maggie. Welcome to my blog! My passion is authentic Mexican food and traveling throughout Mexico to bring you the very BEST in culture and cuisine.

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