Brazilian Torta de Palmito, Hearts of Palm Pie

📍 Where this dish comes from: Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná · Iguaçu Falls
Discover the history of this region →

Torta de palmito is a creamy, savory hearts of palm pie that appears at Brazilian birthday parties, potlucks and Sunday lunches. The filling of tender hearts of palm, tomato, onion and olives is bound with a creamy sauce and baked in a buttery crust. This version uses an almond flour crust and a cheesy top.

Per serving: 305 calories · 5 g net carbs · 12 g protein · 27 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)

What You’ll Need

Brazilian Torta de Palmito, Hearts of Palm Pie

Torta de palmito is a creamy, savory hearts of palm pie that appears at Brazilian birthday parties, potlucks and Sunday lunches. The filling of tender hearts of palm, tomato, onion and olives is bound with a creamy sauce and baked in a buttery crust. This version uses an almond flour crust and a cheesy top.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Brazilian

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 305kcal

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups blanched almond flour
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 4 tablespoons cold butter cubed
• 1 large egg for the crust
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 small onion finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 small tomato seeded and chopped
• 1 jar or can (14 ounces) hearts of palm drained and sliced
• 1/4 cup sliced green olives
• 1/2 cup cream cheese (or requeijão)
• 2 large eggs for the filling
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Pulse the almond flour, Parmesan and butter in a food processor until crumbly, then add the egg and pulse into a dough. Press it into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie dish and bake for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic until soft, add the tomato and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the hearts of palm and olives and cook for 3 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the cream cheese until melted and creamy. Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Beat the filling eggs with the parsley and salt, then stir them into the hearts of palm mixture.
• Pour the filling into the crust and scatter the mozzarella on top.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is set and the cheese is golden. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Drain the hearts of palm very well and pat them dry, or the filling may be loose. If the crust edges brown too fast, cover them with strips of foil. The pie slices more neatly after it has cooled a little and is delicious at room temperature.

Chef's Tip: Many Brazilian cooks add a can of drained tuna or shredded chicken to the filling for a heartier pie; both keep it keto.

Keto Swap: The traditional crust is made with wheat flour, or a batter of milk, flour and eggs for torta de liquidificador. An almond flour and Parmesan crust is sturdy, buttery and low in carbs. Cream cheese replaces the flour-thickened white sauce some recipes use.

Success Tip: Bake it in a muffin tin as individual mini pies for lunchboxes and parties. Reduce the baking time to about 18 minutes.

Nutrition is calculated from the ingredients and is an estimate per serving. Net carbs exclude fiber and allulose.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 305kcal | Protein: 12g | Fat: 27g | Fiber: 3.4g

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

About This Dish

Hearts of palm, or palmito, are the tender inner core of certain palm trees. The juçara palm of the Atlantic Forest, which grows in Paraná and neighboring states, was once the main source, but harvesting kills the tree, and overharvesting made it threatened. Today most palmito sold in Brazil comes from farmed palms such as pupunha (peach palm) and açaí, which regrow from multiple stems. Torta de palmito is a classic of Brazilian home baking, often made the day before a party. Palmito is also served in salads, pastéis and empadinhas.

This recipe is from The Ultimate Brazilian Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 8: Vegetables & Sides (Iguaçu Falls). See all Brazilian recipes