Brazilian Gluten Free Cheese Bread or Pão de Queijo
One of the easiest ways to make homemade, super delicious Brazilian cheese bread, this recipe requires few ingredients and even fewer kitchen appliances. Since there’s no yeast, there’s no kneading or waiting for dough to rise. All you need is some pantry staples (with one key, easy-to-find addition) and in less than 30 minutes, you could be enjoying these cheese and carb bits of heaven. As an added bonus? They’re gluten-free!
What is Pão de Queijo?
Pão de queijo is pretty versatile in Brazil. It’s eaten for breakfast, as a snack, with coffee, and even with dinner. Once you’ve eaten one, you’ll understand why!
This recipe uses tapioca flour, something easily found in the baking aisle, or even on Amazon. Tapioca flour gives the pao de queijo a slight crunch on the outside, but helps it to be chewy on the inside. Add in the mixture of parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and you have a great combo of crunchy and chewy, salty and savory. No wonder these are the first things gone at our table when we go to a Brazilian steakhouse!
Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread) Ingredients
- Water
- Milk
- Oil
- Salt
- Tapioca Flour
- Eggs
- Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese
Tips: Don’t try to substitute regular flour in this recipe! It won’t turn out the chewiness you need for this particular type of bread. Authentic pao de queijo is made with manioc flour (also available on Amazon), but that is way harder to find in an American grocery store.
Also, shred block Parmesan. Please don’t use the shaker cup, a la for the top of your spaghetti noodles.
How to Make Pão de Queijo
- Boil water, oil, milk, and salt in a large saucepan
- Remove from heat and add tapioca flour
- Move to a bowl or stand mixer and beat until mixture has cooled
- Add eggs one at a time
- Add cheeses
Pao de Queijo Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Scoop the mixture onto a baking sheet and put them in the freezer for a couple of hours. Once the rolls are frozen, transfer them into a freezer-safe bag or container until you’re ready to bake them. Bake at 375° F for 25-30 minutes.
As the good Brazilian that I am, I like to eat pão-de-queijo while sipping hot coffee. It’s just perfect on an afternoon off, I’m in my pjs at home. The smell of the baked cheesy bread and brewed coffee are enough to make my heart skip a beat. If you make this, they will win your heart as well. I’m sure of it.
Pao de queijo (Brazilian gluten free cheese bread)
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup oil
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 5 cups tapioca flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups parmesan grated
- 1 ½ cup mozzarella shredded
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 375ºF. Bring water, oil, milk and salt to a boil over medium high heat in a large saucepan. Once it boils, remove from heat and add the tapioca flour. Mix vigorously with a wooden spoon to incorporate. The mixture will be white and sticky, and may be a bit lumpy.
- Once all the flour is incorporated, transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer. With the paddle, beat on medium for a few minutes until the mixture has cooled to the touch. With the mixer on, add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating the first egg before adding the second. Add the cheeses and mix until they’re incorporated.
- To shape the balls, use a cookie scoop #50, or about a tablespoon of dough, and roll into a ball shape. If the dough is too sticky, dip your hands in cold water to help handle it. Place them two inches apart on a 9×13 baking sheet, remembering that they’ll puff up a bit as they bake. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
