Description

These Brazilian Cheese Puffs, or Pão de Queijo, are delightfully chewy and cheesy snacks made from tapioca flour and cheese. Naturally gluten-free and quick to prepare in a blender, they are perfect warm from the oven as a tasty breakfast item or savory snack loved throughout Brazil.

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg

Dry Ingredients

1 teaspoon salt
2 cups tapioca flour

Cheese

1 to 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese (or a mix of Parmesan and mozzarella)

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Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and prepare a mini muffin tin by greasing it or lining with paper cups to prevent sticking.
Blend Ingredients: In a blender, combine the milk, vegetable oil, salt, egg, and tapioca flour. Blend until the mixture is smooth and homogenous, ensuring the tapioca flour is fully incorporated.
Add Cheese: Add the grated Parmesan cheese (or your cheese blend) to the blender, and pulse just a few times to mix the cheese into the batter without over-blending.
Fill Muffin Tin: Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about three-quarters full to allow room for puffing during baking.
Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese puffs are risen, golden, and cooked through.
Serve: Remove from the oven and serve warm to fully enjoy the puffs’ chewy texture and cheesy flavor.

Notes

You can customize the cheese blend to vary flavor — try mixing Parmesan with mozzarella or other cheeses you prefer.
Leftover puffs freeze well and can be reheated in the oven or air fryer to restore crispiness.
Using tapioca flour is essential for the characteristic chewy texture; do not substitute with other flours.