Christmas Brigadeiro

If you like traditional Brazilian fudgy balls, you will love this Christmas Brigadeiro recipe. These rich, chewy truffle balls have a wonderful aroma of winter spices and a hint of orange liquor. Additionally, they are adorned with festive sprinkles.

Hi folks – I hope you are well and starting to feel a holiday vibe.

Today, I am excited to share a recipe that will pump up the festiveness. Let’s dive into this Christmas Brigadeiro recipe.

What Are Brigadeiros?

Brigadeiros are traditional Brazilian chocolate confections made from sweetened condensed milk, butter, and cocoa powder. Cooked on the stovetop, cooled, and rolled in chocolate sprinkles, they have a chewy, dulce de leche-like texture and a rich, chocolate-caramel flavour.

Why You’ll Love These Christmas Brigadeiros

• Rich and decadent Brigadeiros offer a deep, caramel chocolate flavour.
• The addition of warming spices, orange liqueur, and festive sprinkles make them taste and look festive.
• They have a unique, chewy, and fudgy texture.
• They’re easy to make with just four ingredients, most likely already in your pantry.
• It’s an inexpensive recipe.
• They look elegant and can be presented as a gift.

Christmas Brigadeiro Recipe

This festive version features warming holiday spices and orange liqueur, along with festive sprinkles, to create the perfect winter holiday drink. To make this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• Sweetened condensed milk provides signature sweetness and a thick, chewy texture. Cooking it slowly over low heat develops a consistency similar to dulce de leche, essential for authentic Brigadeiro.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – This ingredient gives the truffles their rich, deep chocolate flavour and their characteristic dark color. It also helps balance the sweetness of the condensed milk.
• Butter – Butter gives the Brigadeiro a rich taste and glossy finish. Though not always specified, greasing the pan with butter also makes the cooking process smoother by preventing sticking.
• Spices – A merry blend of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, and clove brings warm, festive flavor to every bite.
• Orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec or Cointreau, adds festive sparkle to these holiday treats.
• Sprinkles – Finish with an array of green, red, and white sprinkles for a truly festive touch to your holiday truffles

How to Make Christmas Brigadeiro

Brigadeiros are easy to make, but need attention and time. Vigorous whisking can count as your arm workout for the day!

Add condensed milk, cocoa powder, spices, liquor, and butter to a heavy saucepan on medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a spatula to prevent sticking and burning. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened; it make take a few minutes longer due to the addition of extra liquid – alcohol. For accurate measurement, use a candy thermometer and cook until the mixture reaches 205°F to 208°F.

Then, you need to cool the mixture completely, which takes 1 to 2 hours. However, you can speed up the process by refrigerating the mixture.

Lastly, roll the cooled mixture into bite-sized balls and coat them in the sprinkles.

Pro-Tips

The Brigadeiro recipe is straightforward but somewhat tricky. These tips will help you make perfect fudgy Brigadeiros:

• A heavy-bottomed saucepan distributes heat evenly, reducing the risk of burning.
• Once heating, whisk vigorously and scrape the sides and bottom continuously to prevent sticking and burning. Please note that the addition of spices makes this mixture even more prone to sticking or burning, so I cannot emphasize enough the importance of whisking constantly.
  • When the mixture is ready, avoid scraping the bottom and sides as those parts may be overcooked.
• Don’t rush. Cook over low heat, or it may burn quickly.
• If you feel the mixture is boiling too fast or you see little coagulated, caramelized bites (a few of them are totally fine and delicious – unless they are burnt) start to appear, quickly remove the pan from the heat for 30 seconds. Reduce the heat and then return the pan to the stove.
• Adding a small knob of butter can slow down the cooking process.

Check More Brigadeiro Ideas

Did you like these festive Christmas Brigadeiros? Check out more inspirations:

• Brazilian Brigadeiro with Lavender
• Candy Cane Brigadeiro
• Pumpkin Spice Brigadeiro (Fun Halloween Edition!)
• Brigadeiro – Brazilian Fudgy Balls

I hope you like these Brazilian Brigadeiro with Lavender, and you will give them a try. If you make these Brigadeiros, please let me know by posting in this thread, sending me an Instagram message, or sharing your photos using the hashtag #havocinthekitchen.

Cheers!

Print

Christmas Brigadeiro

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Dessert, Truffles, ChristmasCuisine: Brazilian, Author’s Recipe

Servings

16-24

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

12

minutes

Chilling time

1

hour

If you like traditional Brazilian fudgy balls, you will love this Christmas Brigadeiro recipe with an aroma of winter spices and a hint of orange liquor.

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• Christmas Brigadeiro

• 1 can (400 ml or 14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

• 3 tbsp. (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 tbsp. (30 g) butter, divided
  plus butter for greasing hands

• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger

• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

• 1/8 tsp. ground cardamom

• a small pinch of clove

• 2 tbsp. (30 ml.) orange liqueur such as Triple Sec or Cointreau

• 1/2 cup (75 g) festive green, red, and white sprinkles (jimmies)

• Equipment

• medium, heavy-bottomed pan or saucepan

• whisk

• spoon or spatula, preferably wooden

Directions

• Grease a heavy-bottomed saucepan with 1 tbsp. (15 g) of butter (both the bottom and sides).
• Add the condensed milk, cocoa powder, spices, orange liquor, and 1 tbsp. (15 g) of butter to the greased pan.
• Bring to a slow boil over medium heat, constantly stirring with a whisk first then with a wooden spoon or spatula.
• After bringing the mixture to a slow boil, reduce the heat to low or medium-low and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for about 10-12 minutes; it could take 15 minutes or so thanks to the addition of alcohol. In the first 7-8 minutes or so, you won’t see any serious changes, but very soon the mixture will become creamy and fudgy. It’s essential to continue stirring the mixture even more vigorously, as this is the point at which it can easily burn.
• Pro-tip. If you feel the mixture is boiling too fast or you see little coagulated, caramelized bites (a few of them are totally fine and delicious – unless they are burnt) start to appear, quickly remove the pan from the heat for 30 seconds. Reduce the heat and then return the pan to the stove. Adding a small knob of butter or an extra splash of alcohol can slow down the cooking process.
• The Brigadeiro is ready when you scrape the bottom of the pan, and it takes 2-3 seconds for the Brigadeiro to return to its place. For accurate measurement, use a candy thermometer and cook until the mixture reaches 205°F-208°F.
• Transfer the hot Brigadeiro mixture to a dish or plate, without scraping the sides and bottom too much, and let it cool for about 2 hours. You can speed up the process by refrigerating the mixture.
• Store them in a cool place or refrigerate until serving time. For the best result, remove from the refrigerator 10-15 minutes prior to serving. Enjoy!

• Brigadeiro – Brazilian Fudgy Balls (classic recipe)
• Brazilian Brigadeiro with Lavender
• Candy Cane Brigadeiro
• Pumpkin Spice Brigadeiro (Fun Halloween Edition!)

I hope you like these Christmas Brigadeiro recipe, and you will give it a try. If you make these Brigadeiros, please let me know by posting in this thread, sending me an Instagram message, or sharing your photos using the hashtag #havocinthekitchen.

Cheers!