Arroz Doce – Authentic Portuguese Rice Pudding Recipe

Arroz doce is a traditional rice-based dessert known to many across Portugal. Although arroz doce can be directly translated as sweet rice. It’s better known as rice pudding for our English speakers, and milchreis for the German speakers. Essentially though, it’s a bowl of sweet and creamy rice made with sugar, eggs, cinnamon, and lemon peel.

It’s no surprise that it’s a long-time family favourite in Portugal. You’ll find it everywhere from casual snack bars to gourmet versions at pricier restaurants. In the family home, it’s typically served at many Christmas feasts and present in many wedding traditions.

Portuguese Rice Pudding

Rice itself is believed to have been brought to Portugal during the Moorish period, but only really became popular in the 16^th century. Before that, it was almost exclusively the food of the elite. On the sweet-side of things, rice was primarily used in flour form to thicken milk and sugar-based desserts, before becoming the key ingredient of what evolved into Portuguese Rice pudding as we know it today.

The amazing thing? Making the perfect bowl of arroz doce isn’t even that complicated! It consists of cooking short-grain rice in water and milk seasoned with cinnamon and citruses peel, finished with egg yolks adding the characteristic golden colour of Portuguese desserts. Another typical feature of the traditional dessert is the handmade cinnamon-powder decorations on top.

Arroz Doce – Portuguese Rice Pudding Recipe

As with many traditional recipes, some minor changes and variations are allowed and often encouraged. Our personal twist is the addition of a fresh vanilla pod, adding a luxurious twist to it!

Arroz Doce – Portuguese Rice Pudding Recipe

Recipe by Ana Veiga

5.0 from 2 votes

Course: DessertCuisine: Mediterranean, PortugueseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Arroz Doce is a sweet and creamy rice pudding made with sugar, eggs, cinnamon, and lemon peel.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Carolino Rice

• 1 l Full Fat Milk

• 0.5 l Water

• 1 cup Sugar

• 1 Cinnamon Stick

• 1/2 Vanilla Pod

• Lemon Peel

• 3 Egg Yolks

• 1 tbsp Butter

Directions

• Put the rice in a medium saucepan and cover it with water. Add in the milk, cinnamon stick, lemon peel and a pinch of salt. Split the vanilla pod, scraping the seeds out, add both the pod and the seeds to the saucepan.
• Place it over medium heat, cook the mixture stirring occasionally utill the rice is fully cooked – around 30-35 minutes. The mixture should be very creamy and moist. Add the sugar, stirring for another minute. Remove it from the heat, pull out the vanilla pod, the cinnamon stick and the lemon peel.
• In a small bowl, combine the egg yolks and 1tbsp of the cooked rice. This process will temper the yolks, which means gently increase its temperature, preventing the eggs from scrambling when added to the hot mixture.
• Next, pour the tempered yolks over the main rice pudding pot, add in the butter, and stir everything well.  
• Let it cool for a few minutes before serving it with a dusting of cinnamon.

Let us know in the comments if you tried our recipe for arroz doce! Or if there’s anything else you like to add to your own versions of rice pudding in Portugal!

More Portuguese Rice Dishes You Will Love!

• Octopus Rice – Arroz de Polvo
• Bean Rice – Arroz de Feijão
• Tomato Rice – Arroz de Tomate
• Bacalhau Rice – Arroz de Bacalhau
• Monkfish Rice – Arroz de Tamboril
• Razor Clam Rice – Arroz de Lingueirão
• Seafood Rice – Arroz de Marisco
• Duck Rice – Arroz de Pato