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Brazilian

Brigadeiros

Vegetarian

Brigadeiro

Soft, fudgy Brazilian chocolate truffles made by cooking condensed milk with cocoa and butter, rolled in grated chocolate. A must at every Brazilian birthday party.

Brigadeiros is a Brazilian sweet, ready in about 1 hour 37 minutes and made with sweetened condensed milk and cocoa powder. It serves 20 and is rated easy to cook.

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Chocolate brigadeiros beautifully presented in purple flower-like wrappers on a decorative tray.
Photo: Rafael Rodrigues / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
25 min
Cook
12 min
Rest
1 h
Total
1 h 37 min
Serves
20
Level
Easy
Calories
85

Ingredients

20 brigadeiros

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Combine the condensed milk (opens in a new tab), cocoa, butter (opens in a new tab) and salt in a non-stick saucepan (opens in a new tab).

  2. Step 2

    Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the base of the pan in one mass when you tilt it.

    • 12 min
    • medium-low heat

    Drag a spatula through: if the line stays open for a few seconds, it's ready.

  3. Step 3

    Tip onto a buttered plate and leave until cool enough to handle, then chill for about 1 hour.

    • 60 min

  4. Step 4

    With buttered hands, roll teaspoonfuls into balls and roll each in grated chocolate (opens in a new tab). Set in small paper cases.

    • 20 min

About this dish

Origin
Brazil · Well documentedMore food from Brazil
Dish
Snack · Dessert · Sweets & confectionery · Desserts
Cooking method
Simmered
Taste
sweet, rich, creamy
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Child-friendly · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Sweetened condensed milk · Cocoa powder · Butter · Dark chocolate (70–85%)
Techniques
Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom sweetened condensed milk, butter, dark chocolate (70–85%)
  • May contain: Peanutsfrom dark chocolate (70–85%)
  • May contain: Tree nutsfrom dark chocolate (70–85%)
  • May contain: Soyfrom dark chocolate (70–85%)

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

85 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 24 g · recipe makes 20

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 9%
  • Carbohydrate 56%
  • Fat 36%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy85 kcal361 kcal
Protein1.9 g7.9 g
Carbohydrate12.2 g51.8 g
Net carbohydrate11.7 g49.8 g
Sugars11.4 g48.2 g
Added sugars——
Fibre0.5 g2 g
Fat3.5 g14.7 g
Saturated fat2.1 g9 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol8 mg36 mg
Sodium38 mg162 mg
Salt equivalent0.1 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
99 mg
Calcium
59 mg
Iron
0.4 mg
Magnesium
14 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
20 µg
Vitamin C
—
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
0.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • For softer brigadeiros to eat with a spoon (brigadeiro de colher), stop cooking a few minutes earlier.

Common mistakes

  • Undercooked mixture won't hold a shape; overcooked turns chewy and hard.

Storage

  • Keep covered at cool room temperature 2 days, or refrigerated up to 5 days.

Variations

  • Beijinho (Brazil): A white version made with desiccated coconut instead of cocoa.

History

Widely said to be named after Brigadeiro (Air Force Brigadier) Eduardo Gomes, whose 1940s presidential campaign supporters sold the sweets.

Confidence: Commonly attributed

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 1

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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