Arroz Con Leche Colombiano (Rice Pudding). Esta receta también está disponible en Español.
Arroz con leche. Most likely one of the most famous desserts from Latin America. Today no history lesson about where this rice pudding comes from. It’s a bit like asking where the apple pie comes from. In all places where you can find apples and flour people have been intelligent enough to combine them and make a version of apple pie (that’s right, sweet folks from the US, you cannot claim apple pie). The same goes for arroz con leche. Regardless of how it found its way around the world (although it is thought to have spread from the Middle East, to Spain, to Latin America ) arroz con leche is insanely popular in Latin America and the Caribbean. There. Still a little bit of historical information after all…
Different versions
And here we go again. What is the traditional recipe for arroz con leche (rice pudding)? Who knows. There are many different variations of this delicious dessert. Generally you make it with rice, milk, sugar and cinnamon. In Latin America often condensed milk and/or heavy cream is added for an addictive creaminess. Some people add raisins, other people add for example citrus zest for freshness. Growing up we gave this dish the poetical name “Dessert Rice” and my mom prepared it with rice, milk and sugar, topped with butter, cinnamon and sugar. Go wild.
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Arroz Con Leche Colombiano (Rice Pudding)
The recipe I share here with you is the one I absolutely love. It is incredibly creamy because of the addition of three types of milk/cream (tres leches), it is soft, sweet, cozy and maybe one of the most comforting things to eat, ever. This arroz con leche, is made with tres leches: whole milk, condensed milk and heavy cream. I cook the rice in the whole milk with cinnamon sticks. When the rice is cooked, I add some condensed milk and heavy cream. Because condensed milk is sweet, normally I don’t add extra sugar, but many people do. Finish with some cinnamon and raisins on top and you are ready to indulge. Depending on the type of rice, this dessert is ready in 30 minutes. You can eat it warm, or prepare the arroz con leche in advance and keep it in the refrigerator.
Arroz de dos leches?
Although adding three types of milk/cream is my favorite way to go, you can just as easily omit one or two. If you only add whole milk, you have the version with the least calories – I say “least”, not little ;). If you live in a country where finding condensed milk is not easy, just use whole milk and heavy cream. In this case you should add some sugar. If you do by chance have milk and condensed milk in the house but no heavy cream, you will still get a nice and creamy arroz con leche. Just be aware of the amount of sugar you’re planning to add because condensed milk is already sweet.
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Arroz Con Leche Colombiano (Rice Pudding)
Ingredients
- 150 gram white rice
- 600 ml whole milk
- 100 gram condensed milk
- 150 gram heavy cream
- 2/3 cinnamon sticks
- cinnamon powder, to taste
- sugar, to taste
- raisins, for topping the rice pudding
Instructions
- Add rice, whole milk and cinnamon sticks to a boiling pot and bring to a boil. Turn low and let simmer on a low fire until soft (20-30 minutes, depending on type of rice). Stir regularly to prevent sticking. When not using a lid, the milk will form a skin you should remove before stirring.
- Turn of the stove and stir in heavy cream and condensed milk. Check the sweetness of the pudding and add sugar if necessary
- Serve the arroz con leche in little bowls or glasses. Top with some raisins and cinnamon powder. Let cool a bit and serve warm, or keep in the refrigerator and serve cold later
Notes
- Although this recipe uses three types of milk/cream, you can omit the heavy cream and/or the condensed milk. Be aware that you might have to add a bit more of the milk/cream you are using, and that it affects the amount of sugar you need to add in the end. See blog post for more information.
- The amounts of condensed milk and heavy cream are estimates. How much you need also depends on how dry or wet the in milk cooked rice is. The consistency needs to be slighty runny.
- The amount of sugar depends on what milk/creams you use and how much. When following this exact recipe, I do not add additional sugar, but taste and see how you like it.
