Easy Brasillian Cheese Bread ( Pão de Queijo)

Courtesy of Living Healthy with Chocolate Adriana Harlan

1 teaspoon salt1½ cups (170g) tapioca flour/starch*

1 egg, at room temperature

⅓ cup (60g) olive oil

⅔ cup (133ml) full fat coconut milk*

½ cup (65g) grated cheese* (optional to keep it dairy-free)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, add the tapioca, salt, egg, olive oil, coconut milk, and cheese, and mix with a spoon to combine everything (you can also blend all ingredients in your blender).

Spoon the batter into a standard size or mini muffin tin, filling each cup ½ to ¾ full. If you’re using a silicon muffin tin you don’t need to grease the pan, but if you’re using the aluminum or another type of pan, be sure to grease each cup with olive oil, butter, or coconut oil so nothing sticks during baking. You can also use paper liners instead.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until your pao de queijo is lightly golden on top. Let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes then serve while still warm.

Cook’s Notes

You can make this recipe ahead of time and freeze the batter in the pan. When you’re ready to bake, pop the pan in the oven still frozen and bake.

Reheat any leftovers in the oven as needed.

If you are lactose intolerant you can omit the cheese in this recipe to keep it dairy-free.

I like to use a sharp, raw cheddar cheese when I make this recipe.  Pepper jack or parmesan cheese are also delicious here, and you can also use a combination of cheeses as well.

You can substitute the coconut milk with water or regular milk. Be sure to add just a ⅓ cup instead of ⅔ if you use either water or milk.

Try also substituting some of the olive oil with bacon fat. This gives the crust an extra crunch and a lovely flavor.

Add dried oregano, rosemary, thyme or any other herbs of your preference to the dough to add even more flavor.

P.S. My Pão de Queijo recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free and it can also be dairy-free by omitting the cheese.