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Brazilian Cheese Puffs (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free)

Breads & Desserts

Brazilian Cheese Puffs (also known as Pao de Quiejo) are beautiful cheesy gems that are gluten-free, grain-free, and easy to make with simple ingredients!

Brazilian Cheese Puffs (also known as Pao de Quiejo) are beautiful cheesy gems that are gluten-free, grain-free, and easy to make with simple ingredients!

Brazilian cheese puffs are some of the most amazing little gems that have come out of my oven. So much, in fact, that I made a double batch because the kids practically inhaled them.

Who knew they would be so popular?

Talk about addictive!  I probably could have tripled the recipe but then I would have sat there and eaten the entire pan one by one.  No kidding – they are just that wonderful!

Over the last year we have made our fair share of gluten-free and grain-free rolls.

Aside from these here, we have also done Pan de Yuca, Paleo Dinner Rolls, and Paleo Zucchini and Squash Bread (SO good!)

We transformed our garden zucchini into Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Bread and Muffins, which were absolutely divine!

What are Brazilian Cheese Puffs?

Brazilian cheese puffs (or rolls), also known as Pao de Queijo, are a simple Brazilian cheese bread. 

They are quite similar to American popovers except they are made with tapioca flour in lieu of regular all purpose flour.

Brazilian Cheese Puffs (also known as Pao de Quiejo) are beautiful cheesy gems that are gluten-free, grain-free, and easy to make with simple ingredients!

They are made with simple ingredients, including organic Tapioca flour , and milk.  We pick up our Tapioca flour on Amazon for a relatively good price.  If you can’t find tapioca flour,  check your local grocer for Arrowroot Flour as that is quite similar.

I wouldn’t recommend using Coconut Flour or Almond Flour as that will change the texture completely..

Baking Tips for Brazilian Cheese Puffs

You can whip them up rather quickly in the blender or, in your mixer. 

If you opt to use the mixer, I would suggest adding the liquids first, and the tapioca last – otherwise the tapioca will gum up to the blades and be impossible to mix.

Brazilian Cheese Puffs (also known as Pao de Quiejo) are beautiful cheesy gems that are gluten-free, grain-free, and easy to make with simple ingredients!

The batter will be very liquid.  Pour into your greased mini muffin pan and bake for 15 minutes or until a light golden brown.

Despite the batter being almost runny, once you bake them up, they will result in these tall, gluten-free, grain-free cheesy puffs.  They remind me of popovers in a sense. However, unlike popovers, the pan doesn’t have to be hot when you pour the liquid in before baking.  
 
If you don’t have a mini muffin pan, feel free to use a larger muffin pan.  Your final count will be significantly less as the puffs will be a bit larger in size.

Brazilian Cheese Puffs (also known as Pao de Quiejo) are beautiful cheesy gems that are gluten-free, grain-free, and easy to make with simple ingredients!

The finished Brazilian Cheese Puffs (Pao de Queijo) will be chewy ~ serve them with a little butter and gobble them right up 😉

Print Pin
3.17 from 87 votes

Super Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread

A gluten-free cheesy and chewy cheese puff made with tapioca flour.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Brazil
Keyword bread
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 210kcal
Author Rebooted Mom

Ingredients

  • 1/3 C. olive oil
  • 2/3 C. milk we used raw, feel free to use what you have
  • 1 1/2 C. tapioca flour
  • 1 egg room temperature
  • 1 tsp salt or more - to taste
  • 1/2 C. grated cheese parmesan or other

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Grease your mini muffin pan thoroughly with butter, and set aside.
  • In your blender or KitchenAid, combine the milk, room temperature egg, oil, cheese and salt until combined.
  • Once combined, add the tapioca flour 1/2 C. at a time until all of the tapioca flour has been added.
  • Mix well on high, scraping down the sides of the blender so that everything is easily blended.
  • Pour the batter into your greased mini muffin tin ~ leaving just 1/8 inch of space at the top.
  • Pop in the oven for 15-18 minutes or until light golden brown.

Notes

  • Batter can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to one week.
Adapted from Simply Recipes

Nutrition

Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 266mg | Potassium: 38mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 140IU | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1mg

If you like these puffs, you might want to try another one of our favorites:


Pan de Yuca (Gluten-free Cheese Bread)

Super easy Paleo dinner rolls that are gluten and grain free.

Paleo Dinner Rolls

 

*This recipe  was updated with new pictures November, 2018.   You can see previous pictures of these yummy rolls here.

Shared by Sheryl

Comments

  1. Heidi says

    May 13, 2017 at 1:09 am

    This sounds delish!! Could I use any other kind of g-free flour? Tapioca on its own is super pricey in South Africa :/
    TIA <3

    Reply
    • sherylcuevas says

      May 13, 2017 at 1:25 am

      Hi Heidi – they are incredible. My kids love them! 🙂 I haven’t tried anything else.. Tapioca is quite similar to Arrowroot Flour though, perhaps that might work? I haven’t tried it though so I would hate to tell you that it would lend way to the same result. I get my Tapioca Starch on Amazon.. I’m not sure if you have that option… but if Arrowroot Flour is available, give it a try. Most grocery stores carry it in a smaller 1 lb size bag.

      Let me know how it turns out if you try … have a wonderful weekend.

      Reply
      • Jessica Moore says

        December 7, 2020 at 7:30 am

        I use tapioca and arrowroot interchangeably for all recipes. I also use one or the other to replace cornstarch in recipes. I’ve been making these Brazilian puffs for several years and I’ve almost always used arrowroot just because that is more available to me in large quantities. They turn out perfectly every time!

        Reply
    • Anna Tennis says

      May 31, 2017 at 7:33 am

      Sweet rice flour is not quite the same as tapioca or arrowroot, because it’s not quite as fine, but it would probably work.

      Reply
      • Kat says

        August 20, 2019 at 2:30 pm

        Rice flour does not work with these measurements. You must add more milk and cheese to get the right liquid consistency. They puff up, but deflate, sadly when removed from the oven. Also, the taste is a little odd. It’s the rice flour. I don’t recommend using.

        Reply
  2. CaiNaReal says

    May 14, 2017 at 7:53 pm

    Pão-de-queijo, pronounced
    poung-gee-KI-soo (‘s’ as in uSual), is home to my State Minas Gerais, which is pretty much to Brazil like Tuscany is to Italy in terms of culinary. There are many different varieties with different kinds of cheese, with oil or butter and sour or sweet tapioca flour or polvilho(pr. po-VEEL-you) as it’s called in Brazil. I’ve made them 4 times since I began cooking but only once have I liked them. I made them today and decided to throw away the rest of the batter. I’ll try out recipe and get back to you. It seems like I’m better at cooking foreign dishes than my own. Ha ha ha.
    The most popular pão-de-queijo is the Minas traditional one to which you use this sour cheese. Just a tip.
    For the ones I’ve made which went down really well with my friends (thank God they weren’t in on the other occasions) , I used provolone cheese – oh fantastic! And they pair with coffee or this soda called guaraná .

    Reply
    • sherylcuevas says

      May 17, 2017 at 11:39 am

      I make them all the time – I was distracted one time with my kids and they didnt turn out… so now I try to only make them when I can occupy the little ones and have full attention. They are so much like popovers, but much easier. LOVE them, because they are the perfect size for my kids to eat. I’ll have to try them with Provolone! That sounds amazing! Looks like I need to make a trip to Brazil! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Karla Gossen says

    May 29, 2017 at 4:47 pm

    could butter be used instead of oil

    Reply
    • sherylcuevas says

      May 29, 2017 at 5:27 pm

      I haven’t tried it. .. but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Just make sure you use melted butter – it should turn out the same. Let me know how it turns out for you 🙂

      Reply
  4. Becky says

    June 8, 2017 at 5:53 pm

    Can these be made in a regular-sized muffin tin? I don’t have a mini one…

    Reply
    • sherylcuevas says

      June 8, 2017 at 6:28 pm

      Hi Becky 🙂

      You sure can – since a regular muffin tin is larger, you may not get quite as many. But yes, it should work fine 😉 Let me know how they turn out for you.. I actually just made another batch this morning. They go SO fast here!

      Sheryl

      Reply
      • Becky says

        June 9, 2017 at 4:09 pm

        I doubled the recipe and made them in regular muffin tins! (12) They were awesome! I’m glad I greased the pan well, they really WANTED to stick around the top edges. But great recipe, thanks Sheryl!

        Reply
        • sheryl says

          June 9, 2017 at 6:42 pm

          I’m so glad you liked them!! They are one of my kids favorites… so fast to make, and they disappear quick here. I don’t feel guilty about them eating several. Glad you enjoyed them 🙂

          Reply
  5. Rebecca Brown says

    June 17, 2017 at 5:25 pm

    I’d really like to try these, but tapioca flour is too carby for my diet. Do you have any thoughts on how coconut flour would do?

    Reply
    • sheryl says

      June 17, 2017 at 5:59 pm

      Hi Rebecca,

      I haven’t tried it with any other flour. I don’t think coconut would work though… it requires much more liquid and wouldn’t cook up the same.

      Reply
  6. Rachel Newton says

    June 28, 2017 at 4:49 pm

    Mine collapsed and didn’t puff in the Middle! Basically was hollow inside .

    Reply
    • Heather says

      November 1, 2022 at 11:16 pm

      90% of mine were hollow too but my friend suggested putting a cube of cheddar cheese into the hole and air frying them and I did. And they were even more addicting haha

      I don’t know if I whipped enough air into these myself. I’m going to try it with a stand mixer next time. I did it by hand.

      Reply
      • Sheryl says

        November 3, 2022 at 10:23 pm

        Oh my goodness, I don’t know if I should try putting a cube of cheese in them! I don’t think I’d be able to stop eating them! What a great tip!

        Reply
  7. Renee Ilse says

    July 1, 2017 at 6:35 pm

    What is the consistency of the batter supposed to be like? When I made this it was runnier than cake batter. Needless to say, it didn’t turn out.

    Reply
    • sheryl says

      July 2, 2017 at 10:00 pm

      The batter is supposed to be runnier than cake batter. Provided you follow the instructions in the post and preheat the oven to cook them for the full length of time, they turn out terrific.

      Reply
    • Rachel Newton says

      July 3, 2017 at 10:25 pm

      Agreed

      Reply
    • Alyson says

      July 6, 2017 at 3:51 pm

      The batter is fairly thin. Mine come out every time. Two hints: Make sure the milk (I microwave it a little) and egg are room temp. to slightly warm and make sure the pan is really hot, spray with nonstick and fill immediately. I bake by the dozen in my toaster oven at 375 F. and they are perfect!. P.S. I also add in a tea. regular yellow mustard and a couple of cranks of black pepper. This really brings out the flavor of the cheese.

      Reply
    • oks says

      September 30, 2017 at 6:31 am

      Same here – super runny dough. The result is reallllly dense, chewy, collapsed structure. 🙁 I’ve followed the recipe to the letter, and am no novice to baking.

      Reply
      • sheryl says

        September 30, 2017 at 2:13 pm

        Hi there 😉 The batter is very runny, but if you beat the mixture completely before pouring in, they will puff (guaranteed!)

        I make these all. the. time. and they always come out. I did have one time when they didn’t, and it was because I was trying to multi-task while making them, ie. I was talking to my kids and had other food going and I forgot to mix “completely” and they did fall and not puff. But have learned my lesson not to make these while doing other things that distract me.

        Give them another try, just be sure to mix that tapioca flour in completely and then pour into the pan. The batter does seem runny and it’s hard to envision big puffy rolls but they do puff, and they are delicious!

        Reply
  8. madeleine says

    July 19, 2017 at 11:08 pm

    What could you use for tapioca flour? Almond or coconut or a mixture?

    Reply
    • sheryl says

      July 20, 2017 at 2:46 pm

      Neither of those – Coconut is entirely different altogether and needs a LOT of liquid, and still has a different texture.

      You could use Arrowroot Flour – that’s the closest – sold in any major grocer.

      Reply
  9. Tracy Hoffarth Claassen says

    August 22, 2017 at 3:21 pm

    Absolutely LOVED these!! I made them and everyone ate them and gobbled them up!! I will be making them for my kids for school as we have a nut free school and I use A LOT of Almond flour. Thank you! They were awesome!!

    Reply
    • sheryl says

      August 22, 2017 at 4:42 pm

      So glad you loved them – all of my kids go crazy for them too. I almost have to triple the recipe because they fly off the counter so fast! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Smurph says

    September 2, 2017 at 6:38 pm

    Has anyone tried these with a different kind of milk? Such as almond, coconut or macadamia milk?

    Reply
    • Sheryl says

      August 21, 2019 at 3:16 am

      I haven’t, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. If you try it let me know how it goes.

      Reply
  11. mdnite says

    October 18, 2017 at 1:17 pm

    Has anyone tried a different cheese, like preshredded cheddar, montery jack, or mozzarella? If using parmesan, is that Kraft jar stuff okay?

    Reply
    • sheryl says

      October 19, 2017 at 2:31 am

      I have! I used parmesan for a while.. then when we ran out I used what we had – which was Monterey Jack. Then cheddar, sharp cheddar and etc. It works just fine – just this week I used Pepper jack Cheese and my kids thought they were even better.

      Reply
  12. Diane Helms says

    December 6, 2017 at 11:22 am

    These are yummy! I’ve made them twice. Once with fresh parmesan and the second with Kraft shaker parm… If you like a bit more salty, use the shaker grated cheese. We preferred the fresh grated. No issue with consistency, did make sure that the egg was at room temp though and used my convection bake setting on my oven and in a silicone mini muffin pan. They came out tall and fluffy.

    Reply
    • sheryl says

      December 7, 2017 at 10:06 pm

      Diane – I’m so glad you enjoy them. They are a hit in our house too!

      Reply
  13. Suzanne - NZ says

    September 27, 2019 at 9:24 pm

    5 stars
    My kids absolutely Hoover them up! I call them chewy cheesies as they have a chewy middle texture. I make 3 varieties- soy milk & savoury yeast for the dairy free child! Also a sweet version no cheese but add vanilla essence cinnamon and tbsp sugar. Delicious!
    You must cook for full time or they flop as I found out once when I was in a rush- thought they looked good but no lol
    LOVE THESE

    Reply
    • Sheryl says

      September 27, 2019 at 11:14 pm

      I am SO glad! My kids gobble them up too and I make them ALL THE TIME. They eat them faster than I can pull them from the oven!

      Reply
  14. Anna Sarraino says

    February 13, 2020 at 6:43 am

    I would like to make ahead. Is that ok

    Reply
    • Sheryl says

      February 13, 2020 at 9:06 am

      They are best made fresh that day but feel free to give it a try. I haven’t ever tried making them ahead so I’m not sure how that would go.

      Reply
  15. Andrea says

    April 12, 2020 at 3:41 pm

    These are wonderful! Made them for Easter Dinner

    Reply
    • Sheryl says

      April 13, 2020 at 12:50 am

      They are a favorite amongst my kids. Hope you had a wonderful Easter!

      Reply
  16. Dora says

    May 13, 2020 at 8:25 pm

    Hi, I have tapioca starch at home..”but not the flour. Are they same? Can I make it with the starch.

    Reply
  17. Patricia says

    August 14, 2020 at 3:35 pm

    5 stars
    They aren’t so good made ahead. You can mix up the batter ahead, and refrigerate it. It will thicken. We make them all the time.
    For those of you having a bit of trouble, you should try adding another egg. Once golden brown, turn oven off. Crack open with a wooden spoon handle to cool slowly 5 minutes before removing from oven. That helps prevent collapse. Swiss cheese is great, also sharp cheddar.

    Delicious with sweetened condensed milk in the hollow. Use her recipe, just cook it down a bit thicker. Or buy dulce de leite, what I know as Doce de Leite.

    Can make them dairy free. Use water, and bake in mini muffins. They won’t brown. You can actually bake them slower and longer, get them crisp when they cool. Called biscoito where I came from. (Each region has there own nickname) Light, airy crunch. Not chewy. Store airtight to keep crisp.
    On all of these you need well greased muffin tins.

    Reply
  18. Glendy says

    March 10, 2021 at 9:13 am

    How do you store the leftovers?

    Reply
    • Sheryl says

      March 13, 2021 at 1:07 pm

      I haven’t tried, but I don’t see why not. Give them a zap in the microwave (if you have one) and they should be ok. I would think that the best way to eat them though is fresh from the oven. I have 5 kids and I can’t make them fast enough — but the time I take the tray out, they are already gone. They are good (indeed) but it’s kinda frustrating!

      Reply
  19. Viv says

    April 3, 2021 at 4:31 pm

    Just tried these. Fabulous! My hubby loves them and hes not gluten free. I’m going to try variations, like pizza seasonings, parmesan cheese etc. Thank you!

    Reply
  20. Tillie says

    April 6, 2021 at 1:31 pm

    Are they supposed to be gummy? The flavor is good but I’m not sure if they’re done..thinking that the cheese makes it that consistency.

    Reply
    • Sheryl says

      April 8, 2021 at 3:15 pm

      A tiny bit gummy from the cheese, but not too much!

      Reply
  21. Viv says

    April 17, 2021 at 12:54 pm

    5 stars
    This time I used a combination of almond milk and coconut cream instead of reg milk. Fabulous. Thank you again

    Reply
    • Sheryl says

      April 19, 2021 at 9:15 am

      Glad you enjoyed it, Viv! 🙂

      Reply
    • Viv says

      June 13, 2021 at 8:48 pm

      I’m loving this recipe. This time I fried the batter like a pancake. Turned out sort of like an indian fry bread. Made four pan size.
      Delicious like that but then I used it as a pizza crust. Put my toppings and into the oven.
      I’m having way too much fun with this recipe.

      Reply
      • Sheryl says

        June 14, 2021 at 7:17 pm

        Oh my goodness! That is something I haven’t thought off (pancake!) I’ll have to try it. I love Fry Bread… I used to get it often when I drove from Phoenix to NM… there is a little place in the Gallup Mall off the I-40 that sold the best Fry Bread. I haven’t been in a few years. It was my absolute favorite!

        Reply
        • Viv says

          June 15, 2021 at 8:53 pm

          My next thing i will try will be a focaccia with this recipe. My hubby loves these recipes using the pop over batter even tho he doesn’t have to be g.f. we take the popovers when we go hiking. Perfect little snack.

          Reply
  22. MARTES says

    September 28, 2021 at 4:40 am

    Hi and thanks for the receipe. My son in law is Brazilian so would like to surprise him with them. Are the weights American or British please? Thanks again. Dying to try them out.

    Reply
    • Sheryl says

      September 28, 2021 at 10:32 am

      Hi Martes – the measurements are American. You may have to use a converter to convert to grams if need be. The batter will be runny – but they turn out beautifully! They are a favorite with my kids!

      Reply

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Hi there, I'm Sheryl!

Rebooted Mom was created out of my own journey to live and think differently about the food I eat. I share everything from gardening to DIY, recipes, and sustainable living.

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