About This Recipe
If pão de queijo and your sourdough starter had a baby, it might taste something like this. While it’s impossible to make true pão de queijo and still stick to a sourdough niche, we can bring sourdough into the mix and create an amazing breakfast or snack with very similar vibes. This might just be one of the quickest and easiest recipes I’ve ever made, and I know you’ll agree. It comes together fast, with hardly any prep or planning required. I have a feeling this one is going straight to the top of your favorites list.
What Is Pão De Queijo?
Pão de queijo is a Brazilian cheese bread that’s crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, and totally addictive. It’s traditionally made with tapioca flour (a finely milled product derived from cassava root), which gives it a signature chew, and cheeses like Minas, Canastra, and Parmesan, depending on what’s available and flavor preference. You’ll find versions of these cheesy bites all across South America, though different regions often put their own spin on them. They’re best enjoyed warm, usually with coffee, and are just as perfect for breakfast as they are for an afternoon snack.
Why Can’t This Recipe Be Traditional?
Wheat flour isn’t made to go into this recipe, and what is sourdough starter made out of? Typically, wheat flour. Tapioca flour (or starch) looks, feels, and behaves completely differently. For one, it’s gluten-free. And because it’s so high in starch, it has this amazing ability to trap air and create a natural puff when heated, something wheat flour just can’t do on its own.
So when we add sourdough discard, we’re introducing gluten and changing the chemistry of the dough. That means we lose some of the signature puff and chewy texture that tapioca starch creates. The flavor also shifts slightly, as the base is suddenly packed with a lot of flavor which is otherwise absent in the neutral base of traditional pão de queijo.
That said, with a few small tweaks, we can still get pretty close. These sourdough cheese bites have a similar soft, stretchy crumb, a nice rise, and a rich, cheesy flavor—not to mention a little sourdough flair that makes them feel extra special.
What I Love About This Recipe
So fast, so easy, so good. This recipe comes together in under five minutes with just a handful of ingredients and hardly any prep. It’s a fun change of pace from the usual discard waffles you’re probably used to making for breakfast, but just as simple and satisfying.
All The “Why’s”
Cheese
Well, I’m from Texas so I have absolutely no access to authentic Brazilian cheeses like Minas and Canastra. I do, however, have access to Parmesan and mozzarella, which I find make the perfect pair in this recipe.
Parmesan is dry and aged, adding concentrated cheese flavor without the grease. It also helps give the bites beautiful little specks of brown and firm up in the oven. Conversely, mozzarella is mild and creamy with more moisture and meltability, balancing the intensity of the Parmesan while contributing to a soft, stretchy interior.
The cheese, however, is completely flexible. You can use all Parmesan or all mozzarella. You could use cheddar or queso fresco. You could go funky and flavorful with blue cheese or feta. The choice is yours! Feel free to experiment.
Tapioca Flour (Or Starch)
Tapioca flour, also called tapioca starch, is the star of the show in traditional pão de queijo. It creates an airy, bouncy texture unlike any other starch. In this recipe, I’ve reduced the amount to make room for sourdough discard, which adds flavor and moisture but also changes the texture a bit. Tapioca flour is ultra-starchy, which means it created a natural puff when heated and gives the bread that signature chewy, stretchy bite you just cannot get with regular wheat flour.
Baking Powder
Since this version leans heavily on sourdough, a bit of baking powder is necessary to help lift the bites. The sourdough discard adds weight and moisture, which can make the centers feel dense without extra help. Baking powder compensates for the reduced tapioca flour and supports the structure, adding lightness and helping create those airy pockets that keep the bites from feeling too heavy in the middle.
Salt
Well, we can’t have a recipe without salt! It enhances all the flavors, helping you really taste the depth in these cheese bites.
Optional Spices
Traditionally, pão de queijo is made with simple ingredients and doesn’t include spices (hence why they are optional in this recipe). That said, if you’re looking to compliment the cheese, garlic powder is a great addition. It gives off cheesy garlic bread vibes and pairs especially well with milder cheeses like mozarella. So if you’re using more mozzarella than Parmesan, it’s a solid choice.
Black pepper is another nice add-in, as it brings a subtle heat and helps highlight the nutty notes in Parmesan.
Some other flavor pairings (not listed in the recipe card) include: a pinch of nutmeg, paprika or chili flakes, or herbs like oregano or parsley.
And if you’re into experimenting, check out the flavor variations I’ve listed at the end of the recipe card!
Eggs
Besides their usual role in adding moisture and lightness, the eggs in this recipe are key to the structure and texture of the bites. As they bake, the proteins in the eggs firm up, helping the bites hold their shape and stay puffed. They also act as a binder, bringing together the cheese, tapioca starch, and sourdough discard into a smooth, cohesive batter. And of course, they add a subtle, custardy flavor that makes each bite extra satisfying.
Sourdough Discard
It wouldn’t be a sourdough recipe without sourdough, would it? I mean, that is the whole point of this blog.
To be honest, the sourdough itself is what takes these from being far from true pão de queijo. It weighs down the bites, making them denser and less chewy than the authentic version. Nonetheless, with a little bit of tweaking to the recipe, we can get a cheese bite that’s just as yummy.
Now the big question I’m always asked is, with an entire cup of discard, won’t these be super tangy? Sourness is affected by your starter’s care routine, flour type, and age of the discard. It all has to do with acid accumulation. This means your cheese bites could be sour, or not, depending. You can taste your discard (just a smidgen) before making this recipe—it’ll tell you what the results might look like! I have made this recipe many times and have never had a sour outcome, while others cannot even imagine making a recipe like this because their discard is so sour. You can learn more about sourdough starter maintenance and acid in this blog post.
Food Processor Or Blender
A food processor or blender is the perfect choice for this recipe because there is no need to worry about the development of gluten. Technically, the sourdough discard has gluten, but we don’t need it here. In fact, the blender helps break down any remaining gluten strands to create a smooth (not stringy) batter. Plus, it makes the whole process ridiculously easy, with the hardest part being shredding the Parmesan, if you choose to do so. Honestly, if there’s a shortcut that still gives great results, I’m all for it.
Mini Muffin Pan
Because we are using more sourdough discard and less tapioca starch, the consistency of this batter is a bit thinner than traditional pão de queijo, making a mini-muffin pan the perfect form for these little bites.
Garnish
Because this batter doesn’t contain any ingredients that encourage browning (like milk or sugar), the specks of cheese are really the only part of this that gets dark. I like to put a bit of extra cheese on the top just for looks.
Baking
A hotter oven really helps with the rise here. Baking at 400 F (205 C) gives these bites the best chance to puff up nicely. Bake them until they’re golden, set, and the cheese on top starts to brown. You can check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or skewer. It should come out clean.
📌 Quick Tip: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.
Pão de Queijo-Inspired Cheese Bites
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 400 F (205 C).
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To a blender or food processor, add the cheeses, tapioca starch, baking powder, salt, and optional spices. Pulse to combine.
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Add the eggs and sourdough discard, blending until smooth. The batter should be pourable but thick.
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Using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, scoop the batter from the blender or food processor into the cups of a greased mini muffin pan. The cups should be about three-fourths of the way full.
This recipe fills about 18 mini muffin cups. -
Optionally, grate extra parmesan cheese on top of each bite.
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Bake for about 15 minutes, until the bites are puffed, golden, and lightly crisp.
The cheese will darken, but the bites themselves will not since they do not have any ingredients that encourage browning (such as milk or sugar). -
Cool for two minutes and then enjoy immediately!
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Nutrition Facts
Servings 9
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 143.24kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 4.16g7%
- Saturated Fat 1.93g10%
- Cholesterol 48.41mg17%
- Sodium 294.04mg13%
- Potassium 55.37mg2%
- Total Carbohydrate 19.65g7%
- Dietary Fiber 0.58g3%
- Sugars 1.22g
- Protein 6.88g14%
- Vitamin A 40.53 mcg
- Calcium 146.55 mg
- Iron 1.37 mg
- Vitamin D 0.27 mcg
- Vitamin E 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K 0.51 mcg
- Thiamin 0.18 mg
- Riboflavin 0.19 mg
- Niacin 1.23 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.05 mg
- Folate 20.6 mcg
- Vitamin B12 0.2 mcg
- Phosphorus 153.51 mg
- Magnesium 13.14 mg
- Zinc 0.68 mg
* Nutrition values are auto-calculated and should be used as an approximation only.
Notes
- Storage: These are best eaten fresh, right out of the oven. They don't taste the same after storing. But, if you must, store in a Ziploc bag on the counter for 1-2 days. Reheat in a low oven or air fryer until warmed through and lightly toasty.
- You can add one tablespoon of a neutral oil to the batter for a softer crust and slightly increased shelf-life.
- Variations:
- Jalapeño Cheddar: Add 1-2 tbsp diced jalapeño + use cheddar cheese for 100% of the cheese
- Pizza: Add oregano + chopped pepperoni
- Extra Protein: Add 1 tbsp nutritional yeast or swap one egg for 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
