What are Brigadeiros?
Brigadeiros are traditional, Brazilian chocolate sweets.
They are small, round confections made from sweetened condensed milk with cocoa or chocolate powder and butter. This mixture is cooked until it thickens, then rolled it into balls and coating them—usually with chocolate sprinkles.
Brigadeiros are soft, fudgy, and rich, somewhere between fudge and truffles, but uniquely Brazilian.
They are so iconic that parties, like birthday parties, celebrations, and family gatherings, feel “incomplete” without Brigadeiros
Brigadeiros gourmet are premium, modern versions of traditional Brigadeiros, made with higher-quality ingredients, refined techniques, and more elaborate flavors and presentations.
Who invented the brigadeiro
No one knows for sure who invented the Brigadeiro. Brigadeiro is a collective invention — born from Brazilian home cooking in the 1940s, not from a single person.
The first known published recipe called “Brigadeiro” appeared in 1949, in O Cruzeiro magazine, written by Helena B. Sangirardi. Sangirardi did not claim authorship; she presented it as an already-known sweet, which suggests it was circulating informally before publication. There is no documented individual inventor.
Sweet Condensed Milk
The history goes back to the main ingredient Sweet Condensed Milk.
The Problem in the 19th century was that fresh milk spoiled quickly and thus, dangerous in cities before refrigeration and pasteurization existed. An American inventor, Gail Borden, patented, in 1856, a method to evaporate much of milk’s water and add sugar, which acted as a preservative. The result was sweetened condensed milk, shelf-stable and safe. It became widely used during the American Civil War (1861–1865) to feed soldiers, helping popularize it.
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In 1866, the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company was founded in Switzerland. It later merged with Nestlé in 1905, helping make condensed milk a global product.
Because condensed milk required no refrigeration, it spread rapidly to regions with
Hot climates, Limited dairy infrastructure and Urban populations.
In Latin America, Asia, and parts of Africa, it became a culinary ingredient, especially in desserts.
During World War II, shortages of fresh milk and sugar increased reliance on condensed milk. The Brigadeiro, most likely, emerged in urban middle-class households, especially in Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo , in the mid-to-late 1940s.
it's a myth, but romantic
It is a myth, that the brigadeiro was invented during Brigadier Eduardo Gomes’s 1945 presidential campaign and it is a myth, that it was invented by a specific named woman for political fundraising. There is no contemporary evidence (newspapers, cookbooks, campaign records) linking the sweet’s creation directly to the campaign. The name likely came after the sweet already existed.
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So why is the sweet called Brigadeiro?
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The sweet is called Brigadeiro because its name became associated with Brigadier Eduardo Gomes, a famous Brazilian Air Force officer and presidential candidate in the 1945 election—but the connection is symbolic, not proven as an origin story.
The political context
In 1945, Brazil held its first presidential election after the Estado Novo dictatorship.
Eduardo Gomes, a brigadier in the Air Force, ran as a candidate and became extremely popular, especially among urban, middle-class women. His campaign generated slogans, songs, and popular enthusiasm—his name circulated widely in everyday life.
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As the sweet already existed or emerged by the late 1940s, as well as the earliest printed recipe appears in 1949 it suggests that the sweet is named after and not created for the campaign.
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His title became the name of the sweet “Brigadeiro” as it was a catchy and plausible name, It was Memorable and modern: military titles carried prestige at the time, Distinctive: unlike generic names like “docinho de chocolate” and Politically neutral afterward: even though Eduardo Gomes lost, the title remained recognizable.
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Over time, the person faded, but the name stuck. The story that women sold the sweet to fund Gomes’s campaign survives because was simple and romantic, it fitted the postwar domestic image of the dessert and it explained the unusual name in a neat way
But no contemporary evidence confirms that version.
Reference:
The information above is an abstract from an article written by Pedro von Mengden Meirelles, Doutorando em História pelo PPGH/UFRGS.
https://seer.ufrgs.br/index.php/aedos/article/view/88452
catering & events
BRIGADEIROS ARE FOR ANYONE,
ANYWHERE, ANYTIME.
We are always looking for something new and unique. If you want to treat your guests at your party or event with our Brazilian delicacy, we can deliver them for you.
Maybe a box for a business event, or gift boxes for Christmas, for example, we can provide it.
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Call us or leave a message below and we will be happy to work with you.
