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    Home » Side Dish Recipes

    Modified: Sep 19, 2022 · Published: Feb 17, 2017 by Vicky · This post may contain affiliate links · 15 Comments

    Pão de queijo Brazilian Cheese Bread

    1203 shares
    • 73
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    If you are a fan of easy bread recipes, you will love this Pão de queijo Brazilian Cheese Bread. In the days before we had kids, my husband and I did a lot of travel. We were fortunate enough to visit Brazil, and we ate a lot of street food while we were there.

    One of our favorite treats was a cheesy dough ball called pão de queijo. When I came across a post on Kid World Citizen where they shared a Pão de queijo Brazilian Cheese Bread recipe, I was inspired to make my own.

    Pão de queijo is Brazilian Cheesy Bread. It is simple to make and is unlike anything you've ever tasted. My family loved this easy bread recipe!
    Jump to:
    • Why kids love making Pão de queijo
    • Ingredients
    • How to make Brazilian cheese puffs
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Related posts

    Why kids love making Pão de queijo

    Pão de queijo is a great recipe to make with kids. After you initially mix the sticky dough, kids can help to roll it into balls.

    Ingredients

    • vegetable oil
    • whole milk
    • tapioca flour
    • shredded mozzarella cheese
    • Parmesan cheese
    • eggs
    • salt

    How to make Brazilian cheese puffs

    Pão de queijo uses tapioca flour which you can find online or at many local stores.

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.

    Mix together the oil and milk and heat in a saucepan until just boiling.

    Add the milk and oil to a large bowl containing the tapioca flour.

    Knead the mixture and add all of the other ingredients and knead again until a dough forms.

    cheesy bread dough in bowl
    dough in bowl

    Roll into ping pong sized balls and place on greased cookie sheet.

    Bake for 25 minutes.

    I showed my kids how they could roll ping pong sized balls and place them on a baking sheet sprayed coated with cooking spray. Rolling the pão de queijo reminded them of playing with play dough, so they were all too happy to roll balls for me.

    child rolling dough balls

    We made a full cookie pan of  pão de queijo, but we had lots of dough left over so we kept on rolling and froze the remainder of the balls. They keep fine in the freezer and you can just pop them in the oven when you want some more. And you WILL want some more!

    dough balls in bag
    dough balls on tray

    When baked, the pão de queijo balls turn a pretty golden color. The outside of the bread is nice and crisp and the inside in gooey and cheesy.

    pao de queijo

    Break one open and enjoy the Brazilian cheesy bread goodness. The tapioca flour gives the pão de queijo a nice chewy texture.

    Pão de queijo is Brazilian Cheesy Bread

    This snack was just as good as we remembered and now we have a whole new generation of pão de queijo fans in our house.

    Pão de queijo is Brazilian Cheesy Bread

    This is a simple pão de queijo recipe that will bring home the flavors of Brazil!

    📖 Recipe

    Food Fun Friday: Pão de queijo Recipe -Brazilian Cheese Bread

    Vicky
    Pão de queijo is Brazilian Cheesy Bread. It is simple to make and is unlike anything you've ever tasted. My family loved this easy bread recipe!
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine brazilian
    Servings 36
    Calories 137 kcal

    Video

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup oil
    • 1 cup milk
    • 24 oz tapioca flour
    • 10 oz shredded mozzarella
    • 1 cup Parmesan cheese
    • 4 eggs
    • Few pinches of salt

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a cookie sheet.
    • Mix together the oil and milk and heat until just boiling.
    • Add the milk and oil to a large bowl containing the tapioca flour.
    • Knead the mixture and add all of the other ingredients and knead again until a dough forms.
    • Roll into ping pong sized balls and place on greased cookie sheet.
    • Bake for 25 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 137kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 103mgPotassium: 30mgVitamin A: 110IUCalcium: 99mgIron: 0.4mg
    Keyword brazilian cheesy bread, pao de queijo recipe
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    This nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using online calculators. Your nutritional information may vary depending on numerous factors.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I use cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella?

    You can certainly substitute shredded cheddar cheese for the mozzarella.

    Do you need to use a stand mixer for this recipe?

    While you can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, it is not necessary. We just did the mixing in a bowl with a spatula.

    Is pao de queijo gluten-free?

    Yes, Brazilian cheese bread is gluten free!

    Related posts

    • 20 Cheesy Chicken Recipes
    • Crescent Roll Recipes: Cheesy Pesto Crescents
    • Grilled Flatbread with Pesto and Mozzarella
    • Honey Bread Recipe
    • Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

    More Side Dish Recipes

    • Grilled Flatbread with Pesto and Mozzarella
      Grilled Flatbread with Pesto and Mozzarella
    • Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes
    • Easy Fried Rice Recipe
      Easy Fried Rice Recipe
    • Italian Tortellini Salad

    Comments

      5 from 9 votes

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Michelle says

      February 23, 2024 at 12:38 pm

      What is the best way to store them once baked?

      Reply
      • Vicky says

        February 26, 2024 at 11:37 am

        If you plan to eat the pão de queijo within a day or two, you can just keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. Make sure they've cooled down completely before storing to prevent condensation which could make them soggy.

        Reply
    2. Liz says

      December 06, 2023 at 12:26 pm

      I am so excited to make these! I am curious if I need to thaw them out before baking if frozen? I’m planning to make a big batch and store in freezer for convenience.

      Reply
      • Vicky says

        December 07, 2023 at 11:37 am

        Yes, I would let them thaw on the counter before baking.

        Reply
    3. Lisa | Garlic & Zest says

      April 06, 2018 at 2:11 pm

      5 stars
      I can see why this is so popular! They remind me of little cheese biscuits, but the ingredients are different. Would love to give them a try.

      Reply
      • Vicky says

        April 20, 2018 at 11:03 am

        Thanks for the kind words!

        Reply
      • Vicky says

        April 20, 2018 at 11:04 am

        Thanks Lisa!

        Reply
    4. Pam Greer says

      April 06, 2018 at 12:57 pm

      5 stars
      I love that you can keep these in the freezer and pop them out whenever you want some! They look so cheesy and good!

      Reply
      • Vicky says

        April 20, 2018 at 11:04 am

        They are very convenient.

        Reply
    5. Veena Azmanov says

      April 06, 2018 at 12:53 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, this CHEESE BREAD looks incredible! This is absolutely fantastic! I definitely want to try this, and I'm sure it's very tasty. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!

      Reply
      • Vicky says

        April 20, 2018 at 11:05 am

        If you love cheese, this is for you!

        Reply
    6. Pam says

      April 06, 2018 at 12:38 pm

      5 stars
      Bread and cheese? Two of my favorite things! Got to try this.

      Reply
      • Vicky says

        April 20, 2018 at 11:05 am

        I hear you Pam.

        Reply
    7. Marlee says

      April 06, 2018 at 1:38 pm

      5 stars
      What a simple bread to make. I love being able to freeze large batches of pre-portioned foods, this is a fantastic idea if you don't want to bake it all at once!

      Reply
      • Vicky says

        April 20, 2018 at 11:04 am

        Thank you Marlee.

        Reply
    Vicky from Mess for Less

    I'm Vicky, the founder of Mess For Less, which I started in 2011 to share easy, family-friendly recipes. With over a decade of experience as a home chef and recipe developer, I love creating meals that bring people together. I also design play and learning activities for kids, using my background as a former teacher with a Master’s degree in education. Learn more about me.

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