In addition to the sweets I brought to Thanksgiving, I also baked some Brazilian Cheese Breads.
I am so in love with these breads, which are called Pão De Queijo. They are savory cheesy balls with a chewy interior. They are best eaten warm.
They are actually super easy to make, but it’s best eaten the day of, so it’s not a dish to make ahead or to make too much of.
Over the years, I’ve tried a couple different recipes, but my favorite one is the one below. I’ve also tried various cheeses. My favorite is a mix of gouda and parmesan, but really, you can use any cheese. I often use cheddar too.
Brazilian Cheese Breads (Pao De Queijo)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fat free milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 - 3 cups tapioca flour/starch easily found at Chinese grocery stores
- 1 large egg
- 2 oz grated gouda cheese
- 2 oz grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan bring the milk, water, oil, and salt to a boil. Remove the pan from heat and set aside. Add in 2 1/2 cups tapioca flour and using a large wooden spoon, stir until fully combined and no flour streaks remain.
- Stir in cheese and egg. The dough should now be easier to mix. Stir dough to fully incorporate the cheese. For a lighter color cheese, I like to make sure the dough turns a uniform color but for a cheddar cheese you can let the cheddar bits remain.
- Check to see how sticky the dough is. You should be able to form round balls with your hands. The dough should be sticky, but not too sticky that it won't come off your hands. If the dough is too sticky, add a few more tablespoons of tapioca starch until dough can be formed into balls.
- Roll balls about 1 1/2 inch in diameter. Place on the greased baking sheets and bake for 20-25 minutes until puffy and golden. Let balls cool a few minutes before eating. They will last for several hours. Best served right away.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Could you replace vegetable oil with lets say olive oil? Or maybe butter?
I have not tested it with other oils. I think olive oil will work. I don’t recommend butter because the butter will solidify once you add the other ingredients and your dough will be too sticky
Your recipes not only taste great, they reliably come out well, so I’m VERY glad to have come across this (there’s no Brazilian restos near me at present, but I think these will tide me over nicely until I can get to one)!
Two questions: is the 4 oz of cheese called for measured by volume – as in ‘half a cup’ – or by weight? And if following your portion-size suggested, about how many does it make?
Thanks!
the cheese is weighted ounces. I believe this recipe makes a little over a dozen but unfortunately it looks like I didn’t write it down. I wasn’t very good at that when I first started blogging. Next time I make them again, I will definitely check.
The frozen ones at Sprouts are also good, easy to use too as you can bake just what you plan to eat (I do them in a toaster oven). I got addicted to these when visiting Brazil, and used to make them from scratch, but find the frozen ones just as good.
thank you! I’ll have to try them out sometime!
Did you buy pre-grated cheese? If so, which brand?
I’ve done both. I’ve grated it fresh and bought shredded. I prefer Sargento for shredded. for gouda cheese though, I always buy in blocks and shave it myself.