Spanish Arroz con Leche (Cinnamon Rice Pudding)

About This Recipe

Arroz con leche is one of Spain's most beloved comfort desserts, made by slowly simmering rice in milk infused with cinnamon stick and lemon or orange peel until it turns thick, creamy and fragrant. Unlike some rice puddings that lean heavily on eggs or cream, the traditional Spanish version relies on the rice's own starch and a long, patient simmer to build its texture.\n\nThe technique that matters most is infusing the milk with a whole cinnamon stick and citrus peel from the very start, letting those flavors steep into the milk throughout the entire cooking time rather than adding ground spice at the end. The rice should be stirred often during the simmer, which both prevents scorching and helps release starch gradually for a silky, not gluey, texture.\n\nServe warm or well-chilled with a generous dusting of ground cinnamon on top — in Spain it's traditional to sometimes caramelize that cinnamon-sugar topping briefly with a hot iron or torch for a light crust, similar to crème brûlée.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 0.75 cupshort-grain rice(rinsed)
• 4 cupswhole milk
• 1cinnamon stick
• 1 striplemon peel
• 0.5 cupsugar
• 1 pinchfine sea salt
• 1 tspground cinnamon(for dusting)

Instructions

1. 1

   Infuse the milk

   Combine milk, cinnamon stick and lemon peel in a heavy saucepan. Heat over medium heat until just steaming, then remove from heat and let steep 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Cook the rice

   Remove the cinnamon stick and lemon peel. Add rinsed rice, sugar and salt to the infused milk and bring to a gentle simmer.

3. 3

   Simmer slowly

   Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, 35-40 minutes until the rice is tender and the mixture has thickened to a loose, creamy consistency.

   Keep the heat low and stir often — a hard simmer scalds the milk on the bottom and gives the pudding a burnt aftertaste that's hard to mask.

4. 4

   Rest

   The pudding will continue thickening as it cools, so remove it from heat while it's still slightly looser than the final texture you want.

5. 5

   Serve

   Spoon into bowls or ramekins, warm or chilled, and dust generously with ground cinnamon just before serving.

Variations

• •

  Add a splash of orange blossom water at the end for a more floral, complex finish.

• •

  Use orange peel instead of lemon for a slightly sweeter citrus note common in some regional versions.

• •

  Torch a sprinkle of extra sugar on top just before serving for a light caramelized crust, similar to crema catalana.

Storage

Refrigerate covered for up to 5 days; the pudding will thicken further as it chills. Loosen with a splash of warm milk when serving leftovers.

Frequently Asked Questions