Of all the foods I fell in love with while living in Brazil, Pao de Queijo (literally translated to ‘bread of cheese’) is right up there at the top of my favorites list. If you’ve never had this type of Brazilian cheese roll, it’s not the same type of bread or roll we’re used to here in the US. It’s made with tapioca flour, as opposed to all purpose flour, so it’s almost more like the texture of a cream puff shell or popover, but with more substance. The outside is slightly crisp and browned and the inside is soft and chewy. In the US, you can find them regularly served in Brazilian restaurants, and in Brazil, they’re in every corner store and bakery.
Below, I’ll show you 2 different methods of preparing the exact same recipe:
1. The traditional method (shown above, R) where the wet ingredients are first heated and then beat together with the dry ingredients and scooped into little dough balls before baking. This results in: A traditional roll with a slightly crisp outside and a soft chewy center.
2. The shortcut version (shown above, L) where you put all ingredients in a blender and pour the ultra thin liquid batter into a muffin tin. This results in: A flavorful roll with the same chewy texture, but not as much density. These often puff up with hollow centers, and shrink after baking. The outside is a little thinner, but still delicious.
Here in this photo you can see the blender method roll on the right and the traditional method on the left. Both super delicious!
Ingredients and Equipment List
- Tapioca Flour– look for tapioca flour in the specialty flour section of the grocery store, or online. I have also found it sometimes in the bulk foods area of stores like WINCO. It’s a naturally gluten free flour. If you happen to be serving these to a person who needs to avoid gluten for medical reasons, avoid purchasing from bulk bins where there can be risk of cross contamination.
- Egg – Egg acts as a binder and helps produce the chewy texture. I’ve never tried these with any egg substitute.
- Milk – You can use any milk in this recipe, though I prefer one with a higher fat content, like 2% of whole. If you don’t have those, use whatever is in your fridge, including a plant based option if you need to do that for dietary reasons.
- Salt – without salt, these will turn out quite bland! I use kosher salt. If subbing table salt, decrease the amount slightly.
- Cheese – feel free to vary the cheese and discover new combinations. I prefer to use medium or sharp cheddar and parmesan, but most cheeses work well. Stronger flavored cheeses will produce a more flavorful roll.
Instructions
BLENDER METHOD
- Put all ingredients except cheese in the blender and blitz it up!
- Add cheese and pulse just a couple times
- Quickly pour into prepared muffin tin (I say quickly, so cheese stays distributed.
- Optionally, you can sprinkle a little more cheese on top
- Bake until puffed and just barely golden.
- 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.
TRADITIONAL METHOD
Pay attention to the photos and my explanation here, because while I have made these a ridiculous number of times over the years, the finished dough, with the exact same ingredients and measurements (even weighed to be sure) often turns out with completely different consistencies. And it’s okay!
- First you’ll heat your milk and oil on the stove until just simmering.
- Then you’ll add this to your tapioca flour. You’ll notice in the photos below, I’m adding the flour directly to the pot, but often I put the flour in my mixer, and pour the hot liquid over it and that’s fine too.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Sometimes this mixture comes out smooth and silky like playdough. Other times it’s crumbly like wet sand. You’ll notice the smooth version in the pan below left, and the crumbly batch (with the egg on top) on the right. The lack of consistency has driven me crazy for years, but after trying other people’s recipes and encountering the same thing, I think it’s just part of the fun haha. I know that different brands of tapioca flour have different levels of absorbency, but even with the same bag of flour, I find this still happens, so now I just go with it. Bottom line- either of these outcomes is okay!
3. The next step is beating in the egg, and then the cheese. Ideally, your mixture should look like a wet cookie dough:
4. You can then use a cookie scoop to drop it on a baking sheet and bake until puffed and golden.
SOS!
But let’s say your batter is super runny! There’s no way it will hold its shape. Guess what? Happens to me too! Sometimes it just does that. No problem! If it’s just slightly too wet, you can simply add a bit more tapioca flour and even a bit more cheese. If it’s really loose, simply spoon your batter into a muffin tin (mini OR full size) as opposed to the baking sheet, and they will bake right up and be absolutely delicious. They’ll be a little crispy on the outside and soft, tender, and chewy on the inside.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can these be made ahead? These are best eaten fresh, but you can absolutely make the dough/batter ahead of time. With the traditional method, refrigerate dough in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Chilling also helps it set up if it’s a little runny.
- Can you freeze Pao de Queijo? The baked breads aren’t as good after freezing, but if you use the traditional method of preparation, you can scoop the dough onto parchment and then freeze. Place frozen dough balls in an airtight container or zip top back for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes onto baking time.
Brazilian Cheese Rolls | Pao de Queijo
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 cup tapioca flour sometimes labeled tapioca starch no substitutions
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese preferably medium or sharp
- 1/4 cup 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
Quick Blender Version:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray or rub with butter.
- Place egg, milk, oil, tapioca flour, and salt in blender and blend until smooth. Add cheeses and pulse just a couple times.
- Immediately pour batter into a mini muffin tin , filling each well about 3/4 full. If desired, sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top.
- 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.
Traditional Method
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or* spray a muffin tin with non stick spray or rub wells with butter (*see note).
- Place milk and oil in a small pot and heat until just simmering and remove from heat.
- Place tapioca flour and salt in a mixing bowl and pour hot milk and oil over top. Beat to combine.
- NOTE: At this point, your mixture might look crumbly and grainy, this is okay.
- Beat in egg.
- Add cheese and beat to combine.
- Scoop dough into balls (I use a cookie scoop, you can do any size you like, I aim for golf ball size) onto parchment-lined baking sheet* and bake until puffed and set on the outside, just slightly golden. Time will vary depending on size, but usually around 15 minutes.
- *NOTE: I've made this recipe a million times and have found at this point, sometimes the finished dough is scoop-able like cookie dough, and other times it's kind of runny like thick pancake batter. Tapioca flour differs in absorption levels and this isn't unusual. If your dough is not scoopable, you can always add a little bit more flour. But what I usually do is just bake the mixture in a muffin tin as opposed to a baking sheet. They still turn out great!
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- sharper, stronger cheeses will make for a more flavorful roll.
- Keep in mind, these actually don't re-heat well, so I recommend making and eating fresh.
Questions & Reviews
I can’t wait to try this. I just bought the tapioca flour. The pães de queijo I had in Brazil were ok, but didn’t live up to their reputation, and I never had homemade.
Você tem uma receita de feijoada também? 🙂
I made these tonight! I wasn’t sure what to expect (other than that I’d like them, how could they not be delicious?!), but they turned out great! Never had anything like them. My mini muffin pan is nonstick and has only been used a couple of times, but my pao de queijo stuck and I had to pry them out. No harm done to the taste though. They tasted very good and most surprising of all was the texture. The bottom part was airy but the top part basically had the exact texture of melted mozzarella cheese. My husband actually thought they were little fried cheese things. After reading the reviews, I’m not sure if they were actually supposed to have that texture, but we sure liked them and I plan to make them again soon (and grease the pan next time)! Thanks so much for the fascinating and yummy recipe 🙂
These look so yummy! Does this recipe work well without the use of a blender?
Sure, you can whisk everything together. If you’re not using a blender, whisk the milk in a small amount at a time so you can avoid lumps.
My wife just made these and I must say they are just as good as they were when I was a missionary in Brazil. Thanks!
I have never heard of these before, but will definitely be making them as soon as possible!
Thought I’d give it a shot and make these for a 3-year-old on a gluten free diet. I tried one and thought, “Wow, these are awesome!” and reluctantly sent the batch with his mom to take home. But I couldn’t stop thinking about the rolls all day and ended up making a second batch later which was devoured by our family. The 3-year-old LOVES them and so do we. Thanks for sharing and BTW you are 100% right – they are dangerous!
OMG THANK YOU! Just made these and pretty much ate the entire batch myself. Such an easy and delicious recipe!
I’m brazilian and I loved this recipe of yours… Not a week goes by without these pao de queijo!!! Thank you for sharing!
That means so much to me coming from a Brasileira! So glad you liked it!
THANK YOU!!!
I went to Brasil 8 years ago and have been wanting these ever since! I have even ordered the pre-made packages on-line and like you said, NOT the same! I will be trying these ASAP!!
This is a great recipe! I have only had this from Fogo De Chao in Austin and I absolutely loved the bread, so I attempted to make it earlier this year and it wasn’t right, the consistency was off. This recipe is perfect! I did half with parmesan on top and half with kosher salt on top. The salt was really good! Thank you sooooo much for posting this! Also, I am glad to know the name now, it is so much fun to say!
My husband is from Brazil and very much misses the little things that remind him of home. I have tried so many different recepies for this wonderful Brazilian bread:) These were SO easy to make and turned out awesome!! One bite and my husband had a huge smile on his face…these will now be a staple in our house. Thank you so much!
We just made these not too long ago and they were a big hit. I served them with a spicy black bean soup. Yum! My husband and his buddy, both returned missionaries from Brazil, were thrilled with how “right on” they were.
Thank you for posting this! My hubby and I love these and I was so excited to try your recipe. i made them last night for New Years and they were perfect! My family devoured the whole batch in minutes, and I had to make another batch when my in laws arrived. (Those vanished too.) Thanks so much! I see many Brazilian dinners in our future. 🙂
From a Brasileira living in the US, if it tastes as good as the real ones, you will have a thanks from the bottom of my heart 🙂
I just cried a little when I saw this recipe! Every now and then I dream about these little breads and never could find my own recipe from when I was in Brazil. Thank you thank you thank you!! You have taken me back 10 years to another time and place. Obrigada!
De Nada 😉
Yumm! I can’t wait to try these! 🙂
THANK YOU – THANK YOU. My family was all diagnosed with Celiac (yes, right during the Christmas Holidays – I went into Gluten Free melt down). It is great to have these GLUTEN FREE recipes and since my sister married a Brazilian, we have loved Pao De Queijo – had no idea they were gluten free. It is so fun to find “doughy” food that we can eat!!
These look like a tasty addition to a soup or salad. Easy to prepare too. I’m looking forward to trying these.
Any chance you can grind pearl tapioca and have it work?
Hi thanks for sharing this looks great! My coworker brought some in from a local bakery and I never though it would be this easy to make… I featured the recipe on my “guilty pleasures” post and of course gave you full credit 🙂 teezaknows.wordpress.com
We have a Paraguayan recipe for chipa that’s similar, but the batter isn’t a liquid and it has anise. My husband grew up in Paraguay where his parents were missionaries.
2 lbs. Tapioca starch
3 ½ sticks of unsalted butter softened to room temp.
1 ½ oz. anise
1 Tbsp. salt
7-8 eggs
4 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Mix softened butter and tapioca starch until all of the starch is combined with the butter. Add anise and salt and mix. Combine cheese with mixture. Add eggs last. Start with 7 and add the eighth if the mixture is too dry. Make small, flattened loaves and cook at 350 for about 20-25 min. depending on the oven. The loaves should be brown on the bottom and firm on the top. They should be soft/slightly doughy in the middle.
This recipe could be halved.
Thanks for this easier recipe. I have friends from Brazil who made these for me (and got me addicted), but they used a flour mix from a Brazillian market. I haven’t been able to find one near me. But I eat gluten-free, so these became my gluten-free grilled cheese sandwiches! I make up a huge batch, then roll them into doughballs (I think their recipe might be thicker, more cheese I think?). Then I arrange the balls on a cookie sheet or cutting board, and freeze them. Once they are frozen, I put them in a huge Ziplock bag to keep in the freezer. Then for lunches, I pull out 2 or 3 (or 4 or 5…) and pop them in a toaster oven for about 20 minutes or so at 350ish. They are so cheesy and crunchy!
You have just made my day! Do you even read 101 comments when you posted this back in Feb. Doubt it, but just want to say THANK YOU! I’m so excited to try it. I served in Brazil and had a profound love for Pao de Queijo. In fact, I’m pretty sure we were in the CTM together. (Nov. 2000 -ish). My name was Sister McConkie back then.
Anyway, thanks. I’ve tried a few things over the past couple years but it’s never been the same.
Oh my goodness. Will you please be my best friend? I have been looking for this recipe for YEARS. I can’t wait to try your version, they look heavenly. Thank you for sharing!!!!
Just made these, they are absolutely delicious BUT! They all stuck to the pan, and it took me 15 minutes and a lot of cursing to get them out. Any tips? Do I need to spray PAM on the tins before pouring in the batter? But thanks for the tasty and SUPER easy recipe! It was still worth the struggle…
Oh no! You must not have a very non-stick, non-stick pan, lol. Yes, I would definitely spray or butter the muffin wells next time. If you have a good non-stick pan they should pop right out without a problem.
Also, after making this recipe many times successfully, and then getting a new oven and them consistently flopping, I’ve learned that they stick when they aren’t cooked long enough. Try cooking them a little longer, and they come out much easier.
Hey! I made these tonight for a brazilian dinner, and they were awesome! It is a fantastic recipe. I love how easy it is, and it produced excellent results. It is way better than using the Yoki mix, and just as easy, if not easier. I just wanted to thank you for sharing.
YAY! I served in Brazil and I have been craving these since I came home. I am beyond excited to try them. Thanks! 🙂
Just a question… can you use the pre-grated Parmesan cheese? I have a big container of it but I just wonder if that melts as good?
You know, you probably could Amy. Normally I don’t recommend the pre-shredded because as you mentioned it doesn’t melt very well, but I think here, especially since you’ll pulse it in your blender, it would be just fine.
My husband’s favorite thing about going to restaurants is the bread they bring you before the meal-he LOVES this stuff! Well unfortunately, about a year and a half ago he was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and that pretty much put an end to that obsession. Most of the rolls we’ve tried that are gluten free are dry, mealy, and just not good. Well, my sister-in-law cooked these babies up for us last weekend and my hubby was in HEAVEN!!! I swear he ate about 20 of them during dinner-the rest of the meal was good too but I don’t think he noticed much else other than these rolls. They were amazing and the texture was great! Thank you so much for sharing this one, it’s going to become a regular at our home!
Where did you find the mini muffin tin? I have looked at several stores, including Target and Bed Bath & Beyond…no one has these! I tried in a regular muffin tin and I don’t think they are turning out quite right…
Target and Bed Bath and Beyond definitely carry them, I’m positive! They shouldn’t be hard to find, so maybe ask a store employee?
I think my stores are just stupid (my husband and I spent at least 15 in Bed Bath & Beyond looking, you would think it would be easy to find there)…but I will try again, thanks!
I have been looking for a good recipe for tapioca Flour to put on our website and came across this one. I have tried it several times and my family loves them too.
Would you be willing for us to add this recipe to our web site. I am willing for you to word it to your specifications and add your name – how ever you want to. I really need a good recipe to put with our Shiloh Farms tapioca flour. Even cooking with Issac’s is recommending for our flour to be used in their cookbook.
I am looking forward to your comments and pray you will find us acceptable. Thank you so much for considering us.