Cajuzinho | Brazilian food and sweets

Cajuzinho is a Brazilian traditional sweet that, together with brigadeiro and beijinho, is very common in birthday’s parties in Brazil.

What does the name cajuzinho mean?

Well, cajuzinho literally means “little cashew”. So you may be thinking it is made of cashews. The thing is: the common recipe doesn’t contain any cashews in it.

Historically, the name comes it from a sweet made in the North and Northeast of Brazil, which has cashew pulp in it. In those regions, cashew is an abundant and common fruit in those areas. You may only know the nuts, but the nuts is just one part of the fruit.

So, what’s cajuzinho made of?

It consists of roasted and ground peanuts, condensed milk, sugar, and cocoa powder, shaped into small, conical cashews that are usually rolled in sugar.

Cashew nuts may be added, if you want, but peanuts are dominant in flavour. This popular sweet is found throughout Brazil, either prepackaged or made at home, and it is especially popular at Brazilian parties. If made in a traditional manner, it is common to press a single peanut into each cajuzinho.

Let’s check the recipe!

Ingredientes:

1 lata de leite condensado (1 condensed milk can)

1 colher de sopa de manteiga (1 table spoon of butter)

1 xícara de chá de amendoim torrado e moído (1 tea cup of roasted and ground peanuts)

1 colher de sopa de cacau em pó (1 table spoon of cocoa powder)

Sugar to roll the cashews

Peanuts to finalize the shape

Modo de preparo:

Em uma panela, coloque o leite condensado, a manteiga, o amendoim e o cacau. Leve ao fogo baixo, mexendo sempre, até desprender do fundo da panela (cerca de 8 minutos). Retire do fogo, passe para um prato untado com manteiga e deixe esfriar. Modele os cajuzinhos, passe pelo açúcar e decore-os com um amendoim.

(In a pan, add the condensed milk, the butter, the peanuts and the cocoa. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it comes off the bottom of the pan (about 8 minutes). Remove from heat, pass to a buttered dish and let cool. Shape the cajuzinhos, pass it on the sugar and decorate them with a peanut.)

Healthy version of cajuzinho:

If you are vegan, or if you can have a lot of sugar, you can make your healthy or fitness version of this candy. Just mix peanut butter (pasta de amendoim) with cocoa powder (cacau em pó), coconut milk powder (leite de côco em pó) and coconut sugar (açúcar de côco) and that’s it! Make the same shape and pass it on the coconut milk. It is also delicious and healthy!

Now, if you want to see it bing prepared, watch the live class we had on Instagram teaching how to make it. Click here. We hope you like it and maybe you can make your own cajuzinhos.