This strawberry brigadeiro recipe is a delicious twist on the Brazilian dessert, chocolate brigadeiro, and it calls for 4 ingredients only!
Strawberry brigadeiro recipe
While looking for a few easy Valentine’s Day desserts, I realized I knew a pretty straightforward recipe all along, the brigadeiro, of course!
But instead of using the usual chocolate powder, I used strawberry powder to make it look more, let’s say, romantic.
This strawberry brigadeiro is called bicho de pé in Brazil which literally means foot bug.
Foot bug is a type of flea-like creature that lives in tropical swamps. Walking barefoot in those places carries a high risk of having those creatures set territory in the delicate flesh between your toes.
They happen to look a lot like strawberry seeds, therefore the name. With this explanation, I just proved to you that we Brazilians have a twisted sense of humor… At any rate, I rather go with “strawberry brigadeiros.”
Disgusting things apart, brigadeiro is by far one of the easiest Brazilian desserts and popular Brazilian food. We usually serve it at birthday parties, but with a few tweaks, it can become a tasty valentine’s sweet.
However, these strawberry truffles are by no means only for valentines. You can easily prepare it for your child’s party, to celebrate spring or any other occasion.
Brigadeiro pronunciation: bree-gah-day-roh
Recipe for strawberry fudge truffle
This strawberry brigadeiro recipe is perfect for when you don’t have much time to spend in the kitchen but would like to prepare something new.
And as I tried my hand at this new flavor, you could also try and make one of these brigadeiro recipe variations if you would like to.
I won’t get into much details about it for the sake of keeping this article organized, so let’s now talk about this brigadeiro with strawberry taste.
Fun fact: Brigadeiro is the Portuguese word for brigadier. This popular Brazilian sweet has this name because a confectioner created it to support the presidential campaign of Brigadier Eduardo Gomes in the early 1950s.
Eduardo lost the election, but the candy won the country and was never forgotten.
Strawberry brigadeiro easy recipe
Before we talk about the instructions, I’ll answer a few questions that readers ask me often regarding the preparation and storage of strawberry brigadeiros.
Are these strawberry truffles easy to prepare?
Yes, easy-peasy, mainly because you won’t use the actual fruit, meaning you basically add everything to the pan, cook for about 10 minutes, let it rest, roll the truffles, and dredge.
The whole process takes about 1h30, but only because you let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Besides, you will only need sweetened condensed milk, unsalted butter, flavored powder, and chocolate sprinkles or granulated sugar to make this strawberry fudge. Yes, it’s that easy!
How to store strawberry brigadeiro truffles?
You can store your brigadeiro truffles in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the refrigerator, but they harden a bit when cold.
If you want, you can freeze the leftovers. Here are some tips for doing that:
- Freeze the strawberry brigadeiro without the mini bonbon cup.
- Don’t use granulated sugar to dredge them if you plan on freeze this brigadeiro.
- To unfreeze, let them rest for one hour inside the closed plastic container, then transfer the truffles to the bonbon cups.
- Strawberry brigadeiros freeze well for up to three months.
What other brigadeiro flavors are there?
I have several suggestions right here for you.
- Vanilla brigadeiro
- Coffee brigadeiro
- White chocolate brigadeiro
- Coconut brigadeiro
- Passion fruit brigadeiro
Strawberry brigadeiro fudge truffles
This strawberry brigadeiro truffles recipe is quick, straightforward, and doesn’t have a massive list of ingredients. Even if you have no advanced cooking skills, you will find it very easy to follow it.
Tips for making beautiful strawberry brigadeiros
- I use strawberry powder to give it the pink color, so it becomes a sort of brigadeiro with Nesquik. I prefer this method over the one with gelatin as the gelatin hardens the candy far too much.
- I only make my hands wet to roll the brigadeiros. Many people prefer greasing their hands, but honestly, I don’t think it is necessary.
- You can use any kind of sprinkles you prefer. Some common dipping ingredients are granulated sugar, chocolate sprinkles, and shredded coconut.
- To get an even look, you can weigh your brigadeiros. My brigadeiros weigh 15 grams.
How to make strawberry brigadeiro
Let’s talk about how to make your strawberry brigadeiro.
Grease a plate with butter and set aside.
Over medium-low heat, cook the condensed milk and butter in a non-stick pan. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula non-stop.
Once the butter has melted, add the strawberry powder and pinch of salt. Continue mixing.
The mixture thickens after about 10 minutes, and you can run your spoon through the middle of it without it running back together for 2-3 seconds.
Pour the mixture into the buttered plate, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
In the meantime, place the mini bonbon cups on a serving plate on the counter and a bowl with granulated sugar.
Wet your hands, put a tablespoon of the chewy mixture on your hands, and roll into a small ball. Cover with sugar, and transfer to the bonbon cups.
Enjoy!
Pin it!
Strawberry Brigadeiro Recipe
This strawberry brigadeiro recipe is a delicious twist on the Brazilian dessert, chocolate brigadeiro, and it calls for 4 ingredients only!
Ingredients
- 1 14 ounces can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons strawberry milk powder
- A pinch of salt
- Chocolate sprinkles or granulated sugar to garnish
Instructions
- Grease a plate with butter and set aside.
- Over medium-low heat, cook the condensed milk and butter in a non-stick pan. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula non-stop.
- Once the butter has melted, add the strawberry powder and the salt. Continue mixing.
- The mixture thickens after about 10 minutes, and you can run your spoon through the middle of it without it running back together for 2-3 seconds.
- Pour the mixture into the buttered plate, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- In the meantime, place the mini bonbon cups on a serving plate on the counter and a bowl with granulated sugar.
- Wet your hands, put a tablespoon of the chewy mixture on your hands, and roll into a small ball. Cover with sugar, and transfer to the bonbon cups.
- Enjoy!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 94Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 42mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 0gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g
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Elysia
Thursday 10th of March 2022
Oi Bruna!!! I made this version brigadeiro twice now and both times the texture is hard and tacky… Do you have any suggestions on how to prevent that or correct it? Muioto Obrigado 😘
Bruna
Wednesday 23rd of March 2022
Hi Elysia! Hmm, it is hard to say, but I think you slightly overcooked it. When that happens, the sugar will slightly caramelize, which gives that texture. You could try adding a little half and half cream and cook it until the mixture reaches the right texture. Next time, try keeping the heat low until you master the technique. It might take a little longer to cook, but it will be easier to prevent this. I hope it helps!
Rachel Marie Grosstueck
Monday 26th of April 2021
Where can I find white mini bon bon cups?
Bruna
Tuesday 27th of April 2021
Hey Rachel, you can find them on Amazon. Here's a package from Amazon that comes with 200 pieces: https://amzn.to/2XdEjkf I believe the "official" name is candy cup No.3. Good luck!
Kim
Tuesday 17th of November 2020
Could I also use strawberry powder from crushed up strawberries instead of the strawberry milk powder?
Kim
Sunday 20th of December 2020
@Bruna, Hi I'm trying it right now and it's chilling in my fridge as we speak. I did forget the pinch of salt because it didn't say it in the instructions but I'm guessing that won't be that big of a deal. I'll message in about an hour to tell you if they worked out or not! :)
Bruna
Wednesday 18th of November 2020
Hi Kim! I haven't tried it with natural strawberry powder yet, but I can only assume it will have a much richer fruity taste than the milk powder as the latter is packed with sugar, corant, etc. If I just hadn't had so many sweets the past weeks, I would definitely try it but I don't think that's smart or waistline-friendly at this point, especially with the holidays just around the corner. If you try it, please come back here and let me know how it turned out! I would love to know. Thank you and good luck!