Of all the foods I fell in love with in Brazil, Pao de Queijo (literally
translated to ‘bread of cheese’, how can that not be delicious?) is right up there at the top. And it’s been tormenting my soul for the past 10 years as I’ve tried recipe after recipe trying to duplicate the taste and texture I love. You can buy pre-packaged mixes, but they’re not quite the same as homemade. The problem is that there are several different methods to making these little balls of heaven. A lot of them involve lots of hard to find ingredients, and methods like heating a mixture on the stove, kneading a big messy dough, etc. When I was in Brazil, I learned how to make the most quick and easy version- an ultra fast liquid batter that you just poured into a muffin tin. It’s been driving me crazy that I couldn’t find my recipe or one that was like it. And then a few weeks ago something magical happened. My husband walked in after organizing some junk in the garage and asked me if I wanted a little pink notebook. I knew immediately what it was. It was bursting with little scraps of papers. Scraps of papers with recipe notes on them. I heard the hallelujah chorus. We ate Pao de Queijo about 25 minutes later. And it was heavenly.
If you’ve never had this type of Brazilian cheese bread, it’s tricky to explain. It’s actually not “bread” at all- at least not like we’re used to here in the US. It’s almost more like the texture of a cream puff shell or popover, but with more substance on the inside. The outside is slightly crisp and browned and the inside is airy and chewy. If you’re not familiar with them at all then I want you to be fully informed so you don’t expect an actual yeast bread “roll”. If you do, then you’ll probably think these are super weird and gooey. They’re served at popular Brazilian restaurants, but honestly, while I adore those restaurants, I’ve yet to have a really good Pao de Queijo at any of them. So trust me when I tell you that if you like those (or any of the pre-packaged mixes), you will probably love these homemade ones. And if you know anyone who has ties to Brazil like I do, you are sure to melt their heart with these. Once you see how quick and easy they are you’ll be making them all the time!
The best part is that I have 99% of the ingredients in my house pretty much at all times.
The only semi-strange ingredient in there is Tapioca Flour, and it’s actually easier to find than you might think. It’s a really smooth, soft flour that feels much like cornstarch. It’s made from the ground roots of the cassava plant and it’s gluten free for those of you that care about that 🙂
You can grab it off Amazon and have it delivered to you, but a lot of normal grocery stores carry a good selection of Bobs Red Mill products which is the brand I use. Here in Idaho I can always find them at Fred Meyer, near the health food/specialty foods isle. You can also find tapioca flour at Asian markets as it’s used in a lot of Asian cooking, and also at health food stores and places like Whole Foods where you can find a good selection of wheat flour alternatives. Definitely check the gluten free isle of well stocked store. If you live in an area with WINCO grocery stores, people are telling me you can find it in the bulk section (how did not know this?? Thank you readers!) You can’t substitute any other type of flour– the tapioca flour is key, so when you find a good place to buy it, stock up!
Okay, ready for easy? You can prep these in about 60 seconds. Seriously. Put everything but the cheese in the blender (I adore my Blendtec) and blend until smooth.
Then add in your cheese and pulse the blender one or two times. I like to break it up a bit and mix it in, but not pulverize it. And you can be creative here. I like a mixture of Parmesan and sharp cheddar. It’s important to use cheese that has a stronger flavor because it’s really the only flavor you’re putting in there and if it’s too mild I’ve found the rolls turn out pretty bland. But play around with it and find your perfect mix. You can also add more or less cheese, it’s pretty flexible.
Now just take your blender and pour the batter into little mini-muffin tins. It’s a very thin batter so pour slowly!
I like to sprinkle a little more parmesan on top. Because I like to sprinkle a little parmesan on top of just about everything. I inherited that from my father, who puts parmesan on just about everything he makes. A little sprinkle of kosher salt is also yummy.
Recently I was browsing food blogs and was excited to see a nearly identical recipe on Bewitching Kitchen. She mentioned putting rosemary in there, which at first I thought sounded a little strange. Not because I don’t think it would taste good, but because I’d never had pao de queijo with any type of herb before. I tried it just for kicks and man was it good! You can either sprinkle a little dried or fresh rosemary on top, or blend it right in the batter. Loved that addition.
Then you pop these babies in a hot oven and watch them do their magic. They puff up into perfectly little bubbly golden balls of cheesy goodness. How’s that for a descriptive sentence?
You want to cook them just until they’re set on top and barely golden. If you over cook them, the tops actually look pretty similar, but you can tell by the bottoms. Case in point:
And don’t be concerned if the rolls sink in the middle. These photos are actually a bit misleading because I photographed them literally seconds after coming out of the oven. It’s perfectly normal for them to sink down in the centers and they taste exactly the same!
Eating Pao De Queijo warm is a definite must. I’ll just say that right now. As soon as they’re cool enough to handle, bust one open and eat it.
They’ll be a little crispy on the outside and soft, airy, and tender on the inside. Almost a little chewy. Some of them are even kind of hollow. This version is definitely less dense than the kneaded dough variety. The yield is anywhere from 16-24 rolls, depending on how full you fill your muffin pan. I fill mine pretty full (a good 3/4 full) and I generally get about 16-18.
I dare you to just eat one. This recipe is a little dangerous.
Quick Brazilian Cheese Rolls {Pao de Queijo}
- Yield: 16
Description
Literally translates to “bread of cheese”…how can that not be delicious? Quick, easy, and fantastic every time.
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 cup tapioca flour (sometimes labeled tapioca starch) no substitutions
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 C grated cheddar cheese* (preferably medium or sharp)
- 1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
- Optional: extra cheese to sprinkle on top and any herbs/flavorings you’d like to add. Try rosemary and or garlic powder, my favorites!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place egg, milk, oil, tapioca flour, and salt in blender and blend until smooth. Add cheeses and pulse 2 times. Immediately pour batter into a mini muffin tin (if your muffin tin isn’t non-stick, spray lightly with non-stick spray first), filling each well about 3/4 full, or just slightly less. If desired (and I recommend), sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top and/or a tiny sprinkle of kosher salt.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before removing rolls from pan. Serve warm. {Que Gostoso!}
Notes
- *Tip: You can play around with the cheese. I’ve used Monterey Jack, low-moisture mozarella, swiss, and even gruyere in place of the cheddar. All great!
- Keep in mind, these actually don’t re-heat well, so I recommend making and eating fresh.
Hoorah! I love you for posting this recipe! I am like you and had a notebook of recipes or notes on how to make all the delicious Brazilian bites from the time I spent in Brazil…but unlike you I was never able to find mine!
Thank you so very much for sharing this! I cheered for joy when I saw this recipe (I think my husband thinks I’m nuts…at least he will until I make these bad boys for him)!
I am grabing my keys and am heading to the market to find tapicoa flour, we will be enjoying pao de queijo shortly!
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!
YES! I always have a big brazilian feast for my husband (who lived in Brazil for 2 years) in December. These will be a wonderful addition!
Saddest story ever. The first 2 times I made these they turned out perfect! Delicious and round and yummy. The next 3 times they completely flopped!!! They all sunk and came out gooey-chewy and a big on the greasier side, with or without Pam. I tried 2 different ovens and 2 different pans and I have yet to accomplish that same first delicious result. Any ideas anyone?!
I made this last weekend. I used a combination of gruyere and pecorino romano, soooo good. I used butter instead of oil, not sure if that made any difference in flavor.
What do you serve these with when you make them for dinner?
We love them with rice and black beans (the Quick and Easy Black Beans on this site) and any type of grilled meat; that’s a pretty classic Brazilian meal. Also the Black Bean Soup is a fave!
Oh good! I made them with the quick and easy black beans, cilantro-lime rice and the taco chicken. Once the weather cools down, I will have to try them with the soup! I also made the rolls in a regular muffin tin (don’t have a mini one), do they cook more evenly in the mini muffins tin? I think mine were a bit overdone on the outside but possibly undercooked inside…still yummy though! Thanks for another great recipe!!!
I’ve tried them both ways and they definitely work better in the mini muffin pan, so give that a shot!
Where did you get your mini muffin pan? I have looked in several stores and cant find one anywhere!
Just saw your response to another comment, I will try and look at the store again, thanks!
I tried the recipe you shared for pao de quiejo up above because I had such a craving for them. So easy and quick too. Tasted delicious! Just wanted to say thank you for sharing and making my day with as little as yummy Brazilian bread! CHEERS!!!
L O V E this bread! My husband went to Brazil on his mission too and we have been making this ever since I found the recipe. THANKS!
If you don’t have the skill or time to make pão de queijo from scratch you can buy the ready mix at http://www.amigofoods.com/paodequeijo.html
My Brazilian husband loved these!!! I have made them before, but they always took a while to mix up and roll out by hand. Love the quick way and they taste awesome! Going to make some of your other brazilian recipes tonight! Thanks!
Bless you for this! My Brazilian friend gave me the best recipe for Pao De Queijo which I have made but it is so hard! And it the ingredients are a lot more expensive than this one! (like a cup of feta along with all the other cheese!) Anyway, this one looks great! And seems much faster! My husband will be thrilled! Now I have one more reason to by a mini muffin tin, which I want to much!
We tried this recipe and we were not disappointed disappointed! By we I mean my husband did the cooking and I did the shopping. The bread was soft and light and must admit better than the ones I had at a brazilian bbq restaurant which introduced me to these great cheese rolls. These will definitely be part of our recipe collection
Just made these for the second time and we love them! I just wanted to mention that in Australia I use Arrowroot which says it is interchangeable with tapioca. I found it right next to the baking powder. Maybe that will help those who can’t find the Tapioca. It sure turns out great!
Made these tonight and the family loved them. I did kind of have a hell of a time trying to find the flour though. But it was worth it. Thanks!
I’m neither LDS nor have I have been to Brazil but these rocked my socks!!!! I made them last night and they were a hit!! I think I underbaked them in fear of overbaking but they were still some cheesy goodness! I followed your recipe to a T and did not deviate with cheese selection. I will admit I’m a sharp cheddar fan over parmesan so I sprinkled half with cheddar and the other half with parmesan and believe it or not the parmesan ones won my affection the most!
Thanks for your most fabulous recipes!!!!!
These things are soooo easy and so yummy! I’ve already made a bunch of variations of them (toppings) and they are soooo good! THANKS!!!!!!! I am from Louisiana but live in Utah now, and I love your blog! I love food blogging and have my own as well! So fun! Congrats on all your success!
I have never tried or heard of pao de quiejo before, but the simplicity and uniqueness intrigued me…wow! So light, fluffy, spongy, and delicious, but not too strong in flavor… I took the few that were left over to work and popped them in the microwave for about 5 seconds, they were good, but not as good as they were when they were fresh out of the oven. I can’t wait to make these again for a tapas-themed potluck tonight 🙂
These are so awesome! They are very similar to the ones I’ve had at a Brazilian steak house. Very easy to throw together!
I’m so happy to find this recipe. My husband served his mission in Brazil too & these are his favorite! I found tapioca flour in the bulk section at Winco for $1.48/lb, I can’t wait to surprise him tonight with your brazillian black beans, rice & these rolls!
Love these! As a fellow girls with Brazilian ties, my other addiction from Brazil is catupiry (com frango pizza–YUM!!) After much searching and many failed attempts, I found a substitution that is close enough to satisfy a craving I thought I’d share: melt equal parts meunster cheese and cream cheese together over low heat. When it cools, I slice it on pizza, in coxinha… delish!
ooh, great tip about the Catupiry! I usually use straight cream cheese in my coxinhas, I’ll have to try that!
Amazing! I am married to a Brasilian and we both agreed these were delicious and authentic! Yum!
Turned out great!!! Thank you!
I made it tonight! They are fantastic!
I wish I could hug you! I have a gluten-intolerance so I can’t eat those delightful cheese-breads at Tucanos. I already have tapioca flour on hand so I will be making these tonight.
THANK YOU sooooo much for sharing this recipe.
LOVE THIS RECIPE. I found a similar recipe a few months back because I had a craving….so I went on the hunt. I have made them several times since and they go quickly. Everyone always LOVES them and they are super easy. Instead of chedder I use Queso Fresco (mexican cheese) and its delish! I coudn’t find Queso Fresco at a specialty or health food store but I have found it at King Soopers and Albertsons.
Thanks so much for this recipe! Absolutely love it! I have to eat gluten free and have now made these twice. Even hubby and 2 sons love them. I’m going to try and convert some of your other recipes to gluten free…I’ll let you know how I go. I live in Sydney, Australia and tapioca flour is easy to get here.
can i use fat free milk? what about sandwich cheese if i dice it up? or string cheese?..yes i don’t usually have much “good” cheese at my house.
Yes you can use fat free milk. As for the cheese- no, I wouldn’t use string cheese or sandwich cheese. Just normal cheddar works great!
I made these and they turned out perfect….and delicious!
I’m making them again tomorrow for a friend that I am taking dinner to. She has to eat gluten free, and these will be perfect to go along with the dinner!
I missed the linked comment to here, sorry. These were really great. My wife made these and they were excellent. We just subbed Gryuere for Parmesan. You can kill my previous comment, because I am an idiot.
We made these…used some Guuyere instead of Mozzarella. They were really really great.
THESE ARE SCRUMPTIOUS!! A NEW HIT AT OUR HOUSE!!