Brazilian recipe

Quindim

Name: Quindim
Prep time: 3 h 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 3 h 55 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Brazilian cuisine
Ingredients: 12 large egg yolks; 250 g fine sugar; 100 g unsweetened desiccated coconut; 120 ml unsweetened coconut milk; 40 g unsalted butter, melted; 20 ml water, for the bain-marie; 20 g butter, for greasing moulds; 30 g fine sugar, for coating moulds

Glittering golden Brazilian coconut custards with a firm yolk-rich top and tender coconut layer, baked gently in a water bath and served unmoulded.

Northeastern and southeastern Brazil

Prep: 3 hr 10 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 3 hr 55 min
Servings: 12

Glossy golden quindim coconut custard domes — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by TamorlanSource page · Original file · CC BY 3.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

12
large egg yolks
250 g
fine sugar
100 g
unsweetened desiccated coconut
120 ml
unsweetened coconut milk
40 g
unsalted butter, melted
20 ml
water, for the bain-marie
20 g
butter, for greasing moulds
30 g
fine sugar, for coating moulds

Method

01
Prepare the moulds
Brush 12 small moulds with the butter and coat them with the mould sugar. Heat the oven to 160°C and set a deep roasting tray inside.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Hydrate the coconut
Mix the coconut with the coconut milk and let it stand for 10 minutes until the shreds are moist and flexible.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Mix yolks and sugar gently
Whisk the yolks and 250 g sugar gently just until combined; do not whip in air, because bubbles roughen the custard surface.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Combine the custard
Fold the coconut mixture and melted butter into the yolks. Rest the batter for 12 hours covered in the refrigerator so the coconut settles through the custard.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Fill the moulds
Stir the rested batter once without foaming and divide it among the 12 prepared moulds. Place them in the heated roasting tray.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Bake in a water bath
Pour the 20 ml water into the roasting tray around the moulds, close the oven and bake at 160°C for 35–40 minutes until the tops are set and glossy.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Chill and unmould
Cool the moulds, then chill for 3 hours. Run a thin knife around the edges, invert each quindim onto a plate and serve cold.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Cook condensed milk sweets over steady medium heat and scrape the base continuously so the mixture thickens without scorching.
For egg-rich custards, mix gently and strain if needed; trapped air makes the surface rough instead of glossy.

Common mistakes

Stopping the stir too long lets condensed milk or sugar catch on the bottom and adds a bitter note.
Unmoulding before the custard is cold can tear the edges and hide the clean layered texture.

Substitutions

Unsweetened desiccated coconut is the safest substitute for fresh coconut; avoid sweetened coconut because it changes the set.
If a mould shape changes, keep its volume similar and begin checking the centre early because depth controls baking time.

Storage

Keep covered at 0–4°C and use within 3 days. Return it to the refrigerator promptly after serving and do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Cultural context

Quindim reflects the layered history of Brazilian sweets: Portuguese egg-rich custard traditions meet abundant coconut in Brazil, with the name carrying an African linguistic connection.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Quindim - San Miguel- 2011.JPG — Photograph by Tamorlan; CC BY 3.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Brazilian recipes

Quindim

Ingredients

Method

Prepare the moulds

Hydrate the coconut

Mix yolks and sugar gently

Combine the custard

Fill the moulds

Bake in a water bath

Chill and unmould

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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