Brigadeiro (plural Brigadeiros) is a chocolate fudge made with condensed milk, butter, and cocoa powder. It’s LOVE at first bite!
WHAT IS BRIGADEIRO?
Brigadeiro (Portuguese for Brigadier) is the most beloved ‘candy’ of Brazil. From north to south, it is a national passion!
It came into being in the 1940s and gets its name from Brigadier Eduardo Gomes, who once ran for president.
According to this brigadeiros article, it’s also know as ‘negrinho’. Some compare it to truffles or tootsie rolls, but it is different from both.
It’s usually rolled into balls which are then covered in chocolate sprinkles. However, you can also enjoy it unrolled with a spoon.
Plus, use it as a topping or filling for cakes and cupcakes. In Brazil, no kid’s party is complete without it!
So satisfy your sweet tooth with these rich chocolate candy cups.
HOW TO MAKE BRIGADEIRO
For this traditional brigadeiro recipe, whisk the condensed milk and cocoa together until uniform. Then, stir in the butter.
(SEE FULL RECIPE BELOW – FOR BOTH STOVETOP AND MICROWAVE)
WHAT OTHER TREATS CAN YOU MAKE WITH BRIGADEIRO?
You can make cake, cupcakes, brigadeiro cookies, and this triple brigadeiro cheesecake tart.
Also, patriotic brigadeiros or those with other flavors such as pumpkin, strawberry, coconut, and beer.
If the cooked mixture is too soft to roll into fudge balls, the alternative is to serve brigadeiro piped onto spoons.
Moreover, you can serve it as fudge cups, to eat with small spoons, almost like a shot of dense pudding.
USEFUL TIPS TO GET BRIGADEIRO RIGHT THE FIRST TIME
1. Use a wider, no stick pan — those with aluminum bottoms work best. This will let it cook faster, saving you time. Take a look at the RECIPE VIDEO!
2. Cook over medium heat, avoiding burnt bits.
3. Whisk condensed milk with cocoa powder before starting to cook-- for a mixture without lumps.
4. If making brigadeiro recipe in the summer time, use only 1 tablespoon of butter; otherwise it’ll make harder to achieve the correct consistency. In the cold months, though, you can use 2 tablespoon of butter and still roll it into balls with no problem. They will be tastier too!
5. If making a double batch at once, use a large, wider pan rather than a pot; otherwise it will take much longer to get it right.
HOW DO YOU STORE AND FOR HOW LONG?
Store brigadeiro in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days. Either store covered in the fridge for up to 4-7 days, or freeze in plastic bags for up to 30 days.
If frozen, bring them to room temp before serving them.
PIN & ENJOY
Brigadeiro -- Brazilian chocolate fudge balls
Ingredients
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk or 1 can (396 grams)
- 2 tablespoon baking cocoa powder unsweetened ( you may use ¼ cup instead for a richer treat)
- ½ tablespoon unsalted butter (softened) plus extra to grease plate and hands
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract OPTIONAL
- Chocolate vermicelli or good quality chocolate sprinkles
Instructions
- Whisk the condensed milk and cocoa powder together until homogeneous (no lumps). Then, stir in the butter.
- Stovetop: Cook in a medium non-stick saucepan over medium heat (large burner), stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and starts to peel away/show the bottom of the pan when you scrape it with your wood spoon (about 5-8 minutes).
- Microwave: Pour mixture into a deep microwaveable bowl. If 900 watts, let cook on full power for about 6 minutes -- removing and stirring at least every 2 minutes, or until thick enough to be rolled (when it cools down, mixture will be thicker).
- While it is cooking, do not leave the microwave unattended because mixture will rise and possibly bubble over, making a mess. Every time it rises, pause until mixture settles back down. If 1100 watts, cook at 80 % power. Double batches take more time to cook
- When brigadeiro is ready, remove either from the stove top or microwave, mix in the vanilla extract and spread mixture onto a greased plate.
- Let cool to room temp before starting to roll them into balls with greased hands. Use a ½ ( or 1 ) tablespoon as measurement.
- Then, dredge gently in the chocolate sprinkles until totally covered, and place into paper bonbon cups.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Store brigadeiro/brigadeiros (Brazilian chocolate fudge balls) in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. They can be also stored, covered well, in the refrigerator for up to 4-7 days, or frozen in ziploc bags for up to 30 days.
- If making brigadeiro recipe in the summer time, use only 1 tablespoon of butter; otherwise it’ll make harder to achieve the correct consistency. In the cold months, though, you can use 2 tablespoon of butter and still roll it into balls with no problem. They will be tastier too!
- ALTERNATIVE: If you don't get the right consistency and the cooked mixture is so soft that cannot be rolled into balls, the alternative is to serve brigadeiros piped on spoons or into shot glasses/cups to be eaten with small spoons almost like a shot of pudding-- like we do in Brazil.
- Love brigadeiro(s)? Try also our Brigadeiro Cookies and also our Triple Brigadeiro Tart.
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
Sofia Newton says
Ah, Denise! Reading your article about Brigadeiros made my mouth water and my mind travel in time as I remembered many birthdays parties and lots and lots of "docinhos" and especially Brigadeiros. You are so correct: it is not a birthday party if you do not have a lots of Brigadeiros present, ready make every mouth happy! Thank you for the thoughts.
Sofia Newton
Denise Browning says
Thanks so much, Sofia! I am happy to know that brought you good memories...
Roberta says
I am brazilian too, and Brigadeiro it's my favorite desert!
Becky says
Made these for a school auction! They went for $250 and the buyers loved them! They are unbelievably delicious!
Denise Browning says
Becky: I am so glad that the buyers loved them and you too. They are my childhood's favorite candy. Wishing you a marvelous week!
Jessica says
I love these!!!!
Denise Browning says
Thanks, Jessica! Enjoy!
Ana Paula says
Denise! Achei seu blog hoje e estou pinning como louca! Menina, quanta receita boa! Que saudade me da'!
Sou do Ceara e moro na California faz onze anos. Seus brigadeiros de Natal sao lindos. Ontem mesmo estava falando que esse ano vou fazer brigadeiro para todo mundo no Natal.
Parabens pelo maravilhoso blog. Um abraco
Denise Browning says
Obrigada por suas palavras e por compartilhar as minhas receitas, Ana Paula! Bem-vinda a FBTY!!!! Espero que você nos visite com frequência. Um abraço.
denise says
Mine came out too soft, what did I do wrong?
Denise Browning says
Hi, Denise! I am so sorry. The brigadeiro " dough" is ready (fully cooked) when it has thickened enough to see the bottom of the pan while pulled aside with a wood spoon and also is running slow. When it cools down it will be even thicker.
But since yours is already soft, what you can do is using this trick: Let it cool down into a greased plate at room temperature and then, place in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes. Then, grease your hands with unsalted butter, and try to shape into small balls, roll with sprinkles, and place into bonbon cups. You can serve them slightly chilled. In Brazil, we also serve brigadeiro in cups. I mean, we make soft brigadeiro and pour into mini to small cups/glasses, decorate with sprinkles on the top, and serve with spoons. We call "brigadeiro de copo" (brigadeiro in cups).
So do not worry! In general, it takes about 2 to 3 times to get brigadeiro ' dough" right. I hope this helps!
Essa Adams says
Perfect - I do not have chocolate vermicellis. Will use hot chocolate powder, instant type. Or ground toasted nuts. But now I see the cups with a spoon, perfect. If they do not firm up, will be shamlessly perfect candy anyway. Love the flavor, very mild and creamy.
Denise Browning says
I am so glad you enjoy these brigadeiros, Essa! Absolutely!!! If you don't have vermicelli, you can use chopped nuts, chopped candy cane, shredded coconut, another type of sprinkles, etc instead. If necessary, you can refrigerate the "dough" before rolling them. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a fabulous New Year!
Amy smith says
I had the same problem. I followed a different recipe using only 1 tablespoon of butter and I had no problems.
Denise Browning says
Amy, the problem is not the amount of butter in my recipe but rather getting the right consistency for the brigadeiros. If the amount of butter was a problem, why have mine always come out right (not soft)? I always use this same recipe and roll them without any problem. Please, watch my video and you can see several of the factors that can affect the doneness for brigadeiros.
Margie says
Hi, Denise! I love your recipes because they remind me of Brasil!
I have a question. When I lived there, a special treat was bolo de brigadeiro (I think!). It was a delicious chocolate cake with brigadeiro frosting. Do you know what I'm remembering? I hope you can tell me what it was and how to make it. Abracos!
Denise Browning says
Hi, Margie! Thanks a lot. Yes!!! The brigadeiro cake is a simple two to three-layer chocolate cake with both brigadeiro filling and topping. Although I haven't published a brigadeiro cake recipe on my blog, I have a recipe for brigadeiro cupcakes. Make a simple chocolate cake and use the homemade brigadeiro frosting that is in the post (link) below to fill and top your cake. Then, sprinkle chocolate sprinkles or vermicelli on top. If you will be making the cake using a cake mix, please double the amount of eggs stated in the box so your cake can be heavy enough to support the weight of the brigadeiro frosting without collapsing. I would also add more sugar (1/2 to 3/4 cup) to make it more similar to the traditional Brazilian cake. Of course, for a cake, you will have to double or triple the frosting recipe depending on the the amount of layers and size of the cake. Here is the link:
http://www.frombraziltoyou.org/brigadeiro-cupcakes/
Wishing you a great week! Thanks for stopping by.
Ava says
I'm so glad to see this recipe. A friend tried to teach me how to make them but it's all wrong for me without measurements.
Denise Browning says
Ava:
My fave way to make brigadeiro is on the stove top because one can have better control of its cooking point. Follow the recipe and let it cool before rolling into balls. If necessary, refrigerate the "dough" for about 20 minutes before rolling into balls. Always grease your hands with unsalted butter before rolling. It helps a lot! You can use this same recipe to make brigadeiro served into mini cups or brigadeiro frosting to fill and top cakes and cupcakes.For this, you only have to add a bit of heavy cream after the brigadeiro dough has cooked to make it much softer. Enjoy!
Roxana | Roxana's Home Baking says
Oh my! Oh my! I think my heart just skipped a beat! I love everything about these fudge balls. I have never been to Brazil but I'm sure I could fly over just so I can stuff my face with a few dozens of these!
they look amazing! Love the colorful sprinkles!
Thanks for bringing them to this month's #chocolateparty
Denise Browning says
Thanks, Roxana! The great think about these fudge balls is you can make them at home -- not tickets necessary... They are ridiculously simple and quick.
It is a pleasure to participate in your chocolate party. Congrats on its second anniversary and success!
Sandra Moore says
My mom and I used to make these together when I was a kid. I helped roll them, but we used granulated sugar. After decades, I had forgotten how to make them. Thanks so much for the recipe. It all came back to me just reading the ingredients.
I was also looking for a sweet potato candy recipe - docs de batata. Do you have one? I'll continue to look on your site. Is another candy mom and I used to make together. So you can see why I absolutely need it 🙂
Denise Browning says
Hi, Sandra! Thanks for stopping by and welcome to FBTY...
I am glad that you found this brigadeiro recipe. I hope you make these and enjoy... This is the traditional recipe! Chocolate sprinkle are usually used to roll brigadeiros although colorful sprinkles, granulated sugar, and others can also be used to top them. It's really up to one' s taste.
Unfortunately, I don't have any recipe for sweet potato candy (docinho de batata). What I do have is a pumpkin candy recipe or pumpkin brigadeiro which you can use it to make the sweet potato candy. You only have to use peeled, boiled, and mashed sweet potatoes instead of mashed or canned pumpkin. It is an easy substitution. Here is the link:
http://www.frombraziltoyou.org/pumpkin-brigadeiros-brigadeiro-abobora/
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!!
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog says
I made brigadeiro during the world cup... they're SO addicting!
Denise Browning says
Hi, Sharon!!! I know... Every single time that I make them, my family and I eat them like there is no tomorrow. We love brigadeiros so much that we make not only the fudge balls (which many times we don't even roll -- we eat by spoonfuls), but also roll cake, frosting, mousses, etc. 🙂
Carole from Carole's Chatter says
Hi Denise, great treat! How about adding it to the Food on Friday: Holiday Treats collection over at Carole's Chatter? Cheers
Denise Browning says
Sure, Carole! I'd love to... How can this recipe be added your Food on Friday? Do you submit its link or do I have to submit it? Please, let me know.
Thanks for stopping by.
Farm House Academy says
My daughters and I are currently studying South America in our homeschool studies. Our first stop was Brazil! Thank you so much for the delicious recipe and fun background!
Denise Browning says
Thank you for your interest in Brazil and for trying this recipe. I am happy that you enjoyed brigadeiros, a real family favorite.
Nancy says
How many does this make?
Denise Browning says
Hi, Nancy!
Yield can be seen right above the ingredients in the recipe. It makes about 28 brigadeiros or chocolate "truffles".
Have a great week!
nancy abrams says
I'm sorry, did not see that. I made my first batch and they are fabulous!
Can I double the recipe without any problems or should I make two batches separately?
(I am trying to make enough to share with everyone at work)
Denise Browning says
No problem, Nancy!
Yes, you can double the recipe without problems. I do this all the time because it is a family favorite. 🙂 They disappear pretty quick at my household. My eldest daughter and I don't even wait to roll them into balls... We eat brigadeiro by spoonfuls! 🙂
But by doubling the recipe, it will take a little longer to be cooked (NOT the double of the original time). Follow the recipe guidelines and everything will be fine. I hope your co-workers enjoy these brigadeiros. Have a great week!
Donald says
Que tal uma receita em espanhol então?
Just kidding, this is one of the better blogs I have seen for Brigadeiros. How do you say, they are pra caramba.
Denise Browning says
LOL... Thanks a lot, Donald!
Wishing you a delicious week -- as delicious as these brigadeiros!!! 😉
Peggy says
Hello! I saw a video of Facebook about making these. I thought I remembered it right, and tried it today. But I remembered that it said to use half a stick of butter, and no vanilla. Then I rolled them in more cocoa, sort of truffle-style even though I saw in the video to use white sugar. They are a little soft, but I think it's the way they should be?
THEN I experimented with another batch, and used flavored hot chocolate instead of cocoa. They are super-soft, and after I rolled them they turned into disks instead of balls! LOL Do you know if the rest of the ingredients in the hot chocolate messed it up, or maybe I just didn't cook that batch long enough? I want to play with other hot chocolate flavors, but don't want to keep making disks...
Denise Browning says
Hi, Peggy!
About 13 years ago when I got married and came to live in the US, I tried to make mine with hot cocoa mix. It was a disaster!!! Honestly, the texture was not the same as the brigadeiros from my home country. Hot cocoa mix simply does not work for brigadeiros because contains a lot of sugar changing their fudgy texture. You have to use cocoa powder which is made from ground chocolate solids. Too much butter also makes them too soft and flat. Follow my recipe, which it is the traditional recipe for brigadeiros, and will get them right. The vanilla extract is optional. I added it to the traditional recipe because it makes them more delicious without changing the texture. Brigadeiros are traditionally rolled in chocolate sprinkles but a few folks roll them in white granulated sugar when they don't have chocolate sprinkles in their pantry. If you would like to play with flavors, you can use my recipe omitting the cocoa powder and vanilla, and adding flavoring extracts instead. This way you will have white brigadeiros with different flavors (e.g. almond flavor b/c almond extract). Another good way to play with flavors is flavored gelatins. In Brazil, there is a strawberry brigadeiro recipe. Instead of using cocoa powder, we use strawberry gelatin to give both color and flavor to the strawberry brigadeiros (in this case, if the recipe asks for 2-3 Tbsp of cocoa powder, you use 2-3 Tbsp strawberry gelatin instead). Let me know if you have any other questions. Have a great week!
stacy says
They look amazing!!
Denise Browning says
Thanks a lot, Stacy! Enjoy...
Kent Taylor says
I was introduced to Brigadeiro the other day by my friend Átila (from North East Brazil) and fell in love immediately, I have just tried this recipe and it tastes fantastic! I think this is going to mean I have to step up the effort at the gym, but it's well worth it!
Denise Browning says
Hi, Kent!
I am so glad that you stopped by. I am also from Northeastern Brazil.
Brigadeiro is the most popular and beloved "candy" in/from Brazil, present at every single birthday party and other celebrations... It is also one of the fave snacks down there. At my household, we love it so much that we don't wait to have brigadeiros rolled into balls. We eat brigadeiro by spoonfuls. 🙂
Since you learned how to make brigadeiros (and they can be very addictive as you already know), I wish you good luck. 🙂
Have a great week -- and exercise routine! 🙂
Wendy says
Hi Denise, can you freeze Brigadeiro?
Denise Browning says
Hi, Wendy! Absolutely! But for this, you can make the brigadeiro "dough", let cool at room temp, roll them, and freeze in a ziploc bag... but please only roll the brigadeiro balls in the sprinkles once thawed.
Jordan says
Hi love the recipe but I keep getting bits in my brigadeiro, like some of the cocoa powder is clumping togeter into small bits. Any idea as to how to remedy this?
Denise Browning says
Hi, Jordan!
I see. No worries! It's pretty easy to solve this issue. What you have to do is to whisk well the sweetened condensed milk with the cocoa powder until obtaining a homogeneous mixture before cooking. It helps if you add the cocoa powder little by little while whisking. Then, add the butter and cook the mixture according to the instructions. Enjoy!
Jordan says
Thank you so much for responding Denise!! I will give it a try! They were still loved and with the sprinkles no one noticed the bits, but I sure am glad to have a solution!! These are so tasty and my husband loves that they are not as overly sweet and you would think they would be!
Isaac Hartley says
I just made these using your microwave version! The "dough" tended to rise up every 30 seconds, so what I did when that happened was take it out and stir before putting it back in. After it was done I melted 3 slivers of butter on a big plate, then poured a tiny bit of vanilla extract on that and spread the melted butter and vanilla around the whole plate with the round side of a spoon. After I rolled the truffles I dropped them in cocoa instead of sprinkles! They're currently setting in the fridge, but they look and smell HEAVENLY!
Denise Browning says
Hi, Isaac! Thank you for the visit and nice feedback. I hope you enjoy this long-time fave of mine.
Isaac Hartley says
They were amazing! The cocoa, it was a bit much, so I dipped the truffles in milk chocolate and rolled them in powdered sugar. Delicious! I'll be making more for my boyfriend and I tonight! Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe!
Denise Browning says
Thank you again, Isaac! It makes me happy seeing people trying and enjoying new recipes. Have an awesome weekend!
Gabrielle says
Hi denise, this brigadeiros look so delicous and unique i would love to try it!
Denise Browning says
You won't regret it, Gabrielle! But please, follow the recipe instructions. If you have a medium, non stick skillet, please use it to cook these brigadeiros because the "dough" cooks faster in wider pans.Please, also make sure the "dough" has thicken and runs slow. The cooking time varies from one stovetop to the other. Enjoy!!!
Gabrielle says
Hi Denise!
I tried rolling it in a ball after i had put it in the fridge for 3 hours but it was so hard to roll it.
I now have put it in the fridge for a day.
Will that work?
Denise Browning says
Hi, Gabrielle. I have just seen your comment.
If after all this time in the fridge you could not roll brigadeiros into balls, it's because you did not cook the mixture enough to get the right consistency. This is a critical step for brigadeiros. When this happens, the alternative is to serve brigadeiros pipped on spoons or into shot glasses/cups to be eaten with small spoons-- like we do in Brazil. Later today or tomorrow, I will be uploading a cooking video that I recorded about brigadeiros and you will have a better idea about the right consistency -- better than the recipe direction pictures that you see here. I give all the tips how to get the right consistency every time and also how to achieve it quicker -- so next time you make brigadeiros you will be able to roll them easily.
Know that not getting the right consistency at first is not uncommon. Thank you for trying!