Brazilian Cheese Bread

ByNatalya Syanova
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PÃO DE QUEIJO

I was lucky enough to get a masterclass from our Brazilian friend JP, now I can share with you the most authentic and delicious Brazilian cheese bread recipe .

Brazilian cheese bread is crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy inside with aromatic cheesy flavor. Great thing about it, is that you can choose any cheese you love. I’ve tried cheddar, Asiago and Parmesan, and my family loved the cheese balls with Parmesan the most. But you can be creative and play with any type of cheese you like. This Brazilian cheese bread recipe is super easy to make and yields about 24 small balls.

You can double the ingredients and freeze them for later.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 50g milk
  • 50g water
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 3g salt
  • 165g tapioca flour 
  • 1 large egg
  • 100 g grated Parmesan, or Cheddar or any other cheese.

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350F.
  • Add the tapioca flour and salt to a bowl.
  • Add the milk, water and butter to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
  • When liquid will start to boil, remove the pan from heat, and immediately pour the hot liquid into the tapioca mixture.
  • Using spoon stir to combine – the mixture will look lumpy.
  • Let the mixture to cool down for 2-3 min, then add an egg and mix with the spoon until homogeneous mass.
  • Add cheese and stir it well into the batter.
  • Oil your hands, then scoop a full teaspoon size portions, roll them into balls, and place them in a baking sheet, covered with parchment paper or silicone mat ,1-2 inches apart.
  • Bake until golden brown, approximately 25-35 minutes.

Note: if you are planning to freeze some of your cheese balls, place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, transfer the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes for them to set. When they are set, and can keep their shape, you can put them into an airtight bag and freeze for 2-3 months.

Brazilian Cheese Bread

Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)

59kcal
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Prep 15 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 45 minutes
Crispy on the outside, incredibly soft and chewy on the inside, Pão de Queijo is a classic Brazilian favorite. Because it is made with tapioca flour, this intensely cheesy snack is naturally gluten-free and dangerously addictive.
Servings 24 Small Cheese Balls
Cuisine Brazilian

Ingredients

The Cheesy Gluten-Free Matrix
  • 165 g Tapioca flour also labeled as tapioca starch / polvilho doce
  • 50 g Milk
  • 50 g Water
  • 50 g Unsalted butter
  • 3 g Salt
  • 1 Large egg
  • 100 g Grated cheese Parmesan is highly recommended, but Cheddar or Asiago work beautifully too

Equipment

Method

Scalding the Starch & Mixing
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the 165g of tapioca flour and 3g of salt.
  3. In a small saucepan, combine the 50g of milk, 50g of water, and 50g of unsalted butter. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat.
  4. The moment the liquid boils, remove it from the heat and immediately pour it directly into the tapioca flour mixture.
  5. Stir vigorously with a spoon. Note: The mixture will look quite hot, sticky, and lumpy at this stage as the boiling liquid scalds and gelatinizes the starch.
  6. Let the sticky mixture cool down for 2 to 3 minutes so it doesn’t cook the egg. Add the 1 large egg and mix thoroughly with a spoon until a smooth, homogeneous, sticky mass forms.
  7. Dump in the 100g of finely grated cheese and stir it well until it is completely distributed throughout the batter.
Rolling & Baking
  1. Rub a light coating of oil onto your hands to keep the dough from sticking to your skin.
  2. Scoop out full teaspoon-sized portions of the dough, roll them between your palms into smooth, neat balls, and place them on your prepared baking sheet spaced 1 to 2 inches apart.
  3. Slide the tray into the oven and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25 to 35 minutes until the cheese balls puff up and turn a beautiful, light golden brown color. Serve them piping hot!

Nutrition

Calories59kcalCarbohydrates6gProtein1gFat3gSaturated Fat2gPolyunsaturated Fat0.2gMonounsaturated Fat1gTrans Fat0.1gCholesterol16mgSodium40mgPotassium13mgSugar0.1gVitamin A107IUVitamin C0.004mgCalcium34mgIron0.1mg

Notes

  • The Starch Type Matters (Polvilho Doce): When shopping for this recipe, ensure you look for tapioca flour or tapioca starch. In traditional Brazilian cooking, this is known as polvilho doce (sweet tapioca flour). Do not substitute this with standard wheat flour or cornstarch, as tapioca is what provides the signature expansion and uniquely chewy, elastic texture.
  • Pro Tip for Batch Freezing: Pão de Queijo freezes beautifully and makes an incredible on-demand snack. To freeze them, arrange the raw, rolled dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 15 minutes to set. Once firm, transfer them into an airtight freezer bag for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw them completely on your counter before baking as normal.
  • Waffle Iron Snack Variation: For a fast, crispy twist on this snack, you can press your thawed cheese dough balls straight into a preheated waffle maker. It cooks incredibly quickly and creates a fun, deeply channeled, extra-crunchy cheese waffle structure!
  • Handling Sticky Dough Successfully: Because gelatinized tapioca is naturally very tacky, the dough can be a bit messy to handle initially. Keeping your hands well-oiled throughout step 8 is the easiest way to ensure the balls roll up smoothly without sticking to your fingers.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

24 Comments

  2. We call this bread “crack” in my house because you can’t eat just one. Or two. Thanks for the recipe, and all that you do and share. My sourdough baking thanks you.

    Reply

    2. I’m brazilian…. you can bake it frozen as well. But if you are patient, you can wait a little bit before bake. 😊

      Reply

      1. My bad – I used what we name “goma de tapioca” here in Brazil that is hydrated. Probably what you call “tapioca flour” is something similar to “polvilho” in Brazil 🙂 Really sorry.

  7. Love the fact that you can utilize your recipes in any language. Wish everyone can do that. Can’t wait to try these Brazilian Cheese Bread.

    Reply

  9. These were delicious, however very small – 1 1/2 ” round and 1/2″ high in size. I am assuming that is ok, since really isn’t any rising agent. It says make them teaspoon size, although tablespoon size makes 24. In your picture they appear a bit bigger, but only 20 on the cookie sheet, so guessing you just weighed and divided by 20. I am just unsure if I did something wrong, or possibly they are supposed to be tiny

    Reply

  11. Hello, Natasha. I’m from Minas Gerais, Brazil, land of authentic cheese bread🧀😋.
    Try baking thawed cheese balls in a waffle maker. It’s quick and makes a delicious snack👍
    Cheers

    Reply

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