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Portuguese arroz doce cinnamon rice

Portuguese Arroz Doce Cinnamon Rice (Portuguese Rice Pudding)

This Portuguese arroz doce cinnamon rice is creamy, lightly sweet, and finished with a classic cinnamon pattern on top. Made with rice, milk, egg yolks, and lemon peel, it’s simple, comforting, and deeply traditional.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Portuguese
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup short-grain rice such as Arborio
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 cups whole milk kept warm
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1 strip lemon peel no white pith
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • Ground cinnamon for topping
  • Pinch of salt

Method
 

Cook the rice
  1. Add water, rice, salt, lemon peel, and cinnamon stick to a medium pot. Bring to a gentle boil. Lower heat and simmer until most of the water is absorbed. Stir now and then.
Add milk slowly
  1. Keep heat on low. Add warm milk one ladle at a time. Stir constantly. Let the rice absorb most of the milk before adding more. Continue until all milk is used and the mixture becomes thick and creamy.
Add sugar
  1. Stir in the sugar. Cook for a few more minutes. The pudding should coat the back of a spoon.
Temper the egg yolks
  1. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks. Slowly add a few spoonfuls of the hot rice mixture into the yolks while whisking. This warms them gently.
Finish the pudding
  1. Pour the yolk mixture back into the pot. Cook on low heat for 2–3 minutes while stirring. Do not let it boil.
Serve
  1. Remove lemon peel and cinnamon stick. Spoon into shallow bowls. Smooth the tops. Once slightly cooled, dust with ground cinnamon and create a simple diamond pattern.

Notes

  • Use short-grain rice for the right creamy texture. Long-grain rice won’t thicken the same way.
  • Stir often. Rice can stick quickly.
  • Do not boil after adding egg yolks. Keep the heat low.
  • The pudding thickens as it cools. If too thick later, stir in a splash of warm milk.
  • Lemon peel adds balance. Don’t skip it. Just avoid the bitter white part.