Brazilian cheese bread, or pão de queijo, is a small, chewy roll made with tapioca starch, cheese, milk, oil, and eggs. This blender version makes the batter quick to mix and bakes into crisp-edged, airy-centered bites, served warm as a snack or alongside a meal. Cheese and starch choices vary by region and household; this recipe uses an easy-to-find cheese blend.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs (about 100 g without shells), at room temperature if convenient
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) neutral oil, such as sunflower, canola, or vegetable oil
- 2 cups (240 g) tapioca starch, also sold as tapioca flour; do not use tapioca pearls
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) fine salt
- 1 cup (100 g) finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup (55 g) shredded low-moisture mozzarella
- Oil or nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the pan if needed
Instructions
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Heat the oven and prepare the pan. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 24-well mini muffin pan. If you have a nonstick pan in good condition, a light coating is still helpful because the cheese can stick as it browns. Set the pan aside while you make the batter.
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Blend the wet ingredients. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and salt to a blender. Blend for about 15 seconds, just until the mixture looks evenly combined. Starting with the liquid ingredients helps the starch move through the blender blades instead of sticking in a dry layer around the jar.
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Add the tapioca starch gradually. Add about half the tapioca starch and pulse until it is mostly incorporated. Add the rest and blend just until smooth, stopping once to scrape down the sides if necessary. The batter should be thick but pourable, similar to a loose pancake batter. Avoid running the blender for a long time; prolonged blending can warm the batter and strain a small blender motor.
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Mix in the cheese. Add the Parmesan and mozzarella. Pulse a few times, only until the cheese is distributed. A few small flecks are fine; the batter does not need to be perfectly uniform. If your blender jar is small, pour the blended liquid and starch into a bowl and stir the cheese in by hand rather than filling the jar beyond its capacity.
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Fill the muffin wells. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared mini muffin pan, filling each well about three-quarters full. Give the batter a quick stir if it has sat for several minutes, since tapioca starch can settle. Do not fill each well to the rim: the rolls puff as they bake and need room to rise without spilling over.
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Bake until puffed and set. Bake for 22 minutes, checking their color at the 20-minute mark. The breads should be puffed, golden at the edges, and set rather than wet in the middle. Because this is an egg dish, USDA FSIS guidance is to cook it to a safe minimum internal temperature of 160°F (71°C); check the center of a bread with a food thermometer. Let the rolls cool in the pan for about 3 minutes, then lift them out and serve warm.
Tips
- Choose the right starch. Use tapioca starch, sometimes labeled tapioca flour, rather than cassava flour, which is made from the whole root and behaves differently. Traditional Brazilian recipes may use polvilho doce (sweet tapioca starch), polvilho azedo (sour, fermented tapioca starch), or a mix. Polvilho azedo adds a tangier flavor and can make the rolls especially airy; ordinary tapioca starch is a practical, mild substitute for this recipe.
- Use finely grated cheese. Fine shreds blend and distribute more evenly than large chunks. Parmesan brings salt and savory flavor, while mozzarella softens the bite and gives a stretchy, chewy interior. If your Parmesan is particularly salty, reduce the added salt slightly rather than changing the cheese quantity.
- Expect a stretchy batter. Tapioca starch makes a sticky, elastic mixture, not a wheat-flour dough that you can knead or shape by hand. Pouring it into a greased mini muffin pan is intentional. If the batter seems unusually thick, check that you measured the milk accurately and used starch rather than cassava flour.
- Mind the blender and pan size. A small blender may not safely hold the full recipe, so blend the liquid and starch in batches or mix the batter in a bowl. A standard muffin pan also works; fill its wells about halfway and expect larger breads to need a few extra minutes. Look for puffing and a set center rather than relying only on color.
Serving Suggestions
Serve pão de queijo soon after baking, when the outside is lightly crisp and the center is warm, tender, and pleasantly chewy. It is a popular snack and breakfast food in Brazil, and it also fits naturally on a brunch table with coffee, tea, or fruit. Put out a basket while the rolls are still warm so guests can pull them apart easily.
For a more substantial snack, offer them with butter, cream cheese, or a mild spread. Their savory cheese flavor also pairs well with soup, salad, or a simple plate of sliced tomatoes and avocado. If serving them with dips, choose options that will not overpower the cheese, such as a fresh herb dip or a lightly sweet fruit preserve. The rolls are most enjoyable warm, but they can be served at room temperature in a lunchbox or on a snack platter.
Variations
Try another cheese. Queijo minas, a fresh Brazilian cheese, is a traditional choice in many versions, but it can be difficult to find outside Brazil. The Parmesan-and-mozzarella combination here is an accessible substitute: it is saltier and more assertive than mild queijo minas. If you find queso fresco or another mild, crumbly fresh cheese, you can replace some of the mozzarella with it; drain it well and expect a slightly less stretchy center.
Adjust the cheese blend. Use all Parmesan for a sharper, saltier roll, or replace the mozzarella with a mild melting cheese such as Monterey Jack. Keep the total cheese close to 1 1/2 cups (155 g), and remember that a wetter cheese can make the inside softer. Avoid adding a large amount of extra cheese, which can weigh down the batter and make the breads oily.
Make larger rolls. For standard muffin wells, fill each one about halfway rather than using the mini-pan amount. Bake until puffed, browned, and set in the center, allowing extra time as needed and checking the safe internal temperature. The larger rolls have a softer, more substantial middle and may take longer to cool before serving.
Add a small flavor accent. A pinch of black pepper or a little finely chopped fresh herb can complement the cheese. Keep additions modest and dry; wet ingredients can change the batter consistency. Avoid treating this as a dough for kneading in fillings—the pourable batter is what gives the rolls their characteristic shape and texture.
Storage and Reheating
Let baked rolls cool until they are no longer steaming, then refrigerate them in a covered container within 2 hours of baking. They keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. They will lose some of their crispness as they chill, but reheating restores a warmer, more pleasant texture. For best results, arrange them in a single layer rather than crushing them together in a bag.
To reheat refrigerated rolls, place them on a baking sheet in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 5 to 8 minutes, until hot in the center. A toaster oven works well for a small portion. Leftovers should be reheated to 165°F (74°C). A microwave is convenient for one or two rolls, but it makes the outside soft; heat briefly and eat them right away rather than expecting a crisp crust.
For longer storage, freeze completely cooled rolls in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months for best quality. Reheat from frozen in a 350°F (175°C) oven, allowing roughly 8 to 12 minutes and checking that the center is hot. You can also refrigerate uncooked batter for up to 24 hours; stir it thoroughly before filling the pan because the starch settles. Do not leave batter or baked rolls at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make Brazilian cheese bread without a blender?
Yes. Whisk the eggs, milk, oil, and salt in a bowl, then gradually whisk in the tapioca starch until smooth. Fold in the grated cheeses. A few small lumps are less of a concern than dry pockets of starch, so scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl before filling the pan.
Can I use cassava flour instead of tapioca starch?
Not as a direct swap. Tapioca starch is the extracted starch from cassava, while cassava flour includes more of the root and absorbs liquid differently. Using cassava flour can produce a denser, drier result. Look for tapioca starch or tapioca flour on the package; those two names commonly refer to the ingredient this recipe needs.
Why did my rolls turn out flat or dense?
Check that the oven was fully preheated and that you used tapioca starch, not cassava flour or another flour. Overfilling the wells, using very wet cheese, or leaving the batter to separate without stirring can also affect the rise. Blend only until smooth, distribute the batter evenly, and bake until the centers are set.
Can I make the batter ahead?
Yes, cover and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Tapioca starch settles while the batter stands, so stir it well before pouring it into the greased pan. If the chilled batter is very thick, let it sit briefly while the oven heats, then stir again; do not add extra milk unless it is genuinely too thick to pour.
Can I bake these in a regular muffin pan?
Yes. Grease the wells and fill them about halfway so the batter has space to puff. Larger rolls may need a few more minutes than mini ones, so use their color and set centers as cues and check one with a food thermometer for 160°F (71°C). The yield will be smaller, and the centers will be softer and more substantial.
Are these rolls supposed to be chewy inside?
Yes. Tapioca starch gives pão de queijo its characteristic elastic, chewy center, while the outside becomes lightly browned. A very wet or gummy center usually means the rolls need more baking time; a completely firm, dry crumb can mean they baked too long. Let them sit for a few minutes after baking so the interior can settle before serving.
Related
- Brazilian Grilled Chicken Recipe with Garlic-Lime Marinade
- Brazilian Brigadeiro Recipe: Rich, Chewy Chocolate Truffles
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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
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