Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread {Pao de Queijo}
User Reviews
4.7
Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread {Pao de Queijo}
Description
This recipe for Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread combines eggs, oil, milk, tapioca flour, salt, and shredded cheese like Parmesan or Asiago. Tapioca flour gives the bread its signature chewy texture and elastic crumb. The batter is blended smooth before stirring in cheese bits, then baked in a preheated oven at 400°F using mini muffin tins to form individual puffs. They bake until lightly golden, maintaining a moist and slightly chewy interior.
The cheese type affects flavor and texture; firmer cheeses like Parmesan work best, while softer cheeses alter the results. Avoid pregrated or preshredded Parmesan from cans or tubs to maintain authentic flavor. Freshly grated cheese is preferred for best taste. Tapioca flour is essential to the recipe’s distinctive texture and does not have a good substitute.
Serve these mini cheese breads warm, as their texture is best just after baking. They can be a snack, appetizer, or accompaniment to meals.
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup canola oil or vegetable or olive oil
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 ½ cups tapioca flour fluff the flour before measuring
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup shredded cheese like Parmesan or Asiago (see note, packed
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
- Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese for best flavor; avoid pregrated or canned types.
- Tapioca flour is essential; it provides the characteristic chewy texture without a good substitute.
- Experiment with cheese types after mastering the basic recipe; firmer cheeses give better texture.
- Bake mini breads until just lightly golden to avoid a crusty exterior and maintain chewy inside.
- The recipe yields about 16-24 mini breads using a small muffin tin.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 24Mini Breads
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 Mini Bread | |
| Calories | 60kcal | 3% |
| Carbohydrates | 7g | 2% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 3g | 5% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 10mg | 3% |
| Sodium | 110mg | 5% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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