Portuguese Rice Pudding {Arroz Doce}
Portuguese Rice Pudding, Arroz Doce, is a traditional Portuguese dessert recipe made with cooked rice, sugar, milk, eggs, cinnamon, and lemon peel.
Portuguese Rice Pudding {Arroz doce}
If you love rice pudding you have to try the Portuguese version, Arroz Doce. It is a deliciously creamy dessert made with cooked rice, lemon, milk, sugar, and eggs.
The milk and eggs give the rice pudding a rich, custard flavor and the lemon rind that is cooked with the milk adds a light lemon-y flavor to the dessert.
It’s a traditional Portuguese recipe, like our homemade chourico, caldo verde soup, and shrimp turnovers, that I grew up eating at family gatherings. It is the ultimate comfort food and since it is served hot, room temperature, or even chilled, it is the perfect addition to any holiday meal.
And just in case you doubt my Portuguese cooking skills my mom came over to do a little quality assurance testing for me and this Portuguese rice pudding passed the mom taste-test!
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What Ingredients Do I Need?
- Short Grain White Rice – Short grain rice isn’t a kind of rice it is a category of rice. On the rice package the label should classify the rice as long grain rice, medium grain rice, or short grain rice. Any white, short grain rice will work. For this recipe I used Arborio short grain rice because I like the texture that it gives the pudding.
- Milk – For this recipe I recommend whole milk so you get a rich, creamy pudding. If you prefer you can use 2% milk.
- Sugar – The sugar should be granulated white sugar.
- Egg yolks – The egg yolks add to the thick and creamy, custard-like texture and flavor of the pudding.
- Lemon rind – Cut large pieces of lemon rind from a fresh lemon. This will steep in the milk and add a beautiful, subtle, lemon flavor to the dessert.
- Butter – This should be salted butter. If you use unsalted you can add a little more salt at the end.
- Vanilla – A higher quality vanilla adds even more flavor to this delicious dessert.
- Salt – Just a pinch! This helps bring out the flavor in the dish.
- Cinnamon – The cinnamon is optional as it is only used as decoration at the end. I do love the flavor it adds to the rice pudding though so I highly recommend you add a sprinkle even if you skip the decorative design.
How to Make Rice Pudding on the Stove Top:
- Cook rice according to the package instructions.
- In a small pot heat your milk, stopping just before it begins to simmer.
- In a small bowl whisk the eggs yolks and then temper them by very slowly pouring just a bit of the hot milk into the eggs and whisking quickly so that they do not cook. Add the tempered eggs to the hot milk whisking constantly.
- Add the sugar, butter, vanilla, and lemon rinds to the milk and whisk together.
- Pour the milk mixture into the cooked rice and stir together.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until you reach an oatmeal consistency.
- Divide rice pudding into dishes, or pour into one large dish, and let cool.
- Once the pudding has cooled to room temperature use a stencil and ground cinnamon to create a design on top. This is optional. If you would like to save time you can sprinkle a bit of cinnamon over the top of your rice pudding.
- Serve immediately or store in refrigerator until needed
How to Create the Decorative Cinnamon Topping on Arroz Doce
My favorite part is the topping. Traditionally arroz doce is topped with a cinnamon design, usually in a lattice pattern. I played around with mine a little and used a damask stencil that I have. I think it turned out so pretty!
The key is to fill your rice pudding up to the top of the container (but not higher) and then gently press the stencil to the top of the rice pudding, leaving little to no room between the stencil and pudding. This will give you a sharper looking image with the cinnamon.
Lightly sprinkle the cinnamon over the stencil and then gently peel the stencil up. Be careful not to knock the excess cinnamon back onto the pudding as you lift the stencil off!
Do You Serve Rice Pudding Hot or Cold?
This easy recipe is awesome for holiday meals or parties because it can be made ahead of time and served slightly chilled or at room temperature.
If you are making it ahead of time you won’t put the cinnamon on until you are ready to serve. To store the rice pudding place it in the dish or dishes you will be serving it in and then cover them with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
When ready to serve remove the plastic wrap from the dish and decorate your pudding with the cinnamon.
Some people like their rice pudding warm and that’s ok too! If you prefer to serve it hot you can warm it back up on the stove top over low heat or put it in the microwave for a few minutes.
Looking for More Easy Lemon Desserts?
- Lemon Curd Tartlets
- 7UP Lemon Tart
- Lemon Meringue Cookies
- Lemon Berry Napoleon
- Lemon Icebox Pie
- Lemon Thyme Shortbread Cookies
- Lemon Pound Cake
- No Bake Lemon Meringue Dip
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Portuguese Rice Pudding {Arroz Doce}
Ingredients
- 1 cup Short Grain White Rice, uncooked
- 2 cups Water
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 Egg yolks
- 1 Lemon rind
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- Pinch of salt
- Cinnamon, optional
Instructions
- Cook rice according to the package instructions.
- In a small pot heat your milk, stopping just before it begins to simmer.
- In a small bowl whisk the eggs yolks and then temper them by very slowly pouring just a bit of the hot milk into the eggs and whisking quickly so that they do not cook. Add the tempered eggs to the hot milk whisking constantly.
- Add the sugar, butter, vanilla, and lemon rinds to the milk and whisk together.
- Pour the milk mixture into the cooked rice and stir together.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until you reach an oatmeal consistency.
- Once the pudding has reached the desired texture remove the lemon peels and divide the rice pudding into dishes, or pour into one large dish, and let cool.
- Once the pudding has cooled to room temperature use a stencil and ground cinnamon to create a design on top. This is optional. If you would like to save time you can sprinkle a bit of cinnamon over the top of your rice pudding.
- Serve immediately or store in refrigerator until needed
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on 10/29/15. It was republished with an updated recipe and photos on 3/4/20.
I think it is wonderful you are learning your mom’s recipes. I do this with my mom and just did it yesterday with her baking powder biscuits! Its something you will truly cherish. BTW, sounds delicious and looks beautiful!
Shelby, I wish I had started doing this years ago. You never realize how important these things are until you get older.
Capidotada(Bread pudding)-preheat oven to 375′
I loaf sliced French bread
1/2c raisins
1/2c hopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 box dark brown sugar
1c Schredded Colby cheese
1c chopped Fuji Apple
1c water
1c milk
1tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Toast & butter your bread set aside, in a pot bring water milk, raisins,cinnamon,nutmeg & brown sugar to a boil and turn off-add sugar to your taste
In a deep baking dish – alternate layers bread slices with apples, raisins,cheese should make 4 layers of the bread push down now pour your sauce over the layers of breads pushing to soak up the sauce-
Bake in preheated oven for 45 mins till you see it bubbling
rice pudding is one of my favorite things! Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop. Watch for your feature tomorrow xo
Thanks Katherine!
This is such a good tasting rice pudding, miss my mom making this for me 😉
Me too! I am going to try it tomorrow. I’ll let you know how it came out.
Please do! I hope you love it as much as I do 🙂
This sounds delicious, classip british pudding. Thanks for sharing.
Simon
Thanks for this recipe. It’s awesome. I’ve tried many different versions and this one was by far the easiest and fastest and reminds me most of my mothers.
Thank you so much!
Elsiea, so glad you enjoyed it.
Arroz Doce is NOT made with Jasmine Rice!!!!!
Feel free to use your rice of choice it is delicious!
I use pearl or calrose rice. I par boil my rice til wate4 boils down add hot half and half and heavy cream that i pre scald then add to rice with butter simmer til rice cooked add sugar than beat3. eggs and add with vanilla and simmer 5 minutes i
My mom uses the least expensive rice she can find.
thank you so much will be trying it for this Easter Sunday..my mom use to make this all the time ..missing her these days..
I just made this and I have to say I am disappointed. Why would you add vanilla and lemon rind? Vanilla is very strong and cancels out the lemon flavor. I should have used my better judgement before putting the vanilla in… you should try it without the vanilla, much better. Other wise it’s a good recipe
I think the vanilla is key to Portuguese rice pudding the thing throwing off this recipe is the jasmine rice which I had in my cabinet so I used it… i should’ve used a different rice for the recipe and the lemon rind I think I’m going to Use lemon juice next time because it just tastes like rice in a sweet milky sauce I hope once it sits the rice will ferment with all the flavors and taste like it’s supposed to!
The lemon rind it traditionally used. I prefer jasmine rice but any rice can work.
Aloha!
Coming from Hawaii Portuguese traditions of the Açores. And are mix of other Asian ethnicities. Call me a traditionalist we’ve always used short grain Japanese rice, or italian Aborio rice like for risotto. Not a fan of long grain rice outside of those dishes were there culturally correct like Chinese for fried rice about the best to do with long grain the next day.
Personally I find long grain rice is not glutinous enough to provide the creamy mouth texture of the stickier short grain varieties.
But JMO. You pics really look good. Obrigado!
I’m confused on how you want the lemon rind used. The whole rind, and do you want it shredded?
Linda, you cook the rind along with the rice so it gives it flavor. Keep it in bigger pieces so it is easier to remove. Discard the rinds after it cooks.
My yolk kind of clumped, did I do something wrong?
Did you stir as soon as you added the egg yolk? The mixture may of been too hot and ended up cooking the yolk. I suggest stirring while adding the ingredients and try warm milk instead of hot. Also, may be add the yolk last.
I put alot of cinnamon on it. Awesome.
MMMMMMMMMM ITS DELICIOUS MADE BY AN AMERICAN LADY RECIPE FOR THE PORTUGUESE AND TRIED BY A MALAWIAN WOW IT TASTE GOOD REAL GOOD
It’s my dad’s birthday and I made this for him instead of getting a cake and it came out great! I used half white sugar half brown sugar and it gave it great flavor. Thanks for the recipe he loved it! Portuguese approved!
Portuguese approved is all that matters, LOL 🙂
If you wish to double the recipe, do you cut back on anything? For example amount of water if you cook two cups of rice?
I would not suggest doubling everything. I would make 2 separate batches.
My sons father is Portuguese and I try my best to incorporate these dishes into my household. My family is very mixed nd I believe in old values old traditions and recipes. Instilling that into my children is very important. So from his father and our son Portuguese approved????????????????♥️ Also another great recipe which is super easy and my children love is Portuguese Bolo de Bolacha “Cookie Cake” Mmmm to die for. God Bless Enjoy!!
Beverly, love hearing this.
I’m attempting this for my family gathering tomorrow.
Talking rice pudding to a brunch, sounds good to me!
The Jasmin rice my Safeway had had “thai fragrance” which made me weary to use it. Since Jasmin rice is long grain rice, I just bought regular long grain rice (I could not find short grain rice to save my life). It tasted great, but I found that once it cooled, the rice seemed hard, although it was thoroughly cooked. When I tasted it before it cooled (because I just HAD to), the rice was soft. Could that be because of the rice I used? Other than that, it was delicious.
Carla, as it cools it gets thicker and the rice does get more stiff. That is completely normal. Rice will get more stiff as it cools, even in a sauce.
Cant wait to make this….love rice pudding.
Every Christmas eve my mom makes us Rabanadas
( aka Sopas Fritas). My favorite tradition, we all get in on the fun of helping her make them, and eating them hot haha 🙂
Sliced day old french bread, dipped in beaten eggs and fried til golden brown, then dipped in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. So simple but so delicious.
Very good and easy recipe for any beginner in making Portuguese arroz doce, sweet rice.
First, I like to take the easy route and make my rice in the rice cooker using calrose rice. Yes, I know it is cheating, but an easy cheat.
Second, I lightened the sugar load (2/3 cup) on it since 1 cup would make it too sweet for my taste. Other than that, I cooked the milk mixture as directed and just add the rice from the rice cooker to it. Stir, stir, stir, and it is very creamy and perfect texture.
The key is all in the milk, egg(tempering), sugar, butter, vanilla, and lemon peel(peel it so it is all in one piece, makes it so much easier to remove after cooking) mixture.
This came out better than ol’ senhora Martins’ arroz doce. I am so proud of myself!
made this today and it was easy and came out awsome—the lemon peel really hiked up the taste—i buy alot of rice pudding and its not cheap–thanks for an outstanding take on rice pudding-!!!!! sicerely, robert
Thanks Robert! The lemon elevates the flavor for sure.