• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Dominican Cooking logo

  • START HERE
  • RECIPES
  • COOKERY
  • CULTURE
  • COOKBOOKS
  • ❤
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Start here
  • Recipes
  • Cookery
  • Culture
  • Cookbooks
  • Subscribe
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Our free content is supported via ads and affiliate links. Thanks!

    Arroz con Leche or Arroz con Dulce (Dominican Rice Pudding)

    Arroz con leche (rice pudding).

    En Español Recipe ↆ

    There are many versions of Arroz con Leche (Spiced Rice Pudding) but this Dominican recipe makes for a creamy texture and heavenly mix of spices that stands out above the crowd.

    Arroz con leche recipe.
    Dominican rice pudding.

    JUMP TO: show ↓
    1. Why we ❤️ it
    2. Throughout the world
    3. Arroz con dulce
    4. Arroz con leche amargo
    5. About our recipe
    6. Video
    7. Recipe
    8. More rice pudding recipes

    Why we ❤️ it

    Arroz con Leche se quiere casar / Con una viudita de la capital / Que sepa tejer, que sepa bordar / Que ponga la aguja en el mismo lugar.
    - Children's rhyme

    Dominican-style Arroz con Leche is one of the most popular and simple-to-make desserts in the Dominican Republic. To the naked eye, it could look like any same old rice pudding, but once you taste it you can't fail to notice the touch of spices that make our Arroz con Dulce so different, in a good way.

    Throughout the world

    Arroz con leche --rice pudding in English-- is truly a nearly-universal dish. It is made in many ways and with varying ingredients throughout the world. This arroz con leche recipe is just one of the many Hispanic rice pudding recipes.

    Different countries may use different combinations of ingredients, but the basis will be rice, milk, sugar, and some type of spices.

    In Denmark, a country where I have spent a lot of time, Rice Pudding is a Christmas tradition, and it's called Risalamande. It's prepared with cream, instead of milk, and served as part of the traditional Christmas Eve dinner.

    How to make arroz con leche.
    Raw dominican rice.

    Arroz con leche or arroz con dulce.

    Arroz con dulce

    In the Dominican Republic, this dish is also known as arroz con dulce, to differentiate it from a savory rice pudding version that is also relatively popular.

    Arroz con leche amargo

    Arroz con leche salado or arroz con leche amargo (it's not bitter, "amargo" also means unsweetened in Spanish) is a version of this dish traditionally served as dinner, sometimes prepared with leftover arroz blanco (white rice).

    My mother used to make the sugarless version often. Bear in mind that this is an acquired taste, one that I never acquired myself. If you want to try it, though, there are also instructions in the notes for it.

    About our recipe

    This is my favorite combination for arroz con leche (or arroz con dulce), you may adapt it to your own personal taste, and I give suggestions for doing that in the recipe notes.

    Buen provecho!

    Tia Clara

    Video

    Recipe

    This awesome free recipe contains Amazon affiliate links, we receive a small commission from any purchase you make at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

    Keep screen on while cooking

    [Recipe + Video] Arroz con Leche (Spiced Rice Pudding)

    By: Clara Gonzalez
    Learn how to make arroz con leche, the wonderful Dominican arroz con dulce rice pudding, with its sublime blend of spices.
    4.94 from 15 votes
    Save for Later Send by Email Print Recipe
    Prep Time 2 hours hrs
    Cook Time 45 minutes mins
    Total Time 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Dominican, Latino
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 708 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup rice
    • 6 cloves
    • 4 cinnamon sticks
    • 6 cup water, , divided
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 3 cup evaporated milk
    • 1 cup sugar (white, granulated)
    • ¼ cup raisins
    • 2 tablespoons butter (salted)
    • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg (freshly-grated)
    • Cherries for decoration, (optional)

    Instructions
     

    • Soak the rice, cloves and cinnamon sticks in 2 cups of water and let sit for a couple of hours. This step is optional, and it's my own method for cooking the rice.
    • When the 2 hours have passed, pour the remaining 4 cups of water into a medium (1 gal [4 lt]) iron o cast aluminum pot. Add in the rice (including the water in which it was soaking, cinnamon and cloves). Add the salt.
    • Cook over medium temperature and stir regularly to avoid sticking. When the rice is tender (about 20 mins) add milk and sugar. When it breaks a boil again add the raisins. Cook over low heat until the mixture reaches a pudding-like consistency.
    • Remove from the heat. Remove the cloves and cinnamon sticks. Add the butter and mix well. Cover and let it cool down to room temperature.
    • Stir to incorporate the crust that forms during cooling.
    • Serve in small bowls and sprinkle with the nutmeg. Decorate with the cherries.

    Tips and Notes

    How to make arroz con dulce your way

    Each person seems to have a favorite consistency for this dish. This is what I prefer (rice is very soft and the pudding very creamy). Later on, when preparing this dish again you can adjust the liquids to obtain the texture you prefer.

    How to make arroz con leche "amargo"

    If you want to make the sugar-free rice pudding that is served for breakfast, do not add the sugar listed in the ingredients, and instead of the teaspoon of salt listed in the recipe, add salt to taste.

    How to make rice pudding using cooked rice

    Ah, my mom's favorite trick to reuse old arroz blanco... This is also a super rice quick easy recipe to make arroz con leche using pre-cooked rice: Mix the cooked white rice and the rest of the ingredients listed above (except the 4 cups of water!) and jump straight to step three. You can choose to make it savory or sweet.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 708kcalCarbohydrates: 116gProtein: 16gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 841mgPotassium: 724mgFiber: 3gSugar: 69gVitamin A: 635IUVitamin C: 4.1mgCalcium: 555mgIron: 1.3mg

    Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.

    READERS SEARCHED FOR arroz con dulce, dominican-style, spiced rice pudding
    More recipes with: fruits, grains, milk, rice

    More rice pudding recipes

    • Rice Pudding with Coconut Brûlée
    • Danish Rice Pudding (Risalamande)
    • Portuguese Rice Pudding (Arroz Doce)
    • Spanish Arroz con Leche

    By Tia Clara - Published , revised Nov 17, 2022

    More Dominican Desserts Recipe You'll Love!

    • Pineapple cake filling (relleno de pina).
      Mermelada de Piña (Pineapple Cake Filling for Dominican Cake)
    • Tarta helada (ice cream trifle).
      Tarta Helada (Ice Cream Trifle with Fruit)
    • Acerola popsicles (paletas de cereza).
      Paletas de Cerezas Dominicanas (Acerola Popsicle Recipe)
    • Dominican arepa cake.
      Dominican Arepa (Cornmeal and Coconut Cake)

    ¡Hola! I am Tía Clara, your host. Thanks for visiting.
    - Any questions or comments about this?
    - Made our recipe? Follow and tag me on Instagram.
    - Subscribe to receive our recipes by email.

    Recipe Rating




    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    60 Comments
    Most Voted
    Newest Oldest
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments

    Primary Sidebar

    Tia Clara's Dominican Cooking
    is the oldest and largest Dominican cooking website, with a 20-year collection of traditional Dominican recipes, and recipes inspired in the Dominican cuisine.
    More about us ➜

    • Facebook page
    • Instagram account
    • Youtube channel
    • Pinterest account
    La Bandera Dominicana free ebook.

    Don't miss

    • Dominican pollo guisado
      Pollo Guisado (Braised Chicken)
    • Yaniqueques.
      Yaniqueques (Crispy Dominican Fritters)
    • Slices of Tres Leches (Three-Milk Cake)
      Tres Leches (Three-Milk Cake)
    • Chicken gizzard (molleja guisada).
      Stewed Chicken Gizzard Recipe (Mollejas Guisadas)

    Most popular Most recent

    Footer

    featured on

    Lee este contenido

    En Español

    SIGN UP and receive emails,
    updates, and surprises!

    Or follow us on

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest
    • Google News

    Made in 🇩🇴 with ❤️

    © 2022 · LUNCH CLUB BOOKS, LLC
    ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    DO NOT reproduce without authorization.

    As Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. READ...


    ↑ BACK TO TOP | ABOUT US | BLOG | CONTACT US | WE GIVE | POLICIES | STORIES | PORTFOLIO

    wpDiscuz
    You are going to send email to

    Move Comment