Vegan Pão de Queijo Recipe (Brazilian Cheese Bread)
Feb 08, 2021 • Updated Nov 03, 2023
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Vegan pão de queijo is fluffy Brazilian cheese bread made with potato, tapioca flour, and nutritional yeast for a cheesy party food or appetizer. These perfect little balls are a typical Brazillian snack that you won’t be able to get enough of!
What is Pão De Queijo?
Pão de queijo, AKA Brazilian cheese bread, is a baked piece of bread about the size of a golf ball stuffed with cheese inside. It originated in the state of Minas Gerais in the 18th century and is enjoyed all over Brazil. You can enjoy it as a snack, with coffee, as a quick breakfast, or as a party food.
Pão de queijo is made with tapioca flour, derived from the cassava root, which gives it its unique chewy and fluffy texture. The consistency is almost similar to mochi! Flavour-wise, it’s a fairly simple bread with cheese. Not to mention, totally delicious!
As you may have guessed, it’s not vegan! Pao de queijo contains eggs and cheese and milk. So, I set out to make a vegan version!
What Makes This Recipe Great
Carnaval is coming up this year, so I’ve been veganizing Brazilian classics with family, and of course, we had to attempt Vegan Pão De Queijo! I’m happy to report we have a new family recipe to make for years to come.
This recipe is dairy-free, naturally gluten-free, grain-free, and you’ll only need 8 main ingredients to make it. After 4 different tests with a variety of ingredients, I have to say this is a perfect Brazilian cheese bread recipe!
The good news is, it’s deliciously “cheesy” and has all the texture and taste of the classic recipe, but it is completely vegan! You won’t believe how much these perfect balls taste like the original!
How to Make Vegan Pão De Queijo de Tapioca
So, how do we make vegan Brazilian bread? We’ll be replacing the cheese with potato and nutritional yeast (known for its cheesy flavor), along with spices like garlic and onion powder. The potato helps to maintain the classic bouncy texture, and we’ll also be using boiling water to add extra starch to the dough.
You can take this recipe to the next level by incorporating grated vegan cheese if desired. I personally enjoy it without it. However, for extra oomph and something a little more true to the original cheese flavor, throw in that vegan cheese!
Ingredient Notes
- Gold potatoes: Please use gold potatoes only, I did not have as much success with other potato varieties. You want to end up with 1 cup of mashed potato.
- Reserved potato water
- Unsweetened plant milk: I used oat milk. Feel free to use your favorite.
- Olive oil
- Tapioca flour: You cannot substitute this flour. Please use either tapioca starch/flour or sour manioc starch for this recipe. I like Bob’s Red Mill brand, which is linked in the recipe card. You can also find it in most local grocery stores.
- Nutritional yeast
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Vegan cheese: Use your favorite shredded version. You can even use a couple different cheeses if desired– parmesan cheese would work really nicely.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Peel and chop potatoes into smaller chunks, then boil until fork tender (roughly 8-10 minutes). Drain and set aside, reserving 1/2 cup of the boiling water.
- Pour the reserved water into a large mixing bowl and whisk along with plant milk and olive oil.
- In another large bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients, then add the liquid ingredients to the bowl and mix. If using vegan cheese, fold it into the dough. Start with a spatula and then work the dough mixture using your hands. It may be a little dry at first, but just compact the dough and pack it tightly.
- Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat and roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough. Pack each perfect little ball tightly and space them out evenly on your baking sheet, leaving at least 1″ between each ball of dough.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the bottom of the bread is golden brown and small cracks start to form on the surface. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Feel free to use a small ice cream scoop to help you shape the dough balls if desired.
- I used a bowl and whisk, but you can also use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Serving Tips
- You can enjoy this vegan pão de queijo as an anytime snack or serve it on the breakfast table! It is best enjoyed freshly baked (especially this vegan version, which firms up once cold).
Storage Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag for later use. Cool completely to room temperature before storing. To reheat, bake in the oven for a few minutes to enjoy again.
Recipe FAQs
Pão de queijo de tapioca” translates to “tapioca cheese bread” in English. It’s Brazilian cheese bread that is made with tapioca flour. These cheesy small puffs are a delicious, typical Brazilian snack enjoyed by so many!
More Delicious Recipes
Eggplant Dip with Miso Tahini Dressing
Vegan Tofu Moqueca (via Domestic Gothess)
Vegan Pizza Pockets via Rachel Steenland
If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a star rating and comment below! Follow me on Instagram for more delicious recipes!
Vegan Pão de Queijo Recipe (Brazilian Cheese Bread)
Ingredients
- 1-2 gold potatoes*
- 1/2 cup reserved potato boiling water
- 1/4 cup unsweetened plant milk I used oat milk
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 cups sour manioc flour or tapioca starch*
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- optional
- 1/3 cup grated vegan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Peel and chop potatoes into smaller chunks, then boil until fork tender (roughly 8-10 minutes). Drain and set aside, reserving 1/2 cup of the boiling water.
- Pour the reserved water into a bowl and whisk along with plant milk and olive oil.
- In another large bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients, then add the liquid ingredients to the bowl and mix. If using vegan cheese, fold it into the dough. Start with a spatula and then work the dough using your hands. It may be a little dry at first but just compact the dough and pack it tightly.
- Line your baking tray with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat and roll tablespoon sized balls of dough. Pack them tightly and space out evenly on your baking tray, leaving at least 1" between each ball of dough.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the bottom of the bread is golden brown and small cracks start to form on the surface. Enjoy!
Notes
Expert Tips
- Feel free to use a small ice cream scoop to help you shape the dough balls, if desired.
- I used a bowl and whisk, but you can also use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Serving Tips
- You can enjoy this vegan pão de queijo as an anytime snack or serve it on the breakfast table! It is best enjoyed freshly baked (especially this vegan version, which firms up once cold).
Storage Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze in a freezer-safe container for later use. Only store once completely cool, and bake in the oven for a few minutes to enjoy again.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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