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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.
Ginny says
You were NOT kidding. Worth it!!!!! These are beyond amazing. And although it was time-consuming, it wasn't the least but difficult. Thanks!
Chika says
Can you make the dough ahead of time, refrigerate it, and then roll and make in the pan the next day (with some rest time before cooking)?
Lisa says
I have not tried it myself, but I think it would work. I would recommend letting your dough "warm up" to room temperature before rolling it out.
Damiane says
What if you don't have a mixer or if you have a small food processor??
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Damiane. Some have posted that they've mixed them by hand. Jill
Carrie says
If I try these on a non-stick electric griddle, think that will work okay? I'm thinking of trying my lefse griddle, which is round and non-stick. :)
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Carrie. Yes, I think that could work. Just make sure it's hot enough. Jill
Agata says
Super easy and delicious! Thank you Lisa. Great recipies on your website.
Kate says
These were amazing! I just used my food processor and took me no time at all! I have literally been printing out all your recipes and it is all I have been using, I love them all so so much and none have failed me. Thanks so much for sharing them all.
Denise says
They were great! I used olive oil this time but can't wait to try the avocado oil. I did need more flour (almost twice as much!) but that could be because I ground my own and fresh ground tends to have more volume than flour that has been settled and compressed in a bag. Great recipe, will make again.
Anna says
Any idea on the nutritional content of these? I'm bad at making that stuff up, but I do like to know the calories, fat content, and sodium. Also do you think you could sub something in for the actual oil (at least partially)like actual avacado or a tomato based puree or something like that?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Anna. Sorry, we don't have the nutritional content, but, you can calculate it online by entering the recipe ingredients. I have not tried substituting anything for the avocado oil so I'm not sure if your suggestions would work. Jill
Taryn says
I made these tonight for my husband and two kids. They all liked them but I thought they turned out a little oily. Is this from the oil in the recipe or from frying. I didn't use much for frying just enough to get the brown spots. But I didn't have avacado oil so I tried sunflower oil instead, have you tried that yet?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Taryn. We do not use sunflower oil. You may want to give the recipe another try with the avocado oil. Jill
Elly says
I made these for the first time last night! We used them for quesadillas (with veggies from our garden) for dinner last night and ate the rest of the tortillas for lunch today. I used olive oil and they turned out fine. We all loved them. The most difficult time I had was rolling them out into circles. Thanks so much! I am enjoying your blog, learning a lot and I have liked all of your recipes that I have tried so far!
Amber Fountain says
I'm on a diet that I can't have oil. Is there some kind of substitution I could make. Thanks
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Amber. I've never done them without the oil and I'm not sure how they could work without it. Sorry I couldn't be of further help. Jill
Alicia says
I made these today and used olive oil instead of avocado (I didn't have any on hand). They taste great but are NOT like tortillas. They never puffed and are like tasty crackers. They don't bend at all. Any ideas on what I did wrong? Was it the oil? I cooked them on my griddle set on 325 F.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Alicia. Did you follow the recipe exactly? And, was your flour fresh (it will stay fresher longer if stored in the refrigerator or freezer). Jill
Shonna Shope says
I made these for the first time today. I had the dough done, let the dough balls sit under saran wrap for approx. 45 mins, began rolling them out and cooking them. I ended up leaving before I was done and my hubby said he'd finish. (hooray!) At supper we warmed them in the oven for fajitas and the ones on top (the ones he did) had set out without saran wrap over them a little longer than I had let mine. He works from home and got pulled away a few minutes...The ones further down our pile, that I had done without sitting out uncovered were much softer and pliable. We think that was the difference... not sure if that info would help but thought I'd share.
Katie says
Made these for my 9 month old daughter-- she LOVES them! I didn't use salt just because she hadn't had salt yet and they worked fine. I will use a lot less oil next time! But THANKS for sharing!
Courtney says
I worked out my stickiness problem and am back with a tip for anyone having problems getting them rolled thin- leave them under a wet towel for as long as you can stand it. I got sidetracked (babies, what can you do?) and left my dough balls on a cutting board under a wet towel for about 4 hours. I am rolling them and frying now and they are SO easy to manipulate. In this state they are probably way too pliable for a tortilla press, but rolling them is NO problem.
Now, if anyone can tell me how to keep them round ... :)
Courtney says
How sticky is the dough supposed to be? I swear it wasn't this sticky the last time I made these, but it's been awhile...is your dough usually sticky?
Thanks!
Denise says
Hi! I am new here and just going to get started with our family on the 100 day challenge on Sunday (We have a lot of preparing of our pantry/fridge and shopping to do before we can start) and I had a quick question. I really want to make these but as you know just starting this whole thing off there is a LOT I have to buy and a heavy duty mixer is just not in our budget right now can I make them without or is it pretty much required? Also do you think that the corn tortillas would be just as good with the slow cooker refried beans if it is required and we just can't swing it right now?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Denise. Yes, one reader commented that they just mixed them in a bowl with a wooden spoon. I think either tortilla would be great with the refried beans, but, I must admit, I often eat my beans with no tortilla and just load some veggies on top. Good luck. Jill
Cindy says
I was wondering, you say you used King Arthur's white whole wheat flour. I have King Arthur's 100 % whole wheat flour. Is this the same? Can they be used interchangably? Thanks, and LOVE your recipes and info on here!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Cindy - Yes, both can be used in the recipes. Jill
Jaime says
It says "eat within an hour". Is that just because they're warm and test best, or is there another reason? I'm asking because my daughter would probably enjoy these, and I'd love to make fresh tortillas to go in her school lunches.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Jaime. They will obviously be the freshest if eaten within the hour, but, you can also refrigerate them or freeze them for later use. I think they would be fine in a school lunch as long as they had been refrigerated. Jill
Jaime says
Thank you! There's always an ice pack in my daughter's lunches, so that should work at least. I look forward to giving these a try.
Liz says
I made these for the second time today and the tortillas came out great. The first time I made them they were too thick and not very flexible. This time I followed your recipe exactly, including the mixing times. A couple other things I paid special attention to was making sure the dough pressed out as thin as possible using a tortilla press (almost paper thin) and I didn't use any extra flour while rolling/pressing the dough.
Marsha says
Made a batch of these today and they are really good. Very nutty and dense so I am glad I made small tortillas. Using them this evening to make tacos with ground buffalo and all the trimmings.
This was my first time making tortillas but I am glad I did it. It was so much easier than I thought it was going to be !
Michelle says
After weeks and weeks of searching, finally found a tortilla press locally at the Kitchen Collections store at Concord Mills. Made the tortillas with coconut oil this time and they were a huge hit and SO much less work than rolling them out by hand.
Donna says
These were good and the family ate them but they were a lot of work.
bethanydockrill says
I once made some tortillas and they were SO hard to roll out. I like a work-out but this was ridiculous. I was quite put out. How workable is this dough? Thanks. Love your site. thanks for the ebook links too. much love
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Bethany. Some people will use the tortilla press for the flour tortillas as well to get them started. Then there is only a bit of rolling you have to do to get it slightly thinner than the press. Hope that helps. Jill
Erin says
Yummy! After reading other comments I adjusted the recipe a little and they came out great. I used about 1/3 cup coconut oil, not quite all the water, and I ended up adding just a little more flour. These do take some time to roll out but definitely worth the effort.
Michelle Diaz says
I've made these a few times and although they are always delish, mine always seem much thicker than what I see in your pics. There is no way I could use them for the roll ups and with two layers in a quesadilla they are so filling. When I roll them out, they are very thin, but puff up a ton while cooking. Help:)
100 Days of Real Food says
Did you follow the recipe exactly?
Kim Sealy says
I only have a handheld mixer. Will this work? Also if using coconut oil, what is the measurement?
100 Days of Real Food says
You can use the same amount of coconut oil (instead of avocado oil), but I am not sure that a handheld mixer will work. I would recommend trying to mix it by hand first.
Anna says
Thank you for all the helpful information. I thought we were eating healthy with all our whole wheat and whole grain! I knew some things already, but clearly not enough. Help me out with the flour. So white whole wheat is still ok because it's just a different color wheat? Next, should the flour be organic? I use Bob's Redmill when I can, but store brand whole wheat is what is in my pantry right now.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Anna - White whole wheat flour is just milled from hard white wheat as opposed to red wheat. It yields a milder taste as well. I use King Arthur brand. Hope that helps. Jill
Kristi Goldsberry says
I just purchased some avocado oil and have not enjoyed the taste it imparts so far. Can you give me any direction on good ways to use the avocado oil that will not make food taste bad?
100 Days of Real Food says
If you don't like the avocado oil I would try coconut oil in this recipe instead.
WWCook says
I'm glad I found this amazing recipe now can make my own tortillas. I live in Greece and the only tortillas we get are full of E's, stuff we don't want to eat. The only change I made was I used olive oil. They came out great. Thanks.
Anita says
I made it in a dry pan without any oil and it turned out beautifully. I used half whole wheat flour and half coconut flour,the texture was amazing!
I'm happy that I finally can use my mixer for something healthy...
Melissa says
I am just curious why you use a white-whole wheat flour instead of a true whole grain flour...? King Arthur's seems to be one of the better hybrid flours, but still lower in some nutrients (i.e. protein and fiber) than the whole wheat flour, I believe. Not to be critical at all because I think your site is great, just curious. :)
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Melissa. Our team's understanding is that the white whole wheat flour has the same nutritional value as the whole wheat flour. The difference is that the whole wheat flour is milled from hard red spring wheat which results in a flavorful, tan colored, high-fiber flour while the white whole wheat flour is milled from white whole wheat, not red, which makes it lighter in color and less bitter in flavor. The whole wheat flour creates a heavy, denser, nuttier flavored baked good product while the white whole wheat flour creates lighter, sweeter baked goods. I hope that's helpful. Jill
Colleen says
I cannot even say how AMAZING these are!! I've made them 4 times in almost as many weeks!! I'm just getting ready to whip up another batch to take with us on vacation!! These by far are better than any store-bought tortillas! Thank you, Lisa, for another fabulous recipe!!
**Our three daughters (4, 9 & 12) - who tend to be a bit picky - all love these tortillas and have stated they won't eat any other kind!** :)
Marcie says
I was able to make this dough in my bread maker, since I don't have a mixer with dough blades. Yay! Thanks for the recipe!
meggan says
I LOVE these! They turned out fantastic! I'm keeping this recipe forever!
Abra Alani says
I saw this post a few weeks ago, and added it to my bookmarks to try at a later date. Today, I tried it, and I know I don't need to tell you, but these tortillas are SO delicious! My boyfriend and I were eating them plain as soon as I took them out of the pan. I hadn't planned on making them tonight, so I have the avocado oil you mentioned, but I would like to try it next time.
Thank you so much for posting such a simple, delicious recipe!
Laura says
These are so yummy and extremely easy to make! I used olive oil, but I will use something different next time...it's a little overpowering. Thanks for the inspiration!!
Lyn says
I have been doing this for awhile - but I only use about 6 or 7 tbsp of oil in my recipe though.... (and tortillas get eaten as fast and I make them around here too lol and yes freeze wonderfully -if I manage to still have any left lol )- I also make all my own bread - hate store bought kind...I also grind my own wheat as needed..I just use a high speed blender for that..(was well worth saving a year for that blender!) Anyway nothing tastes better than homemade breads!!!!!! Definitely worth the time it takes to make these!! and WAY cheaper than store bought! Here (I am in western North Carolina) bread runs about $2.50 to $3.50 a loaf (for whole wheat that is actually healthy - (not the basically white bread that looks brown and gets passed off as whole wheat stuff)!!
Here is my recipe for tortillas :
(hope its ok to post as this has less fat)
Flour Tortillas
3 1/2 cps flour (I grind my own whole wheat)
1 tsp salt
1/2 to 2 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp vegetable oil (home processed lard or shortening)
1 cp very hot (hot tap water is perfect) water ( or less - water need varies with dough)
mix first 4 ingredients together til texture of wet sand then add the water if need to add more or less in order to get a soft elestic texture.Knead for a few minutes til elastic and soft.Pinch off balls (you will get about 8 golf ball sized balls) then let rest for about 15 minutes .Now flatten tthe rolls and cook in pan on medium/high heat about 1 or 2 minutes (watch for it to bubble) then flip for a minute or 2 on other side - will get slightly browned. Careful not to over cook..
Jenn says
Just got done making these and they are delicious! I also cut back on the oil a little bit, I think I used around 1/3 cup.
Katie H says
I did it! Starting my journey to real foods for myself and my family. We made smoothies for snack (pb&j and tasty smoothie recipes), whole wheat blueberry muffins for breakfast tomorrow and whole wheat quesadillas tonight. The quesadillas were AMAZING! I am so not a cook but planning to become one and couldn't be happier with my outcomes today. The kids gobbled most everything up!
Thanks for being such an inspiration!
Mary says
What is your take on using regular wheat flour? I've looked at buying ORGANIC wheat flour -- but it's super pricey and there are never coupons. What do you think? I use the King Arthur whole wheat flour for everything!
100 Days of Real Food says
We personally try to buy everything organic if we can, but I suppose if you had to pick it would be best to stick to organic produce and dairy over flour.