Go Back
Freshly baked Brazilian cheese bread with a golden crust and soft, stretchy interior served on a ceramic plate.

Brazilian Cheese Bread

Olivia Carter
these are those crispy-outside, chewy-inside gluten-free rolls from Brazil—total snack game-changer with cheese and tapioca magic. Grab 'em hot with coffee, and you're golden.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
15 minutes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
COST $8-12 total
Course Snack
Cuisine Brazilian
Keyword pão de queijo
Servings 40 rolls
Calories 80 kcal

Equipment

  • Saucepan for boiling
  • big bowl or mixer for stirring
  • cookie scoop
  • parchment-lined baking sheet
  • oven

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups tapioca flour 500g
  • 1¼ cups milk
  • ½ cup water
  • 6 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1½ cups grated Parmesan
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Boil the milk, water, oil, and salt in a pot—get it bubbling wildly.
    Milk, water, oil, and salt boiling together in a saucepan to prepare the base for Brazilian cheese bread.
  • Dump it over tapioca flour in a bowl; stir like mad till it's a sticky mess (normal, promise).
    Hot milk mixture poured over tapioca flour to form a thick dough for pão de queijo.
  • Let it cool a tad, then beat in eggs one by one till smooth.
    Grated cheese being mixed into elastic Brazilian cheese bread dough by hand.
  • Fold in all that cheese goodness.
    Shaped dough balls for Brazilian cheese bread placed on a parchment-lined baking tray.
  • Scoop into balls on parchment, bake at 400°F for 20 mins till golden and puffed. Done—snack heaven!
    Brazilian cheese bread puffing and browning while baking in the oven.

Notes

That gluey dough? Totally right—oil your hands for easy rolling. Freeze extras raw for up to 3 months; bake straight from the freezer. Best scarfed warm with strong coffee. Pro move!

NUTRITION (per roll, ~25g serving):

  • Around 80 calories
  • 10g carbs
  • 4g fat
  • 2g protein
  • 150mg sodium.