These (15-minute!) gluten free and keto tortillas are super pliable, easy-peasy and make the best low carb tacos… at just 2g net carbs a pop!
15-Minute Gluten Free & Keto Tortillas
Suuuper pliable, 2g net carbs & not eggy (at all!!)
I’m very (very) excited to share this recipe for keto tortillas with you guys! Because know that I’m (half!) Mexican i.e. I know tortillas.
The result is a nice and pliable tortilla which will puff when cooked. An ideal replacement for flour tortillas (or corn, for that matter). All for your taco’s delight!
Oh, and did I mention just 1 egg for 8 tortillas?! Yup, no eggy business here here peeps.
Also note that this recipe was first published here on October 17th, 2017… and has since appeared in multiple other websites (ahem!!). Just know that you saw it here first (plagiarism is the greatest form of flattery right?! 😉
The Flours
The original recipe is a mixture of super fine almond flour (I love Anthony’s) and coconut flour (again Anthony’s best taste and texture by a mile!). Add a touch of xanthan gum, baking powder, and we’re golden.
The Substitutes
I know you guys need to substitute often (allergies, preferences etc), so this should come in handy:
- Almond flour can be substituted with sunflower seed flour on a 1-to-1 ratio. Given its similar fat and protein content to almond, this really is the best sub out there for those of you with nut allergies! Just note that its generally not ground as fine as almond and it has a different flavor profile, but I know you guys love it as you report back on it often.
- Coconut flour is a bit of a trickier one to sub as its more unique in its behavior, but still totally doable (as I found out in the naan recipe!). In fact, when yeast is involved, oat fiber had the best texture out of the lot, arguably as it is a grain. Oh, and the neat thing about oat fiber is that it’s virtually carb-less (I’m assuming there’s a trace, but labels read 3g carbs – 3g fiber = 0 net carbs!). Also keep in mind that brands vary a lot here and Lifesource seems to be the best (no weird aftertaste, etc).
- Xanthan gum is the trickiest of the lot to sub, because of its totally unique ability to act like a binder to replace gluten. Which means that for best results I suggest not trying to sub this one. Having said that, in case of allergies or sensitivity (or if paleo), you can use 1 tablespoon of psyllium husk powder instead. The dough won’t be a as malleable, but results will still be solid.
The Method
Couldn’t get any easier tbh! You simply whisk together the flours (very thoroughly!), add them to your food processor, add in a touch of apple cider vinegar (or any neutral tasting one), add in the egg and a touch of water. The dough will then come together into a ball, which you’ll wrap with plastic wrap and knead for a couple minutes (think sort of like a stress ball!).
No food processor? No worries! You can use your hand or stand mixer or even do it by hand with a little extra elbow grease. I don’t suggest using blenders though, as the dough is quite stiff and it could damage your engine.
And for the roll out, using a tortilla press is much easier (I use this one!). But it works just fine with a rolling pin and two pieces of parchment paper.
One last (very important!!) thing: when cooking, coconut flour burns rather rapidly. So while this does help you to get the traditional charred marks of flour tortillas, you do need to keep an eye out for them to keep them from burning. Having said that, you do want your skillet to be very hot in order for the tortillas to cook quickly (in under a minute) and stay pliable. Like any tortilla, if the heat is not high enough it will harden and crack.
Taco Ideas!
You’ll soon find that our keto tortillas are incredibly versatile! You can make crisp taco shells with them, use them up for fish tacos and carnitas, burritos, turn them into tortilla chips (and subsequently nachos!), taco bowls… you’ve got plenty of options!
And last, but not least, I’ve also since found that the tortilla dough has multiple uses (outside of Mexican food, that is)! So I suggest you check out our Crazy Keto Dough for more deets (think cinnamon roll knots, pizza and pasta!).
(15-Minute!) Gluten Free & Keto Tortillas
Ingredients
- 96 g almond flour
- 24 g coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 3 teaspoons water
Special equipment
Instructions
- Add almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt to food processor. Pulse until thoroughly combined. Note: you can alternatively whisk everything in a large bowl and use a hand or stand mixer for the following steps.
- Pour in apple cider vinegar with the food processor running. Once it has distributed evenly, pour in the egg. Followed by the water. Stop the food processor once the dough forms into a ball. The dough will be sticky to touch.
- Wrap dough in cling film and knead it through the plastic for a minute or two. Think of it a bit like a stress ball. Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes (and up to three days in the fridge).
- Heat up a skillet (preferably) or pan over medium heat. You can test the heat by sprinkling a few water droplets, if the drops evaporate immediately your pan is too hot. The droplets should ‘run’ through the skillet.
- Break the dough into eight 1” balls (26g each). Roll out between two sheets of parchment or waxed paper with a rolling pin or using a tortilla press (easier!) until each round is 5-inches in diameter.
- Transfer to skillet and cook over medium heat for just 3-6 seconds (very important). Flip it over immediately (using a thin spatula or knife), and continue to cook until just lightly golden on each side (though with the traditional charred marks), 30 to 40 seconds. The key is not to overcook them, as they will no longer be pliable or puff up.
- Keep them warm wrapped in kitchen cloth until serving. To rewarm, heat briefly on both sides, until just warm (less than a minute).
- These tortillas are best eaten straight away. But feel free to keep some dough handy in your fridge for up to three days, and they also freeze well for up to three months.
Do you think you could make enchiladas with them?
Good lord, this recipe is brilliant!! Was missing tortillas sooo much and these are the bomb. And with the leftovers, I made little pizzas. You made my day!
Emma S. Here and you are so right been looking everywhere for a Keto tortilla and nothing even came close. Your instructions were amazing and these taste brilliant. Just have to remind myself not to smother all eight with real salted butter and pepper and finish them all at one time.
What a great recipe! I’m experimenting with them tonight. Do you know how well they freeze? Could I make a batch ahead and freeze some for quicker prep other days? Great site and thanks!
Amazing. Simple. Delicious.
I’ve had this recipe pinned for months and months and always thought about it when I was feeding my family Mexican food on a tortilla and I had a taco “salad”. Over the Christmas break and some time off work, I decided that I was going to get serious and give this a try. I wish I hadn’t waited! These come together so quickly. They truly are 15 minutes and the ingredients I had on hand, since I bake a lot of keto and gluten-free anyhow. I bought a $15 tortilla press on amazon, it was here same day and I made tortillas for myself and my husband and wow’d him for breakfast. I ended up making a second batch (tripled) same day so I could send some to my keto loving friends. My tip would be to get them really thin. On the tortilla press, since I pressed between wax paper, the second time I pressed them multiple times. Once to start, then flip the wax paper and press again to get it all the way flat. Maybe this is because I bought the $15 tortilla press, but that worked like a charm. We had delicious quesadilla’s for dinner!
What can I use to replace the xanthan gum and still be GF
What does it mean to have the water droplets “run” through the skillet? These are a lot of work so I don’t want to make the dough and roll out only to have them not cook quickly enough or burn.
Hi Kelcey – She mentions medium heat. I put my burner at medium for about five minutes and it’s ready to go. Flip the tortilla about every 3-6 seconds. I count to 4 for each side until I see some brown spots turning up on the tortilla.
Hope that helps
It means the skillet is hot enough that when you drop water it will skip across the pan and disappear.
What I do is wet my finger tips with water then flick my wet fingers over the grill/skillet , if it sizzles then you know you are good to go.
Dance across the skillet might be a better word. You put a few drops of water in and the droplets move along.
Could i try the kneading part with the dough hook on my stand mixer or is that too hard core?
I love these and how freaking easy they are to make! Low carb tortillas in the store just have too many ingredients in them that aren’t keto, it’s so nice to have an alternative.
Just curious if you’ve ever tried using sweet corn extract? Although the good stuff is incredibly expensive, a drop or two usually is enough. If I get brave enough to try it in these wonderful tortillas, I’ll report back!
Question: can you make these baked or not? I’ve made plantain tortilla (before starting on keto) using baking, and they turned out pretty well. Just wonder about how these will turn out with baking.
I would love to try these! Do you have to grease the skillet first?
Hi Christina – I tried these and did not need to grease the skillet.
No need to grease the skillet, but I use a non-stick one.
These are my favorite tortillas to replace corn tortillas. They have a nice flavor and hold up very well. I need to now buy a tortilla press to make the process a little faster.
Delicious and a tortilla press is 100% worth the investment for some of these recipes. This one is as good as the real thing. Tacos are back!!
Hi Paola
I want to thank you for my wonderful birthday feast, the best food I’ve had in a long time. I’ve been living the keto way of life very successfully since April, but have sorely missed Mexican food. I truly hate the processed, icky tasting stuff that companies try to pass off for low carb tortillas and so I do without rather than eat utter dreck.
I used your recipe from the Comfort Food cookbook to make a birthday meal of steak fajitas, complete with your wonderful tortilla recipe and enhanced with the tasty Pico de Gallo from your Summer cookbook. For dessert we had your Raspberry Ricotta Cakes also from the Summer cookbook. It was all just wonderful.
Every recipe of yours that I have tried has been exceptional and I look forward to trying many more.
Thank you again.
These are so so good! Thank you for the incredible recipe- they rock my coeliac world 😊😊😊
Paola!! You’ve saved my life! Well, probably not my LIFE but definitely my Keto journey. One of the few things I miss is my Mexican cuisine. Hard shells, soft shells, tortilla chips, tacos, enchiladas, nachos, etc. I’ve been Keto 5 weeks and after only an initial 7 pounds lost in the first 2, I’ve not lost any more weight. I’m in full blown Ketosis and have been for weeks. I’m monitoring every morsel and getting discouraged. Finding your website, and especially this tortilla recipe, is giving me hope that I can stay the course and perhaps become a healthier, and eventually lighter, me! Tonight, in honor of Halloween, I am preparing some of your chocolate cupcakes! Fitting them in my macro’s, of course. So excited! 🙂 I’ve already prepared so many of your wonderful recipes! THANK YOU!!
I followed the recipe and they came out like chips…and not pretty ones either! Lol!
I did not have parchment paper to roll out on…could this be why?
Just wondering why you regularly add acv to your recipes. I know the benefits but wasn’t sure if there was a “chemistry” behind it
You have done it, yet it again! I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for awhile and wish I had done so earlier. Now we make these on a regular cycle. Being very unfamiliar with making tortillas and making them by hand the first few times, we eventually went with the tortillas press you use, and WOW what a difference! We also use a cast iron skillet and that works great – no sticking – if we do what you outline with respect to time on each side. Thank you for all the details and nuances you provide in your recipes This recipe is a God send for anyone doing keto. (Especially, when you are in TX and yummy Tex-Mex is everywhere!) Thank you Paola for yet ANOTHER winner.
ACV activates the baking powder.
Love this recipe! First time I hand rolled them. Then I bought a press the next day! Today I used it and they came out so awesome and it was so easy! They look very professional and it was worth the investment! This batch is going to be tortilla chips served with guacamole! Trying to figure out if I should cut them before frying or just break them after. Probably will look better if I cut in quarters first! Thanks for your wonderful contribution to all us low-carb-ers!
Can they be done without the apple cider vinegar?
Sub with any vinegar (other than balsamic) or lemon juice xo!
Hands down, the best keto tortillas! What an incredible substitute! It was just like the real thing. Don’t be intimidated by this recipe—you can do it!
Love the pep talk lol!!
I love these tortillas! I added1 tbsp of nutritional yeast and it makes it taste like a corn tortilla.
Good to know
What is nutritional yeast? Beer yeast maybe?
Look on Amazon. That’s where I got mine, a brand called Revly. Comes from Estonia, of all places. Kind of reminds me of the artificial cheese flavor they put on popcorn.
I am really looking forward to try this. I was just wondering if using a Ninja would be ok
I would try a hand mixer instead (might stick to your ninja, but tbh I haven’t tried) xo!
These were so very easy and tasty. It was so nice to eat a soft taco again!!!!!
Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!
My pleasure Leslie!
Hi Paola. Thanks for the great recipe! Just wondering if you could make this with just coconut flour?
Hi Luke! Unfortunately that won’t give you the intended results. But if the sub is needed for a nut allergy, have you tried sunflower seed flour? I know many of you guys use it throughout the recipes as its a perfect sub xo!
Finally, a keto recipe that I made exactly as instructed and it turned out perfect and tasty. Loved these. First time making tortillas, ever, and not only do they taste just like flour tortillas, they have the same texture! Thanks for the recipe!
Would these be good for enchiladas? I love corn tortillas and I LOVE chicken verde enchilada casserole, but I need to cut down on carbs. I use extra chicken to up the protein, but I’d still like to cut carbs more. So I’m wondering how these would taste, since they are more like flour tortillas than corn (if you have a great corn tortilla alternative recipe, that would be amazing!).
Thank you for your time and thoughts! 🙂
Just made these and I’m in love… these actually bread XD Tanx for the recipe
My dough didn’t come together into a ball. I don’t know why
I’m guessing no one is monitoring the questions now.
Did yours come into a ball in the food processor? Mine was lots of damp crumbles. I took the crumbles out and kneaded them together.