Creamy Lima-Style Rice Pudding (Arroz con Leche Limeño)

A standardized recipe for the classic Limeño-style rice pudding, distinguished from other regional versions by its extreme creaminess, infused spices, condensed milk, evaporated milk, raisins, shredded coconut, and a finishing touch of pisco. Served in a Martini glass with powdered cinnamon.

15m Prep

45m Cook

1h Total

4 Servings

arroz-con-leche rice-pudding lima limeño postre dessert condensed-milk evaporated-milk pisco cinnamon raisins coconut master-cook victor-heredia cremoso

Ingredients

Aromatics

5 ml Vanilla essence (1 teaspoon; added off heat at the very end to preserve aroma)
5 ml Pisco (Torontel or other fruity pisco; added off heat just before serving to preserve the fruit aromas) opcional

Base

150 g White rice (high starch) (Washed twice to remove surface starch and any off-flavors from storage; drained)
500 ml Water (for cooking rice) (Cold; rice goes in from cold to develop starch slowly)

Dairy

150 g Condensed milk (Added to the rice during cooking)
200 ml Evaporated milk (Added near the end of cooking)

Garnish

Ground cinnamon (Dusted in lines over the top for garnish just before serving)

Infusion

500 ml Water (for spice infusion) (Brought to a boil with spices and orange peel; simmered 10 minutes (or 5 minutes in a pressure cooker))
10 g Cinnamon sticks (Broken open so the aroma releases into the infusion water)
3 g Cloves (Approximately 10 whole cloves; added to infusion water)
15 g Orange peel (Yellow part only — use a peeler with light pressure to avoid the bitter white pith; added to infusion water)

Mix-ins

40 g Raisins (Washed and soaked in water to hydrate; added to the rice during cooking)
10 g Finely shredded coconut (Very finely shredded — the idea is that it dissolves into the mixture, lending aroma without being detected as a distinct texture)

Sweetener

80 g White sugar (Added to the cooking rice; brown sugar can be substituted)

Steps

1

Peel the orange using a vegetable peeler with very light pressure — take only the yellow outer layer (15 g), avoiding the bitter white pith beneath. Break the cinnamon sticks open (10 g) to release more aroma. Combine the orange peel, cinnamon sticks, and cloves (3 g / approximately 10 whole cloves) in a small pot with 500 ml of cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes to extract all the aromas. Alternatively, use a pressure cooker and bring up to pressure then cook 5 minutes.

Consejo: Always make the spice infusion separately from the rice — it makes straining the whole spices out much easier.

~12 min
2

Wash the rice (150 g) twice, rubbing the grains between your hands each time, to remove surface starch and any stale off-flavors from storage. Drain well. Place the washed rice in a pot with 500 ml of cold water and bring to a boil from cold. Stir frequently — the starch content means it can stick and burn on the bottom. Stirring also releases more starch, making the final dish creamier. The rice needs to cook a minimum of 35–40 minutes from cold.

Consejo: Use a high-starch white rice — the starch is what makes this dish creamy, not just the dairy.

~5 min
3

After the spice infusion has simmered 10 minutes, strain it and add it to the cooking rice. Continue cooking, stirring frequently. The large bubbles that form (called 'ojos de sapo' or 'volcano lava') are a sign the mixture is thickening correctly.

~30 min
4

Soak the raisins (40 g) in water to hydrate them while the rice cooks. Weigh the condensed milk (150 g) and keep ready. When the rice is mostly tender, add the sugar (80 g), condensed milk (150 g), hydrated raisins, and finely shredded coconut (10 g). Stir well and continue cooking.

Consejo: The coconut should be so finely shredded that it virtually disappears into the mixture, contributing aroma and subtle flavor without a detectable texture.

~5 min
5

Add the evaporated milk (200 ml) and allow to cook another 3 minutes, stirring, until large bubbles ('ojos de sapo') appear and the consistency is thick and creamy. Taste and adjust sweetness — add sugar if too bland, or a splash of milk if too sweet.

~5 min
6

Turn off the heat. Add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of vanilla essence. If using, add 5 ml of pisco (a fruity torontel variety is ideal). Add all aromatics off heat so they are not evaporated by continued cooking. Stir gently to combine.

Consejo: Always add vanilla and pisco off heat — the aromatic compounds that make them special are volatile and will be destroyed by heat.

~1 min
7

Serve hot or at room temperature in Martini glasses or dessert cups. Dust lines of ground cinnamon over the top for garnish. The dessert can also be served cold after refrigerating.

Consejo: Serving in a Martini glass is the classic Lima presentation and elevates the visual appeal for a street or restaurant context.

~2 min

Nutrition (por porción)

380

Calorías

Proteína

72g

Carbohidratos

Grasa

Fibra

Cultural Context

Arroz con leche is a beloved dessert throughout Latin America, but the Limeño version is distinctive for its use of infused orange peel and cinnamon, condensed milk for sweetness, and the addition of pisco — Peru's national spirit — at the end. In Lima it is a staple of traditional home cooking and street dessert stalls, often sold alongside mazamorra morada.