Little cheesy gems. Cuñapés are made with cassava starch and lots of cheese. The crust is firm and the center chewy. A Bolivian delicacy for any afternoon tea.
{post adapted to include more information and new pictures}
Oh! afternoon tea! Bolivians enjoy their afternoon tea time.
If you are a guest, your hostess would have a table full of horneau (fresh-baked pastries and bread).
Although in Spanish these pastries are called caseros (homemade), they are not always baked at home but are easily available in any market and they taste just like the ones your grandma made.
If you hear a Bolivian talk about making cuñapé, they will tell you that the best cuñapé is the one made with more cheese than cassava starch.
If you can afford it, go ahead and try adding more cheese, but know that the amount of milk in the recipe card will vary. You'll need to add more.
What are cuñapés?
Cuñapés are baked-goods from eastern Bolivia.
Throughout South America, you can find rolls or bread made with cassava starch or almidón de yuca.
These rolls have similar ingredients, and at the same time produce a different bread with different textures and flavors.
In Bolivia, cassava starch is used to make these cuñapés. There are 3 types of cuñapé: baked cuñape (this recipe), fried cuñapé (same ingredients, but fried), and cuñapé abizcochado (twice baked cuñapé).
The 3 kinds of cuñapé are easily found in the streets of eastern Bolivia. Some places offer hot drinks, fruit juices, and tables for the costumers to enjoy their cuñapé.
In the market, you can find cuñapé in big baskets with vendors ready to sell you a few in plastic bags.
Ingredients
The main ingredients for baked cuñapé are cassava or yuca starch and cheese. Lots of cheese.
- Cassava starch: I find it confusing to buy this product in the US. Some brands call it cassava flour and others tapioca starch or flour. The two products I've used that has the same texture as the ones in Bolivia are Goya Yuca Flour and Bob's Red Mill Tapioca Flour. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases).
- Cheese: Bolivian cheese is very salty and dry, you can substitute it for any semi-hard to hard cheese without any problems. Just avoid fresh cheese like queso fresco.
- Salt: The amount of salt depends on how much salt the cheese you are using has.
- Egg
- Butter
- Milk: If possible, use whole milk.
How to make baked cuñapé
Cassava starch absorbs liquid very quickly. It's important to mix the dry ingredients, butter, cheese, and egg first before adding any milk.
Add milk by tablespoons. I know it's annoying to do it like this, but once you add too much milk, there is no going back.
This is a compact dough. It's not similar to bread dough. Once the dough comes together, I like to knead it for a few minutes.
I don't think many Bolivians do this step, but is something I learned making Paraguayan chipa (cheesy bread with cassava starch).
At this point, you can give it the shape you want. Traditionally, they are made into a ball, no bigger than 2 inches.
The texture of this dough is similar to playdough. My boys like to make their favorite characters before baking them. Let your kids have fun!
How to bake Cuñapé
I used to think the oven needed to be very hot. But a few months ago a friend was making cuñapé and she baked them at 350F. I was surprised how well they turned out.
I've tried it since then, and I have to say that I like better at 375F. Just make sure you preheat the oven before you put the tray in.
Frequent questions
Cassava starch doesn't have much fiber. It's made by grinding the tubers, soaking it in water, and then separating the starch from the liquid. While flour is obtained by direct drying of the tuber pieces and grinding it.
No, not for cuñapé.
No, that would not work for cuñapé.
In my experience, it's because the dough is too wet, and the oven wasn't preheat it at the right temperature.
I hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy this Bolivian delicacy.
Note: This recipe was published for the first time on 2,012, on my old blog. As we celebrate Bolivia’s independence in the month of August, I thought it was a good time to update my Bolivian recipes.
Recipes you might like:
If you liked the recipe above, please consider rating the recipe and leaving a comment below! and share your picture on Instagram with the hashtag #chipabythedozen
Baked Cuñapé (Bolivian Bread - Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 2 cups cassava / yuca starch
- 2 cups shredded cheese (I used 1-1/2 cups Swiss cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese)
- 1 egg
- 1-1/2 tablespoons butter , soften
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 5 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F / 190C and grease 2 baking sheets.
- In a big bowl, add cassava starch, cheese, egg, butter and salt. Mix with the tip of your fingers. Add 3 tablespoons of milk and mix with your hands. (it's going to look like big crumbs)
- Dump it all in a clean surface, and start kneading it. If it doesn't come together, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time. Knead it for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Make a round ball with each portion and place them on a greased baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Rubitza
If you use three cheeses it comes out better and. cheese, mozzarella, queso fresco and feta cheese.
Lizet
That sounds delicious! did you have to add less milk?
Christy
I’ve been wanting to try cassava flour and this looks like the perfect way to do it! Yum!
Michelle
I've never heard of a cunape before but you had me at CHEESE!
Toni Dash
This is really delicious! Everyone at my house loved this!
Pam Greer
I am always looking for interesting roll recipes and this one sounds so good! Now off to find that flour!
Jillian
These really are a cheesy gem!
Beth
This looks so delicious and yummy! Can't wait to make this!
Judy
My daughter bought Cunapes in a restaurant and I decided to try them at home. I had to use more milk. They were delicious and tasted as good as the restaurant's!
Lizet
I'm so glad you liked it!
The type of cheese and the size of the egg make a big difference in the amount of milk you'll need. I'm glad you found the right balance.
Natalia
This recipe is great! I didn’t have any eggs while trying to make this so instead I just used about 10 tablespoons of milk and they came out perfectly!
Lizet
I'm glad it turned out great, Natalia. Even with missing the egg 😅
Marcela Loparco
Looking Forward to trying these. My mom makes them amazing. Can’t wait
Lizet
I hope it turns out great!
Sophie Hosselkus
I made these for my family, and they are so good!!
Lizet
I'm so glad to hear it!
A.
Is this designed for high-altitude baking, since Bolivia is very mountainous? My parents were in Bolivia when I was born, and they have told me about the delicious smell of the air in the marketplace, with pastries baked twice each day and fresh-roasted coffee. Anyway, I'm currently living at about 2,200 meters above sea level, and I'd love some assistance in baking properly!
Lizet
Hello! I'm from the lowland, and I don't have any experience baking at high altitude. Sorry!
Let me know if you try it and how you adjust this recipe for high altitude.
Isabel
I make these all the time I tried your recipe all I can say is add mild little by little until you have a dough
Lizet
Hi Isabel, yes, it's tricky to know how much milk to add. Adding a tablespoon at the time helps. I hope you liked the recipe.
Liz
As a Bolivian that try this recipe for the first time I can say that is great.
I did change the amount of salt for 1 tbs and added 1 tbs of sugar.
My came a little flat as I think my oven wasn’t hot enough or the Mozzarella cheese I used was too liquid. I am planning in using white cheddar cup and mix it with one mozzarella cheese cup for next time.
Thank you very much for getting Bolivian recipes on the web.
Lizet
I'm so glad you liked it, Liz.
The cheese makes all the difference! I think even from brand to brand. You just need to keep trying with the same cheese until you get the right consistency.
Thanks for coming back and commenting.
Saul Bejarano
Use Monterrey Jack and if the oven is not hot enough it will not work, I have the best experience at 420F.
Hillary
Followed this exact recipe, the measurements are wrong. I triple checked I did the exact measurements on here and it was still a crumble, not anywhere near a dough consistency. I ended up improvising and using more milk and a couple more eggs until it formed a dough. Very disappointed. Wasted the entire batch trying to figure out how to fix this recipe.
Lizet Flores de Bowen
I am very sorry Hillary. I completely understand your frustration on the waste of ingredients and time.
I've made this recipe in the US several times before, and that is why I recommend mozzarella cheese.
I made it recently again in the US and had to add 3 to 4 tablespoons more milk.
I'm about to try it again and fix this recipe.
Again, I'm very sorry.
If you don't mind, I would love to send you some cassava flour to try again.
Send me an email with your address, if you feel comfortable. [email protected]
Anonymous
The real cunape has to be made with the real cheese which is only produced in my citi santa cruz but here in the USA the best one to try is queso LA COLONIA hard cheese ( will give a more salty cunape with crusty top, buy it at hispanic stores and sometimes asian stores) or you can use queso viajero (NOT for frying from costco) and will be a softer cunape. Trust me 20 years here in the US trying to find the best replacement since the 20 kilos i bring form my country is gone in about 7 months. If you pass a little of milk of water the cunape will be flat !!! Or if in doubt add 1 tbsp of baking power per 1cup of tapioca. And the milk or water HAST TO be very WARM !!!
D Terceros
Do you mean if use just too much liquid they will be flat? I’m trying to figure out why mine often turn out flat. Maybe I will try the baking powder to give them a little boast.
Lizet
In my experience, too much liquid and the oven temperature are the 2 facts for making good cuñapé. I hope the baking powder helps!
Barbara Wilson
I shared this recipe today with the owners of a local restaurant, Casa Brazil, and they might make them as well.
Lizet Flores de Bowen
Great! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Kim
I love that it's gluten-free!
Lizet Flores de Bowen
Yes Kim! that´s a plus 🙂
Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook
Wow! These look so beautiful! They sound delicious, too! I should try this in the future! Thank you for sharing your lovely recipe. Happy Fiesta Friday!
Lizet Flores de Bowen
Thanks Jhuls for coming by! I hope you try them!
Ai @Ai made it for you
These look delicious! They remind me of the Brazilian pão de queijo, which I love, so I'm sure I'd love these too! I'd love to try them using different cheeses... do you think a pepper jack would work for spicy cuñapé?
Lizet Flores de Bowen
Yes! they are very similar in texture. For the Brazilian one, the dough is cooked before baking. Both delicious!
Antonia
I want one, these look so delicious! Thank you for sharing at the party! Happy Fiesta Friday!
Lizet Flores de Bowen
Thanks for coming by Antonia! I hope you try them!