Name: Arroz con leche peruano
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 85 min
Cuisine: Peruvian cuisine
Ingredients: 180 g short-grain white rice — dry; 600 ml water — fresh; 2 cinnamon sticks — about 6 cm each; 3 whole cloves — intact; 1 lemon — only 3 wide strips of peel, no white pith; 600 ml evaporated milk — unsweetened; 300 g sweetened condensed milk — from a sealed can; 2 g fine salt; 2 g ground cinnamon — for finishing

Peruvian rice pudding with cinnamon and lemon peel

Yield 8 dessert bowls

Prep 15 minutes

Cook 40 minutes

Passive 30 minutes

Total 85 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Peruvian rice pudding with cinnamon and lemon peel

Peruvian arroz con leche is a spoon dessert in which grains of rice sit in a milk-rich, lightly spiced mixture. Cinnamon is central to the aroma; lemon peel contributes fragrance without requiring lemon juice. The pudding thickens markedly between the pot and the bowl, which matters when deciding when to stop cooking.

Recipes in Peru differ in the order of adding milk and in the sweetener. Some begin with rice cooked in spiced water before evaporated and condensed milk are stirred in; others simmer the grain directly in fresh milk with sugar. This preparation follows the water-first approach so the rice becomes tender before concentrated milk sugars can stick to the pot.

A heavy pan and frequent stirring are more useful than a high flame. The final texture should move slowly from a spoon, not set like a sliceable custard. Cinnamon powder goes on after portioning, while whole cinnamon and cloves come out before serving.

Practical

Ingredient characterA home version with condensed and evaporated milk; other Peruvian formulas use fresh milk, sugar, eggs or raisins.
The point to watchThe decisive control is low heat after adding condensed milk, with stirring to the bottom of the pan.
Result to look forThe bowl should hold distinct tender grains suspended in a smooth cinnamon-scented milk sauce.

Ingredients

Rice and fragrance

180 g short-grain white rice — dry
600 ml water — fresh
2 cinnamon sticks — about 6 cm each
3 whole cloves — intact
1 lemon — only 3 wide strips of peel, no white pith

Dairy and finishing

600 ml evaporated milk — unsweetened
300 g sweetened condensed milk — from a sealed can
2 g fine salt
2 g ground cinnamon — for finishing

Method

Measure and peel.Rinse the rice quickly in a sieve and drain. With a peeler remove three broad strips from the lemon, leaving the bitter white pith behind. Measure the milks separately so the sweet milk is not added before the grains soften. The rice drains freely and the strips are mostly yellow, with little white pith. Use clean utensils and check that the dairy cans are undamaged.
Bring the spice water to a simmer.In a heavy 3-litre saucepan combine all 600 ml water, both cinnamon sticks, the three cloves and the lemon peel. Bring just to a steady simmer over medium heat. Small bubbles break evenly across the water and the peel smells citrusy.
Cook the rice.Add all 180 g rice and simmer uncovered over low-medium heat for 17 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping the base. Stop when the grains are nearly tender and most water has been absorbed; add no extra water. A squeezed grain has a tiny firm centre, and little free water remains.
Remove whole spices.Lift out the two cinnamon sticks, three cloves and lemon peel using a spoon or tongs; inspect for any clove trapped among the grains before adding dairy. No hard spice or strip of peel remains in the pan.
Finish with milk.Stir in all 600 ml evaporated milk, all 300 g condensed milk and 2 g salt. Simmer gently over low heat for 18 minutes, stirring across the bottom every minute so the sugars do not catch. The grains are fully tender and a spoon drawn through the pudding leaves a trail that closes slowly. Avoid a hard boil that can scorch milk.
Portion and chill safely.Spoon into eight shallow dessert bowls and sprinkle with all 2 g ground cinnamon. Serve warm straightaway, or place the shallow bowls promptly in a refrigerator at 4 °C or below for 30 minutes before serving cold. The surface settles to a soft, spoonable pudding rather than a stiff block. Refrigerate perishable cooked rice promptly, within 2 hours of cooking; use shallow portions.

Practical

Practical guidance

Serve slightly warm when the pudding flows softly from the spoon. For a chilled dessert, spoon into shallow bowls before refrigeration; the rice absorbs liquid as it stands. Refrigerate within 2 hours, keeping portions at 4 °C or below. Eat within 3–4 days; when reheating, heat to 74 °C and stir well. Additions of unmeasured milk during reheating would change the stated formula. The optional raisins or egg-enriched variants found in other recipes are not included here; adding either would alter sweetness, texture and the nutrition estimate.

Control points

Issue 1If the base sticks, the heat is too strong or stirring is too infrequent. Lift the unscorched pudding to a clean pan rather than scraping burnt milk into it.
Issue 2If the chilled pudding feels too thick, it has absorbed liquid during cooling. Serve at room-cool refrigerator temperature after a short stir, without diluting the measured formula.

Nutrition per 1 of 8 bowls

Serving size1 bowl, approximately 195 g
Calories315 kcal
Carbohydrate56 g
Protein10 g
Fat6 g
Fibre0.5 g
Sodium170 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains milk. Use pasteurised dairy; handle cooked rice as a perishable food, chill in shallow containers at 4 °C or below within 2 hours, and reheat leftovers to 74 °C.

Closing

Result: The bowl should hold distinct tender grains suspended in a smooth cinnamon-scented milk sauce.
Decisive control: The decisive control is low heat after adding condensed milk, with stirring to the bottom of the pan.

Peruvian rice pudding with cinnamon and lemon peel

Practical

Ingredients

Rice and fragrance

Dairy and finishing

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Control points

Nutrition per 1 of 8 bowls

Allergens and food safety

Closing

Peruvian National Dishes

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