Vegan Arroz con Leche
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Yes, Arroz con Leche CAN be made dairy-free! This Vegan Arroz con Leche is both sweet and sticky, and made using white rice, cinnamon and your favorite dairy-free milk for an easy and delicious Mexican rice pudding recipe.
Every once in awhile, I listen to Miguel’s request and make one of his childhood favorite recipes (like this Spanish rice, for example). This Arroz con Leche is another example, and it’s not only husband-approved, but he said it reminds him of his childhood. He also said that, though many people consider this a dessert, you can really eat it any time of day — win!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s vegan + gluten free, and refined sugar-free
- You only need 5 total ingredients
- The texture and consistency are spot-on, but can also be easily customized to your liking
Ingredient notes:
Rice – Long grain white rice
Milk – ANY kind of dairy-free milk. Personally, I think oat milk or soy milk work best, simply because they’re the most similar tasting to dairy milk (again, in my opinion). But, any milk should work!
Maple syrup – Would NOT recommend subbing honey, but could sub cane sugar if you prefer.
Cinnamon – You need cinnamon sticks, but additional ground cinnamon is optional. I like sprinkling a little on top.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Cook the rice with water. Add the rice, water and cinnamon sticks to a large pot or dutch oven, then bring it to a boil and boil the rice for 8-10 minutes or until it’s absorbed the water.
Step 2: Add the milk. Remove the cinnamon sticks, then add the milk, syrup and vanilla and again, bring the rice to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer rice for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
Step 3: Sweeten as needed. Now, do a taste test and see if you want to add more maple syrup and/or a little ground cinnamon. At this point, you can also add a little more milk if you want the consistency to be more milky.
Tips and tricks
- As far as dairy-free milks go, I think oat milk or soy milk work best in this recipe. That’s not to say almond or coconut won’t work, I just think oat and soy are slightly sweeter, and arroz con leche is intended to be on the sweeter side.
- Don’t forget to stir the rice every few minutes while it’s simmering in the milk; this helps the rice cook more quickly and prevents it from sticking to the bottom of your saucepan/dutch oven.
Substitutions include:
- Rice: Can use long grain brown rice, though the texture will be a bit different (not as sticky)
- Syrup: If you want to use actual sugar, you can. I’d start with 2 tablespoons of cane sugar, taste test, and then add more as needed.
How should I store this?
Store arroz con leche in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing it.
Related recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Vegan Arroz con Leche
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
- 2 cups water
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 3 cups dairy free milk, or more
- 1/3 cup maple syrup, or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon, optional
Instructions
- Add rice, water and cinnamon sticks to a large saucepan or dutch oven and bring to a boil. Boil rice for 8-10 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the water.
- Then, remove the cinnamon sticks and add the milk, syrup and vanilla and stir, then bring mixture to to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste test and add more syrup and/or ground cinnamon if desired.
- Serve warm, or place in the refrigerator for a few hours then enjoy cold and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in March 2015. It was updated with new text and photos in July 2020.
Just made this recipe and it tastes amazing. I used coconut milk to make it. Real vanilla and cinnamon with maple syrup. Wow! I will make this treat again. Thank you.
Mary
Thank you Mary! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I made it with coconut milk and added agave syrup instead of vanilla because I didn’t have any. So delicious!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Can you reheat this to eat warm and make ahead of time?
Yes! You may need to add a little more liquid before reheating, but yes that should work.
Do you use a lid on your pot when cooking?
Nope!
Very delicious! Used oat milk and added more sweetener than in recipe (probably like 1/4 C extra) came out creamy and just like the real thing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Just finished making this. Used organic raw blue agave sweetener from Trader Joe’s and oat milk. Trying to cut back on sugars so I used less than 1/3 of the agave. Still tastes sweet and the cinnamon gives it such great taste.
Thanks for these tips!
It came out delicious, thank you for the recipe. I’ve had to change my diet recently to dairy free . So I’m so happy to have found this recipe, I love rice dishes. I will be making this whenever I’m in need of dessert.
I’m so happy you loved this dairy free version!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
This looks so good! What a great way to enjoy a starchy dessert while still sticking to gluten free!
Can this be made in a rice cooker?
I’m not sure — I haven’t tested it this way. Let me know if you do!