Pão de Queijo

Name: Pão de Queijo
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Brazil
Ingredients: 2 cups tapioca starch (sour or sweet); 1 cup milk; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 eggs; 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan or Minas cheese

6 servings15 min prep25 min cookEasy Brazil

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Pão de Queijo

Story updated September 17, 2026

Pão de queijo comes from Minas Gerais, where enslaved cooks in the colonial era adapted cassava starch, a New World crop, into a chewy bread in place of scarce wheat flour. It remained a regional specialty for generations before becoming commercially popular and beloved across Brazil in the 20th century.

Ingredients

Scale:· 6 servings

2 cups tapioca starch (sour or sweet)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan or Minas cheese

Instructions

1Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and grease a mini muffin tin.
2In a saucepan, heat the milk, oil, and salt until it just begins to simmer.
3Pour the hot mixture over the tapioca starch in a large bowl and stir until combined.
4Let cool slightly, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
5Mix in the grated cheese until a sticky dough forms.
6Spoon or roll the dough into balls and place in the muffin tin.
7Bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden.

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