These Brazilian Cheese Puffs (Pao de Queijo) are something I wish I would have tried earlier. Crispy outside, yet super soft and chewy inside, these little guys make a perfect snack for any occasion!
When you do a bunch of new recipes every single week, sometimes you get lucky and stumble across an instant hit. Don't get me wrong, I bump into really great dishes all the time, but the one that you want to repeat hundreds of times, the one that you want to show your friends and family, the one that brings you joy and happiness when you eat it comes not so often as I would like. But today is the day! This Brazilian Cheese Bread aka Pao de Queijo recipe is unbelievably good. Actually it's more like cheese balls or puffs to me, but people use a phrase "cheese bread" when searching for it, so let it be this way!
As I have already said, these guys are amazing. They are crispy outside but so soft and chewy inside! Oh and the flavor of cheese is fantastic. It's not too overpowering, it's just right! Parmesan does the job. The consistency of this Brazilian cheese bread is so interesting probably because it's made with tapioca flour instead of good ol' all-purpose flour. I will be frank, when I mixed the tapioca flour with milk and started kneading it I thought that I failed! The dough was so sticky, it was impossible to handle. But I believed in the recipe, in myself and the end result didn't disappoint!
I read somewhere that Pao de Queijo goes great with a cup of tea. Well, I don't know. I am a huge fan of tea, but these cheese puffs go way better with beer or wine in my opinion! I will say more than that. This Brazilian cheese bread and beer are meant to be together! That's why Pao de Queijo would be crazily popular in my country (Lithuania), because we are obsessed with this beverage.
All in all these cheese puffs really surprised me. There is something different about them. Maybe the tapioca flour does the magic? Probably. By the way, Pao de Queijo is not only tasty but it's also gluten-free. How cool is that? The perfect snack! I am one hundred percent sure that I will repeat it many times and I highly recommend this cheese bread to you, my dear reader.
If you love cheese, try this Cheesy Pesto Lasagna, which is the most popular recipe on the blog! 
Pao de Queijo - Brazilian Cheese Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup Olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). In a saucepan, over medium heat, mix together milk, salt and olive oil. Remove from heat when bubbles start appearing.
- Stir in the tapioca flour and whisk thoroughly. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment beat the dough for few minutes at medium speed.
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs and add them to the dough. Mix well with the mixer at medium speed.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and mix again with the mixer at medium speed. The dough will be sticky, don't worry, it should be like that.
- Now scoop the dough with a tablespoon or an ice cream scoop, form it a little bit into balls and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. I made the heaping tablespoon sized portions. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until they have puffed. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Elaine @ Dishes Delish
Your recipes are awesome! I enjoy coming here every week to see what you have cooking! Thanks for sharing.
Igor
Thank you so much for the kind words, Elaine!
Debb
My tapioca milk oil and salt mixture is watery. Where did i go wrong?
Igor
Debb, was it still watery after beating in the eggs and the Parmesan cheese?
Penny Crowell
My mixture is runny too...
Natalia M.B. De Luca
You have To go To Minas Gerais and eat an "Pão de queijo " there , i don't think you will ever want To eat another thing in the world, it's literally the best "Pão de queijo" in the world!!!!
Igor
Thank you for the comment, Natalia! Now I know where to find the best Brazilian cheese bread in the world 🙂
Lisa
I don't have a mixer. Could I still be successful making these?
Igor
It will be more time consuming but it's perfectly possible, Lisa 😉
Eating Adventures
I can't wait to try this. I am so glad I found your blog! Well done!
Igor
I am happy you liked these cheese puffs! I also checked your website - when I'll be in China I am surely taking one of your foodie tours. They look amazing!
Joan Gill
This recipe is way too oily. I knew that 1/2 cup of olive oil was too much, but I trusted the recipe. Silly me.
Igor
Sorry to hear it Joan but I am not sure where you found it to be oily. I made these puffs like 10 times already and they were perfect every time 🙂