Golden with a crusty exterior, this Brazilian cheese bread recipe is naturally gluten-free, straightforward, and easy to make! Crisp on the outside and irresistibly chewy inside, the pão de queijo are like fluffy puffs you can’t stop eating!
The authentic Brazilian cheese bread recipe involves heating milk and oil, then mixing in tapioca flour while it’s hot (which can get a bit messy). My version skips the stovetop and is a quick recipe. It is the easy blender version. The cheesy bread still comes out hot, crispy, fluffy, and delicious, like cheesy bubble bread or cheesy garlic bread.
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Why You’ll Love The Recipe
✨ The recipe for Brazilian cheese bread is extremely simple. The only thing you may have to buy is a bag of tapioca flour, which is easy to find online or in supermarkets.
✨ It’s quick. Blend, pour, bake. While you clean up the kitchen, they’re in the oven. By the time you’re done, they’re ready.
✨ It is honestly one of the best snacks ever, like Korean sausage rolls. It’s that impossible combination of a crisp exterior and a light, stretchy, almost chewy interior with melty, salty cheese in every bite.
✨ Pão de queijo are a fun addition to potlucks, make impressive bite-sized appetizers for dinner parties similar to homemade pretzel bites, and are great for breakfast, snacks, or alongside roasted carrot lentil soup (or any other).
Brazilian Cheese Bread Ingredients
Tapioca flour or starch makes pão de queijo chewy and special. Do not mistake this for cassava flour (which is also made from the same plant). You need the starch in tapioca to get that signature chew.
Cheese: I loved the taste of cheddar cheese scones. So I went with a blend of grated sharp cheddar and salty parmesan. If you want them extra gooey, throw in some mozzarella. The recipe is very adaptable; you can use any kind of cheese you like.
Egg is for binding and helping the bread rise into those perfect little puffs.
Milk: Use full fat for richness.
Oil: I used regular vegetable oil, but olive oil or avocado oil works well, too to keep the crumb light and airy.
Salt to enhance the cheesy flavor.
Please see the recipe card below for full information about the ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Brazilian Cheese Bread
Recipe Video
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven and liberally grease the cavities of the mini muffin tray. Add milk, oil, and egg to a blender. Blitz for 4-5 seconds until well combined.
Step 2: Add tapioca flour, salt, shredded parmesan, and cheddar cheese to the wet ingredients and blend for 5-7 seconds to get a smooth batter.
Step 3: Pour the batter halfway into each cavity of the muffin tray.
Step 4: Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden and puffy.
Step 5: Allow the bread to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove carefully from the pan. Serve warm!
Pro Tips
- Don’t over-blend. Pulse 10–15 seconds at a time, just until smooth and combined
- Grease your mini muffin pan very well. These little guys like to stick.
- Fill each cavity only halfway. Brazilian cheese bread rises a lot.
- Don’t overbake. We want a slightly gooey, chewy center, not a dried-out one. They should be golden and crispy on the outside but still tender inside.
- These breads puff up a lot while baking, but can deflate a bit once you take them out.
How To Serve
What to eat with Brazilian cheese bread? Honestly… Almost everything.
They’re best enjoyed the day they’re made, served warm as an appetizer. Pair them with yum-yum sauce or something spicy like my gochujang mayo.
They are delicious for breakfast. Serve them with easy shakshuka or veggie breakfast casserole.
They also make a fantastic side dish. Serve them with creamy roasted pumpkin soup or a hearty Moroccan vegetable stew.
Because they’re so similar to dinner rolls (just cheesier and smaller), they are also fantastic with salads like this avocado egg salad or a fresh Greek salad.
Recipe FAQs
Pão de queijo (pronounced "pow day kay-zho") is a traditional Brazilian snack made with tapioca flour and cheese. The authentic method starts on the stovetop with hot milk mixed into the flour, creating a gelatinous, sticky mixture. When baked, they become crispy, slightly hollow puffs (like popovers) with a uniquely chewy texture.
Yes! This recipe for Brazilian cheese bread is naturally gluten-free because it uses tapioca flour. Just make sure you’re using tapioca flour or starch, not cassava flour. Both come from cassava root, but cassava flour is made using the whole root, while tapioca only uses the starchy pulp. Another naturally gluten-free snack you can try is sweet potato crackers.
Yes. You can whisk everything together in a mixing bowl. It takes a bit more effort to fully incorporate the tapioca flour, but it works.
Absolutely. You can store the batter in the fridge for up to a week. So go ahead and make a big batch. Before baking, let it come to room temperature. Give a quick whisk before pouring it into your tins.
Brazilian cheese bread stays good for a day at room temperature and a week in the refrigerator. Keep in an airtight container. Pop them in an air fryer for 1–2 minutes or a toaster oven (or preheated oven) to reheat.
📖 Recipe
Brazilian Cheese Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1/4 cup Oil
- 1 large Egg
- 1 cup Tapioca flour
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F. Grease the cavities of your mini muffin pan very well.
- In a blender, combine milk, oil, and egg. Blend until smooth.1/2 cup Milk, 1/4 cup Oil, 1 large Egg
- Add the tapioca flour, salt, parmesan cheese, and cheddar cheese. Blend again until you get a smooth batter - 5-7 seconds. 1 cup Tapioca flour, 1/2 tsp Salt, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded, 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- Pour the batter into the muffin cavities, filling them halfway. This allows the batter to puff up nicely.
- Bake at 200 C/ 400 F for 15-18 minutes or until golden and puffy.
- Allow the breads to cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes. Carefully remove them from the pan and serve warm. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Don’t over-blend. Pulse 4-5 seconds at a time, just until smooth and combined
- Grease your mini muffin pan very well. These little guys like to stick.
- Fill each cavity only halfway. Brazilian cheese bread rises a lot.
- Don’t overbake. We want a slightly gooey, chewy center, not a dried-out one. They should be golden and crispy on the outside but still tender inside.
- Use a kitchen scale for better and consistent results everytime!
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