🧀 Easy 5-Ingredient Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)
These bite-sized, golden cheese puffs are naturally gluten-free, incredibly chewy on the inside, and beautifully crisp on the outside. Known traditionally as Pão de Queijo, these Brazilian delicacies make the perfect quick snack, party appetizer, or breakfast treat. They whip up easily in a blender and bake to puffy perfection in under 20 minutes!
🛒 Ingredients
- 2 cups Tapioca flour (also sold as tapioca starch)
- 1 cup Whole milk
- ½ cup Vegetable oil or melted butter
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 ½ cups Shredded cheese (Parmesan, Mozzarella, or a sharp white Cheddar mix)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
👩🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Blend the Batter
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a mini muffin pan or line a standard baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine: In a high-speed blender, combine the milk, vegetable oil, eggs, tapioca flour, and salt.
- Blend Smooth: Pulse until the mixture is completely smooth, scraping down the sides if any flour sticks.
- Fold in Cheese: Add the shredded cheese to the blender and pulse gently 2 to 3 times just to combine—you still want tiny bits of cheese intact rather than completely pureed.
2. Portion and Shape
- Scoop: Pour the liquid batter directly into your prepared mini muffin cups (filling them about ¾ full).
- Alternative Method: If the batter is chilled slightly to thicken, you can scoop small round balls directly onto a baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each roll to allow for puffing, matching the round shape seen in image_3327bc.jpg.
3. Bake to Golden Perfection
- Bake: Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them—they will puff up significantly and turn a pale golden color with tiny toasted cheese spots on top.
- Cool & Serve: Remove from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes on a wire rack. Serve them warm when the cheesy interior is at its ultimate chewy texture, stacked high on a platter
