Cuban rice pudding, or arroz con leche recipe, is a creamy, simple-to-make dish made with sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, and lemon zest. It’s the ultimate dessert that can be enjoyed any day of the week and tastes amazing.
Mexican rice pudding, or arroz con leche, is a hearty, straightforward dessert that will fulfill any sweet tooth! It has just six ingredients and can be served hot or cold.
Necessary Ingredients for Arroz Con Leche Recipe
The three types of milk used in this recipe are evaporated milk, whole milk (2%), and sweetened condensed milk (lechera). The secret to incredibly creamy Arroz Con Leche is the combination of three milks.
The rice: For Mexican rice pudding, regular long-grain and jasmine rice work best. If that’s all you have, you could use basmati, but be aware that it might impart some of the traditional fragrance into the rice.
The cinnamon: The best cinnamon sticks release the most flavor, but if you’re in a pinch, you can also add one teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
The raisins: Although this is a common ingredient in Mexican Arroz Con Leche, you are free to omit it if you prefer.
Extract from vanilla: This is optional
Optional toppings: Any nut, such as chopped pecans, almonds, walnuts, or shredded coconut flakes.
How to Make Cuban Arroz Con Leche Recipe
This is ultimately the main purpose of cooking. tying culinary adventures and food experiences to memories. Arroz con leche is simple to prepare.
Prepare the rice: The rice is first cooked in a saucepan with water, cinnamon sticks, and lemon zest. In ten to fifteen minutes, the rice ought to be tender.
Put the milk in: Make sure to remove the cinnamon stick and drain any extra water. When the rice is thick, add milk, condensed milk, salt, and vanilla extract. Cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately one hour.
Put in these charming little dark blue cocottes, topped with ground cinnamon. That’s it, people.
Is Arroz Con Leche Healthy?
That’s a valid question a lot of people ask. Because arroz con leche is gluten-free, it’s a tempting dessert option for people who must avoid gluten due to health concerns. Controlling the sugar is undoubtedly simpler when creating it from scratch.
Overall though, we would say that this is a traditional dessert rather than a “healthy food,” more of a treat.
However, if you make it yourself, you can control the ingredients and be sure that it’s healthier for you than a lot of desserts from stores.
Tips for Success
Ready to whip up this comforting dessert? However, before you begin, be sure to read through these useful hints and tips.
Give a toast to cinnamon: Before using, some chefs strongly advise very lightly toasting the cinnamon stick in a dry pan. This can improve the dish’s cinnamon flavor if you have the time. If not, that’s okay. It will taste just as good.
Modify Thickness: The mixture will thicken as it simmers after the three types of milk have been added. Thus, cook it for a little while longer if you like it very thick. Remember that, if served cold, it thickens even more as it cools.
Modify the Sweetness: You could try using another can of evaporated milk in place of the sweetened condensed milk if you’d rather your arroz con leche less sweet. After that, add honey, sugar, or even maple syrup to taste.
How to Store and Reheat Rice Pudding
If kept in an airtight container, arroz con leche will keep in the refrigerator for about five days. For up to three months, store in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze.
Reheat the desired amount by placing it in a saucepan over low heat. If it looks too dry, you might need to add a small splash of water to the arroz con leche.
Heat until thoroughly heated. To avoid hot and cold spots, you can also microwave it for 30 seconds at a time while stirring.
