Arroz Doce

About This Recipe

Arroz doce is Portugal's beloved rice pudding — a comforting, creamy dessert made with short-grain rice cooked slowly in milk with sugar, egg yolks, and lemon zest. It is traditionally served cold on a flat plate and decorated with ground cinnamon in decorative patterns. Found at every family gathering and festive occasion, it is the quintessential Portuguese sweet.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 200 gshort-grain rice
• 1 Lwhole milk
• 200 gsugar
• 4 largeegg yolks
• 1 striplemon zest
• 1 pinchsalt
• 1 tspground cinnamon(for decoration)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the rice

   Boil rice in salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.

2. 2

   Simmer in milk

   Add milk, sugar, and lemon zest to the rice. Cook over low heat, stirring often, for 20 minutes until thick and creamy.

3. 3

   Add egg yolks

   Remove from heat. Remove lemon zest. Stir in egg yolks one at a time, mixing quickly to prevent curdling.

4. 4

   Chill and decorate

   Pour into a flat serving dish. Let cool, then refrigerate. Decorate with cinnamon patterns before serving.

Variations

• •

  Add a splash of port wine for an adult version.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

• •

  Lighter: reduce the fat by a third and finish with a squeeze of citrus or a splash of vinegar to keep brightness without losing body.

Storage

Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days.

Frequently Asked Questions