Brazilian cheese bread balls — chewy, gooey, gluten-free, addictively cheesy.
Pão de Queijo are Brazil's iconic cheese bread balls — bite-sized, golden brown on the outside, chewy and stretchy inside, intensely cheesy. Made with tapioca flour (naturally gluten-free), they have a unique texture that's unlike any other bread. They're eaten throughout Brazil for breakfast, snacks, with coffee, or alongside meals. From Minas Gerais to Rio, they're irresistible.
Serves 24
Combine milk, water, oil, and salt in saucepan. Bring to rolling boil.
Place tapioca starch in large bowl. Pour boiling milk mixture over. Stir vigorously with wooden spoon until smooth and pasty. Texture will be sticky and stringy.
Cool 10-15 minutes until warm but not hot.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix with hands or stand mixer until smooth.
Mix in both cheeses until evenly distributed. Dough will be sticky.
Wet hands. Roll dough into 4cm balls. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, 3cm apart.
Bake at 200°C for 22-25 minutes until puffed, golden brown, and slightly cracked.
Serve immediately while warm — that's when they're best. Pair with coffee or guava paste.
Sour tapioca starch (polvilho azedo) is essential — sweet starch (doce) won't give the chew.
Eat warm — they get hard when fully cool.
Use cheddar for sharper flavor.
Add herbs like chives or rosemary.
Best fresh. Freeze unbaked balls; bake from frozen, adding 5 minutes.
Pão de Queijo originated in Minas Gerais during colonial times. Slaves working in cassava fields developed this bread without traditional wheat.
Brazilian markets or Amazon. Sometimes labeled 'polvilho azedo' (sour) vs 'polvilho doce' (sweet) — must be sour for chewy texture.
Per serving (30g) · 24 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes