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Bowl of creamy arroz con leche with raisins and cinnamon on a wooden table

Easy Arroz Con Leche That Stays Creamy Every Time

Tender long-grain rice simmered with cinnamon sticks and orange peel, then finished in whole milk and evaporated milk. Creamy without eggs, and best stopped while still loose on the stove.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Calories: 364
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For cooking the rice
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice rinsed until the water runs clear
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cinnamon sticks 3 inches each
  • 1 strip orange peel about 3 inches long, white pith removed
  • 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the pudding
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 can 12 ounces evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
To finish
  • 1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon for dusting

Equipment

  • 3-quart heavy saucepan
  • Fine-mesh strainer
  • Flat silicone spatula
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Six 8-ounce jars or bowls

Method
 

  1. Combine the rinsed rice, water, cinnamon sticks, orange peel, and salt in the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes, until big bubbles break across the whole surface.
  2. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the water is fully absorbed and small steam holes dot the rice.
  3. Pour in the whole milk and evaporated milk, then add the sugar. Raise the heat to medium and wait about 5 minutes, until tiny bubbles form around the edge. Do not let it reach a rolling boil.
  4. Lower the heat to medium low and simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes. It is ready when a spoon dragged across the pot floor leaves a trail that closes slowly and the pudding looks like loose oatmeal.
  5. Take the pot off the heat and remove the cinnamon sticks and orange peel. Stir in the vanilla and raisins, then rest the pot for 10 minutes, until the steam slows.
  6. Spoon the pudding into six bowls and dust each with a pinch of ground cinnamon. Serve warm, or chill for 3 hours, until the surface looks matte and the pudding mounds softly on a spoon.

Notes

Stop simmering while the pudding still looks slightly thin. It thickens as it cools, and 2 tablespoons of milk per cup loosens it again.
If you only have Morton or table salt, use 1/8 teaspoon instead of 1/4 teaspoon.
Storage: refrigerate in airtight jars for up to 4 days, or freeze in freezer-safe bags for up to 2 months.