Atole de Arroz (Rice Atole)
Atole de arroz is a sweet and creamy Mexican beverage made with rice, milk, and cinnamon. This hot drink is so easy to make and perfect for enjoying in the morning or as a snack in the late afternoon
What Is Atole de Arroz?
Atole de arroz means rice atole in English and it refers to a recipe of atole, a traditional Mexican beverage made of corn masa or corn starch and various ingredients for flavoring it.
Related: Learn more about Mexican atole.
In this case, rice is added as a thickener agent so you don’t need corn masa or starch to make this delicious atole.
The recipe also includes whole milk to make it creamier, and cinnamon to add a wonderful aroma and flavor. Because of the same ingredients, this recipe is also known as atole de arroz con leche, just as the famous dessert.
Reader’s Questions
Do I need to rinse rice?
Is up to you, the recipe you’re making, the brand of rice you choose, and overall, a personal decision.
I washed my rice in this recipe, but if you have any doubts about you might do it or not, I suggest reading this article about rinsing rice before cooking.
Can I use other types of milk?
Yes! You can use any kind of plant-based milk to make this drink and turn it into a vegan and dairy-free recipe.
What type of rice can I use?
Any type of white rice is perfect, some types have more starch than others and it will result in a creamier beverage. I like to use Arborio rice, but in Mexico, long-grain rice is preferred.
I was raised with Atole de Arroz Tres Estrellas as a baby. My mother told me that I wouldn’t drink neither her milk or formula, so after trial and error, she decided to give me some rice atole made with water, and that I loved it to the point that was the only thing I ate for months.
That might be the reason I love this drink so much, and since I cannot find that brand of atole here where I live, I decided to make my own and it came out delicious!
Also, if you ever tried atole de avena before I am sure you will love this recipe too. Give it a try and don’t forget to come back and let me know if you liked it.
Rice Atole – Step by Step Instructions
Give a quick rinse to rice and then place it in a medium bowl. Add the cinnamon stick and cover with 4 cups of water. Mix a bit, then cover the bowl and allow to sit overnight.
The next day, place the rice, cinnamon, and soaking water in a blender. Blend for 3 minutes at high or more, depending on your blender. Set aside.
Place the milk and sugar in a medium stockpot and heat it up over medium heat.
Pour in the rice mixture, mix and bring to a simmer. Don’t allow to boil or the mixture will spill out, so keep the heat at medium-low while stirring from time to time.
Cook atole de arroz from 15 to 20 minutes while stirring constantly. It will be ready when the mixture thickens to the point that coats the back of a spoon.
Taste and adjust with sugar if needed. Turn off the heat and serve in mugs with a sprinkle of cinnamon powder on top.
How To Serve
Serve your atole de arroz with any of the following Mexican treats:
- Tamales rojos – Traditional tamales stuffed with pork in red chili.
- Molletes dulces – The sweet version on the famous molletes made with butter, sugar, and cinnamon.
- Shredded beef tamales – Made in the Instant Pot! Super easy, and delicious.
- Any pan dulce you prefer.
Tips & Notes
- I like to blend the cinnamon with rice, but some people don’t like to find some bits of cinnamon in their drink, so you might want to leave it out and add it whole to the pot, then just discard after cooking.
- Make it creamier by adding 1 can of evaporated milk.
- You can also add more flavors and aromas to this rice atole, think of orange peel, star anise, or whole cloves.
- If you don’t want to use sugar, use any sweetener you prefer, such as moonk fruit, stevia, brown sugar, honey, etc.
- Want it vegan or dairy-free? Replace whole milk with your favorite plant-based milk such as almond milk, coconut, milk, soy milk, etc.
How to store and reheat
Store leftovers in a glass airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. to reheat, place atole in a saucepan and heat up over medium-low heat while stirring constantly.
Just take in mind that the longer the atole sits, the thicker it gets. So you might want to add a splash of water or milk when reheating.
Watch The Video
More atole recipes you might want to try
- Atole de Nuez – Made with pecans nuts, creamy and with a delicious earthy flavor.
- Corn atole – The traditional recipe using canned sweet corn.
- Blue corn atole – Also known as atole morado, this drink is made with blue corn masa.
Atole de Arroz (Rice Atole)
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup rice
- 4 ½ cups milk (read note 5)
- 4 cups water
- 1 stick cinnamon
- ½ cup sugar (or more, to taste)
for serving
- ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Give a quick rinse to rice and then place it in a medium bowl.
- Add the cinnamon stick and cover with the water. Mix a bit, then cover the bowl and allow to sit overnight.
- Next day, transfer the rice, cinnamon, and soaking water in a blender.
- Blend for 3 minutes at high and set aside (read note 1).
- In a medium stockpot pour the milk and add sugar. Heat it up over medium heat.
- Pour into the pot the rice mixture, mix and bring to a gently simmer while stirring from time to time.
- Keep the heat at medium-low and cook atole for 15 minutes while stirring constantly.
- Taste and adjust with sugar if needed.
- Turn off the heat and serve in mugs with a sprinkle of cinnamon powder on top.
Notes
- If you don’t want cinnamon bites in your drink, don’t blend the cinnamon stick with the rice. You can add it to the pot with milk to infuse it instead.
- Make it creamier by adding 1 can of evaporated milk.
- You can also add more flavors and aromas to this rice atole, think of orange peel, star anise, or whole cloves.
- You can use any sweetener you prefer, such as monk fruit, stevia, brown sugar, honey, etc.
- For a dairy-free drink, replace whole milk with your favorite plant-based milk such as almond milk, coconut, milk, soy milk, etc.
Nutrition Information
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Loved the recipe, it is so easy to make and the result is rich, creamy, slightly sweet (I used I little bit less than 1/2 cup of sugar) and perfect for breakfast. Thank you, will try now your other atole recipes
I am excited to try this recipe .
thank you
Thank you so much for the recipe, I really love rice atole because it reminds me so much of my lovely granny. She will always makes me this atolito de arroz whenever I was at her home. Miss her so much and this is my way of honouring her. Thank you.