There are many ways to use leftover rice, but Arroz con Leche is one of my favorites. This easy to whip up and makes for an amazing themed dessert if you are having a Mexican meal. Inspiration from the Tasty.co recipe Spiced Rice Pudding
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Now, this recipe doesn’t make the soupy stuff you frequently find at Mexican buffets. Nope, this Mexican rice pudding comes out creamy, thick, and sweet. The hint of cinnamon adds a lot of interest to the dish, making it way more interesting to eat than the sweet buffet rice soup.
Ingredients & Equipment
Ingredients needed to make Mexican Rice Pudding
- Rice: I use medium-grain rice for everything, so that’s what I suggest. However you make it, the rice needs to be cooked beforehand. That’s why this is such a great use of leftover rice, which is usually not a joy to eat as a leftover.
- White Sugar: Used to sweeten the dish and thicken the milk. This is absolutely what makes this dish a dessert.
- Egg: The egg is used to take this dish from soup to custard. It thickens the dish in an amazing way.
- Cinnamon: Your mouth is probably bored with just sugar. Cinnamon adds a lovely dimension to the dessert.
Equipment
- Medium Saucepan: Big enough to hold everything and thick enough to disperse the heat without scalding the milk. A quality saucepan is magic in the kitchen and I entirely recommend upgrading if yours fails you due to quality.
- Whisk: I use a whisk to stir this dish as it cooks. Use a silicon-coated whisk if you’re using a nonstick pan, so you don’t ruin your pan.
Preparation
Preparing the Arroz con Leche
No chopping, dicing, etc. for this recipe. The only step needed before making this dish is cooking rice. Leftover rice dries a bit in the fridge, which is great for this dish. The rice reabsorbs the milk as it heats, rehydrating the dry rice, and making it nicer to eat.
Cooking the Food
First, combine the two cups rice with 2 cups milk, 1/4 cup sugar, a 2-inch cinnamon stick, and a pinch of salt. Whole milk will give a much creamier end result, but skim will work just as well. Heat over medium heat, stirring to prevent sticking or burning. Simmer gently until thickened and the bubbles are big and bloopy. Remove from heat.
In another bowl, whisk together your egg and 1 cup milk. Add the mixture to your simmering rice mixture stirring quickly to prevent the egg from cooking. Return to medium heat until once again simmering and cook for 3 minutes. The rice will thicken into pudding quickly.
Remove cinnamon sticks and serve. That’s it.
Arroz con Leche (Mexican Rice Pudding)
Equipment
- Sauce pan
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 2 cups White Rice Cooked
- 3 cups Milk Divided (2c,1c)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¼ cup White Sugar
- 1 pinch Sea Salt
- 1 Egg
Instructions
- Combine Rice (2c), Milk (2c), sugar (¼c) and the cinnamon stick. Heat in a saucepan over medium low heat. Stir frequently to avoid scalding. Cook until thickened and bubbles are bloopy, about 12-15 minutes.
- Whisk together the egg and milk (1c). Add the egg mixture to the rice mixture and stir continuously for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and serve hot or cold.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Pairings
This is a great dessert to make for Mexican night, taco Tuesday, or to go with our Southwest White Chicken Chili. Any meal south of the border will benefit from this dessert to round out the themed dinner.
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