paleo grain-free and gluten-free tortillas

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gluten-free ratio rally
gluten free
grain free
paleo
tortillas

paleo gluten-free tortillas

Next weekend I am doing our first grain-free wedding order! You might remember a while back when we did the tasting. Since then we've been researching and testing out various grain-free recipes. That got us interested in learning more about a paleo diet. If you don't know what paleo means, it's also referred to as the caveman diet and consists of eating whole foods (similar to that of our hunter/gatherer ancestors), and eliminating harmful ones. 

Since gluten and many grains fall into that harmful category, as far as I can tell, it also happens to be gluten free! And now, after many months of debate, Patrick has decided he wants to try a paleo diet. 

So when this month's host, Brooke of B & the Boy, chose tortillas for our gluten-free ratio rally challenge, I wondered how on earth I might be able to make tortillas be both paleo and gluten-free. We consulted a few cookbooks and eventually settled on a recipe in Paleo Comfort Foods. Now I'm not really a huge fan of baking with coconut flour, but I wanted to give Patrick's new diet a chance. Using my sister's fancy-pants tortilla press was a cinch and the coconut flour tortillas weren't bad at all! In fact it kind of tasted like a coconut crepe or pancake. And since there wasn't any sugar in the recipe, it lent itself perfectly to a savory taco.

coconut flour tortillas

We kept the tacos paleo-compliant too with simple sliced veggies (avocado, heirloom lollipop tomatoes from the garden, onion, and cilantro), and salt and pepper tilapia. Simple, delicious, and best of all GF & paleo. The jalapeno margarita also in the picture, sadly was not paleo. Baby steps! ;)

paleo and gluten-free tortillas

This recipe is based on the coconut flour tortilla recipe from Paleo Comfort Foods. The ingredients form more of a batter than a dough and yield about 8 pliable soft tacos.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup coconut flour (40 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking pwoder
  • 8 egg whites (240 g or 1 cup)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • pinch of salt
  • coconut oil (as needed, for greasing the press or pan)

Instructions

  1. In a bowl mix all ingredients. Set aside for five minutes. The batter takes about that long to hydrate and thicken.
  2. If necessary greese your tortilla press or pan with coconut oil.
  3. Make the tortillas:
    • In a preheated electric tortilla press: Pour about a little less than 1/4 cup of batter onto the tortilla press. Quickly smooth out using a heat resistant spoon, and press the top of the press down to distribute the rest of the batter. Cook until the indicator on the press goes off.
    • In a pan over medium heat: Pour a little less than 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan. Quickly smooth out using a heat resistant spoon. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the edges of the tortilla start to turn golden brown. Then flip and cook for an additional minute or two.
  4. Transfer tortillas to a plate and cover with a paper towel to keep warm.
  5. Serve with desired toppings and do your best to keep away from within hungry doggy mouths. :)

Want MORE gluten-free tortilla recipes? Check out:

Comments

Paula Thomas replied on

Never thought of using coconut flour for tortillas. will have to give it a try. I have some coconut flour waiting to be turned into something.

Jonathan replied on

Yay for grain-free tortillas! I love the though of a "coconut pancake" - sounds beyond amazing. Keep us updated on the grain-free wedding, Patrick's new diet, and all the baby steps in between. :) Thank you for sharing, Charissa!

Lisa replied on

I love the dog staring down the margarita. Did he make a move on it?! Our dogs used to terrorize beer at BBQs. Obviously our dogs aren't gluten free.

Alyssa | Queen ... replied on

These look awesome!! I have been dying to make my own tortillas and I LOVE that these are grain-free as well :)

Anonymous replied on

I swear to God, I've been looking for a nice tortilla recipe.

Thanks for the sweet post! :)

Maggy replied on

quick question: did you use the eggs whites for any particular reason, or can I use whole eggs?

charissa's picture charissa replied on

Hi Maggy!
I think the egg whites lend a lighter flavor and texture than using whole eggs. I imagine that using a whole egg might yield more of a crepe like texture. I'd reduce the number of whole eggs if you do go that route since the volume would be different. Let me know if you try it!

Meredith replied on

This was just what I needed. I made these to go with Indian food for some Paleo friends. Instead of the tortilla maker, I cooked them on a cast iron griddle and made them like I would make Dosas (south Indian rice and lentil bread) or crepes. Fantastic! Thank you!

charissa's picture charissa replied on

Thanks Meredith! Glad to hear these worked for you! Definitely a great substitute for Dosas!

Janna replied on

I let it set for 10mins and it still has yet to thicken. Any tips?

Janet replied on

Janna, my exprience has been that the batter is very thin even after sitting. Wondering if you ever tried it....

charissa's picture charissa replied on

I should also say that should be soupy enough for you to spread around, you don't want it too thick!

charissa's picture charissa replied on

Hi Janna! You could add a little bit more coconut flour or xanthan gum to thicken it. I'd add it little by little until it reaches a thick consistency almost like a pancake batter.

Lee replied on

Thanks for this they were great! Mine came out like a soft tortilla. Do you think i could bake them after to make it crispy, like more of a chip? Perhaps for healthy nachos?

Gina replied on

Is the baking powder essential?

charissa's picture charissa replied on

Hi Gina,
I think the baking powder works with the eggs to get them a light and fluffy texture. I think it might work without it, but I'd imagine they'd be pretty dense.

Alex replied on

Can you use almond flour as opposed to coconut flour? Also, is this a crispy tortilla when cooked on a pan? I'm looking for a soft tortilla recipe for fajitas. Thank you!

charissa's picture charissa replied on

Hi Alex! I think coconut flour hyrdates more than almond flour (that is absorbs the liquid), so if you use almond flour it might not get thick enough.

These are soft and flexible!

Randi replied on

Thanks for the recipe! I made it in a tortilla maker and they were good. I did add extra coconut flour because the batter was too runny. Also, next time I am going to try baking soda instead of powder. I don't think powder is paleo. I would guess I would get the same results. I sprayed the plates with coconut spray. It did need it. I am going to make these again soon. Thanks!

charissa's picture charissa replied on

Good point Randi! I wonder why someone doesn't make a sweet potato based baking powder. Let me know how the baking soda works out. I think I want to try that myself!

Randi replied on

Thanks for the recipe! I made it in a tortilla maker and they were good. I did add extra coconut flour because the batter was too runny. Also, next time I am going to try baking soda instead of powder. I don't think powder is paleo. I would guess I would get the same results. I sprayed the plates with coconut spray. It did need it. I am going to make these again soon. Thanks!

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