Dadinho de tapioca are fried cubes made from granulated tapioca and cheese, crispy on the outside and soft inside.
Born in contemporary Brazilian cuisine, they have become one of the most popular snacks in bars and restaurants, often served with sweet-and-sour or spicy sauces.
The preparation is naturally gluten-free, as it is made with granulated tapioca, a starch extracted from cassava, and ingredients that do not contain gluten.
These are the ones we tasted in Santo André during our trip in March 2026, accompanied by a pimentão jelly from molho de pimenta
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Brazilian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 9 oz Granulated tapioca
- 11 oz Queijo coalho (coalho cheese) (or semi-cured cheeses like provola or scamorza)
- 2 1/8 cups Milk
- to taste Salt and pepper
- as needed Oil for frying
Steps
1. Heat the milk
Bring the milk almost to a boil (it should be very hot but not necessarily boiling).
2. Combine the ingredients
In a large bowl pour the granulated tapioca and add the grated cheese, salt and pepper. Pour the hot milk over and stir immediately: the tapioca will begin to absorb the liquid.
3. Form the mixture
Stir well until you obtain a thick, uniform dough. Transfer it to a lined baking pan (about 3/4–1 1/4 inches thick), leveling it well.
4. Rest
Let it cool at room temperature, then place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (better 4) until it becomes firm.
5. Cutting
Cut into regular cubes (the “dadinhos”).
6. Frying
Fry in hot oil (338–356°F) until golden.
Granulated tapioca
Granulated tapioca is a product derived from cassava (a tropical root), obtained by extracting and processing the starch of the Manihot esculenta plant.
After extraction, the starch is dried and transformed into small irregular granules, larger than flour but different from the pearls used in bubble tea.
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🔬 From a technical point of view
• It is almost pure starch
• It does not contain gluten
• It has gelling properties: it absorbs liquids and becomes soft/elastic
• It has no strong flavor → it takes on the taste of the other ingredients
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🍽️ How to use it
Granulated tapioca is not used like wheat flour:
• it is not suitable for classic doughs (bread, cakes)
• it works for hydration, not for leavening
👉 Examples:
Dadinho de tapioca → hydrates with hot milk, sweet preparations like puddings → absorbs liquids and firms up, creamy or structured desserts
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⚠️ Attention: it is not all the same
It is often confused with:
• tapioca flour → very fine, like starch
• tapioca pearls → large, used for bubble tea
👉 Granulated is in between: larger than flour, but smaller and more irregular than the pearls
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I cook dadinho de tapioca in an air fryer?
Yes, here’s the procedure :
1. Heat the milk
Bring the milk almost to a boil.
2. Prepare the dough
In a bowl combine dry tapioca, grated cheese, salt and pepper. Pour the hot milk and stir immediately until you obtain a thick mixture.
3. Compact
Spread the mixture in a baking pan (thickness 3/4–1 1/4 inches), level and let cool. Put in the refrigerator for at least 2–4 hours until it is well set.
4. Cut
Cut into regular cubes.
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Cooking in the air fryer
• Preheat to 392°F
• Arrange the cubes without overlapping
• Lightly spray or brush with oil
• Cook for 12–15 minutes, turning halfway through
