Arroz Con Leche Recipe

Arroz con leche is a deliciously creamy rice pudding that’s popular throughout Spain and Latin America. This version is flavored with cinnamon, star anise, and dried cranberries for a slightly different twist on the traditional recipe. It’s delicious served warm or cold and makes a wonderful dessert you can prepare ahead of time.

Discovering Arroz con Leche in Costa Rica
Tip from Simone
Ingredients for Arroz con Leche
How to Make Arroz Con Leche
FAQ Arroz Con Leche Recipe
More Rice Pudding Recipes

Discovering Arroz con Leche in Costa Rica

I’m not entirely sure where my fascination with rice pudding comes from. Growing up, we occasionally had rice pudding for dessert. My mother wasn’t particularly fond of cooking, so I’m pretty sure it came straight out of a package. But I loved it anyway!

Back then, having dessert after dinner was pretty much standard in our house. Usually, it was vanilla or chocolate custard, sometimes a traditional Dutch dessert called watergruwel (which I absolutely hated!), and occasionally rice pudding.

The first time I came across rice pudding outside the Netherlands was in Costa Rica. There, it appeared on the menu under the much more exotic-sounding name arroz con leche. And it was delicious! So much better than the rice pudding I remembered from childhood.

Ever since then, whenever I come across a local version of rice pudding while traveling, I have to try it.

In France, it’s called riz au lait, while in Spain and throughout Latin America, you’ll find countless variations of arroz con leche. Across Asia, there are all kinds of delicious rice puddings, often made with coconut milk.

It’s fascinating how something as simple as rice, milk, and sugar can be transformed into so many different desserts.

Tip from Simone

My favorite way to make rice pudding is actually in the slow cooker. The rice cooks slowly, the flavors have plenty of time to develop, and there’s very little hands-on work involved.

But making arroz con leche on the stovetop is just as delicious!

The most important thing is to stir the rice regularly once you’ve added the milk, especially toward the end of cooking when the pudding starts to thicken.

And don’t wait until the pudding reaches your desired thickness before taking it off the heat. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Ingredients for Arroz con Leche

You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this creamy rice pudding. The combination of cinnamon, star anise, and dried cranberries gives this version its distinctive flavor.

Rice: I use pandan rice for this recipe. It’s a fragrant long-grain rice that produces a soft pudding, although the texture is slightly different from traditional rice pudding. If you prefer a creamier result, you can use short-grain pudding rice instead. Keep in mind that the cooking time and amount of liquid may need adjusting.
Milk: I use almond milk, but whole milk works just as well. Whole milk will give you a richer, creamier rice pudding.
Cinnamon and star anise: These spices simmer with the rice, infusing the pudding with a lovely warm flavor. The star anise adds a subtle licorice note.
Dried cranberries: These add a slightly tart contrast to the sweet pudding. You can substitute raisins if you prefer a more traditional version.
Sugar: This is quite a sweet dessert. The original recipe uses 200 grams of sugar, but you can easily reduce that amount to suit your taste.

You’ll find the exact quantities in the recipe card below.

How to Make Arroz Con Leche

Making my version of homemade arroz con leche is easy, but it does require a little attention while it cooks.

Start by combining the rice, water, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and salt in a saucepan. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the rice simmer gently until most of the water has been absorbed.

Next, add the milk and bring the mixture back to a gentle simmer. Stir in the sugar and dried cranberries and continue cooking uncovered.

Stir regularly to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. After about 10-15 minutes, the mixture should start to become thick and creamy.

Make sure the rice is fully cooked before removing the pan from the heat. If the pudding becomes too thick before the rice is tender, simply add a splash of extra milk and continue cooking.

Remove the cinnamon sticks and star anise before serving.

Should you serve arroz con leche warm or cold?

That’s entirely up to you! Personally, I love it both ways.

When served warm, arroz con leche is wonderfully soft and creamy. Once refrigerated, it becomes much thicker and firmer.

If you’re serving it cold and find the consistency too thick, stir in a splash of milk to loosen it up.

Spoon the rice pudding into individual bowls and finish with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

FAQ Arroz Con Leche Recipe

Arroz con leche literally translates to “rice with milk.” It’s a traditional rice pudding enjoyed throughout Spain and Latin America. Ingredients and preparation methods vary from country to country and even from family to family.

Both! Arroz con leche is popular in Spain, Mexico, and many other Latin American countries. There isn’t just one version of the recipe. Some use sweetened condensed milk, others use regular milk, and flavorings can include cinnamon, vanilla, citrus zest, or raisins.

This particular version is inspired by the arroz con leche I first enjoyed in Costa Rica, with my own addition of star anise and dried cranberries.

For this recipe, I use pandan rice, but short-grain rice is also a good option if you prefer a creamier texture.

In the United States, you can look for short-grain white rice or rice labeled specifically for rice pudding. Keep in mind that different types of rice absorb different amounts of liquid, so you may need to adjust the cooking time.

Rice continues to absorb liquid as it cools, which means arroz con leche naturally becomes thicker over time.

If your pudding is too thick, simply stir in a little extra milk until it reaches your preferred consistency.