A recipe for Waffle de Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread Waffles)! These cheese-based waffles come together quickly for a delicious, gluten-free breakfast or snack.
Waffle de Pão de Queijo is quite the fun variation of the Brazilian Pão de Queijo. Polvilho Azedo (sour manioc starch) is whisked together with milk, vegetable oil, egg, Minas cheese and Parmesan to create a thin batter, then heated in a waffle iron until golden and cooked through.
The resulting savory waffle has a fantastic chewy and stretchy texture with cheese in every bite. It is also naturally gluten-free.
We paired the Waffles de Pão de Queijo with Doce de Leite (Dulce de Leche, Chad’s favorite) and Requeijao (Brazilian Cream Cheese, my favorite). Other options include butter, Goiabada (guava paste), jam, maple syrup, or simply on their own.
You can even use them as the savory base for poached eggs and open-face sandwiches.
A Few Tips
The batter should be thin enough with pieces of shredded cheese throughout to easily transfer to the heated waffle iron. If too thick to pour, add a little more milk.
For the mini waffle maker, I used a 1/4 cup (60 milliliter) scoop to transfer the batter. Larger waffle irons may require 1/3-1/2 cup (80-120 milliliters).
Grease the waffle iron by brushing with vegetable oil between batches to prevent sticking and help create a golden, crispy exterior.
The texture is best warm from the waffle iron. Want to serve the waffles all at once? Preheat an oven to 250˚F (120˚C) and arrange the cooked waffles in a single layer on a baking sheet. Keep in the warm oven until all the batter is prepared.
The amount of waffles created will depend on the type of waffle iron. My parents gave me a mini waffle maker a few years ago and the kids enjoy the smaller size. This recipe makes about 10-12 miniature waffles, but closer to 6 standard sized.
Notable Ingredients
I used Polvilho Azedo (Brazilian sour manioc starch) as the base for the Waffle de Pão de Queijo. This starch is created by grinding and fermenting cassava root into a fine powder. It can be found in the baking/flour section of markets with Brazilian/Portuguese ingredients.
If unavailable, you can swap for tapioca starch (Polvilho Doce) in the gluten-free section of larger grocery stores. It will just have a slightly more dense texture. You may need to adjust the amount of liquid.
Queijo Minas (Minas cheese) is a type of semi-soft white cheese from the Minas Gerais state in southeastern Brazil. It is made from cow’s milk and can be frescal (fresh), meia-cura (half-aged), or curado (aged) depending on length of ripening.
If unavailable, you can swap for queso fresco or low-moisture mozzarella.
For those in the DC area, I have been able to locate both the starch and cheese at European Foods Import Export in Arlington, Virginia.
I also found the Requeijão at European Foods Import Export, but if unavailable Olivia’s Cuisine has a homemade recipe.
This recipe was originally posted on February 16th, 2015 and updated in November 2022.
Waffle de Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread Waffles) Recipe
Adapted from Testado, Provado e Aprovado
Waffle de Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread Waffles)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) milk
- 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) vegetable oil plus more for greasing waffle iron
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups (250 grams) Polvilho Azedo sour manioc starch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 ounces (85 grams) Queijo Minas Minas cheese, shredded
- 0.75 ounce (20 grams) Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat a waffle iron over high heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, and egg.
- Stir in the Polvilho Azedo, salt, Queijo Minas, and Parmesan to create a batter.
- Brush the heated waffle iron with vegetable oil.
- Pour in the batter. Cook until golden, about 3-5 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.
- Serve immediately with desired toppings.
Cecilia
Hi Tara, these waffles just look so delicious, and the recipe sounds easy, well, I think I will try to make it. Thanks for the recipe.
Tara
Hope you enjoy them!