If you love all things cheese, then you’re sure to love Trader Joe’s Brazilian cheese bread in the air fryer. These cheese-filled balls of dough cook up perfectly from frozen in under 10 minutes! They make a great snack or side dish, and they’re gluten free as well!
Brazilian cheese bread, also known as pão de queijo, are poppable bites of a tapioca flour based dough filled with melty cheese. That makes them naturally gluten free, but no less delicious!
They taste somewhere like mochi meets a savory dinner biscuit. They remind me a bit of mozzarella bites actually.
Anyway, if you love cheese, you’re going to love Brazilian cheese bread. It’s a perfect snack or side dish, and these little cheese bread balls are served at breakfast with coffee or alongside savory dishes for other meals.
Thanks to Trader Joe’s, there is no prep required other than perhaps preheating your air fryer. They cook directly from frozen in under 10 minutes!
What You’ll Need
Trader Joe’s Brazilian cheese bread (frozen)
Dipping sauce if desired (optional)
Ingredient Notes and Tips
While I’m using Trader Joe’s Brazilian cheese bread there are other brands available as well if you don’t live near a TJ’s. Brazi Bites, Forno de Minas, and Cheeziños are other popular brands
These cheese bread balls are delicious on their own. However, if you’d like a dipping sauce, I recommend marinara or chimichurri for accompaniments, or embrace the caramel cheddar popcorn vibes and serve with dulce de leche!
Trader Joe’s Brazilian Cheese Bread Air Fryer Instructions
Preheat your air fryer to 350°F
Remove Trader Joe’s Brazilian cheese bread from all packing and place into preheated air fryer basket in a single layer
Cook on the air fry setting for 5-6 minutes at 350°F, or until heated through
Enjoy alone, or with your favorite dipping sauce if desired!
What to Serve With Brazilian Cheese Bread
Soups (creamy or bisque)
Green salad
Empanadas
Chili
Grilled steak
Pork carnitas
Ham
Corn on the cob
Black beans
Avocado
Fried plantains
Papaya
Applesauce
Marinara
Chimichurri
Dulce de leche
Guava paste
Eggs
Brazilian coffee
Brazilian cheese bread should be treated much like any other dinner rolls. You can serve them as a side to soups, salads, and other entrees.
How Do You Air Fry Trader Joe’s Brazilian Cheese Bread?
You air fry Trader Joe’s Brazilian cheese bread for 5-6 minutes at 350°F.
They cook right from frozen and do not need to be defrosted in advance.
How Do You Reheat Trader Joe’s Brazilian Cheese Bread?
To reheat Trader Joe’s Brazilian cheese bread, air fry for about 3 minutes at 350°F, or until warmed through.
This assumes that you are reheating previously cooked bread from a refrigerated state.
Can I Air Fry Brazi Bites?
Yes, you can air fry Brazi Bites. Generally, Brazi Bites cook for 10-15 minutes at 340°F in the air fryer.
They take slightly longer than other brands since they often come with different fillings which require more time.
Can You Microwave Brazilian Cheese Bread?
You can microwave Brazilian cheese bread. However, it will not crisp at all, and tends to have a gummier texture.
To heat in the microwave, cook for 30 seconds from refrigerated or 45-60 seconds from frozen.
Can I Make Brazilian Cheese Bread in the Oven Instead of the Air Fryer?
Yes, you can make Brazilian cheese bread in the oven instead of the air fryer. Cook in a conventional oven at 350°F for 6-8 minutes.
While the cooking time is similar to the air fryer, the preheating process takes significantly longer with a standard oven.
How Many Servings Does This Recipe Make?
Trader Joe’s Brazilian cheese bread comes in a box of 12, with 2 per serving, for a total of 6 servings if you make the whole box.
You may cook as few or as many servings at a time as you like with no change to cooking time required, so long as you can fit all of the cheese bread balls in a single layer in your air fryer.
Recipe Expert Tips
You do not need to flip Brazilian cheese bread during cooking
No oil is needed as there is enough naturally from the cheese in the bread
Brazilian cheese bread should be slightly crispy on the outside, with a soft, chewy inside texture
Mine were perfect after 5 minutes in a Ninja Dual Zone air fryer. Other models of air fryer and other brands of cheese bread may cause this time to vary slightly
Storage and Reheating
Store any leftover Brazilian cheese bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Do not refreeze once your frozen bread has been cooked once
To reheat, air fry Trader Joe’s Brazilian cheese bread for about 3 minutes at 350°F, or pop in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Note that the latter method, while quick, will cause the bread to lose its external crispiness
Trader Joe’s Brazilian cheese bread cooked in the air fryer makes a perfect cheesy bite that’s a great side or snack anytime!
These cheese bread balls are naturally gluten free since they’re made with tapioca flour, and delicious whether enjoyed on their own or dipped in your favorite sauces.
I like to serve them alongside a nice creamy soup and a green salad, but you can really swap them in anywhere you’d normally serve rolls. They’re even great for breakfast with your eggs and meats!
The best part is that they cook right from frozen and are ready in less than 10 minutes. That makes for a stress free addition to any meal, all from the convenience of my freezer!
Trader Joe’s Frozen Brazilian Cheese Bread Air Fryer Instructions
Start with frozen Trader Joe’s Brazilian cheese bread and cook them up perfectly in your air fryer in under 10 minutes! They’re a perfect side or snack and, thanks to the use of tapioca flour, naturally gluten free!
Cook on the air fry setting for 5-6 minutes at 350°F, or until heated through
Enjoy alone, or with your favorite dipping sauce if desired!
Notes
While I’m using Trader Joe’s Brazilian cheese bread there are other brands available as well if you don’t live near a TJ’s. Brazi Bites, Forno de Minas, and Cheeziños are other popular brands
These cheese bread balls are delicious on their own. However, if you’d like a dipping sauce, I recommend marinara or chimichurri for accompaniments, or serve with dulce de leche for a caramel cheddar popcorn vibe!
You do not need to flip Brazilian cheese bread during cooking
No oil is needed as there is enough naturally from the cheese in the bread
Brazilian cheese bread should be slightly crispy on the outside, with a soft, chewy inside texture
Mine were perfect after 5 minutes in a Ninja Dual Zone air fryer. Other models of air fryer and other brands of cheese bread may cause this time to vary slightly
Store any leftover Brazilian cheese bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Do not refreeze once your frozen bread has been cooked once
To reheat, air fry Trader Joe’s Brazilian cheese bread for about 3 minutes at 350°F, or pop in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Note that the latter method, while quick, will cause the bread to lose the external crispiness
Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand and flavor of ingredients, any sauces or sides added, and quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
I enjoy trying new recipes, creating my own, and dabbling with new techniques all the time. My husband loves to protest when I make him my guinea pig, but it’s all for the love of food!
My cooking philosophy is that great tasting food doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming to make. I'm a home cook with over 20 years of experience feeding myself and others. I've learned from a variety of different people, things I've learned online, and some trial and error as well.
I enjoy cooking a variety of foods, from convenience to comfort foods, as well as international cuisine. You can rest assured that all of my recipes have been actually made, thoroughly tested, and most importantly: tasted! I want you to enjoy my food as much as I do!
