Brigadeiros are a traditional Brazilian dessert that are similar to fudge or a truffle. They are a powerhouse of richness because the base ingredient is sweetened condensed milk. From there, you can make all sorts of variations! They are great for parties because one can of milk can easily produce 40 tiny bon bons. I experimented with three different recipes for a get-together: matcha, (green tea) rolled in coconut flakes, chocolate rolled in sprinkles, and dulce de leche rolled in cookie crumbs.
The most difficult part about this recipe is the consistency. If you over heat the milk- it becomes gummy and difficult to chew, kind of like taffy. If you don't cook it long enough, they balls don't hold their shape. Following the video for the matcha brigadeiros, I found they were seriously overcooked. Below I have included tips to help prevent this from happening to you! The no-cook dulce de leche's had the perfect consistency and were a crowd favorite.
Coat the brigadeiros with the topping of your choice - from sprinkles to chopped almonds! I like to serve them in mini-cupcake wrappers so they're easy to grab and go.
Matcha Brigadeiro
Recipe from TabiEats
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon matcha powder
- topping - 1/2 cup finely shredded coconut or vanilla sprinkles
- extra butter or coconut oil for rolling
Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking pan (or another heatproof vessel with approximately the same dimensions) with butter, coconut oil, or nonstick cooking spray.
Combine all ingredients except the topping in a medium, heavy-bottomed pan over low heat. Mix constantly to prevent it from burning. Cook until it thickens just enough to show the pan bottom during stirring; it should be firm enough to stay together and not spread. Test it by running a wooden spoon (or spatula) in the middle of the mixture. If it takes a while for the mixture to move, then your brigadeiro is ready! This can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes, depending on stove.
Pour into a greased dish and let cool to room temperature.
When forming the balls, grease your hands with butter and take small amounts of candy and form into 1 1/2 inch balls. If the balls don't hold their shape, cook an additional 5 minutes until it thickens up more. Pour topping on a flat plate and roll brigadeiro to coat.
Store in air-tight container in the fridge until it's time to serve.
Chocolate Brigadeiro
Slighted modified from Genius Kitchen
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa pwoder
- pinch of seal salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- topping - sprinkles or chopped almonds
- extra butter or coconut oil for rolling
Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking pan (or another heatproof vessel with approximately the same dimensions) with butter, coconut oil, or nonstick cooking spray.
Combine all ingredients except the vanilla and topping in a medium, heavy-bottomed pan over low heat. Mix constantly to prevent it from burning. Cook until it thickens just enough to show the pan bottom during stirring; it should be firm enough to stay together and not spread. Test it by running a wooden spoon (or spatula) in the middle of the mixture. If it takes a while for the mixture to move, then your brigadeiro is ready! This can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes, depending on stove. Add vanilla.
Pour into a greased dish and let cool to room temperature.
When forming the balls, grease your hands with butter and take small amounts of candy and form into 1 1/2 inch balls. If the balls don't hold their shape, cook an additional 5 minutes until it thickens up more. Pour topping on a flat plate and roll brigadeiro to coat.
Store in air-tight container in the fridge until it's time to serve.
Dulce de Leche Brigadeiro
Recipe from Garden In The Kitchen
- 1 (13.4 ounce) can dulce de leche, chilled
- topping - of your choice, I used crumbled dulce de leche wafer cookies
- unsalted butter or coconut oil for rolling
Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking pan (or another heatproof vessel with approximately the same dimensions) with butter, coconut oil, or nonstick cooking spray.
To roll the dulce de leche into balls, it’s best that the dulce de leche is cold. Place a small amount of coconut oil on the palm of your hands, scoop up a small amount of dulce de leche. Place the treats on a greased pan and refrigerate.
Grease hands with butter or coconut oil then roll mixture into a treat size ball, then roll them in topping.
Store in air-tight container in the fridge until it's time to serve.