Colombian manjar blanco is a homemade dulce de leche made by blending soaked rice with milk and sugar, then simmering for 1.5–2 hours until thick and caramel-colored. It requires patience and frequent stirring but yields an intensely creamy, spoonable dessert with minimal ingredients.
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Place the rice in a small bowl and add enough water to cover it. Let it soak overnight. (Skip this step if you're using rice flour)
The next day drain the rice, add it to a blender with 1 cup (236 ml) of the milk, and blend it for a couple of minutes to try to grind the rice as much as possible.
Lay a cheesecloth or a clean dish towel over a mixing bowl, pour over the rice milk, gather the ends of the cheesecloth, and squeeze out the liquid as much as you can. You can repeat this process to make sure you get as much starch out of the rice as possible. Discard the rice.
Place the remaining milk in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Once it's boiling, add the rice milk (or rice flour if that is what you are using) and the sugar. Lower the heat to medium-high.
Keep stirring frequently until the mixture starts to thicken. This can take between 1½ - 1 hour and 45 minutes.
After about 2 hours you will start to see the bottom of the pot, which means the manjar is ready. At this point, you can add raisins if you want.
Pour the manjar over "totumas" or small cups. Let it cool completely before serving.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week; reheat gently over low heat or serve chilled.
blender · cheesecloth or clean dish towel · large pot · mixing bowl
Yes, rice flour is a shortcut that skips soaking and blending. Use 1 tablespoon (10–12 g) rice flour instead of the rice, and add it directly to the boiling milk in step 5.
After about 2 hours, you will start to see the bottom of the pot when you stir. This indicates the manjar has thickened enough and is ready to pour into cups.
Squeezing extracts the starch from the blended rice, which is what thickens the dulce de leche as it cooks. Discard the solids and use only the starchy liquid.
Yes, raisins are optional. Add them near the end, after about 2 hours when you see the bottom of the pot starting to show.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, or serve chilled.
