Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread {Pao de Queijo}
Get this simple recipe for gluten-free Brazilian cheese bread, also known as Pao de Queijo! Chewy little balls of cheesy bread. Yum!
I couldn’t believe how many of you guessed correctly when I posted a picture of these babies on Facebook last week and asked if you knew what they were. I’m so proud, you little foodies, you.
A million dollars to all of you (except for those that guessed yorkshire puddings and cream puffs, no offense).
Long live pao de queijo! Or for all you other non-Portuguese speakers like me, Brazilian cheese bread. Easy Brazilian cheese bread. Gluten-free, easy Brazilian cheese bread. Delicious gluten-free, easy Brazilian cheese bread.
I wasn’t kidding in my Facebook post that Brian could polish off this entire batch if left alone.
He spent a couple years living in Brazil and doesn’t want to brag, but would like me to state, for the record, that he still considers himself (15 years later) a pao de queijo expert.
Of course Brazilians don’t necessarily make these in mini muffin tins and there are a few other differences to the authentic street food of Brian’s memories, but this quick knockoff recipe definitely fulfills the cravings and our entire family has been converted to the power and tastiness of pao de queijo.
The texture of pao de queijo is chewy. Chewy, cheesy and delicious.
This is due in part to the cheese used in the very thin batter, but it is also helped along by the tapioca flour (same thing as tapioca starch). I’m afraid there aren’t any substitutions for this ingredient but the good news is that because tapioca flour is used widely in gluten-free cooking and baking, I’ve seen it in most grocery stores these days (we’ve come so far!).
I buy mine on Amazon (the Bob’s Red Mill brand) which works great for us since we make these easy cheesy little puffs all the time.
If you’ve never had pao de queijo, methinks now is the time!
Get yourself some tapioca flour, a bit of Parmesan cheese (see the note in the recipe for other cheese options) and a mini muffin tin and you will be set.
I promise you’ll want to make these over and over again. Just remember the Official Pao De Queijo Rules:
1) They must be eaten warm. must.
2) Don’t let them get too brown on the bottom – they’ll lose their chewiness.
3) You might as well just bite the bullet and double the batch.
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Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread {Pao de Queijo}
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup canola or vegetable or olive oil
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 ½ cups (177 g) tapioca flour, fluff the flour before measuring
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (57 g) packed shredded cheese, like Parmesan or Asiago (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a mini muffin tin (this makes about 16-24 little breads so if you don’t have a muffin tin large enough, you can just make separate batches after the first ones come out).
- In a blender, combine the egg, oil, milk, flour and salt. Process until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender once or twice. Add the cheese and process for just a short bit, 5-10 seconds or a few short pulses, until the cheese is in small bits all throughout the batter.
- Give the batter a good stir to get any solids off the bottom and pour the mixture into the prepared muffin tin filling the cups nearly to the top.
- Bake the pao de queijo until very lightly golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Don’t let them get too brown on the bottom or they will be too crusty and not as chewy.
- Remove them from the oven and let them cool for just a minute or two. They are best eaten warm! Don’t worry if the cute little puffs fall a bit in the middle – that’s completely normal.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: tweaked this recipe thanks to Brian’s experience devouring these babies when he lived in Brazil
186 Comments on “Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread {Pao de Queijo}”
I think I might have the answer to why some of you are getting holes in the top or bottom of your bread.
I’ve used several different recipes and the one that I never get holes has the ingredients added to the blender in a specific order. It goes:
Milk
Egg
Oil
Tapioca Flour
Cheese (I’ve had success using low-moisture mozzarella)
Salt
Everything is added together and blended for about 10 seconds, then use a spatula to scrape down the dry ingredients inside, then blend another 10 – 15 seconds until smooth. It should be thinner than pancake batter.
Also, if you’re using mozzarella add up to 1 Tbsp salt. I know it seems like a lot but the Parmesan is very salty and if you don’t add more they’ll taste bland.
Try it and see if it works. I fill the mini-muffin pan cups about 3/4 full.
These were excellent! Not quite the same as Brazilians make, but taste and feel about the same. And way easier to make.
4 stars for flavor! These are the closest I’ve gotten to successful Brazilian cheese bread. Mine were so fluffy in the oven but fell flat as soon as I opened the oven. I was hoping the vegetable oil vs butter would be the key but alas it was not so. I wonder why my bread always collapses.
These are so good and easy. Love!
These are a family favorite! So easy and yummy. Fun to make when we invite people over, everyone loves them!
Perfection! Thank you for making dinners conquerable and something I look forward to! You are heaven sent.
This recipe is very quick, easy delicious. They looked and tasted just like our favorite Brazilian steak house.
My family calls them Brazilian Cheese Puff, and they absolutely love them.
My favorite pao de queijo recipe! It’s so easy to make (only one mixing “bowl” – the blender) and has turned out well every time I’ve made it. I’ve experimented with the cheeses and I think my favorite I’ve tried has been half grated parmesan and half grated sharp cheddar. Without the parmesan it’s not quite as salty so I’ve added a pinch of salt on top. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this recipe. My mom and I will devour a whole batch of these perfect balls of cheesy goodness!
I make these often and my family loves them. I changed the recipe a little. In stead of 1/2 a cup of cheese I use 2 cups, and I add a little garlic powder to the blender. When they come out of the oven I brush the top with a little melted garlic butter. They come out perfect with a lot of flavor
Not sure how I liked these. I used a scale to weigh the flour and the cheese, and I think they turned out just as they should, but there was no flavor to me. My husband said the same. Also, the texture kind of threw me off. Probably won’t be making these again.
We like to use cotija cheese for this. Also, sometimes my kids like to pour small amounts of batter in the waffle iron instead of using a mini muffin pan. It’s a fun variation. The texture of these is different than normal breads/rolls etc and I wasn’t sure I liked them at first but when we tried them in the waffle iron I liked them better. Also at first we used Parmesan cheese and I like the cotija a lot better. Thanks for this recipe!
Perusing your site, saving recipes to my Prepear app (typical Wednesday night) when this recipe pops up and I happened to have some asiago needing a good use. So I got my sick pregnant buns off the couch and got to baking! Nothing sounds good to me at 7 weeks prego… Except this bread. THANK YOU! Hubs and I are enjoying a late night snack, watching a show, not having to share with the piranhas… I mean children… asleep upstairs. You’re always the best!
Haha. Hear you on the piranhas. 🙂 Glad you love this bread! (Sorry you are sick!)
This time I made with the freshly grated parmesan – outstanding as always.
Mel, is this gluten free?
Yes
I used all queso fresco and they were fabulous. Even at room temp they are delicious. Love that you can prepare the batter ahead of time and refrigerate.
My kiddos love this bread!! Thank you for the recipe
I’ve been eyeing this recipe for months but never seem to have both the cheese and the flour on hand at the same time. Desperate to finally try it, I subbed in mozzarella and they were a hit. The saltiness of parm would be even better, I’m sure. But for a quick and fun side dish, they were tasty even with the substitution. Thanks for the recipe! I’m excited to try them again.
I have tried different recipes for Pao de Queijo and this is by far the best. I have family in Brazil and love these for breakfast with coffee. I just finished making my first batch and it was great.
I made one “mistake” I bought shredded Parmesan cheese in a tub, since I didn’t read all the way through the tips, but it turned out fine. I also used lactose/ fat free milk and it didn’t affect the results.
Every time I try to make Brazilian Cheese Bread, I end up with a very thick batter. Your recipe instructs to stir to get the solids off the bottom. I haven’t had it turn out thin enough to have solids on the bottom. (This has been an issue with other recipes for Brazilian Cheese Bread as well as yours.) This time I weighed tapioca and ground it into flour. It ended up being slightly more than one cup. I thought it would turn out better, but it was still very thick. I ended up adding more milk. I didn’t measure it, but it was probably about 1/2 cup. Any ideas why this is an issue for me? The bread tastes delicious, but I’m wondering why my batter is so thick.
How are you measuring the tapioca flour into the measuring cup? Do you feel like it is packed or loose? That’s the only reason I can think that your batter would be so thick – this batter when we make it is pretty runny. I fluff up the tapioca flour a bit (carefully cause it’s messy) and then scoop the cup in and level it off.
I will admit that I don’t sift, but usually I will at least fluff the flour a bit before measuring. The batter has been really thick even when I have used flour that I have just ground from tapioca, which is plenty loose. Maybe I just need to come hang out at your house for a while and watch you make some–and of course eat them with you. 🙂 Fortunately it has worked to add extra milk to the batter and they still come out delicious, but I just can’t figure out why the consistency of the batter is off. Thanks for replying.
These are so good! I made a little change the last time I made them since I was making them with Italian food. I lessened the salt in the recipe and then after I got them out of the oven spread a garlic mixture over the top (2 tablespoons melted butter and lawrys garlic salt) it was delicious! My toddlers loved it, and my husband, and our dinner guests. They were novel and delicious and SO easy to make!
Omg fantastic recipe and so easy to make!!!
I have made these so many times and they are HUGE hit! Each time i make them, I get bigger and bigger holes in the bottom though. I know a few people have commented about this issue, but wondered if you have figured out what would cause that? I made them again today, the same as i always make them and this time they puffed up so big like a little muffin and the ENTIRE thing was hollow. Any suggestions?? I’m so sad they aren’t working out!
Hey Britney – I’ve wondered the same thing! We’ve made these for years and it seems like some batches have huge holes and others do not. I’ve tried experimenting with blending times (too long vs too short), texture of the the grated cheese, and oven temperature and honestly, I’m puzzled. I haven’t figured out why the holes appear in some batches and not others. I’m sorry I’m not more help! If I have any breakthroughs I’ll update this thread, but just know you aren’t alone!
Wow this cheese bread is so good! First time i have made it.
Glad you enjoyed it, Glen! Thanks for letting me know.
Hi Mel,
Do you grease the mini cupcake trays before adding the batter in? Can’t wait to try it!
Melissa
Oops, forgot to ask.
If we make it the night before and refrigerate it overnight, do we need the batter to get to room temperature before baking it?
Thanks!
No, I use refrigerated batter all the time and it works great.
Yes, I lightly grease with cooking spray.
Easy recipe, and it turned out GREAT !
We all just loooooooooved the buns.
Thank you
Do these reheat or keep at all? My son is home from college for the summer and would love these, but his working hours are such that I’d need to make them before he could eat them. Thanks!
My kids eat the leftovers and love them – they don’t warm them up, just eat them at room temp.
Hi Mel! What do you think about subbing potato starch for tapioca flour? I’ve got some left from Passover. Thanks!
I don’t think the results will be the same, but I haven’t tried it, so I don’t know for sure.
Anybody live in high elevation? Not sure if I should add an extra 2 tbs of tapioca flour. I haven’t tried making it yet but don’t want to waste a batch.
I tried a pao recipe from Bon Appetit because I hadn’t found this yet, and mine were pancakes (but tasty pancakes). I also added more flour (almost another cup to a 4c recipe) because the dough was so wet… still kinda flat… not sure what to do here.
So I tried these tonight (for my very picky kids) and they didn’t like them! (Because they are also crazy!) Would these be less slimy with quest fresco? I think that’s what threw them- the Parmesan is slimy. I loved them though!
You could definitely experiment with cheeses (we use Parmesan 99% of the time). The texture is definitely…kind of…squishy. They take some getting used to for some people (whereas my kids will eat the whole batch – yikes!).
Thanks! I’m going to try a Parmesan/quest fresco combo tonight to feed missionaries.. I know I will eat them if no one else does! These are a great combo with your red beans and rice – DELISH! Simple,healthy comfort food (three words that don’t usually go together ha!)
Oh my goodness auto correct keeps changing my queso to quest! How annoying lol!
Wonderful.. Have tried various recipes for daughter who is GF and she loved these. We made two batches today. One with just queso fresco and one with queso fresco and parmesan. Thanks so much for such a great treat.
I finally tried these for the first time and they were such a hit! I followed the directions exactly, weighed the tapioca flour and the Parmesan cheese, and used canola oil. It made exactly 24 for me and every single one was devoured within 10 minutes of them coming out of the oven. We had them with the garden vegetable soup on your site and both recipes were delicious!
How far in advance can I prepare the dough? I am thinking of adding it to a buffett for the 50 year anniversary of my inlaws, so I naturally have already quite a bit on my hands, but IF i could prepare the dough lets says at least 3 hours in advance I should ba able to pull it off by simply leaving in it a plastic bag, cutting off one edge and fill the mini-muffinforms just before baking and serve it hot….
Yes, you can prep the batter in advance – just keep it refrigerated until serving!
These were sooooo perfect and soooo easy!!! Love love love these!!!
Ok, I’ve made these twice this week and here’s my opinion… They must be made with canola or veggie oil. I made them with canola and Parmesan cheese on the first go and they were fluffy chewy little bites of heaven even though I did get the holes in the bottom… didn’t bother me because the taste was delicious. After reading reviews I tried olive oil, parm and a teeny bit cheddar. Bleh, I just chucked them in the bin, my husband politely ate three then admitted to disliking them only after I tossed the lot of them. Yes they didn’t have the holes in the bottom but they were dense and tasted like olive oil balls. Lesson learned. Canola oil all the way!
Wow! I made these this morning to go with your Slow cooker red beans and rice with Chicken Sausage this evening. Had to make them early ’cause it’s already heating up here in NM and we haven’t got our swamp cooler going yet. I am so glad I made these, yum. I ate three for breakfast, shh, don’t tell my husband. He is going to love these.
I made them with Cojita cheese and olive oil after reading thru the comments. Worked great. Mine were really puffy, I think I may have ovver filled the cups a bit. They also do have holes in some of the bottoms (I think that’s just from the steam escaping?). But they are so good, and easy! Thank you for a great recipe.
I made these in a regular muffin tin, divided the batter between 12 cups and they turned out fine! (For all those who asked because you don’t own a mini muffin tin) 🙂
I finally made these tonight, and they were delicious and so quick to have a bread side dish for dinner! I used half sharp cheddar and half parmesan. The little cheesy bread bites are my favorite thing at Brazilian restaurants like Tucanos. My little kids loved them- “You’re the best Mom! You’re the best cook! Well, actually, we should say that MEL is the best”. So true :). Thanks for another great recipe!
I did the batter in the blender and it was very difficult. I recommend doing it by hand or in the mixer
Have made a couple different versions of this recipe and yours is by FAR the best. Turned out to perfection. So others know, I used arrowroot powder instead of tapioca and it was a perfect substitute with no issues. Thx for the awesome recipe!
I have always made these with canola oil and the tops always sunk and there were holes in the bottoms as well (still tasted great, but not as pretty to look at). Last month I tried making them with olive oil and they didn’t sink and there were no holes in the bottoms, so maybe that is the problem for some of the other commenters who have had that happen. Either way they are delicious, but I will be making mine with olive oil from now on. Thanks for the great recipe!
can you freeze these before baking or can you freeze them after baking? Thanks!
I’ve never frozen them because we eat them too quickly! But you could certainly try.
I found this recipe a couple of months ago and have made it probably at least once a week since then. I – no joke – can and will eat like 15 at once. It’s ridiculous. Also, I made quite a few of your recipes for Thanksgiving and even my brother in law who is a bit of a food snob deemed the stuffing “one of the best things he’s ever eaten.” So thank you for all you do! You are very appreciated allllllllll the way over in Nampa.
Thank you, Erica!
Hi Mel, I’ve discovered that these freeze and re-heat well. Not a problem in your house I know, but with only two in mine I try to make sure we don’t scoff an entire batch in one go!
Hiya Caroline. Did you try Microwave reheating (pbbly won’t work)? Or oven? How about in a skillet to brown a bit more? Gracias.
Wow, I made these with the summer garden vegetable soup. a great combo. Since i didn’t have any milk, I borrowed a 1/3 c of condensed milk from the soup recipe and mixed it with a 1/3 c of H2O to equal the 2/3 cup milk required for this recipe and it was easy to grate parmesan for both recipes at the same time. I couldn’t believe how easy this recipe was. I was worried because the batter was so thin but the little cheese breads were perfect. I appreciated the tips about not over mixing, not getting the cheese breads too brown and to get the tapioca starch at an asian market. I wondered if there is some interactive website way to keep track of the recipes I have tried.
No baking powder or baking soda ?
Nope.
I suggest Asian grocery stores tapioca starch same as flour only $.99 for 14 oz. and such interesting shopping for adventurous types. Tofu and noodles really cheap if you are semi vegetarian and try Thai basil it’s a delicious revelation.
Hi mel. Can I mix the batter for the cheese bread earlier and keep in frig until ready to cook? How long will it keep in frig? Thanks. Trying then for South American dinner after our travels there earlier this year,
Yep! You can mix it up 1-2 days in advance. Just give it a good stir before pouring it into the muffin tins.
Hey – I had these breads when I was in Brazil and loved them! I’m so glad I’ve found the recipe and that it’s so easy! I originally thought it might be a bit complex but glad to see its simple.
However, I am based in the Uk and wanted to know whether I could substitute Cassava flour for the tapioca flour as I can’t seem to find tapioca flour here?
Thanks x
I’m not familiar with cassava flour – your best bet may be to look online to see if tapioca flour can sub well for that type of flour.
Tapioca and cassava flour are one and the same! Cassava, tapioca, yucca and mandioca are all the same tubereous vegetable grown in the tropics.
So… When I made this, it was about as pourable as baked bread, so I added another egg and a WHOLE lot more milk, and I still had to spoon it into the muffin tin. Exactly what consistency do you expect to get from this? I used a bag of manioc flour (harina de mandioca cruda) – was this the wrong stuff?
Hi Amy – sorry this didn’t work out for you but I think the issue is in the flour. My husband, who lived in Brazil, said the flour you used is traditional to the pao de queijo made in Brazil. I’ve never seen that type of flour and don’t have easy access to it which is why the recipe I posted was developed with tapioca flour. I’m guessing the other ingredient amounts need to be adjusted if using the mandioca.
My son has Celiac Disease so I tried these and they’re a great little…roll! (Treat? Snack? Pop-over?) I used a small ninja prep and some have holes bottom and/or top, while others look fine. They all taste great! I finished my tapioca starch for this so I may have been a tad light on that, causing the holes? I just used packaged shredded “Mexican Blend” cheese this time, but I’ll have to experiment. THANK YOU! 🙂
Hi Allyson, I’m glad you liked these! I’ve gotten holes in the bottom of them a time or two. I’m not positive about why it happens but I suspect it might be overmixing…usually it’s happened after the kids have helped and run the blender too long. 🙂
Well, these are a hit no matter what, so I’ve made them at least a half-dozen times….always hollow on the bottom. Last few times I just whisked the ingredients, no change to the end result. Maybe it’s my pan or oven temperature?
Guess what, though? These can be waffles if you’re so inclined! My little guys love when I make PdQ waffles OR “pow pow” as they call the original version.
Thanks! I may not solve the hollow bottom mystery, but we’ll enjoy trying. 🙂
Love the waffle idea!
Just made them and have eaten 5 in 2 minutes. Your recipe was amazing. I think the person above making her own tapioca probably affected the recipe, as I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out just like the pao de queijos i had in Rio last week. Thanks!
I remember cheese bread from when I lived in Brazil 45 years ago. I love it. I made this recipe exactly as directed. A NASA engineer could not have been more precise! But the finished batter was more the consistency of play dough – nothing you could pour into the muffin tins. In addition it nearly killed my vitamix it was so dense. The end result was good but kind of heavy and solid . I get the impression it should have been a looser batter. What do you suppose happened? I did grind my own tapioca flour from tapioca – could that have altered the amount I added somehow? Or are you SUPPOSED to be able to roll it into golf balls? Thanks for the recipe. Maybe I will give it another go.
Hi Deb – I definitely think it’s probably from grinding your own tapioca flour. I’ve never done that myself but it’s the only thing that would so drastically affect the texture if you followed the recipe exactly. The batter should be quite thin and pourable. Next time I make it I’ll weigh the tapioca flour to see what the weight measure is (do you have a scale)?
My family is a fan of these from a local brazilian restaurant, so I followed your recipe to make these for a christmas eve dinner party (still going on at the moment, in australia) instead of having dinner rolls. They came out perfect. Thanks!
I tried to use corn starch today but it was kind of hard and not chewy at all. Do you know it’s because of the corn starch (not tapioca starch)?
Hi Victor – yes, unfortunately as far as I know, there aren’t any substations for tapioca starch that will lend the same texture to the pao de queijo.
Oh.my.gosh. These were DELICIOUS. I have a feeling I’ll be making these all the time now. They were so simple to make! I used cojita cheese and they were perfect. Thank you!
I’m so sad! These look so amazing and I’ve ordered the tapioca flour from amazon and it was supposed to get here today and it’s still not here. *Insert pouty face* Ok, sorry about the rant, I’m just so excited to try these! I’ve been looking forward to it all day and I knew you would sympathize. Hopefully it will come soon and I’ll be able to enjoy a midnight snack! 🙂 Thanks for all your amazing recipes, you are an inspiration to me!
I hate it when that happens! I can totally commiserate and stalk the UPS guy until he delivers my amazon stuff. 🙂
Wondering if these can be prepared ahead and frozen for future use.
donna – I’ve only ever made them fresh but you could certainly try freezing after baking – I think if they were reheated gently, they’d probably work out well.
I did make and freeze them, to good results!
Also, I used the cheese that was in my fridge, which happened to be gouda with cumin seeds. Wow – yummy! (not totally Brazilian, I guess, but a big hit nonetheless).
Hi – can you tell me how you reheated these? I am needing to make a whole lot of these for a party and would like to make them ahead of time and reheat. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
We usually microwave them for a few seconds but if I were warming up a large batch, I’d probably pile them in a 9X13-inch pan or something, cover with foil and reheat in a 250 degree oven for 10 minutes or so.
Hopefully you moved near a Winco where you can buy tapioca flour in the bulk section for around $1.50 a lb! I’ve also seen a 25 lb bag of it with other food storage type foods.
I just made these and they were totally hollow… No bottom or anything. Any thoughts? They were absolutely delicious, just looked a bit strange.
Hi Shandi – a friend of mine had that same thing happen and when we talked about it I think we figured out she blended the batter for too long. Do you think there’s any chance your batter was processed a bit too long? Sometimes I’ll get little holes in the bottom of mine and when I think about it, those are the times my kids have helped and ran the blender too long.
Hi Mel, I made these tonight and they were great! Never had them before so I have no idea if they came out “authentic” but we loved them. My husband sneaked out to the kitchen to eat more before I had even finished my main course!
P.S. I’ve been reading your blog and using your recipes for months now – thanks so much for all your fantastic recipes!
Thanks, Caroline!
OH MY! So glad I finally tried these! DELISH! I made a batch that got eaten so fast that I had to hurry and make another for Patrick!
Looks cute and delicious! I have to get some tapioca flour right now! Can’t wait to try it!
I baked them as long as I could, but I still felt like the insides were a little too chewy instead of just right chewy. I did not fluff the tapioca flour first, could that be why?
Hi Sara…it could be due to over flouring but since these are definitely chewy little breads, it’s hard to know how chewy (or not chewy) you wanted them without eating one. Could be you made them just right! 🙂
Hi,
I’ve made your recipe for my (Dutch) blog. It was a great succes!
http://www.maillard.nl/2014/06/26/fhl-pao-de-queijo/
Thanks.
These are great! They turned out just like you said they would. I took them to work(always a good test) and everyone approved.
Made these today and they were a success! Part of the trick for me was not relying on color but actually prodding them to feel if they were too done. Thanks for sharing!
When you do the Parmesan and queso fresco, how much of each do you use?
Bri H. – I use the same amount of cheese in the recipe no matter what kind – so often I’ll just do half Parmesan, half queso fresco (or all queso fresco). It’s really adaptable!
These were just great–they remind me a little bit of popovers. I used all freshly grated parmesan. I did have a non-stick 24 cup mini muffin pan, and was afraid to overcook them, so I baked them at 375 and just watched them for the perfect brown color. We ate them all up. A deliciously different bread. On the menu tomorrow–crispy chicken wraps, another winner!
Just made these last night and my family LOVED them! Nice change from regular rolls. Thanx!
Perusing your site, saving recipes to my Prepear app (typical Wednesday night) when this recipe pops up and I happened to have some asiago needing a good use. So I got my sick pregnant buns off the couch and got to baking! Nothing sounds good to me at 7 weeks prego… Except this bread. THANK YOU! Hubs and I are enjoying a late night snack, watching a show, not having to share with the piranhas… I mean children… asleep upstairs. You’re always the best!
Hi, I was wondering what the consistency of the dough was, being that its in a blender? Thanks, this sounds and looks like an awesome recipe! 😀
Denise – It’s very wet – more like a batter than a dough.
I have a mini-muffin tin! I need to make these!!
These were simply Ah-Ma-Zing! Super simple to whip up & oh so chewy, crispy & cheesy tasting, all at the same time. My family of 4 wolfed down the whole batch of 24 puffs w soup for dinner tonight. Really, really loved them! Oh & some of mine had holes in the bottom too – I think it’s just the way some of them puffed up. Tasted the exact same as the ones without the hole. Followed your recipe exactly other than put them in the fridge right after blending so they could be ready to pop into the oven as soon as we got home & then dinner was ready in 15 mins.
Thanks for such a different & delicious recipe Mel!
The only thing different I did, that I noticed, was I refrigerated it after I blended it, just to have it ready and pop them in the oven. (The variety came afterwards..will send you an email about that.) Anyhow, holes or no holes, they are delicious!!!! Thanks Mel! !!
I love so many of your recipes Mel! I can’t wait to try these.
What type of milk do you use? Skim? 1%? 2%?
Sara – I almost always use 1% because that’s what we keep on hand. Works great!
Great! Thanks! Btw I made the sweet and sour chicken tonight and it was a hit!!!!!
I think maybe you have some fans in my neck of the woods, because my local grocery store is completely sold out of Tapioca flour…it was the only specialty flour that was depleted. I’ll have to check out some others when next I run errands.
Holly – that’s kind of funny! If you can’t find any, I’ll send you some. 🙂 I have a whole pantry full.
They had restocked by Saturday. Just to be safe, I bought 2 bags. Made them again with my smaller muffin tins (smaller cavity) which made them about 2-bites-sized. This is a dangerous size then they are sitting on the counter cooling and I’m putzing around in the kitchen. 🙂
Oooh I love bread and have just started experimenting with making dough based recipes at home. I love the look of these cheesy bread cups!
Woohoo! These were awesome! And for the person who asked if they are like the ones a Tucanos, the answer is YES. Some of mine also had holes in the bottom, but it might be an altitude thing messing with how they raise/pop in the oven. I used a mini-muffin pan that is on the large side of that variety, and I got 12. If I use my shallower, smaller diameter pans I think I’d get 18-24. We could not stop eating them!
Made a modified version of these using my sister’s recipe and yours. ..they were yummy!!!! But, are they supposed to have a hole in the bottoms? Just wondering…
Sujoo – Nope, the ones I make never have a hole on the bottom. Maybe it’s due to combining the two recipes, not sure. I am glad they were yummy!
I tried these tonight and mine also had holes in the bottom instead of the top. They were still delicious.
Hillary (and others) – that’s so interesting about the holes in the bottom! I’ve never had that happen before. But the funny thing is Brian made these this last Sunday for Mother’s Day and what do you know…holes in the bottom!! After pressing him for details (because I wasn’t in the kitchen when he made them), he said he’s pretty sure he blended the mixture quite a bit longer than I normally do. So maybe the little holes in the bottom appear if the mixture is overprocessed??
I love pao de queijo and have been making a version ever since I returned from Brazil over a dozen years ago. tapioca starch has always been difficult to find and I have had to get it at health food stores which was quite expensive. last year, I went to an Asian food store and found it there for only 75¢ a box! thought I would pass that along 🙂 looking forward to trying your version!
Unless it’s quick bread, I just associate ‘easy’ with bread. BUT this recipe proves me wrong. It reminds me of a the lightest bread in the entire universe that I had recently at a restaurant featuring Trinadad food. I have tagged this recipe!!!!! That bread was beyond describing it to anyone. I am suspecting this is of the same ilk.
Look this easy recipe with your bread machine, step by step here: http://mimaquinadepan.com.ar/chipa/
Are these the same as the ones served at Tucanos?
Great minds think alike!
No lie, I just posted these last week! My husband lived in Brazil and he can’t get enough of these either!
http://www.eatthinkbemerry.com/2014/05/pao-de-queijo/
Can you use coconut oil instead of canola or Olive?
I am a rockstar in the kitchen! I’ve swooned over these in restaurants, but never dreamed I would be pulling them out of my oven. My pao ended up with a big dent in the bottom not the top. They are begging to be filled with meat or beans and rice. I tried putting about 1/4 cup batter in a regular muffin tin and they did well. They browned faster than the mini muffins. Thanks Mel!
So glad to hear that regular muffin tins worked, Susan. Thanks for checking back in!
Oh, perfect! Thanks for reporting back on this. I wanted to know how the regular muffin tins work.
I made these tonight. I was thrilled when you posted this recipe, because I’ve tried about every pao de queijo recipe on the interwebs, and they never turn out just right. I also have a hubby who spent two years in Brazil, so standards are high around here. I’m pleased to say they were fantastic! I cooked them a bit too long, so I’ll definitely take your advice next time and make sure they’re not too crusty. They tasted just like the ones you get at a Brazilian restaurant, and didn’t last longer than 5 minutes in my house. Mel, you’re turning me into a fantastic cook. Thank you!
So glad you loved them, Amy!
Love these! I know one commenter from Brazil said they are eaten as a breakfast item or as a snack. At our house, I serve these with soups. You can buy tapioca flour in bulk from Winco for a very reasonable price.
I live where I am fortunate to have several Asian markets close by. At each of those markets I have found tapioca starch for less than $1 for a 14 oz. bag.
Are these similar to Empadinha de queijo which are Portuguese….they look similar from the photos. I need to make a portuguese appetizer for a dinner party this Saturday and I’m really hoping these will do the trick 🙂 as all the recipes for Empadinha de queijo are in portuguese 🙂 Thanks!
As Brazil’s language is Portuguese due to a large amount of settlers from Portugal, I’d bet they would be very similar, but not quite the same.
Jodi – I really don’t know since I’m not familiar with Empadinha de queijo. You might try looking around online to see if they are similar. Sorry I am not more help!
No worries…from what I can tell they are close enough for me to bring to this meal where no one has lived in Portugal….but one daughter is about to head there on her mission. So I’m going for it…plus I’ve never had a recipe of yours fail unlike others I’ve randomly tried form the web. Thanks!
I have successfully substituted arrowroot starch/flour for the one time I couldn’t find tapioca starch, but it isn’t any cheaper.
Curious about how it cane out with the arrowroot powder as that’s the only ‘flour’ I have at home…
Can you make these in a regular sized muffin tin instead of the mini muffin tins?
I made these in regular sized muffin tin, as someone had commented they had done so successfully. Mine; however, were not edible. When warm, biting into then could be compared to biting into a melting rubber ball, the taste was quite plain. At room temperature they were very springy (worse than a hot dog) and the taste of the parm was dry and almost bitter (I shredded my own good quality cheese). I write this hoping to save someone else the waste of ingredients. For all the rave reviews I have to believe the issue was my use of the wrong pan, not the recipe.
I agree with Oklahoma– I made these tonight in a standard muffin pan, adding 1/4 cup batter to each tin cup (it made nine total). They cooked in 23 minutes in a doubled-up tin (one tin inside another– that’s my secret to great muffins that don’t get overly brown on the bottom).
The rolls looked just like Mel’s pictures, just bigger. The bottoms did have holes in each, even though I mixed it lightly by hand.
The taste ranged from okay/bland on the outside to a very chewy rubbery middle (it was cooked but tasted kind of like eating raw dough).
I was surprised at how little the parmesan came through– I grated my own nice cheese and packed it like the instructions said and I couldn’t taste it at all. I used olive oil and that was basically all the bread tasted like. Just chewy, oily dough.
Maybe the mini tins are magical? Or maybe just not my kind of bread.
Hey Chelsea, I definitely think the mini muffin tin is key – because these little cheese breads are very chewy, I think too much of that texture is not necessarily a good thing. The mini size gives just enough chewiness without being overwhelming and the Parmesan flavor shines through since there’s more outer crust to inner chewiness in the mini size rather than the larger size. Sorry they didn’t work out for you.
I made them again when I was at my in-laws where they had mini tins and they did turn out better! I had two brother-in-laws that had served missions in Brazil and they said the texture was right on. Thanks, Mel 🙂
Yay!
They look wonderful! Can I use soy milk instead of milk? Or, perhaps heavy cream as a substitute for the milk?
Noelle – I’m not sure since I haven’t tried either of those subs. I definitely think they are worth a try, though. Good luck if you do!
Can you make these in a regular sized muffin tin instead of the mini muffin tins?
Kathryn (and Amy) – I suppose you could. I haven’t tried it so I’m not exactly sure how well they puff/bake through – but worth a try if you don’t have a mini muffin tin. Add a few minutes to the time and then just watch closely so they don’t get too brown on the bottom. Good luck if you either of you try it!
Kathryn or Amy, did you try making it in regular sized muffin tins? I have had these before, I love them, but I don’t have my own mini muffin tin. I’d love to learn from your experience. Thanks!
I’m from Brazil and you make it completely different from the way i make it…. the way i make it makes a soft dough that you can take chunks and roll it up in little balls and bake it in a cookie sheet…. i like to use the Mexican Melting Cheese…. so, so good.. yum!!!!!
Adriana Evangelista, I’m interested to know how you make yours! My husband lived in Argentina Misiones and when I showed him Mels post, he was so excited, but I’m also curious to know how you make yours!
Did you ever get a response from Adriana Evangelista about her recipe for the Brazilian cheese balls? Thanks, Mary
Nope, sorry!
this is very similar to what in Argentina and Paraguay we call chipa, I´m gonna try this recipe and see the differences 🙂
Mel, you must have read my mind. My sister has been bugging me to bake this since she tasted it in Brazil. Thanks for posting the recipe!
OK, I am SO making these… how cool!
Can you make this with all purpose flour?
No.. you cannot substitute it…. you must use the starch
Hi Karen – unfortunately all-purpose flour doesn’t work in this recipe…it relies on the tapioca flour/starch to come out right.
Would using white rice flour instead work?
Emily – I haven’t tried it but I’m pretty sure this recipe relies on tapioca flour/starch.
If you want to make Pao de Queijo, follow the recipe using tapioca flour. If you want to use flour, make gougères, a similar product.
Our Brazilian friends made us these a few months ago and now I am so excited to make them. Delicious!
If you (or anyone who makes these) could measure the flour and cheese in ounces, that would be great! I love going by weight so I get consistent results. (Plus measuring fluffy grated Parmesan cheese doesn’t sound so fun.) Thanks! They look great and I look forward to making them!
My husband will be so thrilled when I show him this recipe!! He lived in Brazil until he was 16 & misses it there, especially the food.
We are having a World Cup party in June and I will be making these!
That’s a great idea! I’ll make these during the World Cup as well!
On another note, so HAPPY to see you back in my email! Thanks for addressing the problem Mel, I simply LOVE and use a great majority of your recipes, ALL.THE.TIME! I wish the other bloggers I subscribe to would address this issue as well. Make the best of your busy day.
Thanks, Debbie – so glad the emails are back!
I love those things. I have been trying to find a recipe I like and recently discovered that in Brazil they use a certain kind of tapioca flour which is called sour starch. Apparently there are sweet and sour versions of tapioca starch. The sour starch is sold on Amazon, but it’s spendy so I haven’t tried it yet.
Do you add the flour in with the cheese?
Heather and Amy – yes you do! Sorry for the confusion. I put that in the directions. Everything goes in the blender at first except the cheese. The cheese is added last and pulsed just a few times. Thanks for the heads up!
I have never ever heard of this. It looks like something fun to try.
The correct is “Pão de Queijo” and not “Pao de Queijo”, that literally means “Bread of Cheese”. It’s very common on Brazil, we buy one of these in any place, is easy to make. You can buy packages ready to bake.
Do you add the flour in with the cheese?
What do you eat these with? Soup? Or are they more like a snack or appetizer? They look great and I’m sure my family will gobble them up!
No, we Braziians eat it as a snack, or in our breakfast, with some jelly, our cream cheese (“requeijão”) and a nice cup of freshly brewed coffee
What is the actual traditional or authentic Brazilian cheese used in these that I would find used if I went to Brazil?
Queijo minas
Oh, yum . . .bring on the carbs! I can’t wait to make and impress my family with this recipe. Of course, not telling them how easy they are to make. 🙂 Finally, after many days, many miles, and many stores, I found garlic chili sauce. I am excited to make your Asian Grilled Chicken with Peanut Sauce this weekend. Although it has been a great excuse to go shopping, I’m going to have to break down and buy an Amazon prime membership. 🙁