Have you ever tried homemade flour tortillas before? Let me just say that the taste and texture is far superior to those that come in a plastic bag at the grocery store. Those at the store honestly don’t even deserve to be called tortillas compared to the real thing. And luckily, the 
tastiness of homemade tortillas justifies the effort it takes to make them. Up until now almost all the recipes I have posted have been easy to make, but I must admit that this one is definitely an exception to the rule. I will also say that I actually tried a couple of different methods for making tortillas and this is the easy (easier) version. Please trust me when I tell you…it is worth it!
Once the dough has been made it takes me about 30 minutes to roll out and cook a dozen of these tortillas. Everyone in my family (including me) practically scarfs them down as soon as I make them, and if used as wraps they can add some variety to your lunch over typical sandwich bread. My 3-year-old’s favorite combination (which she lovingly calls a “roll up”) is to have hummus and cheese wrapped up in her tortilla. I actually love a “roll up” myself although I usually add diced tomatoes, cucumbers, or spinach to mine. My kids also just like to snack on plain tortillas too and if you have time to make a big batch then you can freeze some for later!
Whole-Wheat Tortillas
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour, I used King Arthur’s white whole-wheat flour
- 1/2 cup avocado oil, or other oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water, heated in the microwave for 1 min
Instructions
- In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer set with a dough hook, pour in the flour, oil and salt. Beat with the paddle until crumbly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape the sides as needed. If your hand-held mixer comes with dough hooks those can be used as well.
- With the mixer running, gradually add the warm water and continue mixing until the dough is smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Take out the dough and divide it into 12 equal sized pieces. I do this by making the dough into a big log shape that is about 8 – 10 inches long. Then I cut it in the middle. Then I cut each of those pieces in the middle and so on until you have 12 pieces.
- Using the palms of your hand roll each piece into a round ball and flatten it out on a baking tray or board. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or up to one hour.
- Heat a cast iron skillet, griddle or 12-inch skillet over med-high heat. The pan should be fairly hot before you begin cooking the tortillas.
- On a lightly floured board or counter top, use a rolling pin to turn each ball into a 8 to 10 inch flat circle (measure against your recipe if printed on a 8.5X11 sheet of paper). Be careful not to use more than a teaspoon or two of flour when rolling out each ball into a tortilla because too much excess flour will burn in the pan.
- Grease the pan with a touch of oil (or ghee) and then carefully transfer each tortilla, one at a time, to the pan and cook until puffy and slightly brown, about 30 to 45 seconds per side. Set aside on a plate to cool slightly. Eat within an hour, refrigerate or freeze.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
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Great recipe! Thanks!!!! Made them last night, making some more today!
I am wondering why these dont need baking powder? I have made them and they are wonderful, I make flour as well and use baking powder, why doesnt whole wheat need it? Thanks, Connie
Hi. These tortillas do not need a leavening agent.
What’s the calorie count?
Hi John. That is not information that we provide. This post puts it into perspective: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/.
Would be great to know though case by case.
Just to put it into perspective, I’m on a muscle building cycle and have to eat a minimum of 4000 calories daily from real food.
Thanks though, recipe looks great, I’ll just figure out the energy myself.
Great, simple recipe! My daughter loved them.
Can you use a tortilla press for the tortillas?
Hi. We have more luck using a press on corn tortillas. These work best rolled out.
I must say that the idea behind your blog is really great! I love hearing about the ‘roll-ups’. When I was a kid my mom used to make us pizza tortillas on the stove (tomato and cheese inside the tortilla) and I LOVED them. It’s funny, when we are young we hate to be different from our friends. I always complained “why do I have to eat brown bread? It tastes soooooo bad!” But now I’m like THANK GOD for my mom. You seem to also have the right idea. Do your kids ever complain about eating healthy? And how do you curb their sweet tooths? I eventually want my children (not conceived yet) to eat the same as yours with no processed foods- is it difficult fitting your lifestyle into the schools, friends houses, etc? What is the right amount of grace when it comes to food and processed food eating?
Hi. Of course, no matter how long we’ve been at it there are always challenges. Here are a couple posts that might add perspective: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/07/24/being-polite-vs-honoring-your-values/ and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/08/22/camp-junk-food/.
Hello
I am going to try this recipe today. What can I use instead of avocado oil (I don’t have any in the house)? I have cocunit, EVOO, canola oil.
Also if I make today for a meal tomorrow, so you eat them cold or warm in oven?
Hi. Olive oil will work. I always heat my tortillas a bit before serving.
What is the best method for freezing these? Will they stick together or should I stick parchment paper in between? Also, best way to defrost? Just put them on the counter or fridge? Thanks!
Hi. I use parchment between for freezing and defrost them on my counter if I’m in a hurry. ;)
I’ve made these several time and I love them! I want to make double the batch. Do you put parchment paper inbetween once they’re cooked or when they’re raw?
Sorry! This is totally a 5 start recipe and I accidentally pressed send.
Hi. After cooking and before freezing.
These were fantastic. So easy and quick to prepare and so delicious. I’m currently eating them with homemade Beetroot hommus and lettuce. Really yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
I wish I was able to read all 72 pages of comments, but I have a question. How sturdy are these when they come off the pan, when they’ve been in the fridge for several days, or when they are thawed after freezing? I’m looking for tortillas that won’t tear or break when I load them up and fold/roll them. Many store brand tortillas tear when folded. Just wondering how robust these are in each of the 3 scenarios. Any tips on handling to prevent tearing or ripping?
Hi there. I’ve never had an issue with these falling apart under any of those circumstances.
What is the calories for each tortilla
HI there. Sorry, but we do not provide calorie info. This helps explain why: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/.
I calculated about 150 per tortilla using Canola Oil
Is there a way to make these without salt? My husband is on a low salt diet.
Hi. You can leave the salt out.
Curious why white whole wheat flour is used? What’s the difference in using white versus unbleached whole wheat?
Thank you,
Michelle
Lisa likes the texture of the white whole wheat as well as regular whole wheat. Either will work. :)
I don’t have a mixer with dough hooks..can I do this by hand?
thanks!
Sarah
Hi there. Yes, you knead the dough by hand.
Thanks! Came to the comments looking for that info.
Hi!
I love this recipe – it’s easy and the tortillas always come out tasting great! Mine don’t look as good as yours though… I usually end up with the middle not as cooked because the outside starts getting burned on the skillet. I use lots of butter, but it always seems to happen. Maybe I’m just using too high of heat? I’m going to try it again soon and to really flatten the dough first so it’s not as thick.
Hi. Yes, your heat could be up a little high or you aren’t rolling them quite thin enough.
Hi there,
We love these tortillas and have been making them for years. We are now Gluten Free and were curious if we can use GF flour instead of WWW. If so, would it be 1:1 ratio? Thanks!
Hi Wendy. Yes, I have subbed 1:1.
What no baking powder or Yeast, how does it raise??
Tortillas are a pretty flat bread, although they sometimes puff just a little while cooking. That puff of air deflates as they cool though.
Thanks for the easy Quesadilla recipe. Happened to notice the tortiall recipe and see that this is the same recipe as Indian Roti or Chapathi.
One can add finely chopped veggies spinach, grated carrot some spice powders etc and make parathas too. One can also add cokked lentils. Will be thicker but is a quick whole meal. Used with Yogurt or Pickle, Dhal (lentil curry) etc
May I use melted coconut oil to make these?
Hi. We’ve not but if you give it a try, let us know.
I tried coconut oil, and they were so delicious!
I use coconut oil too!
I don’t have a mixer or a hand mixer with a dough hook. What can I use instead?
Hi. You can do this by hand kneading the dough.
I have just a hand mixer with the regular mixer ends and it worked perfectly fine. Don’t need the dough hook:)
My tortillas came out quite sad looking but they tasted delicious! I paired my whole wheat tortillas with fajita style chicken, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and avocado. Thank you so much for this quick, easy, and delicious recipe! Will never get the store bought tortillas again!
Do u use a tortilla press?
Hi. Lisa uses a press for her corn tortillas but rolls these out.
Hi! Can you make these without have a heavy-duty mixer or dough hook?
Hi. Sure, you will just do the kneading by hand.
I just made these for my family and they were a HIT! We devoured every last one of them .YUM. Thank you!
Hi Lisa,
I followed your recipe and made these last night the only thing I changed was not using a mixer and using my hands instead. I love tortillas and I like that this uses 4 ingredients. Do you know how many calories are in each tortilla?
Hi there. We really don’t count calories, we just focus on eating real food and cutting out the processed stuff and everything else just seems to fall into place. :)
I worked up the calorie count for these.. Your looking at about 145 calories per tortilla..
I should be clarify using extra virgin olive oil .
This is one of those things I swore I could “never do”, but I made my first batch last night and they are amazing!! I’ll never be able to go back to store bought. ❤
Hi there,
I am wanting to make these more for a bread replacement for lunches and wondered how people had found them for school lunches? I personally can take my lunch in parts (and toast) but the kids have to have them ready to eat (and not fall apart). Any tips on the best way to do this? Make every few days? Pre make the ‘roll up’ and freeze?
Also-with regard to how filling these are…would you replace a sandwich with one tortilla?
Thanks in advance :-)
Hi there. I use tortillas all the time for mid lunches. I make a lot of various quesadilla and lots of rolls-up as well as tortilla pizzas that they assemble themselves. I think that this might help: http://evolvingmotherhood.com/2013/08/13-ways-to-use-tortillas-in-your-back-to-school-lunch-packing.html.
How long will these stay good in the refrigerator? Freezer?
Hi. I freeze them if I plan to keep them beyond a 5 days. I’ve frozen them for up to three months.
Can these be made oil free?
That is not something we’ve tried.
could you use sprouted, white, whole wheat, rather than regular white whole wheat?
Hi. I’ve made them with sprouted wheat successfully.
Hi there! I can’t wait to try these tortillas just like they are, but I was also wondering if you ever made them by adding some spices or herbs. I want to use garlic as well.
We’ve not but I am sure you can. :)
I will. Made a double batch yesterday. Love them. Btw, did you every try to use a tortilla press? I wonder if it works with this dough.
We use a press for our corn tortillas but rolling these out works better.
I am struggling to keep mine together. I used gluten free flour and coconut oil, don’t know if that’s why. Any tips?
Hi. Sorry, we’ve not attempted a gluten free version of these.
You just need to add Xanthan to gluten free flour
What brand avocado oil do you use?
Hello. I’ve bought many but typically go with Costco’s version because avocado is my “go-to”. I’ve bought Tourangelle as well as Primal Kitchen, too.
Hi, loved your recipe! Easy, healthy and delicious! Thank you
I added some dry basil, sage, berbere spice and a minced garlic to the mix and it turned out really yummy.
By the way, do you think I could use this dough as a pizza crust and bake it in an oven ?? Maybe if I added some yeast to the mix……
I often use the individual tortillas as pizza crusts.
To make tortillas into pizza crust, put a Table spoon of milk into the center of one tortilla and spread it around with the back of a spoon as it soaks in and slightly softens the tortilla. Put another tortilla on top of that (like a sandwich), add your toppings and bake.
I don’t have a dough hook. Do you think I could still make these, mixing by hand?
Yes you can, I often make flour tortillas and I always make them by hand. Use a big container and mix until fully incorporated.
I made these and they are super yummy! Have you tried using coconut oil or part bacon fat drippings part oil?
Other readers have used coconut oil.
I love using white whole wheat, but these have waaaayy too much oil in them! I made them twice, the first time I followed the instruction to cook on a slightly oiled griddle, which was not necessary (since there is already too much oil in them). The second time I cooked on a cast iron griddle without the oil…still too greasy. They did not cook right since parts of the tortilla would burn before the rest would cook, even after playing around with cooking temps. Then I looked up other recipes for whole wheat tortillas and most call for about 1 TBSP of oil per cup of flour, so I will be trying that next time. However, if you are looking to pack some calories into your scrawny pre-teen son, these are good for that!
What temperature should the water be after a minute in the microwave? (I’m in Arizona and our ‘cold’ water is practically body temperature during the summer!).
Hi there. It will stil be okay. We don’t have to worry about killing yeast here. :)
Best tortillas I have ever had!!! So easy! I’m so very pleased thank you!!
Thank you for adding the place to adjust the amount of servings to be made. It simplifies this already simple recipe! I always have to double or triple this recipe because my family is eating them as they come off the pan.
Has anyone tried this with a gluten free mix? I’m new to GF but my son is supposed to eliminate. Finding a good tortilla that stays together for wraps, etc has proved difficult. Suggestions are helpful! Thanks!
My tortillas didn’t turn out very pretty but they taste amazing! Thanks got sharing this and so many other tasty recipes!
I was excited to make these to have for egg breakfast wraps and using leftover flank steak for lunch wraps. Used a dough hook and recipe came out sooo sticky. I left in fridge over night and it was still sticky and impossible to roll into anything but weird shapes. They still tasted good! Will try less water next time and maybe just hand mixing. I’m not sure why you need to leave on the counter for 15 minutes? This didn’t help with shape.
I still recommend making but it took me way longer than posted time to work with sticky dough.
I used the snow days yesterday and today to try this recipe out. Followed it exactly yesterday and they were great! I found if difficult to mix them with the dough hook though. Today I used the paddle and it mixed much better. Also, today I used half the amount of oil (1/4 cup) and they were still delicious. I took a picture to upload but can’t see a way to do it…
Do you have suggestions on freezing these tortillas. How to store/thaw and expiration?
I typically separate them with parchment and freeze them in ziplock. I try to use them within 3 months.
I love these tortillas!! They have been a game changer for my breakfast and for my 16 year old! Do you have any tips on rolling them out to be a nicely shaped circle like yours? I can’t seem to get it right! Of course they still taste delicious!
Hi there. Truly, it is just a matter of practice and ours aren’t perfect, either. :)
You can buy a tortilla press. We found a cast iron one on Amazon years ago.
Hello! Wondering if butter or olive oil would be good in this recipe instead of avocado oil? Or is avocado oil best? I can’t use coconut oil, my son is allergic to coconuts. I don’t usually buy avocado oil, but obviously I can if needed :) Just thought I would ask. Thank you!
Hi there. Avocado oil is our favorite for this recipe. I’ve used olive oil but do not like it as well.
What is the nutritional value ?
Hi. We do not provide that information. This helps explain: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/healthy-eating-defined/.
Im wondering about the 1 c. if water. I added 1/2 c and the flour and oil mixture made a ball. Had I added much more water I would have had a sticky mess. I used home ground whole wheat flour. Could that be the difference?
Can you substitute the flour for Almond flour or coconut flout?
Hello. That is not something that we’ve tried. There are many almond flour tortilla recipes that you can find with a quick goodle search. You might be able to use one of those to adapt this one.
30 – 45 secs per side, 12 tortillas, 6 minutes cooking time?!
This is correct.
Hi there! Learning curve here. What heat level do you cook these? Mine puff up but then are brittle when wrapping for burritos and sometimes have areas that are darker (uncooked maybe?).
Help?
Honestly, you should consider purchasing a tortilla warmer. I think this will solve your problem with the texture issue. I cook them between medium-high and high.
Will a regular mixer work , regular beaters?
I would highly recommend getting a hook attachment for your mixer. This kneads the dough instead of mixing like a regular beater would do. – Nicole
I love this recipe, thank you!! I used olive oil & they were great! FYI, for those who are (like me) trying to deal with the plastic crisis by not using single-use plastic – you do NOT need plastic wrap to cover when resting; a dampened (not wet – barely damp) dishtowel works well, as does parchment paper or waxed paper.
I just made these and they turned out really delicious! I made 8 tortillas and followed the recipe except I halved the oil. The flour:water ratio was perfect. I rolled them out between two pieces of parchment paper so I could lift up the paper and use gravity to get the thin dough into my hand without tearing. Avocado oil worked really well with its higher smoke point and the tortillas flipped well in my ceramic non-stick skillet. I’m hoping they’ll stay flexible over the week for lunches. The one I ate for dessert after frying them up was very tasty (melted chocolate chips and berry jam).
Glad to hear they turned out great for you! – Nicole
I tried this recipe. I’m so pleased with it. I used the Great Value brand of whole wheat flour as well as canola oil. Even though I have made white flour as well as corn tortillas for years, I have never tried to make whole wheat ones. I followed my Mexican grandmother and mother’s advise to always use very hot water. The hot water works together with the oil to make the tortillas soft and easy to roll out. I always boil the water (in a glass [liquid] measuring cup) in the microwave for one minute and a half. With this recipe, I made some wraps with deli meat. My husband asked if I will make them regularly from now on. I also figured that each one is about 17.5 carbs.
I should have realized that this recipe called for far more oil than is typical in a tortilla recipe, and also more water as well. My first hint was that the flour/salt/oil combo didn’t get crumbly — it made a dough on its own. Adding the water resulted in a batter, not a dough. Still, I persevered :) I added more flour until I got a dough (along with more salt so that the ratio would stay stable), and I finished the kneading by hand.
(I was using freshly ground soft white wheat flour, and this may be why the recipe didn’t work for me without tweaks. In all, I used a little more than 4 cups of freshly ground flour, 1.5 t. salt, 1/2 cup olive oil, and 1 cup water.)
I will say, the amount of oil in the recipe makes it beyond easy to roll and handle the dough. I divided the dough into 16 pieces and was able to roll them thin enough for light to pass through. The downside to that much oil is that if you cook them too long you’ll get a cracker texture. So don’t cook them too long, and be sure to wrap the finished tortillas in a towel when you take them off the cast iron griddle. But they taste great, are super easy, and not as finicky to work with as recipes with less oil.