Name: Easy Brigadeiro Recipe (Brazilian Chocolate Caramels)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk; 1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted (Dutch-processed is preferred, but feel free to use your favorite cocoa powder!); 2 tbsp. butter, softened; 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract; 1 tbsp. Kahlua (optional but recommended); chocolate sprinkles, for rolling; candy cups (they look like cupcake wrappers, but are smaller)

Homemade Brigadeiro recipe from poeme blog recipes

First, I’d like to start off with some condolences for those of you currently looking at this and thinking, “What is Brigadeiro? Is my mind making up words right now? Is this what being crazy is?” Partially, because I’ve made you think you’re insane…but mainly because you don’t know how absolutely, mouth-watering delicious Brigadeiro is! For those of you out-of-the-loop, Brigadeiro is a popular, nostalgic Brazilian dessert made up of chocolate caramel truffles rolled in chocolate sprinkles.

Easy, delicious Brigadeiro Recipe from Poeme blog

It’s a light-hearted, childhood favorite, with a decadent texture and rich, sugary flavor. You won’t be able to stop eating them either (they’re small, so that means they practically have no calories, right? Please just say right…). My boyfriend could eat these by the shovel, and was heartbroken that he hadn’t heard of these earlier (the fact that these aren’t really sold in America should be unconstitutional…).

The traditional recipe has Brigadeiro flavored with just some vanilla and cocoa powder, rolled in chocolate sprinkles, but feel free to get creative! Adding some powdered (or liquid) extracts or flavorings would be a delicious variation; you could also roll the truffles in other fun coatings (some pistachio praline could be fun!).

Brigadeiro is also quick and easy to make; plus, if you’re not worried about getting some hands dirty, it’s a great dessert for kids to help out with as well! Brigadeiro also keeps for about a week in the fridge after it’s made, so you can make it ahead of time (aka, this dessert hits all the marks and you should just make it already!).

Easy brigadeiro recipe from Poeme blog recipes — Rolling this Brigadeiro in chocolate sprinkles…can you see it? He’s hiding 🙂

With all of that said, let’s get onto the recipe:

Easy Brigadeiro Recipe (Brazilian Chocolate Caramels)

If you haven’t heard of Brigadeiro before, you’re really missing out. These bite-sized mounds of heaven are soft, slightly chewy, and oh-so-chocolatey; plus, they’re incredibly simple (and quick) to make! Imagine a gooey, dense chocolate-caramel truffle: that’s Brigadeiro! My version spices up the original with a touch of Kahlua. Feel free to omit the alcohol; you can add some brewed coffee instead (or just skip it entirely, although I find that coffee brings out chocolate flavors exceptionally well). This popular Brazilian dessert would be ideal for parties, gifts, or just when you need a little extra chocolate (which is always…at least for me!). Plus it’s covered in chocolate sprinkles, so you’re bound to at least have fun making it 🙂

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Cooling in Fridge 30

Total Time 15

Course Dessert

Cuisine Brazilian

Servings 12 truffles

Ingredients

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted Dutch-processed is preferred, but feel free to use your favorite cocoa powder!
2 tbsp. butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. Kahlua (optional but recommended)
chocolate sprinkles, for rolling
candy cups (they look like cupcake wrappers, but are smaller)

Instructions

In a medium-sized saucepan, mix together the milk, cocoa powder, butter, vanilla extract, and Kahlua (if using).
Heat the mixture on medium-low heat until it starts to thicken and come off the sides of the pan (it will start looking like a thicker caramel). Stir continuously during this process. It will take about 5-10 minutes.
TIP: To tell when the Brigadeiro is done, I like to run a wooden spoon through the center of the pan. If the mixture takes a while to come back together, then it’s ready; if it moves together immediately, cook it a bit longer. In addition, if you tilt the pan, the mixture should come off of it easily (in a generally cohesive lump) when done.
When ready, take the Brigadeiro mixture off of the heat and pour it into a lightly oiled dish or container.
Let the mixture cool in the fridge until set (but still workable), about 30-40 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready to shape when you can ball-up the Brigadeiro and it holds its form.
When the Brigadeiro is set, take it out of the fridge (it’s okay if it’s still slightly warm!). Place about 1 cup of chocolate sprinkles on a large plate or pan to roll the Brigadeiro in and get out some candy cups (they’ll look like paper muffin tins, but smaller).
Working with oiled hands and an oiled spoon or small cookie-scoop (a mellon baller would also work great), start forming small balls (around 1-2 inches in diameter) from the Brigadeiro mixture. It will be a bit sticky. Roll the ball in chocolate sprinkles, completely covering it and perfecting it’s round shape (the sprinkles will make it easier to work with and less sticky!). Place the completed ball in a candy cup and continue this process until all the Brigadeiros are formed.
At this point, the Brigadeiro can be served immediately (if you haven’t been eating them as you go…not that I’m guilty of that or anything…). You can also keep them refrigerated for up to a week. Just take them out for 20-30 minutes before serving, to soften up slightly.
Ask where this has been all your life and why Brazilians have been keeping this from the rest of the world…it’s just so good!!!

Notes

This recipe can easily be doubled or even tripled. You can also play around with the size of the truffles–traditionally, they are made to fit in small candy cups, but feel free to make them as small (or big) as you’d like.

Brigadiero will keep in the fridge for about a week. Just let the Brigadeiro come to room temperature before eating so it’s nice and soft 🙂

Chocolate sprinkles are traditional, but you can roll these in other things as well (feel free to get creative!).

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This recipe is a perfect compliment to my Brigadeiro macarons from Poeme Macarons; if that sounds good to you, order some today (and make this recipe! So…much…Brigadeiro! What a great sentence…).

Brigadeiro Macarons from Poeme Macarons. So delicious and fun 🙂

Happy baking everyone 🙂

Recipe: Easy, Delicious Brigadeiro (Brazilian Chocolate Caramels)