Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)

Name: Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Brazil
Ingredients: 2 cups (240 g) tapioca starch (preferably Brazilian polvilho azedo, or polvilho doce; both are gluten-free); 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk; 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil; 1 tsp vegetable oil, for shaping; 1 tsp fine salt; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 1/2 cups (150 g) grated queijo minas meia-cura or Parmesan (or half mozzarella, half Parmesan)

Pão de queijo Say it: POWN deh KAY-zhoo

By the Passport Plate editors. Published November 2, 2026.

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Pão de queijo is the iconic cheese bread of Minas Gerais, now enjoyed all over Brazil as a breakfast treat or afternoon snack. These small rolls have a thin, golden crust and a soft, chewy, slightly elastic centre, with a savoury tang from cured Minas cheese. Because they are made with tapioca starch rather than wheat flour, they are naturally gluten-free. They puff into irregular little buns and are at their best pulled warm from the oven. The recipe is simple but the technique of scalding the starch is key.

Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)

Pão de queijo

Pronounced POWN deh KAY-zhoo

Serves: 4
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 45 min
Level: Easy

Also nut-free.

Allergens: contains milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.

Ingredients

4 servings

2 cups (240 g)240 g (2 cups) tapioca starch (preferably Brazilian polvilho azedo, or polvilho doce; both are gluten-free)
1/2 cup (120 ml)120 ml (1/2 cup) whole milk
1/4 cup (60 ml)60 ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
1 tsp vegetable oil, for shaping
1 tsp fine salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (150 g)150 g (1 1/2 cups) grated queijo minas meia-cura or Parmesan (or half mozzarella, half Parmesan)

Method

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small saucepan, combine the milk, 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil and salt. Heat over medium just until small bubbles appear around the edges; do not let it boil hard.
Put the tapioca starch in a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot milk mixture over it and stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a shaggy, lumpy dough. Let it cool until just warm, about 5–10 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each, until the dough is sticky and unified.
Mix in the grated cheese and knead briefly in the bowl until the cheese is evenly distributed and no dry streaks remain.
Using the 1 tsp vegetable oil, lightly coat your hands and roll the dough into balls about 1 tablespoon each (you should get about 24). Place them 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 20–25 minutes until puffed, lightly golden on top, and the bottoms are golden. Avoid opening the oven during the first 15 minutes so the puffs don't collapse.
Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then serve warm.

Regional variants

Some cooks use half polvilho azedo and half polvilho doce, add a pinch of dried oregano, or stuff each roll with a small cube of mozzarella or requeijão before baking.

Cook's notes

Use polvilho azedo if you can find it; it gives a more traditional tangy flavour and better puff. Regular tapioca starch (polvilho doce) makes a slightly milder, still excellent roll.
If the dough feels too stiff, add a teaspoon of milk; if it is too wet to roll, chill it for 20 minutes or oil your hands more generously.
Bake from frozen: place shaped dough balls on a tray, freeze until hard, store in a zip-top bag, then bake straight from the freezer, adding 5–8 minutes.

Serve with

Serve warm with strong Brazilian coffee, butter, or requeijão.

Make ahead and storage

Shaped dough balls freeze very well; bake from frozen at 375°F (190°C) for 25–30 minutes. Baked rolls keep for 1–2 days in an airtight container and reheat briefly in a warm oven.

Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)