Brazilian Cheese Bread
This Brazilian Cheese Bread is the stuff dreams are made of! I originally discovered it at a restaurant called Tucanos Brazilian Grill. Every time I go to Tucanos, I seriously have to try to limit myself to only a few of these little cheese rolls or I will completely go to town on them. I found a great recipe on the back of a bag of Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour and gave it a try. I switched up the cheese to sharp cheddar to enhance the flavor, and they are so good! If you haven’t had these rolls before, now it the time! Oh, and did I mention they are GLUTEN FREE?! So this one is for all of my gluten-free friends out there!
What is Pao de Queijo?
Literally translated to “cheese bread” in Portuguese, these small, round, baked cheese rolls are a popular snack and breakfast food in Brazil. And even though it’s called “bread”, the dough doesn’t use yeast (hence, gluten-free!) and the consistency is sort of in between a cake batter and cookie dough and is extremely stretchy. These cheese rolls are actually really cool to make, and even more fun to eat! If you want to create a delicious Brazilian feast, serve these yummy rolls alongside a helping of our Brazilian Rice and Beans with Sausage. You won’t believe how quickly this meal comes together, yet it looks like you spent hours creating this masterpiece!
What’s In Brazilian Cheese Bread?
The ingredients used to make Brazilian cheese bread are very simple. Here’s what you need:
OilTapioca Flour (or Tapioca Starch) – You can also use cassava flour (pretty much the same thing). This is the main binding agent for the pão de queijo. MilkSaltEggsCheese – any kind of shredded cheese will work. Parmesan and cheddar cheese are the two that are most commonly used.
Two Easy Ways to Make Brazilian Cheese Bread:
- The Authentic Way – The first way is the more “authentic” way to make them. There is a little more technique and skill involved. This is the way as described in the recipe below.
- The Blender Method – This is the best way to make Brazilian cheese bread if you are in a hurry or simply want to make things easier on yourself. I honestly can’t tell much a difference between the two methods. I am all about ease and usually find myself putting it all in a blender more often than not. Here’s what you do:
Preheat oven to 400-degreesPut all the ingredients except the cheese in a blender.Blend until smooth (about 20 seconds)Add cheese and pulse 3-4 times to incorporate. Spray a mini muffin tin (link) with cooking spray and fill each cup with the cheese mixture until almost full.Place in the oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until the outside of the rolls are golden brown and puffed up. Do not over bake! The texture on the outside is more dry and “bread” like and the inside is more soft and chewy.
More Roll Recipes
In our family, a dinner is truly not complete without a side of bread or rolls. Here are a few of our tried and true recipes for you to add to your dinner table!
How to Make Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pao de Queijo)
Dinner Rolls
Homemade Crescent Rolls
Pani Popo (Samoan Coconut Rolls)
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