What Cuban dessert is made from sweetened rice cooked with milk, cinnamon, and lemon peel?

Cuban arroz con leche is a rice pudding made by cooking rice with milk, sugar, cinnamon, and often lemon peel.

The rice is simmered slowly so it absorbs the sweetened milk and releases starch, producing a thick, creamy dessert. Cinnamon may be used as a stick during cooking or sprinkled on top, while lemon peel adds fragrance. Recipes can also include vanilla or condensed milk.

Arroz con leche is found across the Spanish-speaking world, but Cuban versions belong to the island’s broader tradition of home-style sweets influenced by Spanish cooking. It is served warm or chilled and is common at family meals and celebrations.

The dessert is different from Puerto Rican arroz con dulce, which is typically a coconut-based sweet rice pudding with spices and raisins. It should also not be confused with Cuban rice dishes such as arroz a la cubana, a savory meal rather than a dessert.