Arroz con Leche Colombiano (Colombian Rice Pudding)

The perfect cup of arroz con leche Colombiano with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon – warm or cold, is a fail-proof and comforting dessert.

This delicious Colombian rice pudding with condensed milk recipe adds rich notes of vanilla that slowly develop when milk and sugar are cooked on low heat over several hours.

What is arroz con leche?

Arroz con leche, or traditional rice pudding, is a decadent milk-based traditional Spanish dessert with a touch of sweet cinnamon and vanilla.

This easy recipe starts with raw or pre-cooked rice and is cooked in milk or water, then some more milk, condensed milk, and slow-cooked on the stovetop until the rice pudding mixture is thickened and fully cooked.

Rice Pudding Cubano

Cuban arroz con leche is slightly different and incredibly delicious. Cuban rice pudding is cooked with cascara de limon or lemon zest in addition to the traditional ingredients – cinnamon, condensed milk, and evaporated milk.

Spanish Arroz con Leche

In Spain, arroz con leche is made with lemon peel or orange peel without condensed milk and instead has sugar and milk. 

Arroz con Leche Colombiano

Colombian arroz con leche is made with condensed milk and without citrus (lemon peel, lemon zest). It’s a rich and creamy recipe – perfect warm or cold. And raisins soaked in rum are optional. 

Top Tips

1. When cooking arroz con leche, cook the rice with water on low heat before adding milk to prevent it from burning.
2. Condensed milk is sweet. To increase sweetness, add sugar. To reduce the sweetness, add milk.
3. Stir, and stir to prevent it from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Condensed Milk (Leche Condensada)

Condensed milk is slow-cooked milk and sugar that thickens and develops into a heavenly milky syrup. I am a huge fan of condensed milk in my recipe because it adds depth and a layer of flavor and richness.

However, if you want to substitute condensed milk for sugar, you can. Instead of a can of condensed milk, combine two cups of milk and sugar and cook slowly until it thickens. Cook the combination of milk and sugar over low heat until it turns an off-white color.

Cinnamon (Canela)

Should I cook the arroz con leche with powdered cinnamon or cinnamon sticks?

This recipe calls for organic Ceylon cinnamon, and I am hesitant to use cinnamon sticks because there are brands who advertise natural cinnamon sticks when they’re genuinely a different plant that is much cheaper.

However, if I’m out of cinnamon powder, then I’ll swap the powdered cinnamon for cinnamon sticks at the very beginning and remove them before serving.

Rice (Arroz)

Arroz con leche is an easy dessert because it doesn’t require exact measurements. There is room to swap one rice for another, and I would stick with medium to short-grain rice.

It can’t go wrong if you stir well to prevent it from sticking and burning.

Storage and Reheating

Storage

Arroz con leche can be safely stored in the refrigerator for a few days, no longer than a week. 

Freeze arroz con leche to last a few more weeks, and defrost before serving.

Reheating

For a cold bowl of arroz con leche, you can defrost it after freezing or serve cold right out of the fridge. 

If you prefer a warm bowl of arroz de leche, warm a serving in a small pot and add water or milk. 

Instructions

Step 1

Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer until the water is clear. Cook the rice with water at low heat until the water has evaporated.

Step 2

Add the milk to the cooked rice (note that the rice will not be fully cooked), add half the cinnamon and vanilla extract, and cover. 

Cook for 30 minutes at low heat. 

Step 3

After 30 minutes, add the remaining vanilla extract and cinnamon and stir, then increase to medium to high heat – until it comes to a boil. Then cover and reduce to low heat for 5 minutes and remove from heat. Let sit for 10 minutes.