Pao de Queijo or Brazilian cheese bread, is a delicious, chewy roll that's easy to make at home. We'll walk you through how to make Brazilian cheese bread, including tips for making and freezing the dough so it's ready when you are.
What Is Brazilian Cheese Bread?
Pao de Queijo is a cheese bread that's popular throughout Brazil. It's made with tapioca flour and is crispy on the outside with a chewy, fluffy interior.
Brazilian Cheese Bread Ingredients
Here's a quick look at what you'll need to make homemade Brazilian cheese bread.
- Milk: You need 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of milk for the batter. You'll heat it up along with the butter and seasonings.
- Butter: For the most flavor, our Test Kitchen uses salted butter in this recipe.
- Seasonings: Flavor the batter with salt and freshly minced garlic.
- Flour: Choose tapioca flour to ensure the finished rolls have the proper texture. Do not substitute another type of flour, like cassava flour, or the texture will change.
- Eggs: You'll need just one egg for this recipe.
- Cheese: Our recipe testers like the combination of Parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella.
Is Brazilian Cheese Bread Gluten Free?
Yes, most Brazilian cheese bread is gluten-free. Be sure to confirm that all your ingredients are gluten-free before making the recipe, especially if you try one of our variations.
Brazilian Cheese Bread Variations
Our Test Kitchen developed several variations to flavor your Brazilian cheese bread.
- Ranch: Add 1 Tbsp. ranch dry salad dressing and dip mix to the mixer along with the tapioca flour.
- Southwest: Use pepper jack cheese for the shredded cheese option and add 1 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro and 1 tsp. finely chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce when adding the cheese to the mixer.
- Loaded: Use cheddar cheese for the shredded cheese option and add 2 Tbsp. bacon bits (or finely chopped crisp cooked bacon) and 1 Tbsp. finely chopped chives when adding the cheese to the mixer.
- Italian: Use mozzarella or Italian blend for the shredded cheese option and add 2 Tbsp. finely chopped oil packed sun dried tomatoes and 1 tsp. Italian seasoning when adding the cheese to the mixer.
- Everything: Reduce salt in the dough to 1/2 tsp. Add 2 tsp. everything bagel seasoning when adding the cheese to the mixer. If desired, sprinkle tops of the balls with additional seasoning before baking.
How to Make Brazilian Cheese Bread Ahead
Prepare recipe as written through step 4. Place baking sheet in freezer at least 2 hours or until dough portions are frozen solid. Transfer the dough balls to a zip-top bag. Label and freeze up to 1 month.
To cook from frozen, preheat oven to 400°F. Bake on a parchment-lined pan for about 15 minutes or until golden. These may also be cooked in a 340°F air fryer for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden.
Ingredients
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3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
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3 tablespoons salted butter
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3/4 teaspoon salt
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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2 cups tapioca flour (starch)
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1 large egg
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3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
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1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, Monterey jack, and/or cheddar cheese
Directions
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Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a small saucepan combine milk, butter, salt, and garlic. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
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Meanwhile, place the tapioca flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Once the milk mixture is boiling, immediately add it to the bowl with the flour. Mix on medium speed until fully combined, the texture will be similar to fondant, white and very sticky. Continue mixing on medium-low for 3 minutes to allow the mixture to continue to thicken and cool slightly.
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With the mixer on medium-low, add the egg. Continue mixing until the egg is fully incorporated (this may take a minute). Gradually add the Parmesan cheese, a handful at a time, until fully incorporated. Add the rest of the shredded cheese and mix just until combined.
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Using a 1 1/2 Tbsp. cookie scoop or a spoon and wet hands, portion the dough into ping pong sized balls and arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Test Kitchen Tip: When portioning the dough, occasionally dip the scoop in water to help avoid sticking.
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Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Serve warm.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 89 | Calories |
| 4g | Fat |
| 12g | Carbs |
| 2g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 20 | |
| Calories 89.1 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 3.6g | 5% |
| Saturated Fat 2.1g | 11% |
| Cholesterol 19.2mg | 6% |
| Sodium 183.3mg | 8% |
| Total Carbohydrate 11.9g | 4% |
| Dietary Fiber 0.1g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 0.9g | |
| Protein 2.2g | 4% |
| Vitamin D 0.2mcg | 1% |
| Vitamin C 0.1mg | 0% |
| Calcium 63.3mg | 5% |
| Iron 0.3mg | 1% |
| Potassium 28.9mg | 1% |
| Fatty acids, total trans 0.1g | |
| Vitamin D 7.6IU | |
| Alanine 0.1g | |
| Arginine 0.1g | |
| Ash 0.7g | |
| Aspartic acid 0.2g | |
| Caffeine 0mg | |
| Carotene, alpha 0mcg | |
| Choline, total 10.3mg | |
| Copper, Cu 0mg | |
| Cystine 0g | |
| Energy 372.9kJ | |
| Fluoride, F 0.4mcg | |
| Folate, total 3mcg | |
| Glutamic acid 0.5g | |
| Glycine 0g | |
| Histidine 0.1g | |
| Isoleucine 0.1g | |
| Leucine 0.2g | |
| Lysine 0.2g | |
| Methionine 0.1g | |
| Magnesium, Mg 3.4mg | |
| Manganese, Mn 0mg | |
| Niacin 0mg | |
| Phosphorus, P 50.2mg | |
| Pantothenic acid 0.1mg | |
| Phenylalanine 0.1g | |
| Phytosterols 0mg | |
| Proline 0.2g | |
| Retinol 38.3mcg | |
| Selenium, Se 3mcg | |
| Serine 0.1g | |
| Theobromine 0mg | |
| Threonine 0.1g | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.1mg | |
| Tryptophan 0g | |
| Tyrosine 0.1g | |
| Valine 0.1g | |
| Vitamin A, IU 138.8IU | |
| Vitamin A, RAE 38.9mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 0.2mcg | |
| Vitamin B-6 0mg | |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 0.3mcg | |
| Water 13.7g | |
| Zinc, Zn 0.3mg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
