Easy + Authentic Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)

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Naturally gluten-free, this Easy and Authentic Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo) made in the blender is a fast-favorite snack for adults and children alike. Our authentic recipe uses good oil and real cheese to make this bread even better.

Cheese Bread in Brazil

Brazilians host a daily tradition: café da tarde. This afternoon coffee time (akin to the British afternoon tea) feeds hungry bellies while they wait the long hours before dinner (which is usually served between 8 and 10 p.m.).

One of the stars on the Brazilian table for this daily event is cheese bread (pão de queijo).

And Brazilians aren’t the only fans of this bread. Everyone I have met who tries this bread quickly stores its deliciousness in their memory and immediately runs to the table the next time the words “pão de queijo” ring in their ears.

Is It Easy to Make Brazilian Pão de Queijo?

The answer to this questions depends largely on one’s experience as a baker.

If you are strapping on an apron for the very first time, handling wet tapioca-based dough can feel daunting and–quite frankly–end in a sound defeat.

However, you don’t have to feel intimidated to try. For, in fact, there is a method (an authentic and perfectly acceptable method, might I add) for making pão de queijo that completely bypasses getting your hands cemented with tapioca starch.

Two Options for Authentic Brazilian Cheese Bread Recipes

There are two “true” ways to whip up a batch of pão de queijo: by hand/in the mixer or in a blender.

The latter is, by far, the easiest–both for clean-up and labor intensity.

Believe me, in my years of pão de queijo baking, I have tried both ways. And nothing beats skipping handling piping-hot scalded milk mixed with tapioca starch. (Yikes!)

The recipe I’m sharing with you here is my permanent go-to recipe. It turns out perfectly every time.

How to Measure Tapioca Starch/Flour for Pão de Queijo

Tapioca flour/starch is prone to compacting….which means that sifting it before measuring is simply required.

Putting the measuring cup directly into the bag of tapioca flour is not recommended. This results in a compact measurement that leads to thick, nearly-inedible cheese bread.

You don’t have to be fancy about measuring, though, in order to do it correctly. Since I don’t own a sifter, I usually use a spoon to “lift” the tapioca starch into the measuring cup.

Tips for Making the Best Brazilian Cheese Bread

• Don’t overcook the pão. If you see the bottoms and/or tops of the bread turning dark brown, you’ve passed the bread’s prime. Too much baking makes the bread crispy, not chewy.
• If your bread looks pale (like it needs to soak in some Brazilian beach sunlight), turn on the broiler for a few minutes. This should make the tops of the little bready nuggets golden up nicely. (Again, though, don’t over-bake.)
• Do not double the batch. Most blenders can’t handle mixing pão de queijo thoroughly when you double this recipe. Instead, mix up one batch, pour it into the muffin tin, and then mix up another batch. (Thank goodness the recipe is super-quick and easy!)
• Taste your parmesan cheese first. If it is not very salty, use the full amount of salt in the recipe. If it is extra-salty, tone down on the salt measurements.

Why is Brazilian Cheese Bread Gluten-Free?

Because Pão de Queijo uses tapioca starch rather than regular wheat flour, it is naturally gluten-free.

What Equipment Do You Need to Bake Brazilian Cheese Bread?

• A good-quality blender
• A spatula
• A Mini muffin pan (we love using our Trudeau silicone mini muffin pan because it makes it so easy to remove the bread after baking)
• Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients for Authentic Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)

You only need six ingredients to make delicious Brazilian cheese bread:

1 egg
2/3 cup organic milk (it does not have to be warm–cold is fine)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup shredded real parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups organic tapioca flour (also called “tapioca starch”) — two great options are Terrasoul Superfoods Organic Tapioca Flour Starch and Bob’s Red Mill Tapioca Flour, which is usually easy to find at the grocery store (see note about measuring–do not compact it!)

How to Bake Brazilian Pão de Queijo

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. In a blender, add the egg, milk, olive oil, and salt. Blend well, until the egg and oil are fully incorporated.
3. Measure the tapioca flour. Be careful not to press down on the tapioca flour or compact it as you measure! (You don’t want to make bread that is so dense it is almost inedible.) Use a spoon to transfer the tapioca flour to the measuring cup instead of putting the measuring cup directly into the bag of tapioca flour and pushing it around.
4. Add the real parmesan cheese and tapioca flour to the blender. Blend well, stirring with your blender paddle (if it has one) or pausing once to scrape down the sides of the blender with a spatula to make sure that all of the tapioca starch gets distributed throughout the mixture.
5. Pour the cheese bread “dough” into a silicone mini muffin pan (like this Trudeau silicone mini muffin pan). (If using a metal muffin pan, make sure to grease each muffin space very well before pouring the bread dough into it.)
6. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes. For the last two minutes, turn on the broiler to give the tops of the cheese breads a nice golden color.
7. Let cool slightly before serving, but don’t wait long. Eat warm!

How to Store Brazilian Cheese Bread

Storing Brazilian cheese bread is something you simply don’t do.

For one reason, it is gobbled up far too quickly.

And secondly, it doesn’t keep well. Brazilian pão de queijo is meant to be eaten hot. And not only hot–fresh.

If you absolutely must store it, however, use a Ziplock bag and carefully squeeze as much air as possible from the bag before sealing it tightly.

Recipe Card

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