Candy Cane Brigadeiro

The Candy Cane Brigadeiro Recipe is a festive twist on the traditional Brigadeiro, a fudgy ball from Brazil. They are dressed up in crushed candy canes with a rich, soft caramel-like chocolate ganache underneath the festive coating.

Hello folks! How are you doing? And to my American readers: did you have a nice Thanksgiving weekend?

Now, can you imagine that Christmas is less than one month away? Where does this time go so fast? (Just a rhetorical question, though.)

Today I am sharing a recipe I made and photographed last year, just like these Christmas Brigadeiro. And even though I have prepared many new recipes for you this season, I couldn’t hide this one from you. These Candy Cane Brigadeiros are not only luscious and decadent, but also festive and pretty, thanks to their mint candy coating.

What are Brigadeiros?

Brigadeiros are a traditional and very popular Brazilian chocolate confectionery, similar to fudge or a chocolate truffle, but without a hard shell. Made from sweetened condensed milk, butter, and cocoa powder, these Brigadeiros are cooked on the stovetop, cooled, and then rolled into balls, typically coated in chocolate sprinkles. They have a wonderful, chewy texture, as well as a rich, caramel-chocolate flavour.

Candy Cane Brigadeiro Recipe

Use the same ingredients as for the classic recipe, plus a touch of espresso powder (peppermint and coffee complement each other well). Swap chocolate sprinkles for crushed candy canes. If preferred, omit the candy cane coating and add a few drops of peppermint extract to the chocolate mixture.

So, to make this Candy Cane Brigadeiro Recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• Sweetened condensed milk provides the 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 gives the truffles their rich, deep chocolate flavour and characteristic dark color. It also helps balance the sweetness of the condensed milk.
• Butter gives the Brigadeiro a rich taste and glossy finish. Greasing the pan with butter also makes cooking smoother by preventing sticking, though this step isn’t always specified.
• Espresso powder adds a festive, peppermint mocha vibe.
• Crushed candy canes are used to roll the finished truffles, giving them a festive appearance and a traditional Christmas flavour.

How to Make Candy Cane 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, espresso powder, 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. 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.
  • 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 Peppermint Brigadeiros? Check out more inspirations:

• Brigadeiro – Brazilian Fudgy Balls
• Brazilian Brigadeiro with Lavender (Fudgy Truffle Balls)
• Christmas Brigadeiro (Christmas Brazilian Truffles)
• Pumpkin Spice Brigadeiro (Fun Halloween Edition!)

I hope you like this Candy Cane 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!

Print

Candy Cane Brigadeiro

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Dessert, TrufflesCuisine: Brazilian, Author’s Recipe, Christmas, Festive

Servings

16-24

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Chilling time

1-2

hour

Candy Cane Brigadeiro is a festive twist on the traditional Brazilian sweets. They are dressed up in crushed candy cane with a rich, soft caramel-like chocolate ganache underneath of the festive coating.

Cook Mode

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Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. butter, divided + 1 tbsp. more (optional, see step 5) (45-60 gr.)

• 400 ml. sweetened condensed milk

• 3 tbsp. dark unsweetened cocoa powder (~23 gr.)

• 1 tbsp. instant espresso powder (or coffee)

• a small pinch of salt

• ~1/2 cup crushed candy cane (~100 gr.)

• Equipment:

• medium, heavy-bottomed pan or saucepan

• wired whisk

• spoon or spatula with a long handle, preferably wooden

Directions

• Grease a heavy-bottomed saucepan with 1 tablespoon of butter (both the bottom and sides).
• Place the condensed milk, cocoa, espresso powder, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the butter (in small pieces).
• 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 heat to low and continue cooking, constantly stirring, for about 12-14 minutes. First 8-10 minutes or so you won’t see serious changes, but very soon the mixture will become creamy and fudgy. It’s important to keep stirring the mixture even more vigorously as that’s the point it can easily burn.
• Pro-Tip: If you feel the mixture is boiling too fast or you see little bites of caramelization (They are totally fine and delicious – unless they are burnt) appear, simply remove the pan from the heat for 20-30 seconds. Reduce the heat and then return the pot back. You can also also add a small amount of extra butter, to cool down the cooking process (You can add up to one extra tablespoon – at once or divided and used throughout the cooking process.)
• Pro-Tip 2: Pay attention to the bottom of your pan as it can easily start burning. If that happens (significantly), transfer the mixture into another pan, without scratching the bottom. However, during the cooking process you can see some tiny caramelized ‘drops’ develop in the mixture – they are totally fine and delicious – just chewy bits that makes Brigadeiros not as homogeneous yet equally good. However, if such pieces turn brown and you feel the burning smell – there is no much you can salvage the recipe. Bottom line: vigorously mix the mixture most of the time, and don’t leave the pot for a second, especially after 8-10 minutes have passed.
• As soon as it has thickened enough – until you can see the bottom of the pot for 2-3 seconds when dragging a spatula through – turn the heat off and remove the pot from heat. The overall cooking time should take between 12 and 14 minutes. Don’t overcook or you will have hard handy. Keep in mind the mixture thickens even more once cooled.
• Chill the mixture in the fridge for an hour.
• When the mixture has cooled, lightly wet your hands (or apply some butter), put a tablespoon of the chewy mixture on your hands, and roll into a small ball. Roll in the crushed candy cane. Pro-tip: if the candy cane are nit sticking well to the balls, let the chocolate mixture stay at room temperature for about 15 minutes, to soften bit.
• Refrigerate a bit and enjoy it! Keep refrigerated for up to one week. For the best result, remove from the refrigerator 10-15 minutes prior to serving.