When we first started forgoing the gluten, I discovered Chebe bread mixes at a local natural foods store. There are a few different varieties, but the original mix is for Brazilian cheese bread, or pao de queijo. The bread’s only flour is tapioca starch, so it’s naturally gluten free (and grain free. Tapioca starch comes frmo the cassava plant, which is a tuber). And then, when I read the ingredients, I realized that they were mostly just tapioca starch and assorted herbs and spices. You still had to add in your oil, cheese, and eggs. And tapioca starch was for sale on the very same shelf as the Chebe mixes, so buying that instead and finding my own recipe seemed like the most effective way to go.

This is the only recipe I’ve ever tried. It worked so well and was so easy that I never went looking for another (there are plenty online, with quite bit of variation in ingredients and technique). The only ingredients in this one are egg, oil, milk, tapioca starch, salt, and cheese. I use shredded sharp cheddar, even though I’m sure that’s not very authentic, because I always have it around. You toss all the ingredients in the blender together and then pour the mixture into mini muffin tins. So easy!

My kids LOVE these. I made them pretty regularly for awhile, but had nearly forgotten about them until a couple of days ago when one of the kids was reminiscing about them. They’re really tasty–chewy and cheesy. I don’t consider them particularly healthy; the tapioca starch is, like it sounds, pretty much just straight starch. But the cheese, egg, and milk add in some protein and fat to make them go a little farther in filling up my perpetually hungry pack o’ boys.

I ran out of tapioca starch with the batch today and had to substitute in potato starch for the last 1/2 cup or so….couldn’t tell a difference.

Here’s the link to the full recipe:

Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread at Simply Recipes

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