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Have you ever tried homemade whole wheat flour tortillas before? Let me just say that the taste and texture are far superior to tortillas that come in a plastic bag at the grocery store. Honestly, they don’t even deserve to be called tortillas compared to the real thing!
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.
Featured Comment
My family LOVED it and said to never buy tortillas again. I ordered a tortilla press as not rolling these out on a regular basis! :-)
Are Whole Wheat Tortillas Easy to Make?
I will also say that I actually tried a couple of different methods for making whole wheat 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.
Tips for Rolling Out Homemade Tortillas
Let the dough rest. I find the dough is easier to work with if it's been resting for about 30 minutes (covered by a towel or plastic wrap) before I begin working with it.
Use a rolling pin. A rolling pin is the easiest way to spread out the dough properly to the correct thinness and shape.
What Can You Use Whole Grain Tortillas For?
My (now 15) 3-year-old’s favorite combination (which she lovingly called a “roll-up”) was 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 grain tortillas can also be used to replace a variety of breads in sandwiches or other snacks. Here are some fun ideas to try:
Tortilla Pizza
Use a homemade tortilla as pizza crust: Spread homemade pizza sauce (pasta sauce or anything similar you have also works fine) over the tortilla, then top with cheese, veggies, or cooked meat. This is an easy way for your kids to have a real food "pizza" snack with whole grain crust and reasonable portions. See the Tortilla Pizza recipe for more tips and tricks!
Whole Grain Tortilla Pinwheels
Pinwheels are another great snack for kids, especially picky eaters who need some coercing when it comes to vegetables. They’re also fun for parties and potlucks! Spread out your favorite fillings, roll up, and slice.
Quesadilla Style Grilled Cheese
You can also make these homemade veggie quesadillas with these whole wheat tortillas, but sometimes you just want some good ol' cheese. Thinly slice some organic cheese and place it on half of the tortilla. Fold and fry with a pat of butter until cheese melts.
You can also add vegetables like onions, zucchini, peppers, spinach, and tomatoes. Or, slice and serve with tomato soup.
Easy Breakfast Wraps
Breakfast wraps can be made fresh or ahead of time and frozen for an easy, filling breakfast idea. Add scrambled eggs, cheese, and your favorite meat and vegetables.
Can I Use This Recipe to Make Whole Wheat Tortilla Chips?
If you’re looking for a delicious, real food treat, these whole wheat tortillas can be baked into chips! It’s easy; no deep frying required. Enjoy on their own, or serve with fresh salsa.
- Make the whole wheat tortillas following the recipe directions and let them cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- While the oven heats, slice your tortillas into chip-sized pieces (about 6) with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
- Lightly spray or brush them with olive oil and lightly salt.
- Bake for 7 minutes.
- Flip the chips and lightly oil and season the other side.
- Bake again for another 5-7 minutes, until crisp.
You can also make these chips in an air fryer. The method is the same, just adjust the cooking time to 3 minutes per side.
How to Store Whole Wheat Tortillas
Cool tortillas completely before storing them to keep them from getting mushy. Then just place them into an airtight container or bag and store in the fridge or freezer. Homemade tortillas will keep in the fridge for a week and can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Whole-Wheat Tortillas
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups whole-wheat flour (I used King Arthur’s white whole-wheat flour)
- ½ 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.
Frustrated cook says
These tortillas rolled out nicely and cooked up nice, but are way too oily.
I won't be this making this recipe again.
Mary Ann says
Okay, I'm confused.
In the first paragraph of instructions, you say to put the ingredients in "a heavy duty mixer bowl set with a dough hook." Gotcha. But then you say to "beat with the paddle until crumbly." Huh? Do we start with the dough hook or the paddle?
I'm excited to try these; I mill my own flour and bake my own bread, so I look forward to making my own tortillas.
100 Days Admin says
Hi Mary, Lisa was using those two words interchangeably. Your dough hook is what you should use. - Nicole
Mary Ann says
Thanks for the clarification!
Robertinho says
I made these with olive oil ‘cause thats all I had on hand and I thought it was a little too much. I’ll use 1/3 of a cup next time. You could really taste the oil, which isn’t such a bad thing. I love olive oil.
They’re really good, though, and definitely worth the effort. I froze the leftovers and they were even better the following days.
Margaret Kenty says
I agree. I was using 1/3 cup olive oil and they tasted good. However, today I tried using 1/4 cup olive oil and they STILL tasted good. So that's the amount I will be using from now on.
LeeAnn says
Made my oven baked tortillas and realized I had no tortillas. So I made this recipe. My family LOVED it and said to never buy tortillas again. I ordered a tortilla press as not rolling these out on a regular basis! :-)
Swati says
Can i use Ghee instead of oil for preparing dough? ( As ghee is supposedly healthier than oil)
Heather says
Try whatever fat you like. It's traditional to use lard, which is a solid, so I don't think ghee would be a problem. Just adjust the recipe as needed.
Greg says
I used fresh ground hard white whole wheat flour and lard gleaned from making carnitas last week and put it all in the bread machine on the dough cycle, allowing the lard to knead in to a crumble before I added the warm water. Once it all combined, it seemed too oily/fatty to me, so I added about 3/4 cup additional whole wheat flour and let the cycle complete. After resting 30 minutes the dough felt right and handled well. during the roll out. Really delicious tortillas! It could have been my fresh ground flour was to fluffy and airy since it had not yet had any time to settle and compact and so it skewed my measuring.
Heather says
I grind my own flour too and I always add extra to account for (not) settling. I guess we could be more accurate if we weighed it, but I'm content just adjusting the recipe as needed.
Marianne says
With a little bit less oil (maybe 2 tbsp), I found that leaving my dough rest overnight (or even a few days) made it especially good to work with. I worked it by hand, with a silicon spatula and then by hand. I made tortillas, but also aloo paratha (potato and spice filling) and a refried beans filling, and the taste and texture turned out great! No need to grease the pan
Teresa says
Did anyone else think it was way too much oil? After letting the dough ball rest for the 15 mins there was pools of oil at the bottom of each dough ball.
100 Days Admin says
There seems to be some mixed responses with the amount of oil. Some readers have halved the amount and it worked out for them, while others found the amount of oil made it much easier to roll them out. - Nicole
Pauline Christmas says
LOVE THIS RECIPE! IT WAS VERY EASY TO MAKE. AT 1ST I THOUGHT IT CALLED FOR A LOT OF OIL. I USED CANOLA OIL. I DON'T THINK IT WAS TOO MUCH OIL, I ACTUALLY PRESSED (AND ROLLED OUT SOME) DOUGH BALL OUT, I DIDN'T USE ANY FLOUR DURING THIS PROCESS & I DECIDED TO TRY AND COOK THEM IN HOT PAN WITHOUT OIL. AND THEY CAME OUT FINE. THEY COOK QUICKLY. NOW AFTER MAKING THEM, I TOOK 3 OF THEM AND MADE THEM INTO TORTILLA CHIPS, BRUSHED LIGHTLY WITH EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL AND SPRINKLE WITH KOSHER SALT. I TOOK 3 MORE AND BRUSHED THEM WITH EVOO AND ROASTED GARLIC POWDER (MY OWN - HOMEMADE), BUT THEY TASTED A LITTLE BURNT... THE RECIPE IS EASY AND OVERALL, REALLY GOOD. I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS: 1. CAN I USE EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL AS THE OIL (OR WILL IT CHANGE TASTE OF TORTILLAS).. 2. IF I WANT TO MAKE MAKE FLAVORED TORTILLAS, WOULD I PUT THE DESIRED SEASONING IN THE MIXTURE WHEN MIXING, RATHER THAN BRUSHING ON TORTILLA AFTER TO HAVE AS TORTILLAS OR WHEN I MAKE THEM INTO CHIPS?
Margaret says
I made these and my husband and I love them. Thank you for the recipe!
Donald Singleton says
The tortillas were hard. Should I add more water?
Sylvia Munoz says
I only used half a cup of water and that is all I needed. I added the water a little at a time and kneaded the dough by hand until it got to the right consistency. And I cooked for about 1 minute on each side just until they started to fluff. Put them in a tortilla Warmer. Putting in the tortilla warmer should keep them pliable.
Anaya says
Hola! Don't have a fancy mixer with dough hook...actually, no mixer at all. But, do have hands :). How would I go about successfully making these...the old-fashioned way? Please advise. Gracias! ;)
100 Days Admin says
Some of our readers have successfully made these without a mixer, by just mixing by hand. - Nicole
Larkin says
This recipe is great! But I have a large family and they go too quick. Are their any tortillas that you can purchase that are still Real Food approved?
100 Days Admin says
Hi Larkin, when you're looking for store-bought tortillas, just keep an eye on the ingredients. Look for whole-wheat versions with 5 or less ingredients in them. - Nicole
Kimberly in So Cal says
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.
carrie gordon says
I used fresh milled soft wheat too--measured by weight (about 225 grams of wheat is 1 cup of flour). When it is fresh milled the volume will be more.
Carrie Gordon says
I meant to say 112 grams of flour/cup when you are using soft wheat! 225 is for 2 cups.
Raquel Yost says
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.
Shannon says
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).
100 Days Admin says
Glad to hear they turned out great for you! - Nicole
Carol L. says
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.
[email protected] says
Will a regular mixer work , regular beaters?
100 Days Admin says
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
Kelly says
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?
Lisa says
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 says
30 - 45 secs per side, 12 tortillas, 6 minutes cooking time?!
100 Days Admin says
This is correct.
Bobbie Sue says
Can you substitute the flour for Almond flour or coconut flout?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
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.
Lorena Kehler says
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?
Heather Bryant says
What is the nutritional value ?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi. We do not provide that information. This helps explain: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/healthy-eating-defined/.
Gwyn says
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!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. Avocado oil is our favorite for this recipe. I've used olive oil but do not like it as well.
Denise says
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!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. Truly, it is just a matter of practice and ours aren't perfect, either. :)
Suzanne Shares says
You can buy a tortilla press. We found a cast iron one on Amazon years ago.
stephanie says
Do you have suggestions on freezing these tortillas. How to store/thaw and expiration?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
I typically separate them with parchment and freeze them in ziplock. I try to use them within 3 months.
Tracy says
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...
Kathy says
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.
Katy says
My tortillas didn’t turn out very pretty but they taste amazing! Thanks got sharing this and so many other tasty recipes!
Megan says
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!
Julie says
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.
Lauren says
Best tortillas I have ever had!!! So easy! I'm so very pleased thank you!!
Michele S says
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!).
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. It will stil be okay. We don't have to worry about killing yeast here. :)
Jennifer says
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!
Jacqueline Waters says
I made these and they are super yummy! Have you tried using coconut oil or part bacon fat drippings part oil?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Other readers have used coconut oil.
Dana says
I don't have a dough hook. Do you think I could still make these, mixing by hand?
Gaby says
Yes you can, I often make flour tortillas and I always make them by hand. Use a big container and mix until fully incorporated.
Nika says
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......
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
I often use the individual tortillas as pizza crusts.
Carrie Yeager says
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.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
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.
Kristina says
What brand avocado oil do you use?
Jenny says
I am struggling to keep mine together. I used gluten free flour and coconut oil, don't know if that's why. Any tips?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi. Sorry, we've not attempted a gluten free version of these.
Neil says
You just need to add Xanthan to gluten free flour
Majka says
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.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
We've not but I am sure you can. :)
Majka says
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.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
We use a press for our corn tortillas but rolling these out works better.