Chewy, fudgy, addictive. These little chocolate fudge balls are as common and well-loved in Brazil as cookies and brownies are in the United States. Traditionally, brigadeiros are a simple mixture of condensed milk, sweetened cocoa powder, and butter, cooked to a fudge state then formed into little balls and rolled in chocolate sprinkles. I find this to be much too sweet, so I made a few changes to the original recipe, adding real chocolate, real cocoa powder, heavy cream, and corn syrup. Unless I know the chocolate sprinkles are made with real chocolate, like the ones from Guittard or Cocoa Barry, I prefer to use cocoa powder or grated chocolate for rolling—and the result is amazing. This is a perfect dessert to give as a gift for any occasion. Children will love it and so will adults.Leticia Moreinos Schwartz

Three golf-ball size chocolate Brazilian candies covered with chocolate sprinkles on a yellow plate.

Brigadeiros | Brazilian Fudge Balls

5 / 5 votes
These chocolate brigadeiros, a favorite sweet in Brazil, are like little fudge balls that have been rolled in chocolate sprinkles. An excellent gift, dessert, or treat for the kids.
David Leite
CourseDessert
CuisineBrazilian
Servings40 brigadeiros
Calories43 kcal
Prep Time40 minutes
Total Time40 minutes

Ingredients 

  • Two cans sweetened condensed milk
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
  • 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup chocolate sprinkles, preferably Guittard
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

  • Bring the condensed milk, butter, heavy cream, and corn syrup to a gentle boil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
  • When the mixture starts to bubble, dump in the chocolate and the cocoa powder. Whisk really well to prevent any pockets of cocoa powder that could ruin the brigadeiros.
  • Reduce the heat to low and cook the chocolate mixture, whisking constantly, until it is the consistency of a dense, fudgy batter, 8 to 10 minutes. You want it to bubble only toward the end of cooking, so it’s important to use low heat otherwise the chocolate will scorch. It’s done when you swirl the pan and the mixture slides as one soft piece, leaving a thick burnt residue on the bottom—that’s as it should be. If you undercook the chocolate mixture, the brigadeiros will be too soft; if you overcook them, they’ll be too chewy.
  • Slide the chocolate mixture into a bowl (without scraping the bottom of the pan to avoid a burnt flavor) and let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the chocolate mixture for at least 4 hours.
  • Scoop the chocolate mixture by the teaspoonful and, using your hands, roll it into a little ball about 3/4 inch in diameter (roughly the size of a chocolate truffle). Repeat with the remaining chocolate mixture.
  • Place the sprinkles in a bowl. Roll 4 to 6 brigadeiros in the sprinkles, making sure to cover the entire surface. Store them in an airtight plastic container for up to 2 days at room temperature or up to 1 month in the refrigerator. (Ha, as if they’ll last that long.)
The Brazilian Kitchen

Adapted From

The Brazilian Kitchen

Buy On Amazon

Nutrition

Serving: 1 brigadeiroCalories: 43 kcalCarbohydrates: 5 gProtein: 1 gFat: 2 gSaturated Fat: 2 gMonounsaturated Fat: 1 gTrans Fat: 1 gCholesterol: 4 mgSodium: 1 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 5 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2010 Leticia Moreinos Schwartz. Photo © 2010 Ben Fink. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

These candies were easy to make, but took much longer to cook than stated. I live at a high altitude, which might contribute to the longer cooking time. Instead of the 8 to 10-minute cooking time, they took 24 minutes. They’re delicious, though: very toffee-like, but a bit chocolatey. I used cocoa, but I think this would be spectacular with chocolate, as stated—specially with sprinkles, which would be so fun visually. Not too sweet and very rich. I really like them and would make them again




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


Hungry For More?

Giant Peanut Butter Cup

If you’re a peanut butter cup lover (and really, who isn’t?), then this is the dessert of your dreams. Creamy peanut butter filling is encapsulated by a milk chocolate shell. Enough said.

1 hr 15 mins

Nutella Truffles

Orbs of Nutella, chocolate, and cream, all dusted in cocoa powder. Need we say more?

1 hr 45 mins

No-Bake Snowballs

Not all holiday sweets have to be loaded with sugar and fat. As delish as that is, you might crave something with a little healthy oomph.

10 mins


5 from 5 votes (1 rating without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating





29 Comments

  1. Tamiko, thanks for the comments. Indeed, cooking time might vary for many reasons (the BTUs of your range, size of the pan, and altitude as well). What’s most important is that you were able to judge how far to cook. Hope you’ll do it over and over again! Best, Leticia.

  2. Beautiful photo! I love rolling them in coconut (my favorite) or cocoa powder. My sister in law introduced these to me after moving back from Brazil. They’re delicious. They’re a staple dessert for birthdays and family get-togethers.

    1. Hi Yasmine, I am so glad to read this. let me know how it comes out! Happy cooking!

  3. As soon as I saw this blog post in my Google reader, I knew that I would be making this over the weekend. Can’t wait!