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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.
Nadia says
Hi, I would like to use an alternate grain, what can i subsitute the whole wheat flour with?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Nadia. Have you tried spelt? I can often substitute that in baked goods and it's usually fine. You might want to start by doing half and half. Jill
candice says
I made these tonight using coconut oil but otherwise following the recipe to a T. They were amazing but very oily. Maybe they are supposed to be like that? (My hands became greasy handling the dough.) I wondered if I should either cut down on the oil or make sure the coconut oil is in liquid form before I add it or both?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Candice. Yes, the coconut oil should be in liquid form. And, feel free to cut down on the oil. I know some others reported they were too oily and did that exact thing. Jill
Savannah says
I made these tonight and they were so easy to make. I mixed them in my food processor with the dough blade. I used olive oil instead (next time I'm going to try coconut oil, but I wasn't sure how it would taste). I used my tortilla press to 'roll' these out and it worked very nicely when it was covered with parchment paper and flour (to avoid sticking). Mine didn't turn out as large as yours though, but they were still tasty! Way better and less expensive than buying packaged tortillas.
Cheri says
How long do these keep if you don't freeze them. I assume you need to keep them in the fridge, rather than the pantry?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Cheri. I would keep them in the refrigerator. They should last about 5 days or so. Jill
Amber says
I have been making these for about six months and my family is completely addicted. We will never buy tortillas again! Do you have any suggestions for an alternative oil to try? My toddler has food allergies and I'm starting to suspect avocado may be something she's sensitive to. These tortillas are one of the few foods she actually eats, so I can't eliminate them from her diet. Thank you for this blog. I thought we were healthy eaters before, but thanks to you we have made a lot of changes for the better.
Amber says
Never mind .... I read some earlier comments and saw olive oil or coconut oil suggested. :)
Melissa says
Tried these tonight! They turned out great and by the end they were actually round ;-P I made them because I was looking for an alternative for my 18 month old daughters lunches. She's got allergies and I can't use normal breads. I think she'll like them. My one thought for next time is to make them smaller. They rolled out pretty big.
Jessica says
Made these tonight for dinner. They were a huge hit! So glad I made a double batch so we have leftovers!
Alaine says
Just a note that I've found the brand of flour does make a difference with the amount of oil and water used. I just play with it until I get it the right consistency - sometimes have to add more flour, sometimes more water & occasionally more oil. I usually mix in a handful of sunflower seeds at the end, too. And I use my griddle pan to make 3 at a time so it cuts the cooking time way down. Thanks for the great recipe!
Deb says
Just wonderful thank you
Wendy says
I made these tonight but they turned out dry and crunchy - there was no way they were going to wrap; they just cracked apart. I had no trouble following the recipe though used olive oil and a little less water than it said as I stopped adding when it was a smooth, kneadable ball. Any ideas? Would love to make this successfully as we can't buy wraps here without nasty ingredients. Thanks.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Wendy. I don't have any ideas to offer. Maybe add a little more water next time. Any chance they were cooked too long? Jill
Krista says
I made these for the second time today and unfortunately for the second time they seemed very dry and flaky :( what am I doing wrong I followed the recipe to T, even using avacado oil. Could it be the kind of whole wheat flour?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Krista. I use the King Arthur white whole wheat flour. I'm not sure why they would be dry. If anything, others have reported that they are greasy and that they use less oil. Hope they work out better next time. Jill
Shonna Shope says
I made these for the first time tonight. They were delish! How do you recommend freezing them? In a ziploc bag? Trying to keep them fresh as long as possible. Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Shonna. I think a ziploc would be fine. You might want to consider a piece of wax or parchment paper layered between them that way if you don't want to thaw all at once you can easily pop out what you need. Glad you enjoyed them. Jill
Amy says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I had not expected them to be so good! We have completely eliminated white flours from our diet. I love all of our whole grain products, except tortillas. They are the only thing I have really missed having the white version of. These homemade ones are fabulous, my daughter and I could have gobbled them all up plain!
Paula Perez says
I just made this for the first time, and used coconut oil. They are fantastic! We are ruined for life for store-bought!
Ivette says
Would olive oil work or can you recommend another oil besides avocado? Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Ivette. I would probably use coconut oil over olive oil. Jill
Erin says
Has anyone tried making these with a gluten free flour?
CJ says
I followed the recipe, using canola rather than avocado oil, and these were so greasy. They reminded me of when my mom would fry store-bought tortillas in oil. I definitely did not need to oil my pan to cook them. When you pick them up, you get an oily residue on your hand. They smelled great when cooking, but just tasted oily. I'm going to make again and try them with less oil.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi CJ. If you can't find avocado oil (I believe you can order it on Amazon), I would probably suggest coconut oil instead. Hope they come out better for you next time. Jill
CJ says
I remade them using olive oil and cut the amount of oil in half. When I followed the recipe, the dough was very slick. With half the oil, the dough came together better and was easier to work with. Not to mention we just liked them better with less oil. I am curious why everyone who has trouble is told it's because they're not using avocado oil. The original recipe only calls for oil, even though Lisa said she used avocado. Is there something special about avocado oil that would make these less greasy than using olive oil?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi CJ. No, the avocado oil is just what Lisa uses. Coconut oil and olive oil seem to work as well. Jill
Lindsey says
I wanted to try these but but don't have avocado oil. Could I use olive oil or coconut oil? Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Lindsey. I've not tried any other oil with these...let us know how it goes though. Jill
Lindsey says
I ended up using coconut oil, and they turned out delicious! I will definitely be making these again!
Michelle says
We LOVE these tortillas - just about to make some more. Our first batch was seriously ugly but tasty. The looks have gotten much better with practice. Don't be discouraged if they don't look like the "perfect" tortillas on the store shelf. They get prettier with practice.
Rebecca says
I love this recipe - very easy to make. However, they turn out a little stiff so it makes it hard to use them as wraps. Any suggestions?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Rebecca. Maybe they could be rolled a little thinner? And, you may want to heat them before serving if they've been stored at all. Jill
Casey B. says
After reading labels at the grocery store, I was appalled by the number of ingredients that were in the "healthy" tortillas. I went home and your blog is the first one I pulled up to see if you had a recipe posted for whole wheat tortilla shells with few and healthy ingredients - you came through for me once again! THANK YOU! These are awesome and my family loves them!
Antoinette says
Woo hoo!! I did it!! I love em! So easy - I can't believe I haven't done this sooner!! I am so excited to never have to buy tortillas again! Thanks!
Megan says
You don't need a mixer at all. I was taught to make these with my hands! A tortilla press is very helpful, but not necessary.
Megan says
Delish! I don't have a mixer with a dough hook so I just used a wooden spoon and bowl and had no issues! I warmed them up and added raw honey inside for breakfast this morning.
Sayre Franke says
Finally tried this, and it is delish! Thanks for another winner recipe!
Tracy says
I love these, but never turn out the right size! How do you roll them out to be a circle shape, and then how do you get them from the counter to the skillet without them tearing or stretching out!
Nikki says
I don't have a tortilla press, so I sprinkle some flour lightly on my counter, roll it out with my rolling pin, then I toss one of my small pie plates upside down and cut around it with a butter knife. Lift the plate, and the tortilla comes right off and in a perfect circle!
Kendra says
You can roll them out on a large piece of parchment paper (in between two Ziploc bags works well), and carry it to the stove and peel it off right into the pan.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Tracy. I transport them with a large spatula. Mine are never a perfect circle either. I have learned they taste great no matter the shape. I do find if you press them out first before rolling that helps with the circle shape. And, then I try and kind of roll around in a circle if that makes any sense. Rather than back and forth that is. Good luck. Jill
jackie says
I also don't have a newer model mixer. I do not have a dough hook. Can this be done with regular beaters or by hand... similar to doing a pie crust???
Kendra says
I started making tortillas when I moved from Texas to Ohio and couldn't tolerate the "Mexican" and "Tex-Mex" they allege to have here. I don't have a mixer, so I always make it by hand. Make sure that the flour and oil are well mixed and "crumbly" before you add the water. (I also add the salt into the water and not in with the flour, but I'm not sure it matters). The best way I can describe crumbly is that it if you grabbed a handful of it, it would clump together, but would easily crumble apart if you rubbed it together.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Jackie. Yes, many have reported doing them by hand. Jill
Laura says
I don't have a mixer of any kind (newly-wed), so I am wondering, is there a way to make this recipe without one?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Laura. Many have reported making them by hand...I would give that a try. Jill
Kasey says
I just made these and I am so excited to make more. Super easy recipe, and so versitile! I was wondering though, how do you recommend storing them. I tried to look through the comments to see if someone else had asked but couldnt find it, so I hope I am not doubling up on a question!
Also I did make some with cinnamon in them and they are amazing with peanut butter on them! My kiddos loved them!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Kasey. For any I don't eat right away, I store them in the refrigerator. Mine don't seem to last very long though. But, anything past a day I usually just go ahead and freeze them. Jill
Megan says
Do you cook these before freezing?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Yes Megan. Jill
Ellen says
How long do these stay fresh in the fridge? Do they freeze well?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Ellen. Mine don't ever last too long...if I don't think I will use them the next day, I usually throw them in the freezer. They freeze just fine, but, I have to say, there's nothing like when they are fresh. Jill
Jennifer says
Please help me, I just made the dough but it is too sticky to create the log. What did I do wrong? This is my first time ever making a dough of any kind so I'm sure I did something wrong.
Kasey says
did you try slowly adding additional flour? Usually that is all you need to do with the down when it is too sticky. Just add a little at a time so you don't take the dough to the wrong side and make it too dry!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Jennifer. I just put some flour on my hands and a little on the outside of the dough and that seemed to do the trick. Just be careful not to use too much. Jill
Kelli U says
Oh, and a tortilla press makes it soooo much easier.
Kelli U says
I didn't have a mixer with a dough hook so I used the knead setting on my bread maker. Worked like a charm! I also used grapeseed oil and they were fine.
Nicole says
I was afraid to make these because I didn't have the heavy duty mixer set and because the recipe says they are difficult to make. I think they were amazingly EASY and I did everything by hand. I mixed the flour and (I used) olive oil with my hands until crumbly and then added the water and again, mixed with my hands. I cooked them on my griddle and they came out perfectly! The only part that was difficult was rolling them into a round shape. Most of mine came out misshapen, but I really don't care. They taste ahhhhhhh-mazing! I will definitely be making another big batch soon and freezing them. I had no idea tortillas were so easy to make and I will never buy them from the store again!
sami says
i made these before but tonight added some fresh chopped spinach.. oh. my. god. delicious !!!!
Susan says
We made these last night, followed the recipe exactly and they were delicious! I had trouble rolling them into circles, but they were fine even if the shape wasn't quite perfect.
Alana says
Could I get the dough ready in the bread machine on the dough setting? I don't have a mixer or food processer yet, and not dough hooks w/ my hand mixer - would love to try these especially since i can't find any 100% Whole Wheat Tortillas.
Kelli U says
Yes! I did it today and it was great.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Alana. You can actually just do the dough by hand. Many have reported that that has worked just fine. Jill
Sara says
We just made these tonight! What a hit! so good and so easy! We are slowly moving into the real food lifestyle and i am so glad to find recipes that are easy and tasty!!! I made the dough in my bread maker, made one batch with olive oil and one batch with coconut oil! both were perfect and now I am freezing burritos for lunches! Thank you for all your inspiration, I follow you daily on fb and in my email and have enjoyed every recipe and every post I've come across!!!
Coconut Oil says
Sara-I am new to the Coconut oil. I saw a post somewhere on here about the benefits. Does it come in a liquid or solid? How do you work with it?
Coconut Oil says
And do you you work with oil with the same ratios as other oils?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Here is the post...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/07/how-to-cook-with-coconut-oil/. It is a solid, but, you should melt it before using it. Jill
Jessica says
Love these! Have been making them with coconut oil (couldn't find the avocado oil) and they are delish... a little tropical tasting. We've eaten them as chicken tacos, cheese quesadilla, cheese and bean roll ups (my kids keep asking for more of those crock pot beans!), and tonight we are haivng the steak fajitas... can't wait! Love your recipes :)
Ruth says
I'm 1/2 Hispanic (grew up with mom making homemade tortillas) and these were great! I made my dough in the Blendtech with non-hydrogenated palm oil (Spectrum brand) and a pinch of aluminum-free baking powder. I could have used more pink salt for sure because they were slightly bland. BUT, they were good after I got the hang of the dough. I only let the dough ball sit in the Blendtech for about 15 mins. Then, I kneaded it, made the dough balls and proceeded to roll. The key for me was not to roll too big/thin. Rolling to a small-medium size left it a bit thicker, which made it more pliable, and it bubbled and cooked up just right. Thank you very much for the recipe! I'll be making these again.