Bolo de Bolacha
A hearty Portuguese dessert built around plain tea biscuits, strong brewed coffee and cocoa powder — roughly 55 minutes start to finish, and rated easy to make. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven. At easy difficulty across 6 steps, it's a good one for a busy evening. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (3)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Beat the softened butter with the icing sugar for several minutes until very pale and fluffy, then beat in the vanilla and a tablespoon of the cooled coffee to make a smooth, spreadable coffee buttercream (this version uses no raw egg, so it is safe in a no-bake dessert).
- Brew the coffee strong, sweeten it lightly if you like, and let it cool to lukewarm in a shallow bowl wide enough to dip the biscuits.
- Dip each biscuit briefly in the coffee so it softens but does not fall apart, then arrange a single layer on a serving plate.
- Spread a thin even layer of buttercream over the biscuits, then repeat with more dipped biscuits and cream, building five or six layers and finishing with a layer of buttercream over the top and sides.
- Crush a few extra biscuits and press them around the sides if you wish, then dust the top with cocoa powder.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight so the biscuits soften into a cake-like texture before slicing and serving cold.
You'll use: Oven
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
What to serve with Bolo de Bolacha
Tips & common questions
How long does Bolo de Bolacha take to make?
About 55 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 6 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Bolo de Bolacha vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Bolo de Bolacha is an original Portuguese recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Bolo de Bolacha com Chia Fatiado.jpg by KaryPT, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.