Vegan Arroz con Leche

By Erin AlvarezUpdated Oct 27, 2023, Published Jul 12, 2020

Reader Rating

Total Time 35

Servings 4 servings

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

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.

rice topped with cinnamon

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

arroz con leche ingredients with text overlay

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.

rice and cinnamon sticks in a dutch oven

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.

rice and milk in a dutch oven

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.

cooked rice topped with cinnamon

Related recipes

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

5 from 17 votes

Vegan Arroz con Leche

By Erin Alvarez

Servings: servings

Prep: 5

Cook: 30

Total: 35

Save Pin Print

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

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

*You may find that you want to add extra milk, and that's fine! If you follow the directions as written, you'll end up with a delicious sticky rice pudding, but there won't be a TON of milk with it because the rice will have absorbed most of it. So, if you like your rice pudding more on the milk-y side (like my husband does), add 1/2 cup extra milk (or more) once the rice is cooked.

*Calories are per serving

Substitutions: can use long grain brown rice, though the texture won't be as sticky; can use cane sugar instead of maple syrup (start with 2 tbsp then add more as needed).

Milk: recommend oat milk or soy milk, but ANY dairy free milk will work