Arroz con Dulce (Coconut Rice Pudding)

Name: Arroz con Dulce (Coconut Rice Pudding)
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Ingredients: 1 cup rice (short or medium grain is best); 3 cups water (for soaking the rice) + 3 ½ cups water (for cooking); 1 can coconut milk; 2 inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled; 3-4 cinnamon sticks; 4 whole cloves; 1 tsp ground nutmeg; A pinch of salt; 2 tbsp brown sugar; ¼ cup raisins (optional); ground cinnamon to garnish

by Salima Benkhalti on Jul 28, 2021 (updated Oct 14, 2024)

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Jump to Recipe· 5 from 1 review

This arroz con dulce recipe is a comforting, traditional Puerto Rican dessert made with canned coconut milk, rice, brown sugar and warming spices. For best results, soak the short grain rice for 2 hours before cooking. This allows the rice to cook evenly in the liquid without becoming mushy.

This coconut infused rice pudding is one of those traditional Puerto Rican recipes that leaves everyone satisfied thanks to the creamy smooth texture and rich spiced flavors. It’s one of my mom’s favorite desserts, as it always fills the house with aromatic smells.

There are variations of this cozy dessert throughout Latin America, likely because it’s surprisingly easy to make and share with a crowd. This recipe yields about 4 servings.

In this family recipe, coconut milk is simmered with fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and nutmeg, then used to cook the rice. This step helps infuse the rice with lots of flavor from both the coconut and the warming spices. It also gives the pudding that creamy smooth texture we love.

You’ll want to make sure to plan ahead when making this, so that you have time to soak the rice for at least 2 hours before using. This step is important in achieving rice pudding that isn’t mushy.

Also check out: Puerto Rican-style arroz con leche recipe and Tembleque (Coconut Pudding)

Bowls of rice, raisins, brown sugar, and more.

Ingredients

Making this coconut rice pudding recipe for dessert tonight? Here’s what you’ll need from the store:

Rice: Use short or medium grain rice and make sure to soak it before using. I know it can be tempting to make this dish in a pinch and skip the soaking of the rice step… but don’t.
Water (for soaking the rice) + water (for cooking)
Fresh ginger, peeled
Cinnamon sticks
Whole cloves
Ground nutmeg
Brown sugar: We’re using brown sugar to sweeten things up, instead of evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk.
Salt
Coconut milk
Optional: raisins
Ground cinnamon to garnish

See recipe card for quantities.

Note: If you’re not big on raisins, feel free to leave them out. That said, most Puerto Ricans will tell you the raisins are an essential part of the dish. Do as you wish!

Instructions

Rice soaking in water. — Add the rice to a bowl and cover completely with water.

Rice being strained. — Add the rice to a bowl and cover completely with water.

Soaking your rice is essential as it helps ensure the rice in your pudding doesn’t turn to mush.

Coconut milk with spices in a pot. — In a medium sized pot combine 3 ½ cups water, coconut milk, ginger, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 10 minutes until the mixture begins to turn light brown and the spices start to infuse into the liquid.

Solids being strained from rice pudding. — In a medium sized pot combine 3 ½ cups water, coconut milk, ginger, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 10 minutes until the mixture begins to turn light brown and the spices start to infuse into the liquid.

Soaking the Rice

The 2 hour soak of our rice before getting started with cooking may seem tedious, but it’s an essential step.

That delicate balance between perfectly cooked rice (with the slightest bite) and a creamy smooth pudding that it’s cooked in can easily turn mushy if you skip this step.

Trust me when I say this is the secret to achieving the perfect rice pudding!

Brown Sugar vs. Sweetened Condensed Milk

Many arroz con dulce recipes require a can of sweetened condensed milk and/or evaporated milk to sweeten things up and add to the creamy rich texture.

I find that using a few tablespoons of brown sugar (paired with the can of coconut milk) does the trick, and keeps the ingredient list pretty simple.

Storage Tips

Arroz con dulce is best enjoyed the day it’s made, but it does keep fairly well in the fridge.
Store in an air tight container and enjoy within a few days for best results.
It will firm up when chilled, so you may want to reheat with a few tablespoons of water to loosen it up.