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.
I’ve made a lot of different tortilla shells but these ones are the best. I fed them to my husband who claims he does’t like keto stuff (what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him).
I’m going to make them a bit thicker to use as naan or as a pizza base.
I’m planning to make The Ultimate Chocolate Cake this weekend for my parents 54th anniversary dinner.
Lol that’s awesome ;)! And def on the naan and pizza (search the site for our 15-minute and deep dish pizzas!) xo and what an honor to have the chocolate cake at such an important event- congrats to your parents! xo!
hey there! I don’t own a food processor, is it possible to just use a hand mixer and get the same results?
Yes! the dough will be very thick, so you’ll have to give it a good knead in the cling film xo!
I made these and they were falling apart…what could I be doing wrong? They tasted delicious but they were thick and every time I tried making them thinner they would break, thank you!
Did you leave out the xanthan gum or change anything?
These have made my day! I made a batch a couple days ago. I followed the recipe but had to add more water as dough was not getting to “sticky” consistency. I blame the dryness to the weather in Idaho that is very dry.. Otherwise the tortillas were awesome! I know tortillas as I make masa.. my family devoured them! . I’m making more this weekend to accompany with “carnitas” and “barbacoa”. Paola: You Rock!
Amazing!!! love them great recipe
Do i need to use coconut flour if all I have is almond?
Do i need to use coconut flour?
Hi,
I love these tortillas. I was able to make green chili chicken enchiladas. I made them stack style. It turned out wonderful.
Thank you so much.
These were amazing!!! I don’t like almond flour much as it usually turns out grainy but these were perfect! Tastes really close to a real tortilla!!
Will definitely be making these again but was wondering can these be baked to make tortilla chips?
Awesome Jackie! In the post there’s a link to the tortilla chip variant off this one (I’m on my phone and it’s proving tricky to get the link for you!) xo!
Ah I missed that! Thank you so much! I can’t wait to try them
Can I replace xanthan gum with psyllium. Husks?
Technically yes, they just don’t come out as pliable xo!
No food processor, no hope making these?
There’s MUCH hope ;)! You can either do them by hand and get a workout (just need to knead the dough more). Or use your stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer xo!
These have become an absolute staple for me. I make them at least 3 times a month since discovery.
Thank you SO much for creating such a masterpiece.
For those having trouble – the apple cider vinegar is enough for my particular area to constitute the dough, if I added the water, the hydration would be too much.
Also, sometimes I add a little bacon fat to the pan when frying these up which gives them a really nice taste – it just needs to work with what you are using them for.
I made this recipe last night and really enjoyed the tortillas. My dough never formed a ball in the food processor, do you have any suggestions? I weighed my ingredients and followed the recipe to the letter, I finally just dumped it out, kneeded and chilled.
Also, can the recipe be doubled or am I better of making two batches?
Hi Kirsten! I’ve noticed that different brands of coconut flour vary A LOT in absorbency (also size of your eggs will play a role!). Just add a teaspoon or two more of water next time xo! (and yup it can be doubled!)
I’m 13 days into Keto. I’m enjoying your wonderful website.
These tortillas were fabulous, holding my almond flour and parmesan crusted crappie tacos.
Company worthy.
My dough never turned into a ball – was still crumbly in the food processor, and I finally just went forward with the kneading. I was also so paranoid about overcooking them to crispy that I hardly got any char marks on them. Can you clarify: Do you have to flip them every 3-6 seconds for about a minute? Or you just flip it the first time after 3-6 seconds and then the rest of the cook time is on the 2nd side? Even with these possible mess-ups on my part, they still turned out great and were so tasty! We just had the best fajitas with them for dinner! I will be making these a lot! I just found your blog and I can’t wait to try so many of your other recipes!
Bump 😉
Hi Wendy! Sorry I missed your questions! OK, so different brands of keto flours vary a lot in absorbency (particularly coconut, also if you measure by cups rather than weight). So you probably just need to add a little more water (a teaspoon at a time!).
Regarding the charing, just crank up the heat. You want to do three turns (they should cook in seconds- depends a bit on your skillet and stove). xo!
I made these to use as a wrap and I was blown away by 1. how easy they are to make 2. fast to make 3. tasty and 4. actually bend!!
Thanks for your awesome recipes 🙂
Loved em!! Best grain free tortilla recipe I’ve tried yet!
I made these while I was having family over for pulled pork and had some regular tortillas for them. They ate all mine!! They are so much better than regular tortillas to me with more flavor. Last night I made more and added a sprinkle of garlic powder, then kneaded in some shredded cheddar. When they were done I put some butter on and that was my dinner. Sorry to those that don’t eat dairy, but these were amazing.
Have you attempted these without almond flour? I would love to try something like this for my kids’ lunches, but must be but-free.
Thank you!
Hi Rachel! I know a handful of readers make them with sunflower seed flour xo!
These are weird for me. There’s a slimy texture/finish to them. I’m assuming it’s the xanthan gum. I also definitely detect a coconut taste. Visually, they turned out perfectly. They’re also pliable. Did I do something wrong?
I’m new to the Keyo world but love my breakfast tacos. I like to make them and freeze them so I can heat them up and enjoy. Can these tortillas stand up to being stuff, rolled and then frozen?
Yup! Just be sure to package them individually so they don’t stick to one another xo!
These are fabulous! The first couple times we made them they were soft and very flexible but the last two time I made them they were pretty crispy and not flexible. Can you tell me where I might be goofing it up?
Could it be that your pan is not as hot Mandy?
Perhaps. I will make sure I start with a hot cast iron pan, thanks!
I have all the ingredients but no zanthum gum. Can I use something else?
You need it to bind them
Can arrow root be used to bind them? If so, are they still pliable?
Nope! Arrowroot is a thickener and a starch, doesn’t work like xantham at all
Made these tonight and loved them! Can’t wait to try the cinnamon/ sweet version. Thank you!
Awesome to hear Sarah!!
I cant wait to try these!!! One question: the recipe calls for using baking powder, but baking powder has corn starch. Isnt that on the “no” list for keto? Brand new. Still trying to figure things out. Thanks!!!
I use Bob’s and very happy with it xo!
I’m wondering if i can use this as a pizza base if i rolled it out thicker?
DEF Sarah! Just search the site for stove top pizza (or deep dish pizza) and you’ll get some tips xo!
The nutritional facts that are posted is that for all 8 tortillas or per tortilla? Asking bc my son has a metabolic disorder he can’t break down proteins in his body he is very restricted and will be so if this is per 8 then I can save this recipe for him as well when he is older and also for me doing keto. He can use it as a bread when he is a toddler if it’s per toritilla if he tolerates more protein. As of now he is allowed 1 gram every 24 hrs from food. Basically a jar of baby food.
Gotcha Cherish! Nutrition facts are per tortilla xo!
I don’t have a food processor. Would an immersion blender work?
I would do it by hand or with a hand mixer (you don’t want to puree it per say ) xo!
Can any leftover tortillas be frozen?
Yup!
Wow! I made these once before but made them way too thick (I have a funky tortilla press). This time, I weighed the ingredients and pressed them SUPER thin. Had a nice hot cast iron comal ready and wham! I added a bit of corn flavoring, but not sure they needed it.
Dang, if they didn’t come out as close to corn tortillas as is keto-ly possible! Sooo good! Now I need to make a huge batch and freeze them. So far, every recipe I’ve tried of yours is a winner — and I especially love the Mexico City influences. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thank you J! THat’s so awesome to hear 😉
Love the idea of using corn flavoring. Thanks so much