Looking to bake something new with your kids, that they are guaranteed to enjoy? You are going to LOVE this pão de queijo!!! Try this simple recipe for pão de queijo, a delicious Brazilian, gluten-free cheese bread with a unique, chewy texture that is made from tapioca flour. In fact, it is believed this starchy root (called cassava, yuca, tapioca, or manioc) was originally domesticated in Brazil more than 10,000 years ago! In the 16th century when Portuguese explorers came to Brazil, they brought back the cassava plant to western Africa. It spread throughout the continent, growing successfully in poor soil and drought-ridden areas, and since has become a staple in many countries.
This post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for your support!
The original name for this bread is “chipá,” which comes from Guarani, a language spoken in Paraguay and southwestern Brazil. The Guarani people originally made chipá with only tapioca and water, but when the Jesuit missionaries brought dairy and eggs, the popular recipe evolved to what it is today.
These gluten-free puffs are easy to make, and perfect when eaten right out of the oven while they are still warm. Though originally from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, pão de queijo is eaten as a snack throughout Brazil, Bolivia, and parts of Argentina. This recipe was given to me by my dear friend Dani, from Campinas, Sao Paulo. Thank you Dani- we LOVED them!!!!
Look for tapioca flour in your local supermarket, an African market, or in a store like Whole Foods
Ingredients
24 oz of tapioca flour
(also called cassava flour)
16 oz of shredded mozzarella
8 oz of parmesan cheese
1 cup of milk
½ cup of oil
4 or 5 eggs
Salt
Pour the tapioca flour into a big bowl. Boil milk and oil together and pour into the tapioca flour. Knead well.
Add the other ingredients and knead until a smooth dough. It is a very starchy dough, that might be hard for kids to knead. I had my kids start it so they could feel the stickiness between their little fingers, and then I kneaded it by hand until it was completely mixed. I have heard others say that it is easier to do by machine (mixer), but I don’t own one:).
Here is where the kids get to help! Make balls (the size of a ping-pong ball) and bake in the oven (350F) for about 25 minutes or until crust is golden. This makes a LOT of small cheese balls, so the more hand you have rolling, the better. I oiled up their hand first to avoid getting them sticky and it really helped.
Pão de queijo tastes best when it is fresh from the oven. Many in Brazil freeze the rolls before cooking them so they always have them ready when guests drop by. When you want to bake the frozen dough, just put them directly into the oven!
Bom Apetite!!!
I had no idea that tapioca was cassava! Thanks for sharing this recipe – it looks delicious!
What is tapioca called in Malawi? Is it used as widely as it is in Nigeria/Angola, etc? I’m so curious about the origin and migration of food… 🙂
We are trying these this weekend! I’ll make them ahead of time, freeze them, then just pop them in the oven for some fresh appetizers. Thanks!
Mmm, these look so good! Can’t wait to try them! And I had no idea that cassava was brought to Africa from Brazil, so fascinating how interconnected we all are! Just like, where would Italian cuisine be without the American tomato? Love it!
Thanks Leanna- I know! It is amazing how foods have traveled the world and been absorbed and incorporated by other cultures. What would Irish cuisine look like without the Peruvian potato? Or like you said, Italian food without the tomato!? Or cacao from Mexico, mixed with the milk from the Spaniards…chocolate!
My favorite part is these are all considered “traditional” foods – and yet they are so influenced by other places! Reminds me of the activity you posted about mapping where our foods come from.
Exactly! When does the new become the tradition?
I started looking at your web site and I felt really dissapointed that in your Americas section you forgot a country…!
My country Paraguay, at the heart of South America.
Please next time you offer a site make sure you use a map…!
Oh, you misunderstood- this is not an inclusive list! It is only the countries where I have done projects SO FAR:). Please help me come up with an activity, craft, or book from Paraguay!!! 🙂
See that is where I went wrong, I didn’t have the right kind of flour, it was regular flour, not tapioca…….
I think the key is the tapioca flour. I found it in a section of our supermarket with African ingredients, labelled “cassava” flour. I also found some in an Asian (more international foods) market. They are so, so, so good!!! 🙂 If you send me your address, I will send you a bag of the flour!
These look delicious. I have tapioca starch, is that the same thing? Also, why do you say 4/5 eggs?
My friend says that if they are extra large eggs, use 4, but if they are small use 5:). She also said that you can use tapioca starch!:)
Thanks! :))
Thanks for sharing! Just curious about how many this makes?
A LOT!!!! 🙂 Over 50! 🙂 I’ve made half and frozen half another time I made them…
Hey, these look awesome! The mixture of milk and oil you put into the flour, is it hot? Or is it cold? Or just warm? 🙂 Thanks! 🙂
Just room temperature!:) Let me know if you make these!!
it says to boil… so it sounds like it should be hot! although, I make a pizza crust with boiling oil and water before adding to the tapioca flour because it causes the gumming affect. However, I don’t think you are trying for the full on gumming affect of tapioca in this recipe… right? or maybe you are… This is an old post, but still curious if this ends up being answered!
It definitely is gummy- really, really gummy!!! Just hot is ok (it doesn’t have to be actively boiling)
What kind of oil was used please!? My mix came out very gummy and will not roll into balls 😔
Oh no!!!!! We used corn oil. It definitely is gummy (because of the tapioca flour) but it shouldn’t be so sticky that you can’t roll? I talked to my Brazilian friend and she said even if it’s very sticky, can you just drop spoonfuls onto parchment paper? She thinks it wasn’t ruined, and that you could still make them? It might have been the humidity?
I use olive oil every time to make these – they are awesome!!!!! Oil on the hands to roll them is a must!!! Have also used coconut oil but we find that we don’t want the coconut taste in them – but it also works!
I followed the recipe to a T and the dough did not look like the pictures above at all – It was dry. It seemed like i was missing an ingredient like water or something – Also – specify the amount of ingredients and type of ingredients – Amount of salt? – type of oil?
I can follow a recipe and this was not a good one for sure.
It should be 1 cup of milk, ½ cup of vegetable oil. Mine were always sticky and not at all dry? I use about a tsp of salt.
I made these today and I don’t know what I did wrong but they completely melted in the oven!! I went through the directions a few times and I can’t figure out what went wrong. Was I supposed to freeze them first??? Any ideas!!
What!? Oh no!!!! I have no idea why? We make it so often! I am so sorry 🙁