Pandebono is a bread made with masarepa, yuca flour, cheese and egg. This Colombian cheese bread is very popular, easy to make and delicious.
What is Pandebono?
It is a traditional Colombian cheese bread. I have been getting a lot of e-mails asking me for this recipe, so here it is my friends. I made these delicious Pandebonos last week and they came out perfectly and were delicious. For a minute, I did not miss Colombia while eating these fantastic cheese balls, accompanied by a cup of Colombian coffee of course. I ate so many of them, I could not get up from the couch for a while. Try them, you’ll thank me for it 🙂
Like many Colombian recipes there are many variations and every cook has its own.I am not a professional baker, but try to recreate the food I miss from my home country.
These wonderful Colombian pandebonos are perfect for breakfast or for an afternoon snack with a cup of coffee. This bread recipe is also gluten free.
Ingredients You will Need
All the quantities, baking directions and step by step video are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Tapioca Starch: You will find here in the United States as Tapioca flour or starch in a lot of supermarkets or online.
Precooked Cornmeal: Also known as masarepa.
Queso Fresco: In Colombia we use quesito, but here in the US I use farmer cheese or queso fresco.
Feta Cheese: Mixing feta cheese with queso fresco gives the perfect flavor and texture to this pandebono recipe.
Egg: I recommend using cage free eggs.
How to Make Pandebonos
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
- In a food processor, place the yuca flour, cheese and masarepa. Process until well combined. Add the egg slowly while food processor is running.
- Divide the mixture into 12 equal size portions, shaping them into balls.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden on top. Serve warm.
Baking Tips
*I like to use a food processor to mix the dough, but you can do it by hand if you prefer. Start by mixing the tapioca starch and precooked cornmeal in a bowl, then, in another bowl, combine the cheeses and the egg. Add the flour mixture to the cheese and mix well using your hands until well combined. If the dough is dry you can add a tablespoon of milk.
*The dough is sticky, I recommend oiling your hand to roll the bread.
*You can bake the pandebonos immediately after making them or store them in the fridge until ready to bake. I like to keep them in the fridge to settle for at least 15 minutes before baking.
*If you want the pandebono to have a more round shape use a muffin pan to keep them in shape.
More Colombian Style Breads:
Pandebono (Colombian Cheese bread) Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup cassava starch or yuca flour
- ¼ cup precooked cornmeal or masarepa
- 1 cup Mexican queso freso or Colombian quesito
- 1 + ¼ cup feta cheese
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
- In a food processor, place the yuca flour, cheese and masarepa. Process until well combined. Add the egg slowly while food processor is running.
- Divide the mixture into 12 equal size portions, shaping them into balls.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes or until golden on top. Serve warm.
Divina
There's no place like home. Thanks for sharing the recipe. These cheese bread looks fantastic. The texture is perfect and I would love bite into it now. And I thought they're complicated to make. But looking at the procedure, it's actually simple which is great.
Anonymous
Can you use all purpose flour instead of the other flours ?
Erica Dinho
No
shaz
In case this helps- yucca flour/cassava flour is tapioca flour in stores near me and masa corn but it is NOT corn flour or corn meal. its ... masa. You can probably make it without the masa, but the texture will not be the same and you can probably make it with wheat flour, but it WILL NOT come out anywhere near the same flavor texture lightness...CAN YOU...yes...SHOULD YOU...maybe if you like to experiment, but not if you want pandebonos.The chemical reactions f baking will be different- the proteins in wheat will require levening that cassava flour doesn't.
LR
To source tapioca or yucca flour go to any large Asian market and look for tapioca, also known as yucca in other countries. I found it for about a dollar per pound. Insofar as corn meal is concerned, most supermarkets carry it as Goya Masarepa or other providers. Reasonably priced, in most cases. Feta cheese is a good substitute for the Colombian queso costenio, spelled pheonetically. Come really great. I make it often for my Colombian wife. BTW, I am Polish. Hahaha
Elizabeth Thompson
Cannot wait to try it!!!
Xx from NZ!
Lizzi
Carol Hendrickson
Can you make this a a loaf of bread instead of rolls? My niece asked me for shrimp bread ( just shaped like a shrimp no shrimp in it lol)
Erica Dinho
I don't know! It sounds very interesting!
Anonymous
No it won't taste right it will turn out like a biscuit and the texture will be off.
Amanda Ruales
I’m unsure what precooked cornmeal flour means. Am I supposed to cook it with water ? Or is it just out of the bag. Am using white or yellow corn flour/masarepa? I thought these had a sweeter taste at the bakeries. Mine are very savory and my texture is slightly off. Could be more chewy.
Zalman
Reasonable question
The Masarepa you buy in the store is a fine ground corn flour which has already undergone a cooking process in an alkaline solution. It’s an old, traditional process whereby the maize is rendered more easy to grind, more nutritious and better tasting. This distinguishes it from corn meal, which is not so prepared.
In making your recipe you are cooking Masarepa the second time.
Anonymous
Use yellow masaarepa which is precooked cornmeal. You do not have to do anything to it. This is a Colombian recipe so maybe the bakeries use a recipe from a different country. Some use a pie crust style.
Nate
These are all amazing recipes ! My wife is Colombian, and we moved away from home so all these help bring us back to her mom's kitchen. Thank you so much!
Anonymous
No
Kelley
I cannot find that type of flower here in Colorado springs. Can another type be substituted?
Dorelena
This recipe sounds more like pandeyuca instead of pandebono.
Milagros
Perfecto, delicioso!!! Gracias, por la recita
Vickie
Made these! They were awesome!!!
Charlene
This recipe looks easy! But where can I find these ingredients? I live in Ontario, Canada.
Anonymous
Most larger Loblaws and walmarts will carry the masarepa flour in the international sections, it is labeled as PAN and is in a yellow plastic package similar in appearance to a sugar bag. The Yucca Harina can be labelled yucca harina, cassava flour or Tapioca, you will definitely find it labeled as tapioca as it's a fairly common ingredient.
Here in Ottawa we have a great Latin grocer that carries all in house including the costeño cheese, meaning I don't need to use feta. If you are in Ottawa it is called Bienvenido. Most cities of similar size or larger will have a Latin or Caribbean store.
Anonymous
Walmart
Ida Boran
Hi I tried the recipe for pan de bono and didn’t come out good. Is all dry ingredients cheese and egg. How you get a smooth dough.
Anonymous
Add milk
Sasha
Ive tried this recipe twice and can't get them to fluff. They come out so dense. I've followed to a T . I'm not sure what I'm missing.
momgateway
Yum!!!This is similar to Brazilian cheese bread!
Anonymous
The Brazilian cheese bread is delicious!!!
Iliana carvajal
Our pandebonos are the best! 100% better than Brazilian cheese bread!
Anonymous
I have attempted to make this recipe twice with poor results. Question. Why did you not mention that recipe requires a leavening agent. Mine hv come out dense and hard. Also, the texture was off because of it. I hv found another site that listed, baking powder.
Erica Dinho
Hi, my recipe does not include a leavening agent. Sorry if they didn't come out to your liking. We love them!
Claudie M Laratta
The temperature is key to the softening. The oven needs to be at 400 even higher temperature and less time yields better results. If the oven is not at temperature the pan will end up flattened and harder.
Lisa Garwood
I haven't seen any authentic South American cheese bread that uses leavening. Are you using masarepa or masa? There's a difference, so make sure it's masarepa. Delicious!!
Lisa
No leavening agent is needed at all. I wonder, are you using masarepa or masa? They are two different ingredients. I can't think of any other reason you would be having such a poor result. I've made them 4 or t times with no problems. Good luck!
Tim
This is not pandebono at all. This is pan de yuca. Pandebono requires sour cassava starch (fermented starch), which will give it some leavening properties.
Sour cassava starch is obtained by drying the starch in sunlight, in small plants called "rallanderías" in the Cauca Valley of Colombia, which will lead to natural fermentation.
Whatever
I’m headed there now to dry out my starch. Thanks
Zalman Sandon
You have a point which I would have agreed with, and we both may have been wrong. My wife (and I) tried a good variety of recipes, and still cannot equal the results we consistently get with a commercial product, that sold by "La Fe" (I have NO connection with them). The results using their mix are absolutely spectacular: the end product is light, airy, incredibly delicate, almost ready to float away. The color is very appealing - neither too light not too dark - and the texture is the very opposite of dense.
We were absolutely convinced it has some chemical leavening agent(s) such as baking powder or baking soda, yet the ingredient statement has NONE. The odds of their deliberately omitting these agents are small, and the trouble to check them is too much. It seems probable there's some other secret involved, but it's not in the recipe on this page. It's not the cheese, the commercial product remains great using a variety of cheeses.
Christian H.
We used Erica's recipe (My wife if from Cali Colombia) and we love it- with a couple small changes- we use Cotija cheese instead of Feta, add a tiny bit of milk to the dough to help ease mixing by hand, and a tiny bit of baking powder. they come out wonderfully, like the ones I've had in Cali, Tulua and other cities in Colombia.
Anonymous
What cheese did you use?
anon
I'm a Norteamericano blessed with a new Colombian aunt who inspired me to make homemade pandebono. A few experiments led to adding a half tsp or so baking powder, a few splashes of milk, & a pinch of sugar to the mixture, and a bit of melted butter to the top to aid in browning while adding a final layer of flavor.
Pilar
Try them with hot chocolate!! Pandebono con chocolate caliente! So good...yum
David
I did not make one of those because I was doing some homework.
luigi
Sounds absolutely delicious. Many cultures have similar breads, very interesting.
anncoo
I would like to make this cheese bread, looks so good and easy recipe. Thanks!
Erica
Thank you everyone for visiting my blog!
Connie Thomson
My daughter in law is columbian and i suprise her with your great recepice she loves it :-)). Thank you
Anonymous
*Colombian
Anonymous
Colombian !
Kas
Can these be frozen and then baked a week later?
Anonymous
1/4 feta cheese or 1-1/4 feta cheese??
Erica Dinho
1 + 1/4 cups
Lisa
One and one quarter cup of feta
Patty
Sounds easy to make. I miss my Colombian food. Wants to eat it all the time but after a 2nd brain surgery I am disabled.
Luz jimenez
I made that recipe but, I don’t know why mine came out dry & little hard
my boyfriend cooks for me
This recipe looks really easy (provided I can find yuca flour!), and the final product looks delicious - everyone wins!
Harold alvarez "el caleno "
Bob's Red Mill brand has it at supermarket shells under ' finely ground Tapioca flour ; and happy holidays
Anonymous
Look on amazon, there are good brands on it with strong packages.
Iris
Otto;s Yuca Flour, on Otto site
Also on Amazon
Or try latin markets. Goya has a small bag in the Goya aisle of some supermarkets, also called manioc flour.
I'll try this recipe, using the yuca flour (I bought Otto's at Whole Foods, on sale for $14, regularly there about $18). I am intrigued by the addition of cornmeal (which I love). Believe it will add another textural dimension.
Anonymous
Yuca flour is tapioca starch.
Anonymous
They aren’t quite the same thing.
Tapioca starch is made only from the starchy part of the root. Cassava , or Yuca flour is made from the whole root .They behave differently when cooking due to Yuca flour’s higher fiber content
Deb Marquez
Asian stores sell tapioca flour for very cheap!
Alanna
Lovely! There seems to be no leavening, however? I actually think that I can get all the ingredients --
GregYohn
WOW!
We eat these all the time for breakfast in Cali! I like the taste and know how to pronounce them in Spanish at the local panderia! My wife lets me go there without a translator!
Christine @ Fresh Local and Best
This looks like quite an intriguing recipe! I've never had pandebono, it looks delicious!!!
Chef E
Yum, I have not heard of these, but they look like you might have to hold me back! I would be popping those in my mouth till I looked like a squirrel on an acorn feast!
Angie@Angie's Recipes
These unleavened cheese bread still look very fluffy and DELICIOUS!
Anonymous
The egg is the leavener in this and many other recipes like it. For best results have eggs at room temperature. You can do that very quickly with a 10 minute bath in warm water (not hot).
Mireya
These look so good and incredibly soft!
Sandra g
I bought some yuca flour I saw at the supermarket, but I had no idea of what to do with it, now I know for sure, thanks! this looks great!
Amalia
Erica thanks for the recipe, this is my daughter favorite bread, i will make some for her, shes going to be so happy
Amalia
maria
pandebonos con chocolate caliente que rico!.
Ivy
Those cheese breads look delicious, pity most of the ingredients are not availble here.
Anna
My hubby looooooove cheese bread, in Brazil we have something similar. It's a yummy snack. The Colombian version looks even better. 🙂
Hohnny
Hi Anna
I'm Colombian and I'm all crazy about my Colombian pandebonos... But I also tried Brazilian Pao De Queijo and it was DELICIOUS ! !
Simply Life
wow this looks and sounds soo good!
Erica
Thank you all for the comments 🙂
Veronica Marshall
Erica Great recipe!! although I have a question: They did not seem to puff as much as the ones in the picture, and others I tried. I've also notice that in some other recipes its used the baking powder... would it puff more if I put some baking powder?
Do you think there may be a reason of why they did not puff up so much with your recipe?? Temperature? Thanks anyway!!
Arlene
These look incredibly tasty and so simple to make. I will have to look for the flour in my local grocery. We have an extensive Hispanic food section, so I think I'll be able to try these. I love your blog. I know very little about Columbian cuisine, so I love finding new foods and tastes.
Joan Nova
I know that has to be delicious. It looks like pao de queijo from Brazil.
Chris
These look light, puffy, and oh so good! Your recipes never fail to make me want to try something new, Erica.
Kim
Wow - I could eat quite a bit of those too! I might be stuck on the couch all day 😀
Faith
I'm glad you shared this...it looks so incredible and I don't think I've ever had anything like it! I'm going to look for cassava starch or yuca flour when I go shopping! 🙂
rebecca subbiah
oh heavenly lil balls !
Ruth
Gorgeous! Would any other kind of flour do too?
Erica
Ruth- You need those flours to get the right texture.
Jorge
This is one of those foods I thought it would be impossible to recreate, however reading your recipe I can't wait to try it....does anyone have any idea what supermarketschains or special food distributors carry the yuca flour?
THANKS ERICA!!!!!!
Erica
Jorge- You can find yuca flour or yuca harina online at amigosfood.com or Goya has Yuca flour or tapioca starch.
Bridget Bustamante
Hi, I wanted to make these in advanced for my sons Encanto birthday party. Can you recommend the best way to freeze them in advanced?
Erica Dinho
I didn't freeze them before. I usually cook them the same day.
Sophie
MMMMM,...Erica!! Georgous bread rolls: feta with the cornmeal must taste apart & very lovely!!
Excellent with a warm bowl of home made soup!
Natasha - 5 Star Foodie
These look scrumptious! I totally want to try them!
Karen
These sound great! What would be a good substitute for the flour?
Mark
There is no substitute for the yuca flour. You can find it in any major grocery store as Tapioca Starch or Cassava Flour as well as several brands of Masarepa cornmeal flour. Both are gluten-free flours.
Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen
DARN! Those look soooo good Erica!
Margot
Oh, that looks sooo tasty and soft... I must try your recipe 🙂
Gera @ Sweets Foods Blog
Adore cheese bread!! This recipe is glorious. The pan with cup of tea or several just alone 🙂
All the best,
Gera
Michelle
WOW...look at how perfectly shaped your breads are! I am impressed...gorgeous. And yuca flour is something I've not tried and don't remember ever seeing it before. Another quest for another flour!
Mark
You'll find it in your grocery as Tapioca Starch.
Elizabeth
Here we learn that cassava flour is not the same as tapioca;
https://downshiftology.com/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-cassava-flour/
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
Thankyou so much for sharing this recipe Erica! There is a Columbian restaurant that seels grocery items too so I know where to go to find ingredients when I make these 😀
Joanne
Is this similar to Brazilian cheese bread (I haven't had either but I was researching Brazilian recipes not so long ago and came across is). It sounds delicious!
Erica
Thank you everyone for your comments and your continue support 🙂
Diva
Hi Erica.
Love your recipes !
Is pandebono, the same as almojabanas ?
Erica Dinho
No.
Maureen
What is the difference? I grew up eating almojabanas, but I buy pandebono from a local Colombian bakery and they taste the same. Do you have a recipe for almojabanas?
Erica Dinho
https://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/colombian-cheese-bread-almojabanas/
La Gringa
My son loves this..We eat it all the time here in Cali too Gregyohn. What happened to you?
Oysterculture
Erica - I know I sound like a broken record, but if I could have my way, I'd love say a week or so to really try all your recipes together instead of in spurts - really immerse myself in Columbian cooking. It all sounds so incredible and good.
Ivonne
Ave maria pues!
These look like the ones my mother use to make! I love your site! Thank you for representing Colombian cuisine, something that many have not had the pleasure of trying just yet!
Can you please post a recipe for muchacho rellgeno?
Thanks!
Best wishes and keep the recipes coming!
Erica
Ivonne- Did you check stuffed beef.... It is in the recipe list!
Dimah
Wow! this looks so delicious!
Felisha
These look good 🙂 I add 2 teaspoons of brown sugar to mine, use the food processor, and put a little butter on top of them about 5 minutes before they are done! Also, I do either little balls or the ring shape. Now I'm going to make some b/c they are so good!
Elizabeth Amparan
Hello Erica, I live in Belgium and I have a Colombian friend Alexandra. She is forever talking of the great food back in Colombia and has not dared much to experiment here. Well, thanks to your site, I have been able to bring a little Colombia here for her. This has inspired her to try cooking traditional recipes for her family. The ingredients are not always easy to find, but I believe in compromising 🙂 I am happy to report that we both are having fun trying many of your recipes. I am American with a passion for good food and I love to cook!!!! So Erica, bring it on 🙂 Keep up the awesome work here cause I am a big fan!!!
Thank you!!!!!
Erica
Elizabeth- Thank you so much for that wonderful comment! I truly appreciate it 🙂
Emily Colborn
Are the measurements for the cheeses when shredded or in whole?
Erica Dinho
Shredded
Silvia
I made those last week and they were fantastic. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Anonymous
Wow! I made this last week and they were fantastic. Thank you.
Sara
OMG I LOVE LOVE LOVE Pandebono!! I'm half Colombian, and love our country's dishes. I have been somewhat hesitant to make them at home. I will go to a nearby Colombian bakery and get them there. However, you have inspired me to give it a shot!! Thank You! : )
Leighea
My mother inlaw is from Colombia and she has always brought back the cheese balls by the suitcase full when she visits there, I asked her why she does not make them herself and she said it would be too hard. I can't wait to show her your easy method to make this little goodies. She will be very happy.
Kelly
Just found your site and SO excited about the pandebono! I made them last night and they were delicious.. just like the ones from the Colombian bakery I've been to!!
For those of you who were asking as well - I found tapioca flour at Whole Foods, but what I didn't know was that tapioca flour IS yuca flour - they are both cassava/yuca starch. Just FYI. =) Thanks Erica!
iris
I have to correct you: Tapioca and Yuca Flours are NOT one and the same. While sometimes interchangeable in a few recipes that I've examined, you do not get the same results. And yuca flour is way higher in carbohydrates....google each and you'll learn the precise differences. I've tried Brazilian cheese puffs (buns) which calls specifically for tapioca flour. BIG time difference! I prefer the results with the tapioca flour. Lighter, a bit crisp on the outside. And tapioca flour (also called tapioca starch -- same thing, no differences here) is way cheaper than cassava (yuca) flour.
Marilyn
WOW!! I just made these and they came out DELICIOUS. I used costeño cheese, since I'm in Barranquilla right now and I don't think they have feta here, but followed the recipe exactly aside from that. Gracias, Erica! 🙂
kristy
I have to agree with all of them! These breads look fantastic. I wish I could find the ingredients here to try this. Thanks!
Regards, Kristy
Julia
My friend is Brazilian and her mom makes something similar to this quite often. They are delicious! I was looking up recipes for La Semana de las Idiomas del Mundo for my school and I am considering making these. Gracias!
Anonymous
We loved this bread.....it was wonderful. I made it for a class project about Colombia and everyone loved the pandebono. Thank you for posting this.
Aleja
I made these pandebonos yesterday!!!! fantastic 🙂 Thank you for helping me to cook my wonderful Colombian food.
Katia
Hi,
I love your blog and the recipies, Colombian pastries are the best!!!! I am planning to do Pandebono, which I eat almost every week and I love it.
My only question is - where I can find yuca flour, I live in NY, but I haven't seen it nowhere ?
Jeannie
These were on my Colombian menu for a party I catered last night- they really are wonderful! The other 'hit' was the Black Bean Soup. Not being familiar with Arepas, I'm not sure they were well received. I loved making them! Thank you for these wonderful postings...and pictures! Can't do without them!
Lucy
Hi Erica
Thank you for your work,I live in Canada. Is there another cheese to replace
1 cup Mexican queso freso or Colombian quesito. Would Mozarella cheese be good enough? Thank you
Annie
Even though it's almost 4 years later, I wanted to comment for anyone coming late to the party that mozzarella would definitely *NOT* be a good substitute for queso fresco, which is more crumbly. The Gourmet Sleuth has an article about Mexican cheeses and substitutions which might be helpful. gourmetsleuth.com/articles/detail/mexican-cheeses
This recipe is great, by the way. I made it for my Colombian neighbors and my son, the delivery boy, came back an hour later with an empty container!
Lisa
Hi Erica,
These look fantastic! Can they be frozen at the dough ball stage? If so, would the cooking temperature be the same?
Thanks!
Adele
HI Erica,
would this recipe work which plain cornmeal that isn't pre-cooked?
Erica
Adele- I did not make it with plain cornmeal,so I don't know!
Nico
I am super excited to make these!!! Quick question, because I was comparing with your pandequeso and almojabana.
The pandebono has a total of 2.25 cups of cheese for 12 servings? Just making sure i didn't misread the 1 + 1 1/4 cups 🙂
And there is no leavening in the pandebono? I saw that the pandequeso and almojabana had baking powder.
Salud!
Erica
Nico- Just follow the recipe.....they are all different, but these are really easy and delicious.
Julia
How do you pronounce the name?
yolanda
Hola Erika,! mil gracias por la receta, yo trabajo en la cocina de una compania multinacional con empleados de todo el mundo, uno de los chefs es italiano, y le encanta la panaderia colombiana, espero sorprenderlo no solo a el si no tambien a todos los empleados esta semana, cuando prepare pandebono para colocar en la linea de desayuno, algo bien apropiado para esta epoca del ano. Felicidades a ti y tu familia.
Milena
Thanks Erica, I just found your site and just in time for Christmas, I am Colombian born but have lived most of my life overseas - Sydney Australia. My Mum is having a Novena Party tomorrow, so I am going to attempt this recipe and the one for Natilla.... fingers crossed.
Thank you, it is great to see Colombian food being celebrated.
Happy holidays
Susan
hi, i just made them but they don't seem to rise much. Just kind of flat. Not sure what I may have did wrong. I tried to be exact.
Belen
The same thing happened to fine. They were all flat, delicious, but not little balls.
Adriana
Please give the weight of the cheeses.
Diana Lopez
I made these Christmas morning while everybody else was going crazy opening gifts. They were perfect! The texture and flavor were right on. The only thing is that it makes 12 very small pandebonos (bit smaller than a golf ball). So if you want, you can make them bigger and only end up with about 6 or double the recipe. But I'm telling you, these were amazing!
Eugénia
Aye que rico!!!! Gracias Erica<3
This was wonderful of you to post. I miss home, and I just moved to a new city, Philadelphia, to my surprise I found a good amount of fellow Colombianos!! It is nice to walk into the local market, and be able to find our food right on the shelf. No more driving, aimlessly, in search of Masarepa. YAY!!
Eugénia
Ester
I often make this for potlucks and other gatherings, and it's always a crowd-pleaser!
Anonymous
In New York you can find the ingredients at the Compare Foods market chain. Im making them tomorrow!
elann
For the Canadians: Bob's Red Mill Tapioca Flour (I buy it at my local grocery store). In Saskatchewan I can get Queso Fresco (similar to Feta) at a little foreign food store (Tony's, Regina - comes from Calgary). So I think other Canadians should be able to find it too! ;o)
Erica: The Queso Fresco I used reminded me a lot of Feta, so I combined it with Havarti as it is the closest in texture I can think of for the Quesito I ate in Medellin. Have you ever used it as a substitute?
The Queso Fresco and the Havarti (grated fine) gave me the best results (I have made this recipe a couple of times)
Mil Gracias Erica!
Erica
Elann- I have to try it next time! thank you for your comment. I appreciate it 🙂
Anonymous
I have tried this recipe on numerous occasions. Not only is it easy to follow ,
it is always perfect. I get lots of complements .
Mariana
Very tasty and easy to make we all loved this recipe.
Loren
Estoy en Illinois en donde puedo encontrar yuca flower :-S?????? Please!
mari
Looks delicious, found this recipe just in time, I am about to go grocery shopping. Just my style, simple but delicious, never had it before but I say delicious because
I think the ingredients will prove to be a good mix.Hopefully this will be my project for tomorrow . Hope I do justice.
A big thank you.
Claudia
Hi Erika, Thank you so much for the recipe. I prepared some masato last week and, since in Bucaramanga we accompany this drink with pan de bono, I decided to look for the recipe. I found your recipe which it was very easy and I made them. The only question I have is how to make them grow? I divided the mixture in 12 portions and I think they were kind of small. Should I add some baking powder or baking soda, or may be some yeast? Please advise. Thanks.
Jen
Erika,
Folks having problems finding the flour to make these should look for it under the 'manioc'. Cassava, yucca and manioc are all the same thing. Most health food stores carry this. It also makes a wonderful pizza crust for those who cannot tolerant gluten.
Keep up the good work!
Jen
Leah
Amazing!!! I overcooked them the first time I made them and my boyfriend still loved them! I will be making this over and over again.
Ingrid
I made these last week and came out delicious...grated, not as big as I would have liked, but the wonderful taste was there. At least I know that I'll have to double the recipe next time in order to accomodate my family's apetite! Thanks for sharing this recipe Erica!
Thomas
re: Julia, It's pronounced approximately Pan de ono.
I assume this feta/queso fresco cheese mixture replaces the traditional Colombian costeno cheese because my mom never had feta in the house. I will re-post my comparisons once I get my hands on some yuca harina. Thanks for this and all of your recipes. This site is a gold mine!
Erica
Thomas- Yes!!!! I used feta, because it is close to "Queso Costeño" in flavor and texture and I don't find it here in the USA!
Tommy
These are by far my favorite uniquely Colombian food. Great tip with the cheese - I was a bit confused with the feta.
Marta
My sister made those yesterday for a brunch and they were so delicious! I came to print the recipe. Thank you for all your wonderful Colombian recipes. I love your site.
Eva
For people in the states and Canada looking for yuca flour: you can often find it in Asian markets as tapioca flour or tapioca starch (it´s often a Thai brand). Also, I´ve tried making pandebono with regular cornmeal and it definitely did not work.
Tania
We live in Miami and are lucky to have a couple of places to buy great pan de bono, but my husband and I have tried a few different recipes to make our own at home. After I found your recipe, I tried it out today, and my husband (who is from Cali) ate up most of them! The kids and I liked them, too. They're definitely the best we've tried at home. I don't have a food processor, so I tried the blender (didn't work) but ended up just cutting the flours and cheeses together and mixing them by hand in a bowl before adding the egg. I think next time I will use a little less feta (ours was very salty) and a little more quesito colombiano, and maybe a tsp of sugar. But this is definitely a winning recipe for us, and we'll be using it again! I'm now eager to try your other recipes, since it's hard to find Colombian recipes that are easy to follow and written in English with English measurements instead of metric. Thanks!!
Angie Chen
Hi Tania! Would you mind telling me what you changed to the original recipe and instructions? I did the same exact thing, and found it too salty. I used a blender and it didn't really work and it came out nothing like the picture. I still enjoyed this recipe, but I will have to make this for about 30 people soon. What did you change to it? Thank you in advance. 🙂
Chrissy
If any one felt as though the amount of feta was too salty how much would you guys decrease it by? I love pandebono, this will be my first time making it and my family is not a big fan of food that is too salty. An quick response would be greatly appreciated 🙂 Thank you!
Chris
It seems that the Colombian and the Brazilian cuisine have a lot of similar dishes. Pandebono is very similar to pao de queijo. Anyway, a must try because this cheese bread is simply delicious - even more with a very good Colombian or Brazilian coffee 🙂
Chris - welovechicken.com
Pablo
I haven't tried this recipe yet, hope to soon. I'm surprised the dough will hold together with so little moisture. The Queso Fresco locally available, when shredded, has the consistency of mozzarella. I haven't had much experience with Feta, other than what is sold crumbled for topping salads.
Sounds like a fairly solid dough.
Pablo
I tried it, I liked it, my Colombian wife approved and recognized it as pandebono.
I don't have a food processor capable of doing the job, so it was the "old fashioned way".
It is a fairly heavy, dry dough. I will try letting the cheese sit out overnight to warm up more next time, perhaps be more generous with the cheese, or add a small portion of cottage cheese for more moisture.
Colombian in Tennessee
just made the pan de bonos, they look and taste like the ones from the Colombian bakeries in Miami. Living away from Miami i have to make everything from scratch. I added 1Tablespoon of sugar before mixing the dough. Next time I'll add 2 Tablespoons. I like them a little sweet. great recipe Erica thanks.
Cristina
La mejor pagina para recetas colombianas. Me encantan todos los platos.
Marisa
Hi Erica, My husband made these pandebono last night and they came out amazing! Just as good or better than the Colombian bakery we usually go to. Now we can make them at home and enjoy them fresh out of the oven! Thanks so much, I really enjoy your site and can't wait to make more of your recipes.
Erica
Marisa-Thank you for your feedback!
Mireya
Muy buena receta!❤
Angélica
Ya probamos esta receta y nos encantó.... Nos gustaría saber el peso de los quesos en gramos ya que así no tendríamos que rayarlos previamente para poder medirlos con los cups 😛
Glennette
I love this pan de bono,Its my first time to taste it ...it was given to us by our favorite columbian Dr...for nurses week and I was curious about this pan coz. I cld not identify the ingredients right away...Im a good cook and a baker but this bread is amazing.Simple and its so delecious.Thanks for sharing the recipe.Gracias !!!!!
Nick
The first batch I made were too salty and dense, I'm making another batch now with only 1 cup of feta and 2 tsp of sugar to help offset the sodium from the cheese. They still look like they're going to be dense though and are taking a lot longer than the 15-20 minutes recommended in the recipe, has anyone else experienced this or knows how to make them less dense?
Angela
I don't know what went wrong, but my dough turned out waaay too liquidy, so I had to add a huge heap of extra flour, unmeasured. And I had to cook for a much longer time. Turned out okay though, but the cheese flavour was too subtle.
Erica Dinho
I don't know,Angela! What kind of cheese did you use?
Andrea
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I tried it tonight with bob's red mill masa harina since it was all I had. I used queso fresco and cotija. They weren't as airy & light as I hoped, a bit dense. I believe the cheese was too salty.
I will try again with the Colombian cheeses next time.
Diana
I was looking at your pan de yuca recipe and I wanted to know if there is a difference between the tapioca starch used there and the cassava starch used in this recipe. Are they the same thing? I can't wait to make these!
Erica Dinho
Yes, it's the same.
grace
thanks ...
Nelly
Hi Erica, thanks for this recipe. I made pandebonos last weekend for breakfast, they came out great. I served them with a cold glass of Milo (chocolate milk). Definitively, I will try more of your recipes. Thanks again.
Erica Dinho
Thanks, Nelly! I love Milo 🙂
Cathie
Love all the Colombian food at especiall cheese bread...but the fat content is hard for me due to health issues. Can the recipes include the fat percentage so I can gage how much I can enjoy? Gracias!!!
Anonymous
Hi how do you make them rise? Mine is flat however super delicious
Karen
My Pandebono was super yum however was very flat. Any reason why it didn't rise? What can I add to make it rise?
Erica Dinho
Hi Karen, I don't know!
Katherine
Thank u so much for ur recipe!! I live in the netherlands and I have not found anywhere Mexican /Colombian fresh cheese! Is there any substitution I can use? Or is there anyone who lives in NL and knows where I can get it???
Erica Dinho
Hi Katherine,
You can make your own cheese. Here is the recipe: https://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/quesito-colombiano-colombian-fresh-cheese/
Katherine
Erica, YOU ARE SOOOOOOOOOOO Amazing! WOW! haha you send me a link to make my own cheese (how did I not ever think of that!) and it looks super easy! GREAT! THANK YOU SO MUCHHHHHH!! I will DEFINITELY be making this recipe in the next few days and leaving a review! THANK YOUUUU!!!!!!!!!
Natalia
Erica I'm trying to make the pandebonos, but I'm having trouble finding the corn meal can I use corn flour from instead.
Erica Dinho
Hola Natalia,
I always use masarepa or harina pan, you can buy masarepa online:https://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/masarepa/
frances
Made them Saturday came out perfect! BUT I thought they would be sweet? Iforgot that your recipe has no sugar in it so I was wondering if I could put in 2teaspoons ? Some other online recipes have 2 teaspoons while others are 2 tablespoons
frances
Your recipe is the easiest to follow! Texture look and smell were just as expected and taste was soft and cheesy. Just like the bakery! Should I worry about the no sugar part I was trying to be authentic not sure if it should even be considered a sweet bread?
Erica Dinho
It's not a sweet bread.
Irene Cedano
Just made these. Abosultely perfect and deeeelish.
Rosa
Hi Erica, I just made these and everyone in my home loved them, I had to make 2 batches. I am from Cali, Colombia, live in the South and there are not many Colombian restaurants or bakeries in the city where I live. I found your website just looking for recipes for thanksgiving and made your Pernil, Russian potato salad and Arroz con leche. Everything came out delicious. Thank you so much for all your recipes. For lunch today I'm making the Russian potato salad per my husband's request and the flank steak with hogao. do you have a recipe for Crema de pollo? Gracias!!!!
Erica Dinho
Hi Rosa,
Thanks for the comment! I don't have that recipe, but I will post it soon.....it was one of my favorite cremas as a child!!!
Cristina
so I followed the recipe EXACTLY and the dough came out extremely dry. So dry that it was just a crumbly block in the oven. I even tried adding a little milk to a second batch to make it more moist but that didn't help. Any ideas what I did wrong or what I can do differently????
Sandopui
Hello,
I made the recipe but the mix turned crubly and dry. I added 1-2 teaspoons of milk and kneaded. That worked. Thank yoy
Lucy
I love your blog, its contain the most information about my Colombian
cravings! I am Vietnamese and my boyfriend is Colombian, I love his
mother's cooking, but she doesnt really have the time to show me. I am
so glad your blog exists!
Melanie
I love your blog ,it’s homey, practical, and still very Colombian. It’s a place like this that can take Colombian cuisine into other places.
Denise
In the recipe you mentioned fetta chease......wondering if it is a mistake. Should it be cottage or ricotta? What is closest to the cuajada flavor and texture!?
Erica Dinho
Traditional pandebonos are made with queso costeño, since this type of cheese is only found in Colombia, I'm substituting it with a combination queso fresco and feta cheese in this recipe. The combination of these two cheeses is perfect for pandebonos.
Anonymous
I just wanted to say THANK YOU so much for your blog. I am Colombian, and came to the States when I was 14 years old, and my mom isn't big on cooking, so I never really got to learn much about how to prepare Colombian dishes. Now I'm a mother to 2 small children and married to a Russian, I go to your blog a lot for guidance on how to make dishes from my beloved homeland. Once again thank you from the bottom of my heart, for helping an expat like myself share the wonders of Colombian cuisine with my loved ones. Best regards
jaselle scott jr
i loveeeeeeeee them so much
DEE
A coworker brought them to work and they were really good. I want to try making them.
The recipe calls for •1/4 cup precooked cornmeal or masarepa
How do I prepare this.
Erica Dinho
The masarepa???
William
You can't, what you need to do is go to the latino isle in the supermarket and look for PAN, is a yellow flour-like bag with a white logotype in a blue background. The yuca flower can also be replaced with Tapioca flower, it's practically de same.
William
BTW, excuse me, I meant FLOUR, lapsus calami hehe.
nona
Lol, you dont pre cook it ..its a precooked cornmeal ...just add as is to recipe.
K Cox
I love these. We live in North Carolina. My husband is Colombian and I have been several times and love the food, the people and the culture. Colombia is a beautiful country that I claim as my second home. I think I also made your Sancocho. We had bandeja paisas today at a great Colombian restaurant in Charlotte. I am making these again soon and look forward to your other recipes. Thank you for sharing. Me encanta con Colombia.
Franco
I just made these for my wife, who is a fan of Pandebonos... We loved the flavor!!! I have to say, it is the easiest recipe so far. I made them smaller than usual, and could not stop eating them... ha ha ha...
However the consistency while light and spongy, I'm used to them having more air as supposed to them being doughy. Any ideas as to how to get them that way? should I have made them regular size? the batch gave me 18 as supposed to 12.
Thank you
Maria Clara Khan
Hola Erica, todas las recetas estan super. Todos en la familia disfrutamos mucho estos platos colombianos.
Voy a asar pandebono o pan de yuca y quiero saber si lo puedo congelar para enviarlo por correo a mi hija que esta en la universidad y me ha pedido que le mande el cheese bread como ella lo llama.
Gracias.
MC
Erica Dinho
Hola,
Nunca los he congelado, pero puedes tratar de hacerlo. En Colombia a veces los venden congelados.
Claudia
My dough did not hold together per the recipe, so I had to add another egg. The dough did bind after that. They baked beautifully, but the flavor wasn't quite right (from what I remember from many trips to Colombia).
Next time I would make a few changes: I would have the eggs and the cheese at room temperature; I would switch the amounts of cheese-- 1 1/4 c. quesito Colombiano and 1 c. feta; and I would definitely use yuca flour, not a substitute. (I used tapioca flour because my supermarket did not carry yuca starch.).
If I had to guess, the yuca flour will give me the flavor I didnt get with the tapioca flour.
Erika Soto
I agree my dough did not bind unitil I added 1 1/4 of quesito colombiana and 1 of feta, a second egg, 2 tablespoons of corn oil and two table spoons of water
Diane
Hello Erica - Is an 8 cup food processor large enough for this recipe? I have tried making it without a food processor, and I don't think it is the right approach. I want to follow your instructions exactly. Please confirm how large of a food processor is required for this (and the other bread recipes like pan de yuca, pan de queso).
Consuelo
The dough was to dry I added one more egg. Why the pandebonos did not growing ?
Krystle
I do not have a food processor, would it be possible to just use my hand mixer?
Alejandra
Yes, that's what I use. I use the processor to shred the quesito but the mixer works to mix all ingredients. You might have to mix by hand at the end in order to get the consistency, the mixer will not really give you the dough consistency for the bread to hold together
Amy
Hi! These breads are little pieces of heaven...
I really want to make a batch to send in the mail to dear friends who live in another state. Do you think they will survive two-three days in the mail in winter?
Thank you!
Jennifer
Can I use queso cotija ?
Kristina deadbolt
Wooowww.....
Michelle
We are hosting a student from Colombia and made these as well as some other recipes from this site and I must say they are pretty awesome! Our student states that they are exactly like the ones in the bakery that her mother buys. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
To address issues mentioned in the comments:
1. I used the masara corn flour mentioned and Otto's cassava flour I got from Amazon. I used Queso from Costco and Fetta from Costco. The ingredients will have different levels of moisture which will affect the recipe.
2. Using the recipe as written the dough would not come together but adding an extra egg fixes it. You have to let the processor go until it becomes a dough - about 3-4 minutes. The processor breaks down the cheese a bit, releasing moisture which makes the dough work . You could add a hint of oil if needed but I didn't need to
3. These are not yeast based so they won't fluff like like dinner rolls, but you do need a very hot oven which makes the moisture inside steam up making them fluffy. So heat the oven and make sure it is up to temperature before baking them. You can also pre-heat the oven about 25 to 50 degrees hotter then needed, then turn it down to temperature when you put them in. If you do that they need a bit less time to cook.
This is a very solid recipe and one I will make again. Thank you!!
Helene
Hello,
thank you!! I couldn't figure out why my mix was so grainy!! this will solve the issues!
Bruce
I love this Pan de bono recipe. It's delicious and just like I remember them. They are also gluten free.
Jackie
This is the best pandebono recipe. I made it about 20 times and it is always a hit. Thank you for this amazing recipe.
Jennifer
Pan de bono is naturally gluten free and I love finding recipes like this one. Thank you!
Alan Bowman
"Try them, you’ll thank me for it"
Until you try to get up from the couch! ;-))
Yarina
Thank you for the recipe Erica.
Could I made the dough in advance and keep it in the refrigerator? If yes, for how long?
Cheers.
Erica Dinho
I always make them the same day.
Alexis
Hello,
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I've made the recipe twice without complete success. The flavor is great, but the rolls come out flat, not fluffy.
I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. Could it be the feta cheese, which is "wet" and comes in salt water? I have drained the water but the cheese is still moist.
Help!!
Gracias. 🙂
Pam
I used to eat these when my ex’s father would bring them home from the Colombian bakery. They were so amazing, and I never thought I’d be able to recreate them myself, but this recipe did!! I followed the recipe exactly and they come out amazing every time. My whole family loves when I make these, and they never last very long! Thank you so so much for sharing!
Carolina Parra
If I don’t want to bake everything at once, is there a way to keep the dough?
Mike o
The dough works well chilled. I prefer making it after its refrigerated because it’s less sticky and messy
Mike o
Typically I eat something and then figure out how to make it. I haven’t been to Colombia yet so I’ve been trusting your recipes in making meals and treats for my girlfriend and her mother. Her mother recently wrote a story in her college course about how much she misses pandebono. I made these and as with every recipe of yours, the Colombians love me more. :). Thank you. I had no idea how important it was to my partner to have ajiaco on Christmas until I made yours and saw her face. Your site has been a wonderful resource for pleasing my family and expanding my cooking knowledge
eatfrysmith
So simple and fast, I got my favorite cake!!
Angel Sleeper
Is it possible to get the ingredients by weight? I'm having trouble with the cheeses and knowing how much they should be crumbled before measuring with cups and having the weight would make that so much easier.
I'm really looking forward to making these, I've been missing food like this since I moved from Miami!
Thomas
Look yummy! One of my favorite Pandebono, nice to see your recipe, easy to follow, will cook this for family this weekend. Thanks you!
Am
Hi,
First off, let me tell you how much I love your website and all your recipes. It’s my go-to whenever I’m feeling a little homesick.
I made these with tapioca flour and they were not as light and fluffy as pandebono is supposed to be - or as yours clearly is. Do you think the tapioca flour is to blame?
I use it when I make buñuelos and get excellent results. Should I perhaps try adding more moisture? I use “cacique” queso fresco and “President” feta, not sure if different brands of cheese could make a difference too!
Carolina Giraldo
Hi! I did the bread and it didn't came out as expected i'm also colombian and I know that they are really fluffy with lots of air inside... although these recipe is missing something that fluff the dough, like yeast or baking powder... I consulted other recipes and the have yeast, butter, sugar and milk. I really love follow your recipes although I think this one need to be revised .
saludes! y me encanta tu blog soy una de tus seguidoras!
Kirsten
Hi Erica! This looks excellent! As my husband is Brazilian we make pão de queijo, but these look even more delicious. However, where I am I can't find precooked cornmeal/masarepa, can I substitute with polenta? Or corn flour? I have stacked up on tapioca flour, fortunately 🙂
Thanks, Kirsten
Erica Dinho
No.
Jeffrey Solomon
Hi there, we made these last night and they out great - but the only thing is - the mix came out very dry after blending in the food processor, and not yet doughy. We added water by eye until we got a good consistency.
I'm wondering what my mistake was? I thought perhaps maybe i was supposed to premix the precooked cornmeal before adding it to the other ingredients?
Is the egg the only moisture to be added? I feel as if i missed something. Thanks in advance.
(We were sad to leave New York and Jackson Heights three years ago and consider pandebono a comfort food of home.)
Maria Sanchez K
Do you need to use feta cheese? I see a lot of your recipes with feta cheese which is not Colombian or Hispanic cheese.
Erica Dinho
Some of the recipes use Queso Costeño,a traditional Colombian cheese, but I can find it in USA. Feta is the closets I can find here.
Maria
I do make a version of Brazilian cheese rolls but for these I am wondering if I could sub coconut flour for the masa as I don’t eat corn products? I would like to try making for Colombian friend TIA
Claudia
Love how easy this was to make. Unfortunately it did not taste like Pandebono. It was a huge let down for me since I was looking forward to eating the yummy-ness of pandebono. I realized what my issue was. I bought Cassava Flour! 🙁 I didn’t realize there was a difference between Cassava flour and Yucca flour. Is there anything I can add to the recipe if I use cassava flour, to give it that missing taste?
Deborah A Fantini
I make these all the time, they are so yummy! They're wonderful with soups, and today I am having them with chilli. Thank you so much for your recipe! xx
Lucille Kavanagh
I just made these and the dough was so wet, I added extra flour to try and shape them but once in the oven the mixture just spread!
They still tasted amazing but what did I do wrong? How do I get fluffy balls of pandebono and not pancakes.
Roger Quintero
La intente varias veces y no me salio nada ni medio cerca a tu foto. Lo unico que no hago es usar el procesador para combinar los ingredientes. Sera esa la gran diferencia? Me quedan bolas de masa para nada esponjosas
Erica Dinho
Puede ser. Yo siempre uso el procesador.
mobasir hassan
Truly appreciate the way you made this wonderful cheese bread. Everything is nicely described that really helped.
Sonia
Quedan muy ricos, lo unico es que yo uso solamente una cucharada de masarepa, y le revuelvo al queso fresco un poco de queso mozzarella, es muy importante precalentar el horno.
Anonymous
Delicioso
Jenifer
I had to add about 1/2 cup milk to get the dough to come together, maybe my cheese was too dry? but in the end it still made 12 breads
Lucy
Can you make them without a food processor?
Suzanne
Can I do this in the air fryer on baked setting at 400 degrees?
Erica Dinho
I don't know.I didn't use the air fryer for this recipe before.
Zalman
No baking powder??? Are you sure??
Jomarie C
I made these! The dough came together in the food processor quickly! I had to sub some of the feta and inadvertently made them a little salt and my oven wasn't cooperating so I had to bake them for longer but they were soo soft and taste was spot on. (I should know I live in an area where there are MANY MANY MANY Colombian bakeries.)
Question/confirming: I used 8 oz of Quesito and feta bc 8 oz is a cup, but was that right? I assume so because the taste is good but I am confirming.
Thank you for the recipe.
Currambero
Today I tried your recipe. First time in my life I have done pan de Bono. I followed it as you state it. I’m 75 years old barranquillero that has lived in USA for 52 years. I miss Colombian food and try to replicate it here. This is the closest I have come to the flavor and texture of the original costeño flavor. I will just let it bake longer. Thank you for this recipe. It is excellent.
Joselin
Hey!
I made this, and they came out okay. I’m wondering if I did something wrong, though. The outside looked nice and golden but the inside still felt uncooked and the flavor was a bit bland. Please send help lol
Erica Dinho
You can add salt to the dough. If the cheese is not salty enough. Cook them a little longer if you prefer.
Daniel
I made these this morning, and my mother-in-law only gave me a 9.5/10 score ☹️ The taste was amazing! But she missed the puffy texture. She was raised in Cali, and (like any other people in the comments) was wondering why it didn’t include baking powder. That was my .5 deduction lol other than that, they all enjoyed the taste. Will tray again but with a tsp of baking powder and see how that goes.
Thank you for sharing our food with the world!!!!
Zenaida
Can I substitute another cheese for the feta?
Erica Dinho
You can use queso fresco, but add more salt.
Michael
Who measures cheese in cups!!?