Quick Brazilian Cheese Balls

Recipe from: Our Best Bites. She used to live in Brazil and this is how they made these. Please check out her website. Some other wonderful recipes!

Quick Brazilian Cheese Balls

(Pao De Queijo)

My daughter invited us to go to Tucano's Brazilian Grill for her husbands birthday a while back. I had never been there and she went on and on about their Cheese Balls and how I had to try them. This was the main reason she wanted to go there, she loved the Cheese Balls. She was right, they were amazing and we must have eaten 40 a piece. I think she will the happiest to see this post.

I am excited about all the things I post but this one really made me happy. I don't know if you have ever been to Tucano's Brazilian Grill and had their Cheese Balls or not, but if you have you know why I am excited about finding this recipe. It isn't like a typical bread roll, its texture is different and the inside is chewy. The outside is more like a cream puff, hard to explain. You want to use sharp cheese or cheeses high in flavor because that is where all the taste comes from. I will be adding a little garlic salt to mine. You can experiment with the cheese. 

I ran across these today at Our Best Bites while looking at an amazing Cheesecake Recipe and came across the delicious Cheese Balls. So yummy. Very quick and easy to make and a crowd pleaser. They can be quite addicting. If you know someone who has lived in Brazil you   will make them very happy by making these Cheese Balls for them. Next time I go back to visit family I will make some for my 4 nephews who each spent time in Brazil on their missions. 

The other great thing about these are they are made with Tapioca Flour which is GLUTEN FREE! There is no substitution she have to use Tapioca Flour. Tapioca Flour can be found either in the Gluten Free Section or in the baking section if your store carries it. 

 These are meant to be eaten warm so the cheese is warm and melted so as soon as they are cool enough to eat gobble them up!

Quick Brazilian Cheese Rolls {Pao de Queijo} – Gluten Free!
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup tapioca flour (sometimes labeled tapioca starch) no substitutions
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 C grated cheddar cheese* (preferably medium or sharp)
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
*you can play around with the cheese.  I’ve used Monterey Jack, low-moisture mozarella, swiss, and even gruyere in place of the cheddar.  All great!

Optional:  extra cheese to sprinkle on top and any herbs/flavorings you’d like to add.  Try rosemary and or garlic powder, my favorites!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place egg, milk, oil, tapioca flour, and salt in blender and blend until smooth.  Add cheeses and pulse 2 times.  Immediately pour batter into a mini muffin tin (if your muffin tin isn’t non-stick, spray lightly with non-stick spray first), filling each well about 3/4 full, or just slightly less.  If desired (and I recommend), sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top and/or a tiny sprinkle of kosher salt.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden.  Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before removing rolls from pan.  Serve warm. {Que Gostoso!}  These actually don’t re-heat well so I recommend making and eating fresh.

Yield: anywhere from 16-24 rolls, depending on how full you fill your muffin pan. I fill  mine pretty full (a good 3/4 full) and I generally get about 16-18.

I would love to hear what you think of these and if you make them. You can mix up your own cheeses and herbs to make different combinations. Thanks for stopping by!
 Dori