Shh! Don’t tell my mother, but this Arroz con Leche recipe is better than hers. Yes, I said it, and I have zero regrets!
I grew up in California, eating Mexican rice pudding. The delicious Mexican dessert is a staple of Latin America. Uncooked rice combines over low heat with fresh milk, nutmeg and cinnamon sticks. Simmer and add raisins and somehow it all turns into magic.
Arroz con Leche or rice pudding is a popular Latin American dish. It’s a dessert commonly served at parties, but it can also be eaten for breakfast. It’s a universally loved dish as there are different variations of this delicious recipe worldwide.
If you traveled to Costa Rica with Rustic Pathways, you tried this dish during your trip. Maybe your host family made this during your travel homestay. If you’d like recipe tips to recreate this easy (and inexpensive) dessert, then read on or watch our video below for how to make the perfect Arroz con Leche.
Here are the ingredients and step-by-step instructions for making Costa Rican Arroz con Leche:
Rice Pudding Ingredients
- 3 cups long grain white rice (jasmine rice or basmati rice works best)
- 2 tablespoons of butter (optional)
- ½ tablespoon whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon citrus zest (optional)
- ½ can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can of evaporated milk
- 2 cups hot water
- 3 ½ cups of water
- Pinch of salt
- Granulated sugar (to taste, but not needed)
Rice Pudding Directions
- In a medium or large sauce pan combine the 3 ½ cups of water and 3 cups of rice, butter, cinnamon stick, and cloves.
- Boil on high heat until water disappears. Stir frequently to avoid rice burning or anything sticking to the bottom.
- Once water is gone, add sweetened condensed milk, 2 cups of hot water, citrus zest, evaporated milk, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt.
- Boil and stir until you have your desired consistency. Boil less if you like more milky, or boil more if you like it on the dry side.
You can garnish it with raisins, nuts, pineapple, ground cinnamon or other fruit. We can debate about whether Arroz con Leche is best served hot, served warm or cold. You can serve warm or serve cold or really at any temperature. It’s completely up to you! Store in an airtight container or eat it all in one go.
If you’d like to visit Costa Rica and try Arroz con Leche (along with other traditional foods), here’s more information about our student travel programs to Latin America.
Perfect Arroz con Leche Recipe – Transcript
Today I’m making arroz con leche, a rice pudding that can be eaten hot or cold. It’s very popular in Latin American countries, and today I’m going to make a Costa Rican version. Before I jump into the ingredients, please take a moment to subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss out on any of our videos.
Here are the ingredients for arroz con leche: you’ll need white rice, butter or margarine (optional), a cinnamon stick, whole cloves, white sugar, a can of sweetened condensed milk, a can of evaporated milk, a pinch of salt, vanilla extract, and some citrus zest. You can find the exact measurements and proportions for everything in the video description.
Start with a medium to large saucepan. Add three cups of rice and three and a half cups of water. The recipe calls for a tablespoon of cloves, but I find cloves very strong, so I didn’t add the full tablespoon. Add a splash of butter and a stick of cinnamon. Put this on high and boil it until all the water disappears. This is probably the trickiest part of the whole recipe—making sure that your rice doesn’t burn while it’s boiling. Keep a close eye on it and stir it frequently.
Once the water has boiled off and the rice is cooked, add your can of evaporated milk. From this point, the recipe moves quickly. Add two cups of hot water, a pinch of salt, lemon zest, a cup of sugar, and half a can of sweetened condensed milk. It’s not a proper arroz con leche unless you spill it all over the place. I absolutely love sweetened condensed milk, and here’s a PSA for free: if you’ve never tried sweetened condensed milk on pancakes, you definitely should.
I forgot to add the vanilla extract, so just toss that in when you remember—hopefully sooner than later. Now, make sure to stir everything really well so nothing sticks to the bottom. Boil it until it reaches the desired consistency.
There are different serving options for this. You can serve it hot or cold, add raisins or pineapple chunks, or an extra sprinkle of cinnamon, which is what I’m going to do. Also, double-check that you’re not sprinkling cumin instead of cinnamon—don’t ask how I know this. Add a cinnamon stick to make it extra fancy, and it’s time for a taste test.
I grew up eating arroz con leche because I’m Mexican and my mom would make it all the time, but you guys, this version is a lot better (please don’t tell my mom—I’m going to get in trouble). Sorry, Mommy!
We hope you enjoyed that recipe. Make sure to check out our Costa Rica travel programs; I’ll have all the information in the video description. Also, let us know in the comments if you like your arroz con leche cold or hot.