Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)

Want the ultimate Brazilian cheese bread recipe that’s actually easy to make in your Bangkok/Thai kitchen? This pão de queijo recipe delivers perfectly crisp outsides and chewy, cheesy centers—just like the ones you might find at a café in São Paulo. And guess what? It’s gluten-free!

Ingredients

  • 60g eggs (About 1 large egg + 1 yolk)

  • 125g feta cheese

  • 125g grated parmesan cheese

  • 30g vegetable oil

  • 120g milk (can go with lactose free too)

  • 250g tapioca flour/starch (Available in most Thai markets)

  • 9g salt (1tsp - 2 tsp of flaky sea salt)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. If you have a stand mixer, use it with the paddle attachment for the smoothest blend. The dough will be sticky, stretchy, and cheesy—just how we like it.

  2. Scoop and shape the mixture into half-ping-pong-sized balls (about 20g each). Place them onto a tray lined with parchment paper. No need to be perfect—rustic is charming.

  3. Place the tray in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or until the dough is firm.

  4. Preheat your oven to 180–200°C.

  5. Arrange dough balls on a parchment-lined tray and bake for 17 minutes—until puffed and golden.

Serving Tips

  • Serve hot, fresh from the oven, with Thai tea, coffee, or even a glass of wine.

  • Perfect for brunch tables or as a quick snack before dinner.

Pro Tips - cold mix vs. scalding

You might find that some recipes are cold mixed (like this one) and some are hot mixed (pouring hot milk into the ingredients). Both works but offer different texture to your dish. Here’s what I’ve found (TL;DR):

  • Boiling ingredients = chewier, puffier pão de queijo with a bit more structure.

  • Cold mix = easier, slightly softer bread, still delicious.

If you want a hybrid: try heating the milk and oil just until warm (not boiling), then mixing everything. It gives you a little more chew without making it harder to handle.

Some more information… for reading!

Using hot milk and oil in pão de queijo—also known as scalding—has a few noticeable effects on the final texture.

  • First, it gelatinizes the tapioca, slightly cooking the starch and creating a sticky, elastic dough that’s chewier and more cohesive.

  • This technique also improves stretch and chew, giving the bread that signature mochi-like bounce in the center. In contrast, cold-mixed versions tend to be softer and more crumbly.

  • Heating the liquids can also add richness, especially if you lightly brown the milk solids or use flavorful fats like butter or bacon fat.

  • Lastly, scalded dough holds its shape better in the oven, making the final puffs rounder and more uniform rather than slightly flattened.

💡 Bonus: Want to Try Before You Bake?

We offer ready-to-bake frozen Brazilian cheese bread kits—so you can enjoy them without the prep. Just pop in your oven and enjoy. [Contact us here to order or check availability 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mimstable/]

Prawee Nonthapun