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.
What is considered a serving size? Are the nutritional stats for one Tortilla? Thank you!
I tried making these, cooked them counting to 6 then tu flipped and counted to 30 then flipped again. They didn’t fluff and when folded they cracked in the bottom. When I was making the ball and pressed it the edges es were not smooth they plit a little, do you think it could be that it needed a bit more water or the xanthan gum?
Amazing. Thank you for this recipe.
I’m curious if anyone has tried to use gelatin in place of xantham gum? I believe the ratio is 2:1 (Gelatin:Xanthum). Any thoughts?
Gelatin doest replace gluten unfortunately, so not a sub here 😉
Can I use additional almond flour vs coconut. I am allergic to anything coconut
I tried doubling this recipe and it was not good at all. I’m so disappointed. The dough was dry, yet super greasy. And after making them they just break in half instead of being fairly flexible. Any tips?? Or should I just stick to single batches?
I just made these the other day…and they were great..my dough, which I did by hand was a little dry, I just added a tiny bit of water a little at a time, and wa-la perfect tortillas! You can’t-can not over cook them, as she states in recipe ! I would think try that, dough always depends on location…dry, humid etc., then when its kneaded & rests it should be wonderful ! I’m thinking of getting a tortilla press for more evenness, that’s how much I’ll be making these!!
I used left over the next morning filled with my eggs!! 😊
Thank you Nancy! Different brands of coconut flour and xanthan gum (particularly) absorb liquids differently (and like Nancy said your humidity etc), so just play around a bit 😉
These are awesome! I was skeptical at first but the tortillas turned out great and they are quick and easy to make! I will definitely be making these more often!
I’m going to make these tonight…with…I’m not sure yet some type of filling ~ but for now I was wondering ~ do you think you will be putting out a cookbooks~ hard copy I mean? I have the ebook ~ but I prefer cookbooks in hand …just wondering and waiting !!
Thank you for all your great ideas giving us delicious yummies!!!
These worked super well as advertised. THANK YOU for the great recipe.
Keep up the great work!.
I tried these last week. The flavor is excellent, but I could not get them to not fall apart. I tried the tiny ones as you describe and they would not stay together at all. Then I tried double the amount you mention to make a bigger and thicker tortilla. They were more pliable, but were not sturdy enough to hold any filling. I cooked as closely to your directions as I could. I used a cast iron pan and oiled it slightly. What am I doing incorrectly?
Hi Joan! The xanthan gum is what makes them pliable and not fall apart… what brand are you using? I don’t understand what you mean by “the tiny ones as you describe”?
Hi Paola,
I am using “Ener-Gee” brand xanthum gum. By tiny ones, I mean 5 inches across. I tried that size using a ruler to measure as I was rolling. Then I tried double the amount of dough and made them about 9 inches and there was enough tortilla there to add lettuce etc. But regardless, when I added my meat, tomatoes etc and tried to pick them up, they fell apart. Do I need to add more Xanthum gum? Knead the dough more? I use the Carrington brand coconut flour from Costco. I ended up eating the tacos with a fork because it would not stay together.
If they’re literally falling apart it could be just your xanthan gum isn’t doing its job properly, I suggest trying another brand as this ingredient varies widely (I use Bob’s). Kneading more wont work as there’s no gluten to develop while kneading, and make sure you’re rolling them thinly enough and cooking at a high heat so you’re not accidentally ending up with tostadas xo!
OK, the heat was definitely high enough. I will try Bob’s brand of Xanthum and see if mine turn out better. It would be great if you did a video on this:) Do you think the type of pan makes a difference? I use cast iron and in the second one I tried, I used a bit of oil rubbed on the pan, which helped cook it more like a tortilla. The coconut flour just seems to dry out so quickly with a thin roll it started to crumble immediately. I’ll keep trying. P.S. The dough was tasty though. Giggle!
If the dough was too dry maybe add a teaspooon more water? Brands vary a lot (particularly for xantham and coconut flour), so you need to play around a bit
Got your other comment about the dough being dry through email, but I do not see it here. The dough did not seem dry at all. The dough was very nice. The issue was that the second the rolled thin tortilla hit the pan, it was dried out and fell apart. Maybe I will try to increase the water slightly and see if that helps too. I’ll keep trying. Thank you.
I was dying for tacos and these turned out to be a godsend, and so easy. Gracias amiga!!!!
De nada Lucy 😉
Hi can you tell me would this recipe be suitable to use as a wrap ? I’m desperate to find bread and soft lunch wrap substitutes. They are the main thing I miss on low carb diet 😬
Hi Lucy! Is there any coconut flavor that comes through?
Can you suggest a good tortilla maker has all the ones on Amazon have pretty low reviews. Thank you so much.
These are amazing!! I made these tortillas for Carnitas. My boyfriend who is not paleo loved them too. Definitely better than premade almond flour wraps I have bought and they aren’t eggy like many pale/ keto recipes. To me they had the same mouth feel as flour homemade tortillas.
Made these for the first time. Flavor and texture were excellent; however, they did not puff and dividing the batch into 8ths made the tortillas tiny.
Two questions:
Why wouldn’t they puff?
Could I double the recipe and then divide into 8ths, or does the chemistry change by doubling?
Thanks!
It doesn’t! In my experience they don’t puff up if the pan isn’t hot enough (most likely) or too much water (different sized eggs, brands vary in absorption etc) xo!
Could you measure (grams) your beaten egg so that I may compare my eggs to yours? My eggs are labeled large but I’ve seen much bigger eggs labeled large. I am sorry to ask you for the extra step but I so want this recipe to work for me!!
The recipe says cook 3-6 seconds. Flip immediately.
Is the 3-6 seconds correct? How many times can I flip?
OH MY GOD. These were incredible! Thank you so much for posting this recipe! Not only is the recipe absolutely delicious but SO simple to make. I love that I already had all the ingredients in my kitchen. Becoming a staple in my house for sure!
Delicious! They’re perfect, and so easy.
I just made flatbread crackers for a Keto potluck using this tortilla dough recipe and they were a huge hit! The process is super simple. I rolled the tortilla dough out very thin between parchment paper, and then sprinkled the top with sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and poppy seeds. I placed the thin sheet of dough directly on the rack (just on the parchment, no baking pan), and watched it like a hawk as it browned in the oven. As the thinner edges browned I broke them off so they wouldn’t blacken. I’m not sure how long the baking took, but it was maybe five minutes? I broke apart the the sheet of cooked dough into cracker sized pieces once it had cooled cooled. I served these little flatbread crackers with lox and sour cream with chives. Folks went crazy for them.
Hello, I made these but they did not puff up like it shows in your photos. What can I be doing wrong. Thanks
Can we use a stand mixer? I don’t have a good processor.
Thanks
Def! Works the charm too
I’m vegan, no egg, what would be a good substitute. TIA
Perhaps investing in those vegan egg substitutes? I’m not sure how expensive they are but my friend swears by them when baking for vegan family.
Hi
Would phyllium husks work instead of the xantham gum.
Thanks
I used 3 teaspoons psyllium husk powder instead of xanthum gum. I had to add an extra 12 teaspoons of water because the psyllium husk powder sucks up a lot of liquid. But they still turned out just great. I think this is a very forgiving recipe that can handle some substitutions if you know the properties of your ingredients.
I made mini pizzas by adding sauce and toppings to the cooked tortillas and then broiling them in the toaster oven until the cheese was bubbling. Yum!
These are seriously amazing!! I love these more than the store-bought low carb ones which is great because these are better ingredients anyway. Constantly recommending your site to everyone who is doing keto. Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Just parusing the site..
Recipes look vv scrumptious.
These were delicious! My husband really liked them and he is not one to stray from the ordinary (store bought corn tortillas in this case)! I used them to make chicken enchiladas and they really were delish!! It amazes me how you master these recipes and how authentic they end up! Thank you so much for all the hard work!
It’s my pleasure Mary Kay! So awesome to hear even the hubby enjoyed :)!
Can you use arrowroot powder in place of the xanthum gum?
Can you substitute arrowroot flour/starch for the coconut flour? My husband can taste coconut every time I use it and he hates it! At least I can find unflavored coconut oil at the grocery store! To tell you the truth-I don’t like the hint taste of coconut flour either. These tortillas are great except for that coconut flavor!
Arrowroot flour has too many carbs. Use more almond flour.
Coconut flour is particularly absorbent and sucks up a lot of moisture. Replacing coconut flour for almond flour (or grain flours) requires that you adjust the amount of liquid and eggs added. A good starting point is to substitute 1 cup of almond flour with 1/4 cup (1 ounce) of coconut flour.
Since you’re doing the opposite of the above, you’ll probably need another 1/2 – 3/4 cup of almond flour.
Can you use a nutribullet?
I just mixed mine by hand and it worked just fine.
Is there a video someone can link me to. So i can see how to do this without a food processor? I don’t have one all i have is a blender and my hands.
If anyone can point me in the right direction I’d be greatful. Thanks
I’m not sure why I got a different result, but I couldn’t eat these. I weighed the floors and carefully followed the instructions. I thought they were like sawdust cakes. I’m sad because other people had good results ☹️
Omg! I’m drooling! I can’t wait to make these.
One question though.. what are those battered chicken strip looking things in the taco? And how did you make them?