Vegan Mexican Arroz con Leche

Yes, you can make Mexican Arroz con Leche that is vegan, dairy free, and gluten free. This vegan Mexican style rice pudding is sweet, creamy, sticky (if made with white rice), and so versatile. You can have it hot or cold.

Why you'll love this plant based Arroz con Leche

• It's vegan, gluten free, and dairy free
• You only need 5 total ingredients
• You can play with the texture and customize it to your liking by adding more water if you like it more watery

Key Ingredients

White rice, condensed coconut milk, evaporated coconut milk, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Cook the rice with water. Add the rice and water to a large pot or dutch oven on high heat, then bring it to a boil. Let the rice simmer for 8-10 minutes or until it's absorbed most of the water.

Step 2: Add the milk. Add the evaporated and condensed milks and vanilla and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to low heat and let it simmer for 5-10 mins stirring occasionally so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.

Step 3: Add more water or sweetener if needed. Now, do a taste test and see if you want to add more sweetener, though the condensed milk is very sweet. You may add maple syrup and/or a little ground cinnamon to your liking. At this point, you can also add a little unsweetened plant based milk or water if you want the consistency to be more watery.

Tips and tricks for the perfect vegan arroz con leche

• Why I love coconut milks. As far as dairy-free milks go, I love the consistency and taste of condensed and evaporated coconut milk. Both are very creamy and the condensed milk has all the sweetener you need.
• Stir and stir again. Don't forget to stir the rice every 2-5 minutes while it is simmering on the stove. The stirring will help prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of your pan.

Substitutions include

• Milk: If you do not like the taste of coconut, almond milk or soy milk are a great option. I grew up using La Lechera condensed milk and Carnation evaporated milk brands. These brands are delicious dairy options.
• Non evaporated and condensed milks options. Now, if you wish to use regular plant based milk (non evaporated and non condensed), make replacements as follows: use 2 cups of rice, 4 cups of water, 3 cups of unsweetened plant based milk (almond, coconut, and soy work awesome here) and use 1/3 cup maple syrup for sweetener if you wish to even use sweetener.
• Unsweetened options: Make substitutions as indicated above, but here are listed again: 2 cups rice, 4 cups water, 3 cups unsweetened milk, and add vanilla or cinnamon as you like, and that is all!
• Rice: You may use brown rice, make sure you cook it longer as per the indications of the package you have which may range from 25 mins to 1 hour. If you opt for brown rice, please be aware that the texture will not be much like a pudding or not as sticky as it would be with white rice. But still, I have made it with brown rice and it is delicious.
• Syrup: You may use 1/3 cup maple syrup instead of condensed coconut milk. Actual cane sugar is a great option too. Start with 2 tablespoons of cane sugar and add more if needed. Also coconut sugar works beautifully, start with 2 tablespoons as well.

How should I store this creamy vegan rice pudding?

Store the arroz con leche in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freezing it is not ideal because for some reason the rice absorbs water and the consistency is lost after freezing it. However, you can freeze it into popsicles during summer and this is the best arroz con leche frozen "paleta" (popsicle) for the kids and adults too. It is a delicious frozen treat. It is my favorite frozen treat since my childhood.

If you made this recipe, it would mean the world to me if you leave a comment and star rating below! Thank you so much for your love!