Brazilian Tapioca Flour Pancake Recipe

Whenever you travel in Brazil, specifically in a city like Rio de Janeiro, you’ll notice the Tapioca pancake stands along beaches such as Copacabana. However, this versatile regional food originates further North in the Brazilian state of Bahia, with capital Salvador.

 

It’s easy to keep your Tapioca pancake 100% vegan, gluten-free, or whatever your specific dietary requirement is. Thus we include this authentic Brazilian recipe for these reasons:

• Easy to prepare.
• Easy to adapt to dietary requirements.
• Very travel-friendly.
• Can be turned into a nutritious meal.

Brazilian Tapioca Bread is a food that doesn’t contribute much nutrition value on its own. It contains only empty carbohydrates – in the form of Cassava Starch, mixed with a bit of water. The nutritional value depends on the filling. As far as the taste goes, opt for either sweet or salty as you’ll see below.

Brazilian Tapioca Background Info

I only discovered Tapioca pancakes on my third visit to Brazil. Beforehand, I didn’t know what an unique and special regional food this was. Initially, I had a few fails trying to make my own Tapiocas at home. Mostly through over-complication, and not realizing how simple it really was. At first attempt, I mixed the ready-made flour with water, some plant-based milk, and eggs. Next, I fried it in a pan. It was an edible pancake, but 100% the wrong way of preparing Tapioca.

The next day, I went back to the street vendor in Rio de Janeiro. I patiently observed her making tapioca after tapioca. While lingering around the stall for 15 minutes or so. I almost could not believe what I was seeing. I was purchasing these extra ingredients to make a tapioca, but here she has only one ingredient, and making the most flawless white round pancakes.

Afterward, I immediately went back home, and made my first successful Tapioca pancake.

Tapioca Pancake Recipe Instructions

 

Option A – Ready-Made Tapioca Flour

The easiest method, which only really helps if you’re in Brazil, is to buy ready-made Tapioca Flour at any supermarket. It costs less than $2 for half a kilo. With this option, simply put the flour in a dry pan (don’t use oil), and heat it up. Next, flip it around with a spatula. Or with chef flair, flick it up and turn it over in the air, without a spatula.

 

Option B – Make your Own Tapioca Pancake Mix

For everyone else (Plan B) you’ll find Tapioca Starch in most health shops and even in some supermarkets.

 

1. First step, add a small amount of water to the starch, for hydration. If you add too much water, the starch turns into a quaint cement-like mixture – a concoction you certainly wouldn’t want to ingest at this point. Simply add more starch to balance out the excess water. You’ll notice the tapioca starch forming dry lumps. This is good.
2. Next step, once you’ve properly hydrated the dry mixture, is to break up the lumps and press it gently through a sieve to get a fine powder. What you are left with now is exactly the same as Plan A above. You could store the powder in a container in the refrigerator. Or immediately make a pancake by pouring the lightly-hydrated tapioca into a dry frying pan, similar to above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brazilian Tapioca In the Pan

 

1. The tapioca powder becomes sticky in the pan with the white molecules binding to one another. Thankfully, the pancake doesn’t leave much residue on the pan itself. And a quick rinse afterward will keep your utensils clean. You’ll notice when it has sufficiently solidified to flip it over.
2. After flipping it over, let it simmer for a few more seconds. Then take it out, and put the pancake on a plate. Don’t let the Tapioca burn (or become too hard) by leaving it on the pan too long.
3. Now, add your topping. You’ll notice in Brazil, at the tapioca stands, they add the topping while the pancake is still in the frying pan. Then the tapioca is turned around, with e.g. the meat filling now on the bottom. This allows the vendor to reheat the meat before serving the crepe. In the same way, you could add e.g. cheese when the pancake is still in the pan, to give it opportunity to melt. Now fold it over, press down a bit with a spatula, to finish off your recipe while its still in the pan.

 

 

Basic Sweet Tapioca Pancake Recipe

As far as toppings go, there are endless variations to try on your tapioca bread. You could basically add anything that you’d add on a sandwich, or that may seem like a good combination to your own taste. On the sweet side, I recommend peanut butter (or any other nut butter e.g. almond butter), along with banana, then sprinkle some cinnamon on top, as a breakfast tapioca. Strawberries (any berries.. really) are also a great option to add.

Condensed milk is popular as well. But of course, less healthy, unless you’re training for a marathon – thus in need of extra carbs. Moreover, Coconut shavings will add a nice further touch to your pancake to finish it off. Add an optional sweetener such as honey or agave syrup.

 

Tapioca Ostrich Mince Pancake

For a salty breakfast option, add eggs, some cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, sliced green pepper, or cheese to make an omelet tapioca crepe. In the photo below, I went with lean Ostrich mince, green peas, cherry tomatoes, some garlic, sea salt, and a tomato paste. Simply because this was what was lying around in my kitchen. I generally prefer ostrich, or any other wild game meat, instead of beef, since it contains less fat. Of course you could also opt for a salad filling with e.g. lettuce as base.

 

Eating Tapioca Crepes Caveats

Cassava can be toxic (and contain residual cyanide) if not processed correctly. This is particularly a problem in poverty-stricken African countries. However, you should be completely O.K. if you get your Cassava/Tapioca from reputable brands. For example, at your local health shop, or of course, in a country like Brazil, where safety precautions are taken. The problem lies mostly with raw cassava root, and cassava not professionally prepared, peeled, and cooked.

Secondly, rather not eat Tapioca pancakes every day. You need a balanced nutrient profile in your diet. And the pancakes themselves, contribute almost nothing to your daily Vitamin and nutrient requirements – also zero protein. It’s only a source of carbs and energy. Since Tapioca Starch isn’t a grain (instead a root – like sweet potato), it qualifies as Paleo-diet friendly. However, due to a low nutrient profile, some question its paleo status.

Wholegrain Tapioca Flour

It would be healthier to source wholegrain Organic Tapioca Flour. Then make bread or pancake with the flour as opposed to only utilizing the starch (although this is a very different recipe). Of course, this variation would be less interesting, and convenient, than the starchy pancakes. Moreover, you’d need to do a lot more cleaning afterwards when you work with liquid pancake ingredients. You’d have to use cooking oil as well, as opposed to the less demanding dry tapioca pancake recipe. Notice the darker color of the wholegrain flour – a clear sign of better nutrient quality.

 

Spinach Tapioca Pancake Mix

Another option to improve the nutrient profile of your tapioca, is to purchase the flour with added spinach powder, like in the photo below. It binds a little weaker than the 100% tapioca starch option, but the extra nutrients definitely make up for this. If you prepare your own tapioca mix at home, you could purchase some powdered spinach at your local health shop. Then mix a small amount into your tapioca starch.

 

Buy Tapioca Flour Online

Buy Ready-Made Tapioca Flour on Amazon. This flour is good for instant pancakes. Otherwise, if you follow our procedure above, you can buy Organic Tapioca starch at your local well-stocked health shop or for a good price at I-Herb online. Then hydrate it to get the flour for the instant pancakes.

Tapioca Video Demonstration

Check out my video where I prepare a Spinach and Cheese Tapioca Pancake, from Scratch, using the same easy method of Tapioca Starch Hydration. There is another 12 hour method, which involves storing the water & starch in a refrigerator overnight, then draining the water the next day. However, I prefer the easier method:

Conclusion: Brazilian Tapioca Flour Recipe

As you can imagine, apart from being very travel-friendly, these pancakes can be somewhat addictive. No surprise then that it’s so popular throughout Brazil (although the ready-made flour can be really hard to find in other Latin American countries). Anyway, consume in moderation, and don’t stop experimenting with any nutritious fillings that you can think up!

Have you tried these authentic Brazilian Tapioca Pancakes? What is your preferred filling? Comment below with your questions and/or tips!