These low carb tortillas are made with a blend of almond flour and coconut flour, and the dough is amazingly easy to handle. With less than 2 net carbs per tortilla, they’re going to be your new favorite gluten free tortilla!
Almond flour tortillas
Almond flour is kind of a magic baking ingredient. It’s not cheap, though, so it’s nice if you can extend both its reach and its versatility by combining it with another flour.
In the past, I’ve reached for tapioca starch/flour as a match for it as I did in these soft Paleo flour tortillas, in my beloved coconut flour pancakes which are so good and amazingly so fluffy, and in my almond flour muffins and almond flour cookies. It really is one of my absolute favorite baking ingredients.
Tapioca starch as it’s one of the most versatile gluten free baking ingredients of all. But it’s, well, a starch (even though it’s sometimes referred to as tapioca flour). It’s a really stretchy, useful starch, but it’s not really packed with health benefits.
Coconut flour
For these low carb tortillas, I chose to pair coconut flour with almond flour. It’s not only less expensive, it’s also very low carb and high in fiber. I really do love baking with almond flour, as it’s high in good fats and low in carbs, but I only like baking with coconut flour.
Coconut flour tends to require the addition of many, many eggs as it absorbs so much moisture. There is a tipping point, though, where whatever you’re baking can just taste like an omelet if you’re not careful. Instead, I’ve been experimenting with replacing some of that moisture with, well, water.
Shaping these tortillas
Before you begin working with this dough, please read through all of the instructions in the recipe card below. The instructions are pretty specific, but that’s only to help you understand what to expect.
If you mess up and find that the dough is just too wet to roll out properly, add more coconut flour by the pinch (literally—1/8 teaspoon) and knead it into the dough, then try again. Generally, it’s easier to add moisture than to take it away, so go slowly when adding water to the food processor.
For a closer look at how to make these low carb tortillas, watch the video below. But rest assured that this dough is actually very durable and therefore easy to handle. You’ll be amazed by how thin you can roll the dough and still move it from the rolling surface to a hot griddle.
Fun extra “equipment”
If you’re curious about the “equipment” that I used, above you’ll find the Presto 15″ Tilt-n-Fold Griddle (that’s an affiliate link, but please feel free to shop around). I absolutely love this griddle for its size and the shape and use it for everything I can these days. It’s so easy to store, heats very evenly and was really reasonably priced.
The 6-inch cake cutter (affiliate link) that I used (scroll up for that photo) to get neat edges on the tortillas is a very useful little trinket to have in the kitchen, but it’s totally not necessary at all. The lid of a pot works great for the same purpose, or rough edges left intact are of course perfectly fine!
By the way, I’ve become less and less interested in what’s exactly Paleo and what’s not. The definition of Paleo really seems to be such a moving target (now you can have dairy on a Paleo diet? come on!). Plus, dogmatic adherence to what really are arbitrary rules (as opposed to a gluten free diet, which has established medical benefits for those who need it) tends to annoy me.
Ingredients and substitutions
Almond flour: This recipe calls for finely ground blanched almond flour, which is really the only sort of almond flour I use for baking. You can’t use almond meal, which is a much more coarse grind and is made using almonds that still have their skins.
If you’d like to replace the almond flour entirely, you should be able to use finely ground cashew flour without any issue. To make this recipe nut-free, you can try sunflower seed flour, but the tortillas may turn green. 😳 The chlorophyll in the sunflower seeds reacts with baking powder, leading to a green color, but it’s harmless. Maybe perfect for St. Patrick’s Day?!
Coconut flour: Generally, there is absolutely no substitute for coconut flour on a 1:1 basis. It’s entirely unique, filled with fiber and absorbs a ton of moisture.
But I tested this recipe with 6 tablespoons (48 g) of tapioca starch/flour in place of the coconut flour, and it still worked! The dough isn’t quite as resilient when handling, and the tortillas tend not to bend as well. I found that they were better the next day when stored in a sealed plastic zip-top bag along with a moistened paper towel. They will definitely have more carbs, though!
Xanthan gum: You really really need the xanthan gum in this recipe. Without it, though dough is very crumbly and you just won’t be able to roll it out and have it hold together long enough to even get it on the griddle.
Guar gum should work in its place if you prefer that. I do have a recipe for Paleo tortillas made without xanthan gum (that isn’t nearly as low carb) that you might prefer if xanthan gum is a problem.
Egg-free: I haven’t tested this recipe with an egg substitute, but my favorite “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel) should work since it’s only one egg in the recipe.
Baking powder: Baking powder is a mix of starch, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Conventional baking powders are typically made using cornstarch, which is not appropriate for a Paleo diet.
If you’d like to make these low carb tortillas Paleo-friendly, just use a Paleo baking powder, made with a starch like tapioca or arrowroot.
P.S. If you’re following Weight Watchers, each tortilla has 3 SmartPoints and is really satisfying!
HELLO! I’m Nicole! I make gluten-free food enjoyable & affordable. If they can make it with gluten, we can make it without. That’s a promise!
Comments are closed.
I would like to subsitute millet flour instead of almond flour. Think that would work out?
That wouldn’t, no, Theresa. They are completely different. Please see the section on ingredients and substitutions for suggestions on what might work instead, but I’d really recommend you make the recipe as written!
These tortillas turned out fabulous.
We used them for fish tacos. Tks for perfecting your recipe Nicole & sharing it with us 😀
Thanks for letting me know, Munira! So glad you enjoyed them. Wish I had a fish taco 🐟🌮right now!
Would you be able to post a clear picture of the Nutrition Facts? It’s very small and even when I printed it off I can’t see the information. Thank you :)
Yes, I will upload another, slightly larger version if I can, Kim! Sorry about that. Stay tuned.
ETA: I uploaded what I think is a clearer image that you should be able to read now, Kim. Unfortunately, I can’t just make it a click-to-enlarge thumbnail photo easily. Hope this helps!
How did you know I was longing for tortillas that are not corn tortillas?? :)
We’re very connected, you and I, Elisa. 😉
I followed the instructions to the letter. I got four very thin tortillas, not eight.
Hi, Meredith,
I have made this recipe at least 6 times and always got 8 tortillas. If you cut them larger than I did, and didn’t cut the edges off and reroll scraps, that could easily make fewer. Sorry I don’t have any more ideas!
How would it come out without the coconut flour? The reason is I have almond flour and I have g.f. baking and pancake flour(with x-gum in it)
I did read all your instructions, but I really didn’t want another flour.
Sorry to bug you! Thanks
Hi, Joan, I’m afraid you can’t make those sort of substitutions in a recipe like this. Beyond the ingredient and substitution information I’ve already provided, I’m afraid you can’t make other substitutions using the ingredients you have and have this recipe turn out. I recommend that you have a look at my gluten free flour blend page and decide upon an all purpose gluten free flour blend, rather than a pancake flour, which is much more limited.
Will it affect the outcome if one doesn’t weigh the egg out of the shell? I have never heard of that before but I’m excited to try your recipe. GF store bought ones are yucky. Thank you
Hi, Cheryl! Generally, no, it won’t affect the outcome. Rather than saying a “large” egg, I always refer to eggs by weight, as measured out of the shell, to accommodate readers who are using nonstandard eggs (maybe from backyard chickens). It also helps readers who are using extra-large eggs because they can beat and weigh the eggs and measure out only what the recipe calls for. If you have large eggs, they average about 50 grams, when weighed out of the shell. I hope that helps!
Is there any possibilty this could work with a hand mixer and dough hooks/regular blender attachment? I don’t have a food processor.
Hi, Jarah,
I’m afraid a mixer won’t work, but do you have any sort of blender at all (not necessarily a high-speed blender)? I’d recommend trying that. Hope that helps!
Are all your posted recipes definitely gluten free? I am very new to this and don’t necessarily understand all the terms.
Yes, of course, Heather! Every single recipe on this entire site (and in all 5 of my cookbooks) is gluten free.
Hi Nicole, I’m looking forward to making these, they look great.
Is there a reason you don’t use a tortilla press?
Hi Nicole,
I made your flour tortilla’s according to the recipe in the book (bakes bread) which I recently purchased. It was very delicious but came out quite dry and crispy. I would like to make more soon. Any idea what could have gone wrong? Thanks so much! x
Hi, Haffy, I’m afraid without being there with you, I really can’t know. My first guess is always if you made any ingredient substitutions at all especially of the flour blend. Secondly, did you measure by volume or by weight. Both of those are usually the cause of a recipe of mine that doesn’t turn out as expected.
You do know corn tortillas are gr8 and have good carbs. So what is th he point of this.
I do in fact know that corn tortillas are great, George! In fact, I have a recipe for fresh corn tortillas here on the blog. The point of this recipe is an alternative, and one that has different ingredients and a different taste.
Not everyone can eat corn. And not everybody wants to eat “good” carbs.
Good points, Rebekka!
Thanks for sharing this. I just made the crust if my apple pie using almost the same ingredients, and it turned out GREAT. You have a nice flare with your descriptive overview. BLESSINGS!
An apple pie crust with these ingredients, Diane? Interesting concept. I’ll have to think on that. And thank you for the kind words. ☺️
I am new to this and would like to know where to get xanthan gum? Your recipes sound great.
Thank you looking forward to hearing from you.
Carmen
Hi, Camen, Xanthan gum is actually pretty readily available these days. You can find it in most larger grocery stores and in health food stores, or online. Bob’s Red Mill brand has a well-priced one. Welcome!
Do these freeze well?
Hi, Angela,
That’s the one thing I can’t answer for sure! I haven’t had a chance to freeze and defrost these tortillas, to see how they do. I expect that they would freeze just fine, though, since they’re not fragile.
Can I leave out the xanthangum
Please see the section on ingredients and substitutions, Maya!
This is a perfect recipe for my family everyone either has celiac, is diabetic or is on WW.
Went to Sam’s Club today and they had the Air Fryer for $100 , best price I have seen so I bought it hoping you would be forthcoming with more great recipes for it , no pressure.
Carole
Hi, Carole,
Sounds like this recipe is perfect for you! I’m so glad. It definitely ticks a lot of boxes. :)
And yes! I will definitely be developing more recipes for the Air Fryer. I’m so glad you got one for a good price.
Hi Nicole, these tortillas look great but I have a cookie question, I hope you don’t mind!
I have bought some star wars cookie cutters for my star wars obsessed grandson, which cookie recipe would you recommend, I don’t want Chewbacca to look like his ‘special’ cousin so they mustn’t spread too much! Thanks xx
I love this question, Irene! I have plenty of recipes for cut-out cookies that hold their shape. You can have your pick!