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.
If you cut back the water ever so slightly it will give them a little more density like a corn tortilla, also try using a plastic blade instead of a metal one in the food processor to keep the texture more like a corn tortilla. I haven’t tried adding corn flavoring, but great idea! Maybe a dash of sweetener?
I think you’re spot on about the dash of sweetener for a ‘corn’ version Jennifer!
What about sweet corn extract?
I am making these for the 1st time tonight..so maybe I will try once I have mastered making these.
My best friend made them and said they were really good.
Your recipes do look really good.
Deby Brown
I get intestinal distress from xanthan gum, so I’m wondering if psyllium husks might be a good substitute.
The instructions are a bit confusing to me, it says “ 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 first 3-6 seconds won’t produce golden or charred marks, so are you saying after 30-40 sec flip again for an additional 30-40?
Loved this recipe. It was so soft and pliable. Thank you 😊
Silly question here but do you cook them before you freeze them or do you freeze the dough?
Hello, they taste very good but my problem was that the ball never formed in the food processor and they were never sticky. On the contrary, the dough was not dry but I had to form it into a ball before wrapping it in plastic wrap. Once I cooked them they did not really bend easily, they sort of broke. Did I do something wrong? I followed the recipe. Should I add more of something? Was the egg I used too small. Any advice would be appreciated since I want to make them again.
I cannot say enough good things about your recipes- thank you for making delicious gluten-free keto recipes. I just bought your cookbook and can’t wait to continue cooking! About the tortillas…. after you fry them, can you keep them in the fridge for a few days OR only uncooked and frozen? Thank you!!
Kudos! Your recipe is the 3rd Keto Tortilla recipe I’ve tried (after two “Hmmmm, something not right” experiences) and yours is absolutely THE BEST! The ingredients and amounts are exact and deliver fantastic results. I will experiment making them a bit larger for burritos and they also seem substantial enough for Chilaquiles too. But they are so delicious I wouldn’t want to overpower them with too many ingredients. I’m curious to try more and have signed up for your newsletter. Thank you for your culinary contribution.
Hi
Just a quick question, if i only use 2 of the tortillas, for the rest that are not eaten, do i have to cook all the dough and then freeze/refridgerate the extras or can i leave the dough for the tortillas uncooked, but rolled out, wrapped up and then put in the freezer?
Congratulations,
This is the best recipe I’ve tried for keto tortilla’s , and trust me I’ve tried a lot . I will recommend this recipe and am now excited to try your other recipes.
Thanks
J. Andrew Jackson
What is the size or weight of 1 “serving” of tortilla?
Delicious recipe. Thank-you.
The recipe states “eight 1” balls (26g each)”
Interestingly enough these are very easy to make. The only issue is that you have to eat them immediately otherwise they turn super hard (Within 10 minutes). I myself can’t ever eat more than 1 or 2 tortillas in general, so this was a hard pass for my husband an avid tortilla eater. He doesn’t want to feel rushed when eating. With the tortillas getting hard after 10 minutes, he gave up and said he will stick to Mission Low Carb.
Would these work to make enchiladas? Would they stay firm enough when dipped in sauce and baked in sauce and cheese with the filling?
Yes! But the trick we do in Mexico (with *any* tortillas) is to first lightly fry them in oil (I like to use avocado!). This makes pretty much any tortilla survive the saucy bake 😉 (p.s. expect my actual recipe soon!!)
Paola, I love the flour tortillas, and am now hoping to adapt them to make faux corn tortillas. I’ve recently purchased Corn Bread Flavor Concentrate and I was wondering if (1) you’ve ever made something like this, and (2) I’m wondering how much to add in your recipe?
Mmmmm good question Lynn, and I honestly cannot give you an amount as I’ve never used it (and I’m sure it varies from brand to brand?). That said, I know a bunch of you have used corn bread flavor in my actual ‘corn’ bread recipe with great success. So I would suggest adding it into the recipe along with the egg. You may have to play around a bit with the amount a couple times, but I would start with 1/4 tsp. If you go for it do report back, I’m sure more peeps in the community will want to hear! xo!
I make enchiladas with these once a month. Just don’t dip them in sauce before rolling or they will disintegrate. I put a layer of sauce in a 9×13 pan, and start making the tortillas. With practice, I pull one out of the skillet, throw in the next one, and fill the first one with meat and cheese, roll it and put it in the pan, just in time for the next one to be flipped. When the pan is full (takes a double or triple recipe), I top with more sauce (I make my own roasted tomatilla sauce), cheese and sour cream, and bake. My guests never guess it is keto.
These are truly tasty and easy to make. I did not use a food processor. Just whisked dry ingredients and then switched to a fork once I started adding the wet.
I am not a coconut flour fan but I couldn’t taste it in this. I made the recipe according to all the ingredients (no substitutions).
I’m not sure if this was mentioned elsewhere but at 26 grams per tortilla (I did weigh them) this yielded 8 tortilla shells. Be warned… they are small shells but seriously yummy!
I’m wondering if I substitute the egg with flax egg (2g of fiber) would it essentially make this recipe 0net carb tortilla?!!
Gnom-Gnom is the first site that I go to when searching ideas for food. I have been making these tortillas for over 2 years now and very satisfied with results. Recently discovered lupin flour and use it instead of the coconut flour and am really excited! Tortillas hold together much better for tacos. Please try
do you get 8 of those taco bowls out of the recipe? how do you get them to maintain the shape and stay crunchy?
Hi what can I use instead of eggs? And any coconut flour substitute?
Thanks!
This recipe is great but I hate the taste of vinegar. Is there a non-vinegar substitute? What is the purpose of the vinegar? Thanks!
Woman, these tortillas just made our dinner! I was able to roll these super thin with the help of 2 sheets of parchment paper, and made 8 – 6″ tortillas. My husband is more than excited to be able to eat tacos and quesadillas again. We cannot thank you enough for developing and sharing your recipes.
Help! I don’t know what I’m doing wrong when cooking them but they keep cracking when I try to wrap them! Do they need to rest after coming off the pan? Am I over cooking?
How would I make these without the coconut flour, just add more almond flour?
I loved the tortilla but didn’t like the taste of the coconut flour. Can I replace the coconut flour with more almond flour?
Tears of joy sprang to my eyes when I tried the first one! These are soooo good! Thank you! They are tasty, pliable, and easy to make. Thankfully, I have a tortilla press from making lots of masa tortillas in my life. These were easier and just as tasty. I have no excuses for not doing keto now. I’m making enchiladas with these tortillas tomorrow!
Have you ever rolled these out ahead of time and then cooked them just before using? Is that an option?
This recipe is amazing. Store-bought low carb tortillas make my blood sugar go up so I’ve been looking for a good recipe to make them myself. Once I got the hang of my tortilla press (I learned that if I made the tortillas slightly thicker, it was much easier to transfer them from the press to the hot pan. If I pressed them too thinly, I had a hard time getting them into the pan in one piece), everything went like clockwork. It will be so nice to actually have tortillas on taco night again! Thank you for this recipe!
I NEVER comment on anything but THIS recipe is so easy and sooooo delicious!…thanks. :÷)
My pleasure! 🙂
This recipe is really good, so tasty and the texture delicious as well! I’m just wondering why mine didn’t puff up… I’ve already done them twice following the instructions but they turned out completely flat. Still very tasty, but I’d love them to puff up! Any ideas of what could have gone wrong?
Cheers!
I’m not sure what I did wrong, I did half thinner then the others. I don’t have a tortilla press so I flattened and then rolled out. I watched for char marks and flipped. The heat was all the way up on my power burner gas stove top. But they almost seem like they didn’t cook all the way through, even though they were cooked on both sides. Then didn’t stay pliable. They didn’t taste eggy or like coconut and were not bad size so that was a plus but they didn’t turn out flexible
Excellent recipe. While I made your carnitas (fabulous recipe), my son made the tortillas. What a fantastic dinner the four of us had. Thank you Paola!
My pleasure Anna!! Glad to hear the kiddo is helping out in the kitchen too 😉
This was super! Really great and easy recipe.. tomorrow i need to make more. I did some quesadillas.. really great.