Pão de Queijo: Brazilian Cheese Bread

By
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes is a freelance writer and recipe developer with a passion for South American food. She wrote a cookbook focusing on the cuisine of Brazil.
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Updated on 05/18/22
Pão de Queijo: Brazilian Cheese Bread

The Spruce / Christine Ma
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 15 servings
Yield: 15 rolls
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
328 Calories
20g Fat
32g Carbs
6g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 15
Amount per serving
Calories 328
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 25%
Saturated Fat 8g 38%
Cholesterol 80mg 27%
Sodium 243mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 32g 12%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 145mg 11%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 88mg 2%
*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.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Brazil is famous for its pão de queijo—cheese rolls with soft chewy centers. These traditional snacks and breakfast treats come from the state of Minas Gerias in southeastern Brazil. Although pão de queijo didn't become popular until the 1950s, they are said to have been around since the 18th century; the original version, however, did not include cheese or milk as those ingredients weren't available at that time. Pão de queijo is made with cassava flour (tapioca flour), the ground root of the manioc plant. Like many other Brazilian foods, this cheese bread originated with enslaved Africans, who would first soak and peel the cassava root before making the bread.

Pão de queijo smell wonderful when they are baking, and plump up into perfectly round balls. This recipe calls for regular farmer cheese but if you can find the Brazilian cheese queijo minas in your local Brazilian market, your pão de queijo will be even more authentic. Otherwise, any firm, fresh cow's milk cheese will work well in this recipe.

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Click Play to See This Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo) Recipe Come Together

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole milk

  • Salt, to taste

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

  • 8 tablespoons (1 /2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

  • 4 1/4 cups tapioca flour

  • 4 large eggs

  • 2 cups grated farmer cheese, or any firm, fresh cow's milk cheese

  • 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Pão de Queijo: Brazilian Cheese Bread Recipe ingredients

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. Mix milk, salt, vegetable oil, and butter in a pot, and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, remove from heat.

    Mix milk, salt, vegetable oil, and butter in a pot

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  3. Stir tapioca flour into the milk and butter mixture.

    Stir tapioca flour into the milk and butter mixture

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  4. Stir in the eggs and the cheese, and mix well.

    Stir in the eggs and the cheese, into the batter mixture in the saucepan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  5. Let mixture cool for 15 to 30 minutes so that it will be easier to handle. (You can chill it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or so). Preheat oven to 350 F.

    batter in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  6. With floured (tapioca flour) hands, shape the dough into golf-ball-size balls and place them on a baking sheet.

    dough balls on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  7. Bake rolls in the pre heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are puffed up and golden. They will rise slowly and puff up mostly in the last 5 or 10 minutes. Serve warm.

    Pão de Queijo: Brazilian Cheese Bread on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

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