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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.
Heather says
These are delicious! Another thing I will not be buying from the store anymore. thanks for the great recipe!
Molly says
2nd time around was much better... I have improved on my technique of rolling out the tortillas! I modified the recipe by reducing the oil to a little more than 1/4 cup, because the first time I made these they were really oily. When I was making them everything was coated in oil and even when we would eat them through the week our hands would be oily... so it worked much better with less oil! Thanks for the recipe & this website!
Julie says
Love your website! My tortillas ended up being really greasy though. Had to use vegetable oil. The dough was hard to transfer into the pan. Was it too thin and stretchy possibly?
100 Days of Real Food says
If the dough is sticky then it likely needs more flour.
Bethany says
Made these for lunch today and they were wonderful! My 4 year old ate them right up and that is a sure sign that these will be our new family tortilla! I thought the dough was going to be too wet after adding the water to my mixer but once I started seperating the dough into 12 parts I realized it was perfect. Thank you for a GREAT new recipe to add to our diet.
cara says
What have you tried that works as a freeze/thaw method? We are having a cinco de Mayo party & I want to make these ahead of time.
100 Days of Real Food says
You can freeze them cooked in a ziplock bag and then just thaw them on the counter...works great!
Odessa says
Not bad. I followed the recipe pretty much exactly, except that without any of the machinery, I was forced to knead it all by hand. No big problem as I am used to making pastry dough, so cutting fat into flour is something I'm used to. However, when I did it, I had way too much water and way not enough flour. So I had to go from feel. In the end though it made very nice tortillas, but I'd say that as with pretty much any recipe, your mileage may vary in terms of specific amount of what.
cara says
I have never made my own tortillas, & I am going to do it! Can you use a tortilla press for flour & corn tortillas?
Courtney says
I've read that tortilla presses are tehnically only for corn...and every time I try them for my flour torts, they are always thinner on one side, so I have to rotate them, and be really careful not to break them, and it ends up being just as much work as rolling them- in short, I recommend rolling.
Deirdre says
I used my tortilla press with the whole wheat recipe and it worked perfectly! I rotated them after reading Courtney's suggestion. Yummy
Lori says
I'm a newbie to your site and had to try this recipe. Love it!
Lyn @ Life Lyn Style says
I find that the amount a flour needed depends on the type and humidity etc. We always add more during the rolling part until it feels "right". We make them with local wheat, Trader Joes wheat, spelt etc. They turn out great. We like making them on the griddle since we don't need to spray it and my son can roll them out and the griddle doesn't care if they are round.
carissa says
I tried making these tonight and my dough was very sticky. Is all of the water supposed to go in or do I add it just until the dough is right? They turned out pretty good anyway butwere very hard to work with :(
100 Days of Real Food says
If the dough is sticky then you need either more flour or less water...it should not be stuck to your fingers when you are working with it. Glad they were good anyway.
carissa says
Thanks lisa...I love your site and your recipes :) yes they turned out just fine, I actually made little mini pizzas out of them and my kids gobbled them up! I'm going to make your crockpot fajitas tomorrow so we can use the rest of the tortillas.
Lyn @ Life Lyn Style says
I'm not sure exactly what you mean by fresh wheat, but I've made them with local wheat, spelt and many other wheats. Just make them and if you have trouble, add a bit of water or flour. They should work fine.
Sara says
Hi, these look great, and not difficult at all. I am wondering if anyone has made them using fresh ground wheat. If so, are there any modifications recommended?
Thanks!
100 Days of Real Food says
I actually use a different recipe with my fresh ground wheat...it calls for lard though instead of the avocado oil. It's on the bottom half of this page: http://www.ggfarm.com/chipotle-roasted-pork-with-homemade-tortillas/
Nadine says
I just found your site. I have made tortillas before. But all the recipes I have tried use baking powder. Maybe I'll try them without. Also, I added chia seeds and flax seed (ground) and they were great. I will keep coming back. Thanks
Erin says
I made these yesterday with olive oil and used them in the Chicken Enchilada recipe this evening as i wasnt able to make the corn tortillas also. They are absolutely delicious and worked great in the Enchilada recipe! Although they take a little time to make they are SO worth it. There is absolutely no going back to store bought tortillas now. Give them a try - you will not be disappointed!
Joanna says
I made these last night and they were so good - a huge hit! My only concern is that they seemed really oily. I followed the recipe exactly, so maybe that's just what they're supposed to be like. But I thought I'd ask. They literally leave oil on my hands after eating them. I did spray the pan every time before putting in a new tortilla to bake, so maybe that's why. Anyway, just thought I'd ask. And thanks for the recipe! I'm starting to get hooked on your blog, which is especially fun since I'm in the Charlotte area too.
100 Days of Real Food says
I am sorry to hear that they were too oily. I would try reducing the spray before cooking each one...or only spray before every other one.
Julie says
Joanna, I had the same oily problem. Not sure what I did wrong.
Sierra says
I don't oil the pan at all and I've never had a problem with them sticking and they always turn out great. I just made them for the third time.
Michelle says
Thanks for sharing! I modified your recipe and technique just a bit, based on a white flour tortilla recipe I've used for years. I mix the dry ingredients with a whisk or fork, then mix in the oil (I chose to use about 4 tbs of softened butter, in place of the shortening called for in the white flour recipe), and lastly the water with a spoon and then my hands. Takes just a few minutes to work it into a ball of dough. Let it rest as you direct. Then by hand I quickly roll the dough into 12 balls (more or fewer depending on size). Slightly flatten and cook on tortilla maker(kind of like a tortilla press, but it's electric and presses and cooks tortillas at the same time. Super easy! My son and I both enjoyed the 100% whole wheat recipe, and husband said it was "ok" compared to white :)
Dee says
How many calories are these? Fat? Carbs? Protein? Sodium?
100 Days of Real Food says
Dee - We don't count any of those things...not really part of fully being on a "real food" diet. Michael Pollan covers this in his book In Defense of Food.
carissa says
If you are concerned about those values there is an app you can download on your phone or prob can look it up online as well called my fitness pal. You can scan barcodes with your phone and then you can enter all of your ingredients to your recipe and put in the number of servings it makes ans it will give you the nutritional value of each serving. It even tells you things like potassium calcium iron content. I love it! I'm still having trouble not knowing these things ;) also still having some trouble with all the fats! But I have ended up back at my goal weight which I haven't been at in several years even with trying to eat lowfat and lower dairy and less carbs. Seems that eating this way is making me thin :)now if I would incorporate some exercise in my routine I would be doing great!
Jenn says
How do you reheat these after they've been refrigerated or frozen? I avoid the microwave...
100 Days of Real Food says
You can wrap a stack of them in foil and heat them in the oven.
Stephanie says
I just made these for the first time and they are AMAZING! Is it possible to actually GAIN weight from eating real food, lol? I feel like I have been eating SO much since I switched my family over to real food...it's like a whole new world of exciting recipes has opened up and I can't wait to try them all! Thanks for all the encouragement you provide...now, if I can just stop eating these tortillas!
100 Days of Real Food says
Well eating in moderation is key....just remember to stop eating when you feel full and you'll be just fine! :)
Jenn says
Yep, to quote Michael Pollan again... "eat food, mostly plants, not too much" his entire wisdom summed up in a sentence!
Elizebeth says
I just now finished making these and they are incredible! Growing up my dad would make flour tortillas and give them to us with butter, salt and pepper rolled up in them. I tried that with these and it brought back so many childhood memories. Thanks for the recipe!
Lyn @ Life Lyn Style says
I made these again last night, but used our pancake electric griddle. I liked that because I could make more than one at a time. Also, my 4 yr old son likes to roll them out and with the griddle, it doesn't matter if they are round. Win win! He ate them with pp&j instead of pizza last night.
Christy says
Love the griddle idea, did them tonight for the first time one at a time and would like to speed up the process. I hope it is as nonstick though because I didn't have to use any oil while cooking in my pan.
http://www.tanastable.com/ says
We put this in our food processor and it worked just wonderfully
http://www.tanastable.com/ says
We loved these! My husband is 1/2 Hispanic and we quickly passed this recipe onto his parents for them to try, too, and they liked them as well!!!! =D
jaci says
I attempted to make these tonight and ended up with a cake batter consistancy dough...I had to dump it and use another recipe....but I wasn't sure if whole wheat flour would matter in the other recipe so I mixed white n wheat.....no idea what I did wrong ...also made the refried beans they were ok.
100 Days of Real Food says
Anytime you change the recipe it's questionable what you'll end up with...
Lindsay says
Hi Lisa! Just wanted to let you know that I love your blog and all of the tasty recipes that you post. I have cooked a few of them (whole wheat honey bread and a few others) and they have all turned out amazing! Thanks for inspiring me and my family to eat better for our health. :)
I just had a question about this recipe- are you only supposed to cook each side of the tortilla for 30 seconds? When I made the first tortilla I think I overcooked it, because it was hard and dry. I didn't realize that you only cooked it for one minute. I will try again soon...thanks!
100 Days of Real Food says
Yes, 30 seconds each side...it's important to get the temperature right because if it's in the pan for too long before it can "cook" (i.e. temp is too low) it will become stiff.
Kara says
I made these and while they didn't come out pretty, they are tasty! It was hard not to burn them though. I can't find ghee anywhere close to me and I had to use Pam spray, do you have any other suggestions to keep it from burning?
100 Days of Real Food says
You can actually make ghee (or clarified butter) at home pretty easily if you'd like. Just check Deliciouslyorganic.net for the recipe.
Rebecca says
I have been wanting to make this recip for a while now and last night I finally did. YUMMM!
Conseis says
To answer several questions:
1-.In Mexico, we use unfortunately, shortening, and a lot of stores here will sell those with lard. YES, you can make them without oil, shortening or grease of ANY kind. My tortillas have three ingredients. Whole wheat flour, warm water and salt. That's it.
2.- I have frozen the individual balls for tortillas before, you just need to let them thaw and get to room temperature before trying to extend them. I do prefer to freeze them once they are ready though.
3-.I have added spinach juice (that I make in the juicer) and substitute for some of the water. I also put some garlic powder and I have some yummy spinach garlic tortillas for wraps.
4.- You do NOT need a mixer to kneed this dough, but it helps because you want to kneed it for a while, to make the dough soft, then the individual balls must rest tightly covered before being made.
I hope that helps!
bobbi schmidt says
Just a quick ( and probably stupid:) question. You say to use the hook on your mixer, but then you say to beat with a paddle. What do you mean by this? Sorry for a silly question! Can't wait to try these:)
100 Days of Real Food says
I guess I was calling the dough hook a paddle...sorry for the confusion!
margarita says
do you ever add baking powder?
Marna Oliver says
Can you add spices or seasoning of some kind to the dough and if so, what would you recommend? My ex-husband complains that my cooking has no flavor. I want to make something he will actually like.
100 Days of Real Food says
I have never tried that, but if you want to experiment either cumin or chili powder might be good!
Jana says
These tortillas are SO good! I thought I'd have some left to freeze, but we ate them all! Oops!
Courtney says
These tortillas were amazing! And I loved making them! My kids and husband gobbled them up, I made quesadillas with them. Wonderful recipe, thank you, no more store bought ones for us!
Dana says
I've been making these with coconut oil and whole wheat flour from Wegmans. They are addicting! I'm lucky if I can get them to last two days before I eat them all!
Audrey says
These came out great! I made guacamole with a can of organic fire roasted
tomatoes with green chiles, garlic, sea salt, and cayenne
pepper spread on top of the tortilla and cut like a pizza!
Delicious!!!!
Laura says
these are amazing!!! and, they are so easy. i am only sorry that i waited so long to attempt the recipe. if you are questioning your ability to make these - don't! just go for it!!!!! trust me it is so worth it.
Fern says
Is there a way these can be made minus the oil?
100 Days of Real Food says
If you want tortillas without oil then try the corn ones: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/04/26/recipe-easy-whole-grain-corn-tortillas/
Megan says
Can I make the dough the night before, and keep it in the fridge until it's time to cook them?
marie says
I do that everytime. I use EVOO
100 Days of Real Food says
I have not tried that, but I think it would work. Just let the dough get back to room temp before you roll them out.
marie says
With EVOO they keep for at least a day don't seem dry, I haven't tried longer yet.
Sara says
How long do they keep in the fridge?
100 Days of Real Food says
About a week.