Arroz con Dulce is a popular dessert in Puerto Rico, typically served during Christmas. It is made with coconut milk, cinnamon, and cloves, giving it a rich and flavorful taste. Some variations of Arroz con Dulce include raisins or nuts, adding extra texture and sweetness to the dish.
Rice pudding's popularity during Christmas makes it a versatile dessert for other holidays such as Easter, Mother's Day, Picnics, and Thanksgiving. In addition to rice pudding, Puerto Rico offers other delicious holiday treats such as Guava Delights, a cake with guava paste filling, and Bread Pudding, a silky custard dessert made with bread. These Puerto Rican desserts will impress and satisfy guests on any occasion.
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Why this recipe works
- This is an excellent way to minimize waste: Who likes to waste food and let alone money? I know I don't. And the truth is, sometimes our water-to-rice ratios are entirely wrong, and you end up with mushy rice. With this recipe, you might end up with dessert instead.
- Delicious: Basic ingredients, but a familiar taste that anyone in your family would enjoy. Combining coconut milk and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg will transport you to a tropical holiday with every spoonful.
- Versatility: This pudding can be a blank canvas of possibilities and flavors. Because rice pudding is such a global recipe, the dish has many variations. Add mango and cardamon, and you have traveled to India. Almonds and ginger, and now the dessert has taken an Asian flair.
Ingredients
- Rice: This recipe can be prepared with raw rice. I usually make my rice pudding with leftover white rice. If you plan to make pudding with leftover rice, make your white rice as clean as possible by not adding onions or strong condiments. Some people use long-grain rice, and some use short. To learn more about the different types of rice follow the link provided.
- Coconut Milk: I love coconut in my rice pudding. The flavor is subtle but extremely tasty. Add coconut shavings to the pudding for added texture and flavor. The pudding can be made with evaporated milk instead.
- Spices: Cinnamon sticks and orange or lemon peel (dried peel used in this recipe, feel free to use fresh peels) add subtle flavors to your pudding.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and measurements.
Variations/Substitutions
- Not a coconut lover? Don’t use it! Substitute the coconut milk for evaporated, almond, or any dairy substitute you might enjoy.
- Raisins: I do not like raisins in my pudding, so I omitted them from this recipe. However, many people like raisins, so feel free to experiment. If raisins are not your cup of tea either, consider cranberries, dried apricots, or dried mangoes.
- Spices: Nutmeg goes excellent in this recipe. Add about ⅛ of a teaspoon to your milk mixture. Other spices to consider are:
- Cardamom: cardamom will give your rice pudding an international flare. A spice commonly used in Asia, cardamom adds a bit of spice and many floral undertones. This is a flavor reminiscent of Chai tea.
- Dried Rose Pedals: Wow, talk about exotic! A combination of cardamon and rose petals will send this dish to the Orient with a delicate balance of floral and spice.
- Ginger: a small amount of freshly grated ginger can go a long way in your rice pudding. I didn't have ginger the day I made it, but it is an ingredient I regularly use when I make rice pudding.
Step-by-Step Instructions
I made this recipe with rice I had already cooked, which I had accidentally slightly overcooked. It happens. But I thought it was a great example of what to do when you overcook the rice, so you do not have to waste it. If the rice is so overcooked that it cannot cook further, boil the milk mixture separately and then add it to the cooked rice.
- Place your cooked rice in a saucepan. Make sure the pan is big enough for the rice and the liquid that will be added.
- Take one can of coconut milk and about a cup of regular milk. Double down on your coconut milk if you want if you do not wish to use regular milk.
- Add a tablespoon of vanilla to the mixture.
- Followed by half a cup of sugar and one cinnamon stick.
- Add orange or lemon peel to the mixture. I used dried peels, but fresh ones would work just as well.
- Again, if the rice can withstand more cooking, bring the mixture to a boil. Bring the milk mixture to a boil if the rice is too overcooked. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Pour the rice mixture into a serving dish.
- I like my rice pudding soft and a bit milky. Again, this is my personal preference. So I make an extra milk component consisting of a can of condensed milk and just enough coconut milk to thin the condensed milk and pour it over the rice. Chill the pudding overnight before serving or for a few hours until the milk cools completely.
- Serve your pudding in small cups or dessert bowls with a dusting of cinnamon. Buen Provecho, Enjoy!
Expert Tips.
Here are a few tips I have learned from making this recipe:
- You still want to feel a bit of chewiness in your rice. If you are using already-cooked rice leftover or have accidentally overcooked a bit like I did when I made this recipe. Again, it happens. I highly suggest making the milk mixture separate and adding the milk mixture and adding it to the cooked rice. Allow the rice to soak some of the milk mixture and chill. Add more coconut milk if the rice "dries" or absorbs most of the liquid.
- I used a mixture of coconut and condensed milk and poured it onto my pudding because I like my pudding milky. This is entirely optional.
- Prepare all your ingredients ahead of time. The cooking process can go fast at times.
Recipes FAQs
Growing up, I remember seeing my grandmother using short-grain rice. Short-grain tends to be starchier than long-grain rice and produces a creamier texture. However, Jasmine rice, long-grain rice, and beautifully delicate and floral qualities add a different facet to the recipe.
Rice pudding can last in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Depends on your preference and climate. It was always served cold as a child in Puerto Rico, but in some countries would eat it warm. After all, rice is a cereal that could be eaten like oatmeal.
Not in this recipe. Tapioca, which is cassava starch and is sometimes compared to rice pudding, calls for adding eggs to the mixture. The yolks are added towards the beginning of the process, and the whites are made into a meringue, then folded towards the end to make the final product fluffy.
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Recipe
Arroz Con Dulce
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked rice, Jasmin Rice If using raw rice, 2 cups of raw rice and 2 cups of water
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- ½ cup sugar I will add a condense milk towards the end, so I pace myself with the sugar. If you do not want to make yours milky, increase the sugar to 1 cup
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon lemon or orange peel
Instructions
- Place your cooked rice in a saucepan. Make sure the pan is big enough for the rice and the liquid that will be added.
- Take one can of coconut milk and about a cup of regular milk. Double down on your coconut milk if you want if you do not wish to use regular milk.
- Add a tablespoon of vanilla to the mixture.
- Followed by half a cup of sugar and one cinnamon stick.
- Add orange or lemon peel to the mixture. I used dried peels, but fresh ones would work just as well.
- Again, if the rice can withstand more cooking, bring the mixture to a boil. If the rice is too overcooked, bring the milk mixture to a boil. Make sure the sugar is dissolved completely.
- Pour the rice mixture into a serving dish.
- I like my rice pudding soft and a bit milky. Again, this is my personal preference. So I make an extra milk component consisting of a can of condensed milk and just enough coconut milk to thin the condensed milk and pour it over the rice. Chill the pudding overnight before serving or for a few hours until the milk cools completely.
- Serve your pudding in small cups or dessert bowls with a dusting of cinnamon. Buen Provecho, Enjoy!
Notes
- You still want to feel a bit of chewiness in your rice. If you are using already-cooked rice leftover or have accidentally overcooked a bit like I did when I made this recipe.
- When using already cooked rice, I highly suggest making the milk mixture separate and adding the milk mixture and adding it to the cooked rice.
- Allow the rice to soak some of the milk mixture and chill.
- Add more coconut milk if the rice "dries" or soaks most of the liquid. I used a mixture of coconut and condensed milk and poured it onto my pudding because I like my milky pudding.
Comments, questions, or concerns? Leave them below!