These creamy coconut brigadeiros are a traditional Brazilian candy. They are similar to a candy truffle, but they are somewhat softer. Brigadeiros are considered Brazil's national treat.
These coconut brigadeiros are a tasty take on the traditional chocolate version, but they are made with coconut! They are swoon worthy.
To read more about brigadeiros, be sure to visit Bewitching Kitchen's post about brigadeiro traditions. Sally, the author, is from Brazil and has shared many traditional Brazilian and Brazilian-inspired recipes on her blog.
P.S. I had a lot of trouble remembering the proper spelling. "I before E" doesn't necessarily apply in the Brazilian language. In Portuguese, when you see the letter combination of "ei," it's pronounced "ay." Brigadeiros is evidently pronounced briga-day-rōs, kind of like "sounded as A, as in neighbor and weigh." (I'm pretty sure English spelling rules are less reliable than Portuguese!)
Ingredients:
Sweetened Condensed Milk: It's thought that when canned sweetened condensed milk was introduced to Brazil, it became the basis for many sweets and desserts, and a pantry staple.
Coconut milk: Use canned.
Unsweetened Shredded Coconut: Be sure to use finely shredded coconut. If you can only find flaked coconut, run it through a food processor to shred it. If you like, you can toast the coconut before adding it to the mix as well as use it to coat the candies.
Light corn syrup and unsalted butter.
Quick Note: I made these at the same time as I made the chocolate ones so they are both featured in some of the photos. Both are amazing.
Hints for Success Making Brigadeiros:
The most important thing to master is knowing when to stop cooking the batter. When it's undercooked, the candies will be too soft, and if it's overcooked, they will be too hard.
The way to judge the doneness of the mixture is to tilt the pan and notice when the batter slides in the pan as a blob while leaving a bit of a residue on the bottom of the pan.
For shaping the brigadeiros, use a small ice cream scoop or melon baller to portion the mixture and then finish by rolling the scooped mixture between your hands before rolling it in the coconut.
A nonstick saucier pan is great for stirring and checking the mixture as it's cooking.
You can store these brigadeiros in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for about two weeks. You can serve them cold or at room temperature.
They turned out just slightly softer than the chocolate ones, probably because the chocolate version also includes chopped chocolate.
Welcome to year two of the Alphabet Challenge, hosted by Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Last year, we all made recipes that began with each letter of the alphabet. Every single letter, starting with A and ending with Z, throughout the year, every two weeks.
We all agreed to go another year! Last year, for the letter "B," I made bagel chips! This year, for the letter "B," I'm sharing a recipe for brigadeiros. I hope you give them a try (and let me know if you do).
My goal this year is to not miss a letter!
B is for Beans, Barley, Brigadeiros, Blueberry, Birthday, Basil, Brownies, and More!
- Sneha’s Recipe: Bhune Mutton Paya
- Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Black Bean Sweet Potato Skillet
- Food Lust People Love: Blistered Sugar Snap Peas
- Mayuri’s Jikoni: Barley Salad
- Blogghetti: Boiled Peanuts Recipe
- Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Coconut Brigadeiros
- Culinary Cam: A Belated Birthday Bûche De Noël (Yule Log)
- Magical Ingredients: Buffalo Cauliflower Paneer Dip
- A Day in the Life on the Farm: White Bean and Basil Salad
- A Messy Kitchen: Blueberry Basil Cocktail/Mocktail
- Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Chocolate Espresso Rainbow Brownie Cookies
Coconut Brigadeiros
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
Instructions
- In a 3-quart heavy saucepan, stir together the condensed milk, coconut milk, butter, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup of the shredded coconut. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and pulls together, about 8 minutes. You can tell the mixture is ready when the whisk is leaving trails in the pan and you can see the pan's bottom as you pull the whisk through. Tilt the pan to see if the mixture slides like a "blob."
- Pour the mixture into a bowl. Don't scrape the pan if some of the mixture is stuck to the bottom. Let cool at room temperature and then refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.
- Using a 1-inch across sized cookie scoop or melon baller, scoop the cooled mixture and roll it in the remaining coconut flakes to coat.
- Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
58Fat (grams)
4 gSat. Fat (grams)
3 gCarbs (grams)
6 gFiber (grams)
0 gNet carbs
5 gSugar (grams)
5 gProtein (grams)
1 gCholesterol (grams)
5 mgThis recipe was adapted from Fine Cooking magazine, April/May 2009 (sadly, Fine Cooking is no longer in print or being published). The author is Leticia Moreinos (E before I!).
