Brazilian cheese bread (called Pao de Queijo which means bread of cheese), is a chewy bread ball that is seriously addicting if you like chewy foods. The great thing is, they are super easy to make.
I found a recipe on allrecipes that I tried out recently. They came out perfectly. Chewy, cheesy, yummy goodness.
They remind me a lot like mochi, which is probably why I like them so much. The main ingredient is a tapioca starch flour which is what makes them so chewy.
These are perfect for an appetizer, to bring to a potluck, or to have as an afternoon snack. The one problem is that they don’t keep well, so I wouldn’t recommending making too many at a time.
Recipe: Brazilian Cheese bread
(adapted from recipe found here)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups tapioca flour
- 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Pour oil, water, milk, and salt into a large saucepan, and place over high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat immediately, and stir in tapioca flour until smooth. Set aside to let the mixture cool for a few minutes (you want the mixture to still be warm but not too hot because you don’t want to cook the eggs you will be adding in).
- Stir the cheese and eggs into the tapioca mixture until well combined. Roll batter between your palms and drop balls of the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in preheated oven until the bread turns golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Best served warm.
This pão de queijo looks yummy. I love the drawings!
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admin Reply:
May 4th, 2011 at 8:25 am
Thanks!
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I’ve been looking for this Brazilian bread for a long time, I saw it only once and then since I did not remember the name, I lost it. And now it’s the second recipe of it posted today. I think it’s a sign for me to make it.
. What a cute blog 
I’m following!
Your photos look lovely and the drawings even lovelier
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admin Reply:
May 4th, 2011 at 8:25 am
Yes it is a sign! Make them!
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Me loves some Pao de queijo. I LOVE IT! I use Queso Fresco, super delicious.
I love the animations you make, so creative!
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admin Reply:
May 4th, 2011 at 8:26 am
Thank you!
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I’ve just made them and they were delicious!
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admin Reply:
May 4th, 2011 at 8:26 am
So happy you enjoyed them!
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These look good! Will give them a try once I get hold of tapioca flour.
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admin Reply:
May 4th, 2011 at 8:27 am
I bought a big supply so I can make more.
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I love the comics, and I am really excited about trying this recipe out! I love Brazilian cheese bread!
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admin Reply:
May 4th, 2011 at 8:27 am
I hope you like this recipe!
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I got nuts for these whenever I eat at a churrascaria in the States. In fact, I have to force myself not to finish the entire bread basket before I get to the meat.
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admin Reply:
May 4th, 2011 at 12:13 pm
Haha. I feel the same way.
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LOVE these cheese bread!!! cute illustrations!
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I made these tonight for dinner and they are great!!!! How many do you usually get from one batch?
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admin Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 10:24 am
Hmm, I should have counted. Next time I will count and post the amount.
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It is too bad we cannot get some ethnic ingredients here in US. The true pao de queijo does not use parmezan. This is an adaptation for US. The cheese is the dried (but not too dry) form of Queijo Minas, a cheese made in the state called Minas Gerais. It sort of reminds me of the Mexican Queso fresco or Ranchero. But it needs to be aged a little.
The pao de queijo with parmesan is a nice imitation but it is not the true pao de queijo. One of these days I am going to try to age Queso Fresco and then try to make pao de queijo.
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I LOVE these! The fact they are naturally gluten free makes it even better.
I like to double the recipe and freeze the frozen dough into balls – it takes just a few more minutes to cook from the frozen state but you can have Cheese Rolls any time!
Wonderful drawings! Great site.
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admin Reply:
July 1st, 2011 at 12:28 pm
I like that they are gluten free too. Never tried baking them from frozen state. I’ll have to try it next time.
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Hi there,
This is great, I’ve been hearing about this Brazilian Cheese bread (Pão de queijo), it looks so tasty… Do you have more like this?
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admin Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 1:31 pm
I’m not quite sure what you mean by more like this? This is the only Brazilian cheese bread recipe on the site we’ve tried.
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