My Dairy-Free Arroz Con Leche Recipe

Hey everyone!

I figured it was an appropriate time to post this recipe now that it is getting colder here in Oregon. It is one I enjoy making often because it can be eaten hot or cold. I know some of you are waiting for a life update from me because I have been absent here on the blog this year. Believe me, it’s coming and I will keep it short. I am still gathering all the photos I’ve taken since and I will be sharing some stuff we did over the summer.

Aside from the life update, this post has been sitting on my drafts for a while, and it is essentially one I have posted in the past in my beauty blog. Since everything is getting separated, I figured I could repost some of those here to fill in while I work on other posts. Hunida was the person who inspired me to make this dairy free because she’s never had it in her life. It turned out delicious, and I hope she got the chance to make it herself.. Thanks love!! ❤

I’m sure most of you are familiar with Arroz con Leche, if not, I believe it’s called Rice Pudding in English. I know a lot of Latinos make it and traditionally, it’s made with dairy (whole cow’s milk and sweet condensed milk; at least where I grew up). I’ve modified it for myself too because it seems I am also lactose intolerant. That does not mean I have cut it out completely, I simply can’t bring myself to give up ice cream but have been actively looking for replacements for all things dairy. 🙂

As I mentioned, whole milk is traditionally used for this, but I used rice milk instead. Rice milk is a bit thinner in consistency than whole milk, but I was shocked and glad that it worked just as good when I first made it. It honestly tastes like the real thing. The sweet condensed milk is used to sweeten the milk, but I used a piloncillo cone as an alternative. My auntie and mom used to make arroz con leche with piloncillo when they didn’t have sweet condensed milk. They always kept it stocked in their kitchen because they used it frequently in other dishes. So I was already familiar with using this ingredient as an alternative.

Well, I’m ready to give you guys my FIRST RECIPE EVER! I did not take this recipe from anywhere or anyone. I used alternatives I’m already familiar with or have used before when making arroz con leche. You only need 5 ingredients and it’s super easy to make. I hope you guys like it!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of rice (uncooked) — I used long grain white rice
• 3 cups water — enough to cover rice, adjust depending on the size of your pot
  
• 2 cinnamon sticks, whole
• 5 1/2 cups rice milk — or whatever alternative you chose
• 1 piloncillo cone, whole
• Ground cinnamon, to garnish (optional)
• Raisins, to garnish (optional) — I forgot to include it in my photos

How to make it:

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY NOTES AS WELL!

1. Rinse rice twice and transfer to a wide/deep pot (or whatever you own).
2. Add the water and whole cinnamon, making sure to barely cover the rice with water. Do not cover!
3. Before the water fully evaporates, add the rice milk and piloncillo cone.
4. Stir periodically to make sure the piloncillo cone completely dissolves. Bring the rice milk to a soft boil.
5. Serve warm, garnish with ground cinnamon and raisins.

NOTES:

• You might need to adjust the amount of water you use depending on the size of your own pot. It’s important to barely cover the rice with water because you don’t want it to cook fully at the beginning. The rice will continue to cook when you add the rice milk. Otherwise you run the risk of overcooking it, and it will* become mushy.
• It’s best to use whole cinnamon sticks instead of ground cinnamon while it’s cooking. The cinnamon sticks will still give a slight cinnamon-y flavor to the rice. Ground cinnamon would work too, but in my opinion and experience, you’d have to add a whole lot to it and it will just end up floating at the top rather than blend in with the milk and rice.
• Piloncillo is used as an alternative to sweeten the milk. It is as minimally-processed sugar as you can get, I think they call it jaggery here in the US. It does take longer to dissolve and blend in with the milk, but the taste is the same as if you were to use sweet condensed milk.
  
• A soft boil is when you see small bubbles starting to rise. I don’t think that’s the right term for it, but you don’t want it to fully boil. Otherwise, you will overcook the rice or the milk will evaporate completely. It’s best to keep it liquidy, because the rice will absorb the milk when it cools down.

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So there you have it! My dairy-free arroz con leche recipe. I had a lot of fun making this with alternative ingredients, which in my case, was just the whole milk that needed to be replaced. I was genuinely shocked when I had my first taste because I was a bit skeptical. However, it tastes just like the real thing! I’m so glad I made it and something good came out of it! I’d love to know if anyone makes it and how it tastes to you! 🙂

Who else has a dairy-free diet?
What are some of your favorite dairy-free recipes?

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