Brazilian Cheese Bread
Brazilian Cheese Bread, or Pão de queijo, is an easy to make cheesy treat your family will love. Formed into small balls and baked to perfection, these bread bites are made with two kinds of cheese and tapioca flour for a fantastic treat that is crunchy on the outside, and chewy and cheesy inside!
These little Brazilian cheesy bread bites are famous all over the world because they are so unique and so good. They are made with tapioca flour and two different cheeses and have a unique texture. Crisp on the outside, but soft and chewy inside, you can’t stop eating these!
These aren’t bread in the typical American way we think of bread. They are almost like rolls, but are actually more like puffs.
These are traditionally served in Brazil as an afternoon snack along with a cup of coffee, but you can serve it to your kids with a glass of Brazilian limeade instead.
Ingredients Needed:
For the full amounts, please scroll down to the recipe card below. This is just an overview so you know what you need to have on hand.
- Tapioca Flour – This is actually a starch made from yucca! This gives our cheese bread its texture and is an important ingredient. You cannot substitute it.
- Parmesan Cheese – you will want fresh parmesan that you grate yourself. Do not use the dried powdered stuff.
- Queso Fresco – This is a fresh cheese that you find in a circle in your grocery cheese section. You can easily crumble it.
- Vegetable Oil – This helps to bind the ingredients together. You can replace this with other flavorless oils, but not olive oil.
- Full Fat Milk – The fat is important for flavor here, don’t substitute with skim milk.
- Eggs
- Salt
How to make Brazilian Cheese Bread
This recipe is simple to make! For the full set of directions, please scroll down to the recipe card below. This is just a general overview on how to make it to help you plan.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cheeses and eggs.
- In a small saucepan, simmer the milk and oil until warmed through.
- Stir the warmed milk into the flour mixture until combined, and then allow it to cool.
- Stir in the cheese mixture to the cooled flour mixture until the dough forms a ball.
- Oil your hands to help you work, and then form the dough into balls that are about 2 Tablespoons worth of dough. You can use a cookie scoop to help keep them even and then roll them in your hands to smooth them out.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Enjoy!
How to serve these
These are fantastic to serve with a meal or as a snack when fresh. You can store these in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They aren’t quite as lovely when not fresh, but are still good. You an heat them in the microwave for a few seconds to warm them back up.
Want to add more flavors of Brazil to your family’s meal plan? Try out my Brazil Foodie Family Passport Guide!
How your kids can help you
Inviting your kids into the kitchen to help you cook these Brazilian cheese bread bites is a great way to help them be more curious about trying new foods. Here is how your kids can help you:
- Kids ages 1-4 can help you crumble the queso fresco, measure ingredients, stir, and help form the balls.
- Kids ages 5-7 can help you do everything above, plus help you grate the parmesan cheese, whisk ingredients together.
- Kids ages 8-10+ can help you do everything above, plus all other steps.
Please remember that these are general recommendations and that you need to use your discretion about what your children can do, and to continue to supervise children in the kitchen.
For more information on how to involve your kids in the kitchen, please check out my guide on how to cook and bake with kids.
Love and links are always appreciated! If you’d like to share this post, please link to this post directly for the recipe, please do not copy and paste or screenshot. Thanks so much for supporting me! xoxo
Ingredients
- 1 lb Tapioca flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 10 ounces queso fresco cheese crumbled
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk full fat
- ¼ cup vegetable oil + more for hands
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.1 lb Tapioca flour, 2 teaspoons salt
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the cheeses and eggs until well combined.10 ounces queso fresco cheese, 1 cup parmesan cheese, 2 eggs
- In a small saucepan, simmer the milk and oil over medium heat just until it simmers.1 cup milk, 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- Remove the milk from the heat and pour into the tapioca mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is gummy and clumpy looking.
- Wait about 10 minutes until the mixture is cool to the touch.
- Stir in the cheese/egg mixture and mix well. It should come together into a nice ball.
- Use a little oil to coat your hands to help you roll the dough balls.
- Roll the dough into balls that are about 2 Tablespoons worth of dough at a time. Use a cookie scoop to measure them out and then roll in your hands to smooth them out.
- Arrange the balls onto the prepared pans 2″ apart.
- Bake until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes.
- Enjoy.
