Queijadinha

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 190°C. Lightly grease 2 standard muffin cups or 2 small tart moulds with the butter, making sure to coat the base and sides well so the queijadinhas release easily.

   5 g unsalted butter
2. 2

   In a medium bowl, whisk the egg with the caster sugar until the mixture looks slightly lighter and the sugar begins to dissolve, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the melted butter, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.

   1 large (about 50 g without shell) egg70 g caster sugar20 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled30 ml whole milk2 ml vanilla extract
3. 3

   Add the plain flour and fine salt, whisking just until no dry pockets remain. Fold in the sweetened shredded coconut and finely grated Parmesan cheese. The batter will be loose but textured; let it stand for 2 minutes so the coconut can absorb some moisture.

   20 g plain flour1 pinch fine salt80 g sweetened shredded coconut35 g finely grated Parmesan cheese
4. 4

   Divide the batter evenly between the prepared moulds, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the tops are deeply golden, the edges are caramelised, and the centres are just set with a slight wobble. If they colour too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the final few minutes.

5. 5

   Remove from the oven and rest in the tins for 5 minutes; this helps them firm up and unmould cleanly. Run a small knife around the edge if needed, then serve warm or at room temperature.

Origin & History

Queijadinha is a beloved Brazilian sweet with roots in Portuguese convent-style baking, where eggs, sugar, and cheese were commonly paired in pastries and desserts. In Brazil, coconut became a defining addition, especially in regions where it is abundant, creating the characteristic sweet-salty flavour and moist crumb of the modern version.