Brazilian cheese bread, or pão de queijo as they are known in Portuguese, are a delightful little ball of chewy cheese bread heaven! They have a puffy, and unique texture that makes them addicting. Our copycat Fogo de Chao cheese bread bites are quick to make and naturally gluten-free, thanks to the tapioca flour they're made with.
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What is Brazilian cheese bread?
Pão de queijo, sometimes also called Brazilian Cheese Puffs, or simply Brazilian cheese bread, are a small baked cheese roll, usually eaten for a snack or sometimes breakfast.
The origins of these little roll came from the African slaves in Brazil, who use the cassava root to make bread from. Eventually cheese and milk was added into the recipe leaving us with the tasty little cheese roll we know today.
In the United States, you'll find these little cheese breads are a staple at Brazilian Steakhouses like Fogo de Chao, Rodizio Grill, and Tucanos.
These little cheese puff rolls have become more mainstream the last few years, you can even find them frozen at Costco or Trader Joe's. But, honestly, they are so simple to make, why buy them?!
I've been making these for years thanks to my husband's obsession with them. He spent two years living in southern Brazil and these are just how he remembers them.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
This Brazilian cheese bread recipe is the real deal. It tastes just like, if not better than any cheese roll you'll get at a Brazilian steakhouse. Plus, it's authentic! It tastes just like the pao de queijo you'll find in Brazil.
My husband spend several years living in Brazil, and we actually spent a week in Rio de Janeiro recently. Every corner café we passed had these little cheese rolls sitting in their display case.
The tapioca flour makes these rolls gluten-free, but also gives them a uniquely chewy texture that I can't get enough of! These bread bites contain no yeast so they come together and bake very quickly. We're talking 30 minutes or less, start to finish!
Brazilian cheese bread is typically made one of two way, either by cooking the flour with the milk and oil before adding the remaining ingredients or by throwing everything into the blender and making a thin batter.
This recipe is the blender method, which is not only my preferred method for its ease, but also because i think they taste better!
Ingredient Notes
- Tapioca Flour. Tapioca flour, sometimes called tapioca starch, is essential for unique chewy texture. This cannot be swapped for a different kind of flour.
- Milk. Milk binds and hydrates the batter together. I used whole milk, but skim or 2% will work fine.
- Egg. Egg will help bind the cheese bread together and help them puff up.
- Oil. Oil makes the moist and tender.
- Cheese. Cheese adds the salty, cheesy flavor to the Brazilian cheese bread. You can use all sorts of cheese, or a combination of cheeses. You can try shredded cheddar, mozzarella, crumbled feta, parmesan, pepper jack, totally up to you. My favorite is sharp cheddar or a combination of cheddar and mozzarella.
- Salt. Salt helps with the texture and flavor.
How to Make this Recipe
- Grease the pan. Start by greasing the mini muffin pan.
- Blend. Place all in the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour. Pour the batter into the mini muffin pan, almost to the top of the pan.
- Bake. Bake the Brazilian cheese bread at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, Brazilian cheese bread is naturally gluten-free! Brazilian cheese bread doesn't use traditional wheat flour, it uses tapioca flour which does not contain gluten.
Brazilian cheese bread is made from tapioca flour, milk, oil, egg, cheese, and salt. The tapioca flour + the cheese gives it that signature cheesy flavor and chewy texture.
Yes! You can absolutely make the batter and store it in the refrigerator, for up to one week. Then you are free to make your Fogo de Chao rolls fresh whenever you want!
Tapioca flour, also called tapioca starch, can sometimes be tricky to find. I often find it in the gluten-free section or natural foods section of the grocery store. Bob's Red Mill makes tapioca flour that I see at most of my mainstream grocery stores. I regularly see tapioca flour at my local Asian market too. It's also usually available in the bulk bins at grocery stores like Sprouts and Winco.
If your cheese rolls are dry, it's likely that you overcooked them. These cheese rolls are meant to be crisp on the outside with a chewy center, but they shouldn't be dry!
You can use almost any kind of shredded or crumbled cheese. Just know the type of cheese you use will affect the flavor of the cheese, you'll want to use a cheese that has a strong enough flavor to give these cheese breads a nice cheesy flavor.
Feel free to experiment with cheese flavors, some ideas are cheddar, crumbled feta, mozzarella, Colby jack, or pepper jack. My personal preference is to use sharp cheddar or a combination of cheddar and mozzarella.
Tapioca Flour Vs. Cassava Flour
Cassava is a root vegetable also known as yucca (yuca), tapioca, mandioca, or manioc. Tapioca flour and cassava flour both come from the cassava plant, and although they come from the same plant they are not the same thing.
The difference between the two flours comes down to how the two flours are processed. Cassava flour is less processed than tapioca flour. Cassava flour uses the entire root, resulting in a fiber-rich, nuttier flour.
With tapioca flour, the root is grated and rinsed. After the water evaporates, the fine residue that is left behind is tapioca flour. Tapioca flour contains less fiber than cassava flour, making it a poor option for traditional baking.
How to Store this Recipe
Our copycat Fogo de Chao Brazilian cheese bread are best eaten fresh; however, there are other options for reheating them or freezing it.
Freezing Pao de Queijo
Let the cheese bread bites cool completely before placing in a freezer gallon bag or an airtight container. Try to remove as much air from the bag as possible. They're best eaten within 3 months of freezing.
When you're ready to eat them again, thaw them completely, and follow the instructions for reheating them below.
Reheating Instructions
Don't try to reheat the Brazilian cheese bread in the microwave, it doesn't work well. The good news is, that you can just pop them in the oven, toaster oven, or even air fryer to make them good as new.
Heat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 5 minutes. The time may need to be adjusted slightly for toaster ovens and air fryers, depending on the brand/model.
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Fogo de Chao Cheese Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups tapioca flour or tapioca starch
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ½ cup shredded cheese see notes
- 1 ¼ salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high. Scrape down sides of blender and blend again until the batter is completely smooth.
- Pour batter into a mini muffin tin almost to the top. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published January 22, 2019
Sandy says
These came out perfect! My husband took his first bite and let out a surprised “wow” - they are slightly crispy on the outside and warm and gooey on the inside! These are as good as Fago de Chao!