Authentic Brazilian Cheese Bread - Pao de Queijo

Hey guys! I am always so excited to find a new gluten-free recipe that works not only for me but for my whole family. This Brazilian Cheese Bread - Pao de Queijo, is one of those gluten-free recipes. It is good for me and great for the whole family. I know that once you try it you will love it as much as I do. So don't forget to pin it!

What are Pao de Queijo?

Pao de Queijo is Brazilian cheese bread made with tapioca flour, milk, and cheese. It is traditionally eaten for breakfast or as a snack during the day. It is a traditional Brazilian recipe, originating in the state of Minas Gerais. Pão de queijo originated from Portuguese colonists like many other Brazilian foods.

Great lunch box idea

This cheese bread is not only gluten-free but also nut-free, which makes it a great lunch box staple. Even though it tastes the best straight out of the oven, it is still incredibly delicious the next day and my kids love it. I mean who wouldn't love something so cheesy!! You can also prepare the dough in advance, refrigerate it overnight and bake the bread fresh in the morning. I wouldn't do it every day of the week, but as an occasional treat it is a pretty good idea. Not quite sure how well they freeze because I never had any leftovers to actually be able to freeze them.

A little word about the tapioca dough

As mentioned above, these Brazilian cheese rolls are made with tapioca flour. If you are not familiar with baking with tapioca flour, you might be a bit surprised by the texture of the dough. The dough will be very soft, gooey, and white and your kids will probably beg you to let them play with it if they see it. So please don't feel discouraged if it looks like it hasn't worked, just keep mixing and everything will work out in the end. I promise! I made the dough in the Thermomix and in my opinion, it is the easiest way to make the Pao de Queijo, but it also works with the conventional method.

And here is how to make this Brazilian Cheese Bread - Pao de Queijo, step by step:

Authentic Brazilian Cheese Bread - Pao de Queijo

Elena

Amazing gluten-free Brazilian Cheese Bread aka Pao de Queijo. Give them a go and you will fall in love and will make them again and again.

Print Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 1 hr 5 mins

Course Bread

Cuisine Brazilian

Servings 12 bread rolls

Ingredients

  

•  
• 150 g of grated cheddar cheese or any other cheese you prefer, mozzarella, Parmesan or feta will all work well. My favourite is a mix of cheddar and Parmesan.
• 200 g milk I used cow milk, but feel free to use a dairy-free variety
• 100 g extra virgin olive oil. You can use melted butter as well.
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 300 g tapioca flour
• 3 free-range eggs
• extra olive oil for greasing tins

Instructions

 

Pao de Queijo Thermomic method:

• Cut the cheese into small cubes and grate them in the Thermomix for 10 seconds on speed 8. Set aside.
• Add the milk, olive oil, and salt in the Thermomix (no cheese) and heat the mixture on 90'C for 5 minutes on speed 1.
• Add the tapioca flour to the milk mixture and blend on speed 6 for 20 seconds. 
• Leave the dough to cool down for 15 minutes.
• Add eggs and cheese into Thermomix and mix the dough for 20 seconds on speed 6. The dough will be very soft, gooey and white.
• 
•  

Chill the dough in the fridge for an hour before baking.

• Now grease the muffin tin with some extra virgin olive oil. The recipe will make 12 rolls. Using a cookie or an ice cream spoon, scoop the dough into the tins so they are ¾ full.
• 
• Bake at 200'C (400'F) for 20 minutes or until they look nice and golden. They will be crunchy outside and soft and gooey inside.
• 
• Serve immediately.  Store any cooled leftovers in an airtight container and consume them within two days. 
•  

The stove method:

• Put the tapioca flour in a large mixing bowl, set it aside. Use only a heat-resistant mixing bowl!
• Heat the milk, olive oil, and salt in the medium-sized saucepan until the milk is hot but not boiling. 
• Add the milk mixture to the mixing bowl with tapioca and mix well until everything is evenly combined. 
• Let the dough cool for 15 minutes.
• Add the eggs and cheese into the dough and mix well again. It might look like it is not working at first, please keep going it will all work in the end.

Chill the dough in the fridge for an hour before baking.

• Now grease the muffin tin with some extra virgin olive oil. The recipe will make 12 rolls. Using a cookie or an ice cream spoon, scoop the dough into the tins so they are ¾ full.
• 
• Bake at 200'C (400'F) for 20 minutes or until they look nice and golden. They will be crunchy outside and soft and gooey inside.
• 
• Serve immediately.  Store any cooled leftovers in an airtight container and consume them within two days.

Notes

I used two different kinds of muffin tins. One traditional and one silicon. The bread puffed in a silicon one way more than in a traditional one. My kids ate all the puffy ones before I even could take photos. Next time I make them, I will update the photos 🙂

Keyword Brazilian Cheese Bread, gluten-free brea, gluten-free breakfast, Pao de Queijo

EQUIPMENT

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