Brigadeiro Recipe

I’ve been making brigadeiros my entire life, but the way I make them now is quite different from the version I grew up with. After years of making different flavors and using brigadeiro for everything from truffles to cake fillings and frostings, I’ve learned that temperature, heat level, and the final consistency matter much more than simply cooking it for a certain number of minutes.

This is the brigadeiro recipe I use now. The addition of table cream gives it a softer, creamier texture, while still allowing the brigadeiros to hold their shape beautifully when rolled.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The brigadeiros are soft and creamy instead of chewy or taffy-like.
• I give you exact temperature ranges depending on whether you are rolling them or using the brigadeiro as a cake filling or frosting.
• The recipe can be adapted into many different flavors.
• You can make the brigadeirodough ahead and refrigerate or freeze it. Or even freeze the already rolled brigadeiros. It’s great to prep ahead for a party. They stay somewhat soft, even in the freezer, so they don’t need to thaw for long.
• I’ll show you the visual cues I actually use to know when it is ready, because temperature is helpful, but texture matters too.
• It’s an easy Brazilian dessert made with just a handful of ingredients and no special equipment.

Key Ingredients & How I Use Them

• Sweetened condensed milk: This is the base of brigadeiro, also an ingredient used in the majority of Brazilian desserts. Use one standard 14-ounce (397 gram) can.
• Table cream: This is the biggest change from the brigadeiro recipe I used for many years. Table cream is a rich, shelf-stable cream with a slightly lighter consistency than heavy whipping cream. You can usually find it in the Latin or international foods aisle of the grocery store. Nestlé Media Crema is one of the most common brands. You can leave it out if desired, or substitute ¼ cup heavy whipping cream, but the final consistency will be slightly different. And if I’m just making brigadeiro at home because I want to eat it warm with a spoon, I’ll sometimes leave the cream out completely.
• Chocolate or other flavoring: For chocolate brigadeiros, I like using 100 grams of chopped chocolate. You can use milk, semisweet, or dark chocolate depending on the flavor and level of sweetness you want. You can also replace some or all of the chocolate with other ingredients to create different brigadeiroflavors. I have several ideas further down in the post.
• Butter: I use 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter in the brigadeiro, plus a little extra butter or cooking spray for greasing my hands when rolling.

How to Make Brigadeiros

The full printable recipe is below, but here’s exactly how I make brigadeiros and, most importantly, how I know when they are done.

Storage

Store rolled brigadeiros in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

You can also freeze brigadeiros for longer storage.

The uncooked-for-rolling brigadeiro dough can be frozen after cooking as well. Instead of transferring it to a bowl, spoon it onto a piece of plastic wrap and wrap it tightly. Place the wrapped brigadeiro inside a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter for a few hours.

Once thawed, bring it closer to room temperature before rolling.

Tips for Rolling Brigadeiros

Before you start, set out your paper cups and pour your coating into a small bowl. Depending on the size, this recipe makes about 15 to 20 brigadeiros.

Lightly grease your hands with butter or cooking spray, then scoop small portions of brigadeiro. You can weigh them for perfectly even truffles, but I usually just eyeball the portions.

Roll each piece between your palms until smooth, then coat it in sprinkles. After coating, place the brigadeiro in your cupped hand and roll it around a few times to make it extra round and smooth. I demonstrate this technique in the video.

You can use chocolate or colorful sprinkles, chocolate flakes, shredded coconut, finely chopped nuts, freeze-dried strawberry powder, Nido powdered milk, granulated sugar, or cinnamon sugar. For chocolate flakes, I like the Barry Callebaut flakes by Olivenation.

After coating in sprinkles, place the brigadeiros in the candy cups. Even with greased hands, the brigadeiro will eventually start sticking. When that happens, wash and dry your hands, grease them again, and continue rolling. These are the cups I use.

Brigadeiro Temperature Guide

I’ve found that temperature is one of the most reliable ways to get the consistency right, especially since different brigadeiro flavors can behave a little differently as they cook.

For cake filling, frosting, or eating with a spoon, cook the brigadeiro to about 205°F (96°C). At this temperature, it stays softer and more spreadable.

For rolling into brigadeiro truffles, cook it to about 208°F to 214°F. Dark chocolate brigadeiros are usually ready around 208°F to 210°F, while lighter flavors can generally be cooked closer to 214°F.

I still recommend paying attention to the texture as well as the thermometer, since the way the brigadeiro looks and moves in the pan will tell you a lot.

If the brigadeiro has a lot of liquid added to it, like these Pumpkin Brigadeiros, (link) you can cook it to 205°F (96°C) for rolling.

How to Know When Brigadeiro Is Done

Besides checking the temperature, I always look for a few visual cues.

Run the spatula or the wooden spoon across the bottom of the pan. The path should stay open for about 5 seconds before the brigadeiro slowly comes back together.

When you lift the spatula, the brigadeiro should fall back into the pan in thick chunks, forming a slight mound before slowly settling back into the mixture. If it immediately flows and flattens out, it usually needs a little more time.

Cook the mixture for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat, until thick, fudgy, and it’s coming off from the bottom of the pot. If you tilt the pan over, the whole mixture should come off, as if it was falling in one piece, as you can see on the last picture.

Run the spoon or spatula through the middle of the mixture, and it should take about 5 seconds to come back together.

Dark vs. Light Brigadeiros

I cook dark chocolate brigadeiros over medium-high heat. I’ve found that the higher heat helps them cook properly without developing an overly sticky or taffy-like texture.

For lighter-colored brigadeiros, such as white chocolate, Nido, or coconut, I use medium-low to low heat. These flavors tend to stick and scorch more easily, so they need gentler heat.

Remove the mixture from the heat and let it rest in the refrigerator until completely chill.

Brigadeiro Flavor Ideas

Flavoring brigadeiro is one of my favorite parts because there are so many possibilities.

Traditional chocolate brigadeiro in Brazil is often made with sweetened chocolate milk powder. Nescau is one of the most popular brands and is somewhat similar to Nesquik in the United States.

But today you’ll find everything from pistachio and powdered milk brigadeiros to fruit, caramel, coconut, and filled versions.

I already have several brigadeiro flavors on the blog, including:

Coconut Brigadeiros, or Beijinhos
Dulce de Leche Brigadeiros
Churro Brigadeiros
Key Lime Pie Brigadeiros
Caramel Brigadeiros
White Chocolate Strawberry Brigadeiros
Pumpkin Brigadeiros
Nutella Brigadeiros

Pistachio Brigadeiros

Instead of the 100 grams of chocolate, use 50 grams white chocolate, ¼ cup pistachio paste. You can also skip the white chocolate and use only the pistachio paste. Roll the finished brigadeiros in finely chopped pistachios.

Nido Brigadeiros

This is an extremely popular flavor in Brazil, and for good reason. It is delicious.

Use 50 grams of white chocolate, or leave the chocolate out entirely, and add ¼ cup Nido powdered milk. Then, roll the finished brigadeiros in additional Nido powdered milk.

Frequently Asked Questions

A Little About Brigadeiros

If you’ve never had them before, brigadeiros are often described as Brazilian chocolate truffles, although the texture is softer and fudgier than a traditional truffle.

As a Brazilian, brigadeiros have always been part of my life. In Brazil, they are a staple at birthday parties, weddings, and celebrations. It’s basically not a party without them. They’re usually rolled into little balls, coated in sprinkles, and placed in small paper cups.

Growing up, we usually made chocolate brigadeiros with sweetened condensed milk, butter, and chocolate-flavored milk powder. My sister and I would also make a batch on Friday nights and eat it straight from the pan with a spoon while watching Harry Potter. We actually made coconut brigadeiro, or beijinho, more often than chocolate because that was our favorite.

And that is one of the things I love about brigadeiro: you don’t have to roll it into truffles. Sometimes eating it warm with a spoon is the best way to have it.

Over the years, brigadeiros in Brazil have evolved far beyond the basic chocolate version. There are specialty brigadeiro shops with dozens of flavors, and modern versions are often made with real chocolate, nuts, fruit, powdered milk, or other flavorings.Then you can scoop small amounts of brigadeiro and roll between lightly buttered hands, and coat into sprinkles.

More Ways to Use Brigadeiros

Brigadeiros are delicious all on their own, but they also make the cutest finishing touch for cakes, pies, and cheesecakes. I love using them almost like edible decorations—they add another layer of chocolate flavor while making even a simple dessert look extra special.

Over the years, I’ve used brigadeiros to decorate so many desserts, including my Coconut Cheesecake, Pumpkin Pie, Coconut Cake, and Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake. You can arrange them around the edge of a cake, pile a few in the center, or use them to dress up individual slices before serving.

Once you know how to make brigadeiros, you can really have fun with them. They’re an easy way to turn your favorite cakes and pies into something a little more festive—and, of course, add even more chocolate!