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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.
charla lane says
Oh wow... these are so good... had to stop my 8 year old son after 4!!!! :)
Katie says
Just attempted these with coconut oil and they seemed a bit oily. I also halved the recipe so I don't know if that was the issue. Never had a "clean" tortilla but they were ok.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Katie. Did you melt the coconut oil first? Maybe try the full recipe next time...you can always freeze the leftovers. Jill
Chelsee says
Where do you find avocado oil? Or have you used coconut oil in these? What kind of oil is your best recommendation for them?
Sara says
I use coconut oil and they turn out great.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Chelsee. You can find it at Whole Foods or Earthfare. If you can't find it though, I would recommend substituting the coconut oil. Jill
Lisa says
just made these!! they are amazing!
Ali says
I Love these and make them regulary. I did buy a heated tortilla press and it saves me a ton of time. Then I finish them up on my extra large griddle. Recently, I began brushing them with a little Olive Oil and then baking them in the oven until they are hard. We use them for Tostadas and my kids love them! They love to pile on veggies and salsa. I usually make them in advance for a really quick meal on a busy week night after work/school.
Ashley says
Have you tried using a tortilla press to make the job go faster? Tortillas are a must in my house so I'm trying to think of ways to make this doable for our family. Thanks! :)
Mary says
I just made these and I have to say they're perfect!
THANK YOU so much for this recipe!!
I live in Germany and I can't find any good tortilla shells here. Also I'm allergic to wheat (I used whole spelt flour instead of wheat) so I've tried like 10 different tortilla recipes the last weeks but none worked out as perfectly as yours. They look and taste even better than the store-bought ones I used to eat in America.
Heather says
I just made these and used River Mills organic whole wheat pastry flour. Needless to say, I had to add an additional cup of flour because the dough was still completely gooey with only 2.5 cups. Would I have possibly been better off using bread flour instead? They turned out better than my other recipe and I just divided it into 16 instead of 12.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Heather. I would probably just use a little less water...you can always add more. Jill
Lindsay says
Hi, start with w.w. flour, salt, oil in a big bowl. Add very hot water and stir briskly with fork or wooden spoon until thick dough. Knead more flour into dough in the bowl, which avoids some of the clean-up mess. Let rest for 10 or 15 min.. I roll out the balls of dough on a white floured surface so bran isn't everywhere. Only takes 1/4 c or so.
Takes practice so start with a small batch and roll thin. I brown the tortillas quickly in a hot cast iron skillet, sometimes putting a drop of oil in first, which helps with dryness.
3 tries and you'll be an expert. A good life skill as you can make a meal anywhere in the world with a cup of flour. Teach your kids!
Natasha Sandoval says
I tried to make these tonight and they didn't turn out at all. The dough was so sticky, there was no rolling them into anything! I love the idea of homemade tortillas though. any tips?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Natasha. Maybe try a little less water to start with...you can always add more. Jill
Maran says
I made these for the first time, and they' couldn't have been easier or tastier. Thank you for the recipe!
Sara says
Him... I just made these, but they seemed a bit off ... I want to say bitter, but not really. I can't describe it. I used olive oil. Any ideas what I could have done wrong?
Christina says
I think that since olive oil can be bitter, that probably affected the taste of your tortillas.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Sara. The only thing I can think of is maybe your ingredients were not all fresh? Jill
Michelle says
Just wanted to say that I make these every Sunday for the week ahead... I send them to work with my husband and he puts premade egg and sausage with cheese in them. My kids LOVE them (ages 8,10 and 12) I put peanut butter on them or put homemade refried beans with cheese and grill them, or use as a side for soup....so easy and good for you!
Michelle says
Forgot to mention....I onlu use Coconut oil in this recipe and it turns out great!
Lauren says
how long can you freeze them for, and how long can you refrigerate them for?:)
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Lauren. I would probably only keep them in the refrigerator a day or 2. After that I would throw them in the freezer. I think they should last up to 3 months. Jill
Melissa says
I made these the other night. They were really easy and quick to make. I didn't think my kids would like them (they aren't fans of whole wheat or healthy)but was surprised when my 11 yr old asked to take one with peanut butter & apples to school for her lunch yesterday. My 14 yr old was saying she hated them before she even tried them, but today when I made her a turkey and cheese wrap with lettuce and tomato, she asked for another and said "they really aren't that bad mom". Now If I can just get the hubby to come around!! Thanks!
Char says
Loved these -- here's how it went when I tried them.
http://reallyeating.areavoices.com/2013/01/10/trust-lisa-and-her-whole-wheat-tortillas/
Kristen says
I made these tonight. They are easy, and delicious. I used olive oil, and a regular non-stick pan, and all turned out great. I topped them with Trader Joe's harvest grain blend, salsa, and TJ's cuban style black beans. Loved them!! But I want to keep eating them! Thank you!
Katarina says
hello,
greetings from Slovakia :). Just made these and they were delicious!!!Thank you for sharing. Just had one question. They were a bit 'dry'. Couldn't wrap them properly. What did I do wrong? Thanks a lot.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Katarina. Did you make sure not to use too much flour when you were rolling them out? Also, make sure you let them "rest" before rolling them as well. You may also want to cook them a little less and see if that helps next time. Jill
Susannah says
Can you use a tortilla press for these? I made them and they were tasty, but terribly misshapen
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Susannah. You can probably use the press to get them started, but, you'll still have to roll them out after that. Jill
Mary says
I just made these for the second time and used my lefse grill and stick - easy as could be! I know not everyone has these, but if you do then forget the skillet.
Meghan says
Do you have to use a cast iron skillet- I don't have one could I do this in a big frying pan?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Meghan. No, I have done mine in the frying pan and they have turned out just fine. Jill
Alie H says
Made today for the first time - YUM YUM YUM! I'm just learning to cook and I couldn't believe how easy this was. I don't think I'll ever go store bought again!
Angimw says
@Heather, I made it with a wooden spoon by hand! No problem!
Angimw says
Oh dear...I just made these. The good news is they are delicious. The bad news is I just ate four of them. Hopefully if I keep making them the novelty will wear off??! Thanks for all of your healthy deliciousness!
Heather says
I do not have a stand mixer with a dough hook.. Can I make this dough with a regular mixer or by hand?
Anna says
I don't have any Avocado oil, so what other oils could I use?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Anna. I would try coconut oil. Jill
Hillary says
I don't own a standing mixer and my handheld does not have dough hooks. Will it work with standard handheld mixer with beaters?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Hillary. I think you'd probably be better off doing them by hand then. Jill
Ashley says
I have used my bread machine to knead and mix it all! :)
Kristen says
Ashley, do you just put all the ingredients in the bread machine and then hit the dough cycle? I don't have a mixer either.
Ashley says
Yes Ma'am :) So much easier than do it by hand and worry if it will turn out right. Start with wet ingredients first then dry on top and press start.
Ashley says
Does anyone know how many calories each tortilla has? I made the batch of 12 so they were pretty small, but was just curious how many calories they had :) Thanks!
Sara says
Mine had 161 calories each. I made 12 from the batch and used olive oil.
Sara says
Just made these tonight and they turned out AMAZING. Thank you so much for this great recipe. Going to be making my own tortillas from now on. ^_^
Heather says
I made these tortillas tonight and the flavor was delicious. The texture of the dough seemed just right and they rolled out fine. The only trouble I had was they turned out crispy. Any suggestions? Did I cook them too long? Too much oil? Any suggestions would be great! Thank you!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Heather. Yes, perhaps they were cooked a little too long. If anything on the oil, maybe you didn't have enough. Maybe try those few changes next time and see how they turn out. Jill
Heather says
I'm having trouble with the texture of these tortillas...or any homemade tortillas (not just this recipe) for that matter. They are fine when first made and kept warm, but when I keep them in the fridge or freeze them, they are hard and won't roll very well or will even break apart. If I'm using them cold for a wrap, then they don't roll very well. Have any tips?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Heather. I would say that even just bringing them to room temperature if you don't want them warm should help some with being able to roll them out. I always use mine warm, so they're usually fine. Plus, not many of mine ever make it to be saved for later :-). Jill
Anya webb says
How long do the tortillas last
After being cooked in the fridge
Before you have to freeze them
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Anya. I would probably only keep them in the refrigerator a day or two and then throw them in the freezer. They're not hard to defrost even if you decide to use them. Jill
Vegan chick says
Cheese and dairy are actually responsible for Veal. The cow mom is also going to be slaughtered in 5 to 7 years when 'useless'.
I love the recipe, it is easy and amazing. Thank you so much.
Rusty says
My girlfriend and I made these (cause she wanted to...) and it really was an epic fail. Tough to roll out, tougher to transfer to the pan, and were quite greasy when finished...they did taste okay...I'm not sure what went wrong, but all we got from this recipe was practice flipping tortillas. Definitely not worth the trouble.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Rusty. Sorry they didn't work out for you. Jill
Celeste says
We had fun making these tonight--a group project! The older kids rolled out the circles while I had several griddles going on the stove. The little ones don't like beans very much so we smeared them with a touch of spaghetti sauce, sprinkled w/shredded cheese, & zapped in the microwave 15 sec. A sort of "personal thin crust pizza" -- they gobbled them up! With the leftovers we put a little butter and cinnamon w/a drizzle of honey. Good thing we made a double batch.
Teresa says
Hi there! I made these tortillas today, and while they are (VERY) delicious, they turned out much, much smaller than the recipe says. If I wanted to make them 8x10, I had to double the dough and end up with only 6 tortillas. In the end I opted for 12 smalls ones, and they were barely 4x4! Any ideas why this might be?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Teresa. The only thing that comes to mind is that maybe you didn't roll them out as thin? Glad you enjoyed them otherwise. Jill
Allison says
I don't have a mixer with a dough hook. Can I make them without??
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Allison. Yes, you can do them by hand as well. Jill
Amy says
We loved these! I would like to know if I can cut down the oil amount. I used olive oil and they just seemed really greasy. I even ended up adding more flour to make the consistency right. They tasted great but I would feel better if I could cut down the oil amount. Any suggestions?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Amy. Glad you enjoyed them. Yes, you can cut down on the oil. Others have reported doing that and said they turned out fine. Good luck. Jill
Vincent says
Thanks so much for this recipe! We were buying tortillas in bags every week, and I was always kinda interested in making them at home, but was a little too intimidated, until I found your website. I now make a batch every week; these tortillas are part of my family's regular diet!
Bonnie says
I just made these with coconut oil. I added a bit more flour, maybe a 1/2 cup. I also used my griddle and did 3 at a time. To roll out the dough, I used a pastry roller. I taped down a piece of wax paper to my counter, rolled out the dough with the pastry roller and carefully pealed the tortillas off the wax paper and put on the griddle. Thanks for this great recipe. :)