Almond Flour Tortillas

These chewy, flexible almond flour tortillas are made with the perfect blend of almond flour and coconut flour for structure that still lets the satisfying mild nutty, buttery flavor shine. And they only have 2 net carbs.

With the addition of a touch of xanthan gum, the finished tortillas are as thin as “regular” flour tortillas, and will bend and fold any way you like. Add your favorite fillings and wrap them up like a burrito that won't break!

Why this recipe makes the most flexible tortillas

Unlike other recipes you'll find, these almond flour tortillas are rolled paper thin for a tortilla that can be used in any way our regular gluten free flour tortillas can. You don't have to roll them as thick as flatbread, or have them break as you try to wrap them around fillings.

We add enough coconut flour and a touch of xanthan gum to finely ground almond flour, plus one egg, to create true structure and resilience in both the raw dough and the finished tortillas.

You can make the dough in a mini chop food processor or with just a bowl and spoon, and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week. And the finished tortillas will stay fresh at room temperature for days. Truly an amazing tortilla!

Ingredients explained

There aren't many ingredients in this recipe, and each contributes something to the tortillas. Here's a bit about the importance and background of each:

• Almond flour: Adds bulk, some structure, and flavor. Because it has so much fat, it's soft, though. Be sure to use finely ground and sifted blanched almond flour like Wellbee's, Blue Diamond, nuts dot com, or Costco's Kirkland brand. Almond meal, which is coarsely ground and the almonds have intact skins, won't bind the dough together properly for a smooth, integrated tortilla.
• Coconut flour: Has a lot of fiber which helps add structure and helps absorb some of the fat from the almond flour, making these two flours into a magic combination of flavor, structure, and low carbohydrates.
• Xanthan gum: Keeps the dough from crumbling so you can roll it out. Without it or a substitute, the raw dough is too soft to hold together long enough to transfer it to the griddle. Xanthan gum is better here than psyllium husk, which can add unwanted flavor and potentially color if not sourced properly.
• Baking powder: Adds rise and gives the tortillas some dimension.
• Salt: Adds taste and brightens the other flavors.
• Egg: Helps to hold the tortillas together, provide structure and some rise, and moisture for water-absorbent coconut flour.
• Water: Just enough to finish bringing the dough together.

How to make almond flour tortillas

1. Make the dough

Whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, salt, xanthan gum, and baking powder, then add the beaten egg and 2 tablespoons of water to form a relatively soft dough that feels like extra soft play-doh.

Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes, if not longer. This will make the dough much easier to handle by allowing the coconut flour to absorb the moisture from the egg and water and the fat of the almond flour. It's also less sticky when it's cold.

2. Smooth and divide the dough

Unwrap the chilled dough and sprinkle it lightly with tapioca starch. Roll it into a rough rectangle and fold it into a packet at least once to smooth out the dough and make it easier to work with. Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.

3. Shape the dough into rounds

Roll all 8 pieces of dough into smooth rounds between your palms. Transfer some excess dough to the first piece of dough, then use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rough round about 7-inches in diameter so there's excess to trim. Sprinkle the dough lightly with tapioca starch to absorb some of the moisture so the dough is less sticky.

💡 A pro tip for perfectly round tortillas is to cut off excess with a a 6-inch metal cake cutter or metal lid of a pot. Remove the excess, and add it to the next portion. You can skip this step and just have messier edges, or use a knife to trim the rough parts.

The tortillas should be thin enough to be transparent enough that you can see your hand through them when you pick one up. That's how you know they're rolled thin enough.

4. Cook the tortillas

I shape all of the rounds first, sprinkling them with tapioca starch to prevent them from sticking to each other. This way, I can cook them all at once when the skillet is hot and not worry one will burn while I'm shaping the next. You can shape and cook each raw round as it's ready, though.

Heat a griddle to 375°F or a cast iron skillet for at least 5 minutes or medium-high heat. Try adding a small piece of trimmed dough to the skillet and press it down with a spatula. It should start to cook very quickly when it's hot enough.

Place the first shaped tortilla on the hot skillet and press down firmly with a large spatula to force the whole round to make contact with the hot surface. Cook until bubbles form, then flip back and forth a couple times until the tortilla is opaque and has some browning on both sides. Stack the tortillas on top of one another covered in a tea towel and serve.

Expert tips

These tortillas have a few things in common with all my other gluten free tortilla recipes, but also call for some special handling. Here are some tips for success:

Firm up a too-soft dough

If you find that the dough is just too wet to roll out properly, knead more coconut flour into the dough by the pinch, and try shaping it again. Or knead in some tapioca starch to absorb some of the fat from the almond flour, and keep sprinkling tapioca starch to keep the dough from cracking and sticking as you roll.

Add extra dough to the first piece

After you divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, remove about 1/4 of the dough from one piece and add it to another. The extra dough makes rolling out the dough thin enough so much easier, and the excess dough gets trimmed and added to the next portion.

You can start with a tortilla press

It won't press the dough thin enough, but it's a good way to start. Line it with parchment paper or plastic to keep the dough from sticking to it, then then use a rolling pin to roll it thin enough.

Use a cake cutter or pot lid for clean edges

I used a 6-inch cake cutter to get neat edges on the tortillas. It's 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.

Ingredient substitutions

These tortillas are already dairy free, but here are some ideas for replacing other potential allergens:

Almond flour-free

You should be able to use finely ground cashew flour or hazelnut flour in place of almond flour.

Nut-free

Try sunflower seed flour, but the tortillas may turn green. The chlorophyll in the sunflower seeds reacts with baking powder, leading to a harmless green color.

Coconut flour-free

I tested this recipe with 6 tablespoons (48 g) of tapioca starch/flour in place of the coconut flour, and it worked. The dough isn't quite as easy to handle, and the tortillas tend not to bend as well right away. They were more flexible the next day when stored in a sealed plastic zip-top bag with a moistened paper towel. Keep in mind that the tortillas will be higher in carbohydrates if made with tapioca in place of coconut flour.

Egg free

I recommend trying 1 “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel) or a “flax egg” in place of the egg. Bob's Red Mill egg replacer may also work.

Xanthan gum-free

Guar gum should work instead. You can also try using 8 grams of finely ground blonde psyllium husk to the dry ingredients in place of 4 grams of xanthan gum before adding the warm water.

Tapioca starch

Instead of using tapioca starch to sprinkle during shaping, you can use finely ground rice flour, arrowroot, cornstarch, or potato starch. You can skip the starch and roll between sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap, but your tortillas will have crinkle lines in them.

Storage instructions

You can wrap and store in the refrigerator the unshaped, raw dough (or shaped into rounds) wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 1 week.

If you're not serving the tortillas immediately, place them in a stack in a plastic zip-top bag or tortilla warmer lined with a slightly wet paper towel to retain moisture. They will stay fresh that way for up to 3 days at room temperature, and up to a week the refrigerator in the plastic bag. If the towel dries out, moisten it again. You can always refresh the tortillas in a hot dry skillet.

For longer storage, wrap the stack of tortillas tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe zip-top bag, and squeeze out all the air you can. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator or at room temperature, and refresh in a hot, dry skillet.

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