Can’t Stop Making This Brazilian Cheese Bread

Posted on May 2, 2025 by resourcefulman

Cheese and carbs have never been a selling point, but if you’ve ever tasted a stretchy, bouncy slice of pão de queijo (flaky Brazilian cheese bread), then you know this simple combination can soar to new heights. This is the most stretchy cheesy casserole you’ll ever know. If you have n’t had the pleasure of treating yourself to pan de queijo, we need to change that. Luckily, it only requires six ingredients and is almost effortless using a blender or stand mixer.

What is pan de queijo?

Although many South American countries have a version of this cheese bread, pão de queijo originated in Brazil. This delicious snack owes its elastic, gooey center to tapioca flour, a starch derived from the cassava root. Cheese has its value too, but I think it plays a bigger role as the main flavor ingredient. So, using a powerful cheese with plenty of flavor pays off in the long run. Add a little egg, butter and milk and you’re done.

I first tried pão de queijo at a Brazilian restaurant in Brooklyn, where we were quickly served a basket of golden-brown speckled cookie balls about the size of a large egg. My friend stopped talking and directed my attention to the bread because that’s why she brought me there. After tearing one in half (which took a long time due to the endless crappy stretching), I realized why we had paused our discussion. This chewy, salty, crispy yet soft pao de queijo demands and deserves your full attention.

A few years later, I thoroughly enjoyed eating pan de queijo in Brazil. They are often eaten for breakfast, and in cafes they serve several golden spheres with coffee. The ones I’ve eaten in Brazil are made in frustratingly small sizes compared to how big my appetite is, but not everyone is a cheese monster like me. And at home I can make more of them.

I used two different methods for making pão de queijo: a blender version and a stand mixer version. (If you haven’t joined the stand mixer club yet, here’s what to look for when shopping for one. ) Both recipes are delicious, so instead of choosing for you, I’ve provided them both.

Pao de queijo in a blender

This style of pão de queijo is more like dough. It’s super simple: I just add all the ingredients to my Vitamix, but you can use any other blender. (If you need a fancy new blender, this one just about changed my life.) The oven takes care of the rest. It’s best to use a muffin tin (or mini muffin tin) to form the puffs. I used this recipe from the back of a package of Bob’s Red Mill Tapioca Flour. I took the liberty of adding more cheese before baking and included it here.

Ingredients:

1 egg
¼ cup olive oil
⅔ glass of milk
1 ½ cups tapioca flour
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
½ teaspoon salt

1. Blender dump

Grease a muffin tin or mini muffin tin and preheat oven to 400°F. Add all ingredients to blender. Mix on low speed to “catch” all the ingredients and slowly increase the speed. Stop the blender and scrape down the sides if you notice any tapioca flour stuck to it. Stir again if necessary.

2. Bake

Pour contents of blender into greased muffin cups or mini muffin tins. I fill them about half to three quarters full. Then sprinkle each with a pinch of cheese. Bake them for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.

What are your thoughts so far?

Pão de queijo in a stand mixer

Photo: Ellie Chanthorn Reinmann.

I used this recipe from TudoGostoso , which has a more dough-like consistency, partly due to heating the tapioca with hot milk and butter before going into the oven.

Ingredients:

500 grams tapioca flour (I used the entire bag of Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour)
1 tablespoon salt
250 ml milk (a little more than 1 glass)
1-2 eggs (second egg only if needed)
12 ounces shredded cheese (I used a mixture of mozzarella, parmesan and cheddar)

1. Dry and wet ingredients

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Add tapioca flour and salt to mixer bowl. Add milk and butter to a saucepan or saucepan. Heat the liquid mixture over medium heat until it begins to bubble around the edges.

2. Knead the dough

Add the paddle attachment and turn the mixer to the lowest speed. Immediately pour in the hot butter and milk mixture with the mixer running. Blend until smooth and sandy in texture. Add one egg and cheese. If the dough is a little dry, add another egg. You should have a soft cookie dough. Mix until the dough is smooth and thick.

3. Form into balls.