Atole de Arroz (Rice Atole)

Warm, creamy, and filled with flavor, atole de arroz also known as “rice atole” is the ultimate cozy beverage. This easy beverage can be enjoyed on chilly mornings or sipped by the fire on a cold winter evening. Rice atole is a perfectly sweet and indulgent drink for any occasion. If you like Mexican rice pudding then you’ll definitely enjoy this recipe as well!

What does atole de arroz taste like?

Atole de arroz has a light taste and tends to absorb the flavors of other added ingredients. On its own, rice atole tastes a bit like oatmeal or porridge, minus the texture. However, with all of the ingredients added together, it takes on a sweet, thick, and creamy quality. Atole de arroz is mild enough to be enjoyed by kids, yet still tasty enough to be appreciated by adults. 

What is traditional atole made from?

Atole dates back to the ancient Mayans and is traditionally made from masa harina. As a type of corn flour, masa harina is used to make tortillas, tamales, and of course, atole. Standard recipes for atole include milk, spices like vanilla and cinnamon, and various sweeteners. The traditional sweetener is piloncillo, a type of raw cane sugar that is found in Mexican cooking and baking. Also known as Mexican brown sugar, piloncillo has a rich and delicious taste, but I prefer the convenience of white cane sugar. 

What are the other kinds of atole?

There are endless variations on atole. Certain kinds of atole swap the traditional masa harina base for other grains like oats, rice, blue corn, cornstarch, wheat, or pinole, a type of sweetened and toasted corn meal. Yet other variations focus on adding new flavors and spices into the atole. Champurrado or atole de chocolate, for example, is an extremely popular atole that includes melted chocolate. Other common atole styles include  atole de vainilla, which is filled with warming vanilla flavor, and the bright and fresh atole de fresa or strawberry atole. These are just a few examples of atole, but there are innumerous ways to prepare and taste atole. 

Ingredients needed

Liquids
Along with water, you’ll need plenty of milk and a 12 oz can of evaporated milk. Your preferred choice of milk (oat, almond, soy, etc) is absolutely fine to use, but may slightly alter the texture of the final drink. 

White Rice

Be sure to choose a long grain white rice for this recipe and rinse thoroughly before using. 

Sugar

I prefer white granulated sugar, but light brown sugar is a nice substitution option. 

Spices

Mexican cinnamon sticks along with a splash of a Mexican vanilla blend (such as Molina) add the perfect flavor. If you don’t have Mexican vanilla blend, then vanilla extract will work as well. 

How to make it

Add the water to a pot and bring to a boil. Then add the cinnamon stick to the pot. Remove the pot from heat and cover with the lid. Let the cinnamon stick steep for 15 minutes.

Next remove the cinnamon stick from the water and discard. Add the rinsed rice to the pot and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes.

Add half of the cooked rice to the blender along with the evaporated milk and half of the regular milk.

Blend until smooth then add it back to the pot.

Add the sugar and the remaining milk to the pot and stir. Cook for 5 more minutes.

Remove the pot from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Serve and enjoy!

How to store leftover atole de arroz

If you have leftovers, let them fully cool before adding to an airtight container. Rice atole will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to reheat, add a bit of milk and stir to loosen up the atole. From here, you can reheat the beverage on medium heat in a saucepan. Feel free to add more liquid as you reheat until you reach your desired consistency. 

Let us know what you think of this yummy rice atole recipe in the comments below and don’t forget to leave it a rating.

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