Fogo de Chão-Style Pão de Queijo

This version replaces industrial fats with grass-fed butter and uses organic cheeses to provide a cleanerer profile than restaurant versions.

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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups organic tapioca flour (cassava starch)
  • 1 cup grated aged white cheddar
  • 1/2 cup grated organic mozzarella cheese
  • 1 large organic egg
  • 1/4 cup grass-fed butter
  • 1/2 cup organic whole milk
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

Clean swaps

How we upgrade the restaurant version with better ingredients.

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Shop the clean pantry

Reorder the shelf-stable staples for this recipe.

What you'll need

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the milk and salt and bring to a gentle boil, then remove from heat.
  3. Place the tapioca flour in a large bowl and pour the hot buttery milk over it, stirring immediately to scald and gelatinize the starch. Let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes until just warm to the touch.
  4. Beat in the egg, then fold in the aged cheddar and mozzarella until a cohesive dough forms (the texture will be soft and slightly sticky).
  5. Portion out tablespoon-sized mounds onto the baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.
  6. Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until they are puffed, lightly golden, and firm to the touch.

FAQ

Is this Fogo de Chão-Style Pão de Queijo gluten-free?

Yes, it is naturally gluten-free because we use tapioca flour instead of wheat flour.

Why does the dough feel sticky?

That is traditional for pão de queijo; the humidity from the milk and eggs reacts with the cassava starch to create the signature chewy texture.

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