This easy Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de queijo) is so delicious! It's crunchy on the outside and cheesy on the inside. It's naturally gluten-free and takes less than 25 minutes from start to finish.
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Okay, have you ever had this easy Brazilian cheese bread (Pão de queijo) before?? If you said yes, good for you! You already know a little bit about heaven, because I'm sure they have Pão de queijo over there; they are just DIVINE!!
Now, if you haven't, it's okay. I'm here to rescue you, and I'll surely accept Pão de queijo as a thank you. 🙂
What is Brazilian cheese bread?
The Brazilian cheese bread (pão de queijo in Portuguese) originated in the State of Minas Gerais, a place with amazing food and culture.
Straight out of the oven, it's crunchy on the outside and chewy/cheesy on the inside.
The original recipe requires you to boil the milk and oil first and then mix the dry ingredients. The dough is very sticky and a little hard to work with. Some people find it difficult to get the dough to the right consistency.
That's why I decided to post the recipe for this easy Brazilian cheese bread. This version is made in a blender and is a lot easier and faster to make.
But don't worry! They taste the same and are as good as the original one, says the Brazilian girl who has eaten cheese bread her whole life (me)😉.
How to make
This recipe is super easy to make. It takes only about 5 minutes to prepare. It's that simple!
These are the steps:
- Blend all ingredients, except for the cheese, until smooth;
- Add the cheese and pulse it a few times;
- Fill in the mini muffin cups and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
What I love about this bread is that it's super easy to make and very different from the others. You just blend all the ingredients in a blender and bake, but no one needs to know, right?!
Possible substitutions
Cheese
Some people like to use parmesan, cheddar, and other strong-flavored cheeses. You can change the cheese to your liking. Just keep in mind that the flavor and texture might differ from the traditional one.
I've used queso fresco, mozzarella, parmesan, and blue cheese with excellent results.
Butter
You can use olive oil or vegetable oil as a substitute. I use butter because I like the flavor it brings to this recipe.
Yogurt
You can use regular milk instead of yogurt.
I only use it because I think it helps to taste closer to the original recipe from Brazil, which uses a sour tapioca starch that is very hard to find in the U.S.
Garlic powder
It's optional. You can omit it if you prefer. You can also add some spices or herbs to create your own style. The possibilities are endless.
FAQ
Yes, it is naturally gluten-free, thanks to tapioca starch/flour, which is gluten-free.
No, tapioca flour or tapioca starch (you can find it under both names) is essential for the success of this bread. It's the tapioca starch that gives its chewy consistency inside.
If you want to understand more about this interesting flour, here is a link from Food Network explaining what is Tapioca.
You can eat it as a snack or as part of your breakfast, as most Brazilians do. You can also serve it as an appetizer or a side dish for soups, stews, and other meals.
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📖 Recipe / Receita
Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil (vegetable oil can also be used)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter (vegetable oil can also be used)
- ⅓ cup milk
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt (milk also works)
- 1 egg
- 6.5 oz tapioca starch (1½ cup - also known as tapioca flour)
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste, depending on the cheese)
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- 3 oz shredded cheese (About 1 cup - Queso fresco, Mozzarella, and Parmesan work great)
- More cheese to sprinkle on top (optional) (Parmesan works great)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Grease a 24 mini muffin pan.
- Add all ingredients in a blender, but cheese, and blend until smooth. Scrape sides as needed.
- Add the shredded cheese, and press the pulse button a few times, just to mix in the cheese.
- Pour batter in the greased mini muffin cups, about ¾ full.
- If you want, you can sprinkle some finely shredded Parmesan cheese on top.
- Bake it for about 15-18 minutes, or until it gets a light golden color.
- Remove it from the oven and let it cool for just a few minutes. It's best when fresh and hot. You can also open it and spread some butter or cream cheese inside. Yummm!! Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Estimate:
All nutritional information above is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Nutritional content may vary according to brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, substitutions, optional ingredients, etc. Simple Living Recipes is not responsible for any miscalculation or misinformation in the nutrition label.
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Nanci says
It's delicious and super easy!
Lilian Vallezi says
I'm so glad you like it!
Thanks!
Lilian
Kristin S. says
These are excellent little rolls/muffins and the perfect recipe - so simple and quick to prepare in the blender. I was searching for a copycat recipe of Casa Do Brazil’s restaurant rolls they serve and I found it!. My store did not have tapioca starch or flour, so I used Cup4Cup gluten free flour instead. After some research I knew I could not substitute 1:1 so I used 1 1/4 C Cup4Cup brand flour instead. As warned in my research, substituting flours, this one did make the batter thicker and I could not pour it into the muffin cups, so I added an additional 2 heaping tablespoons of the Greek Yogurt and spooned it into the cups. I only had to bake 13-14 minutes before they were golden brown and puffing beautifully out of the cups. I was worried the consistency of the muffins wouldn’t come out right, but to my surprise, they were delicious!! Maybe not the exact consistency with the recipe as is, but wonderfully firm on the outside and soft and airy on the inside!!! My family LOVED them and I will be making more in the future. Thank you Lilian!
Lilian Vallezi says
Hi Kristin!
I'm so glad it worked with the flour you've found! And happy that you and your family loved it!
Thanks for your feedback!
Lilian
Rachael says
Can I make this ahead and leave the batter in the refrigerator overnight?
Lilian Vallezi says
Yes, you can. I hope you enjoy it.
Lilian
Catherine Dunn says
Happened upon this recipe whilst looking for something else. It is so delicious and unusual. The texture is lovely, and so easy to make. plan to experiment with herbs and ham to make bites to have with a drink at parties.
Lilian Vallezi says
I'm so glad you liked it, Catherine! I love your idea of adding herbs and ham.
Thanks for the feedback!
Lilian
Julian says
This by far the best cheese bread I've ever tasted! Needless to say they did not last long in our house and so we're already made more! Thank you, Lillian - utterly delicious!
Lilian Vallezi says
Thanks Julian!! I'm so glad to hear that!
Avril Migoni says
Fun and very easy recipe! Simple and amazing!
Lilian Vallezi says
Thanks Evril!! I'm so glad you liked it!!
Kristi says
Have you ever posted the recipe to the original method? I love these blender rolls, but would love to try the original. Thank you!
Lilian Vallezi says
Hi Kristi!
I've made them before, a few years ago, but after I found this way of making them in a blender, I never made the original way again... Sorry I don't have the original version in my blog. But I'm sure you can find it online... I hope you find a good recipe that you like!
Simone says
This was so fun and easy to make. I made it with my 4 year old and it was such a great experience with her in the kitchen. It is also SO tasty. We made it with queso fresco this time and it was a big hit. Next time, we will explore other cheeses and herbs, too. We loved it! HIGHLY recommend.
Lilian Vallezi says
Thank you so much Simone!! I'm so glad you like it!! This is definitely an easy recipe to make with kids...
Alessandra says
I made this cheese bread recipe last night instead of buying the cheese bread from the store... I am so glad I did that. This cheese bread is super easy to make and most important: it is delicious!!! Thank you, Li! 😋
Lilian Vallezi says
I'm so glad you liked it!! This is a fave in our family!! It's good to know that we can buy it at the store, depending where we live, but knowing exactly what we are eating is even better, right?! Thanks for taking the time to write your comment!😘