Cassava Flour Tortillas (gluten-free, grain-free, paleo)

Cassava flour tortillas are just what you need for fajitas, quesadillas, and wraps! They are gluten-free, grain-free, vegan, and paleo! These tortillas won't fall apart and have great taste and texture! Fill these easy to make tortillas with whatever you crave!

Finding gluten-free tortillas that work well for things like fajitas and quesadillas is somewhat challenging. Sure, you can opt for readily available corn tortillas that you find at any grocery store, but to be honest, corn tortillas just don't cut it for all uses. The flavor of corn tortillas, in my opinion, doesn't pair well with fajitas. Their structure leaves much to be desired if you want to make a wrap. While they make a decent quesadilla, it's just not the same as a flour tortilla.

Aside from gluten-free pizza, flour-style tortillas are one of the hardest items to replace on a gluten-free diet. I have tried a lot of gluten-free tortillas. The Mission brand gluten-free tortillas were just gross. The B-free brand wraps are good but hard for me to find! After much searching for better gluten-free tortilla options, I finally decided to bite the bullet and try the Siete cassava flour tortillas. I held off on ever trying them because let's be honest, they're expensive! We're talking about $1/tortilla in my neck of the woods! Once I tried them though, I realized two things: 1. they are worth the hype, and 2. they are worth the price. They are honestly delicious! I also tried the almond flour variety and those are very good as well! My favorite version was the cassava coconut. As you can tell, those tortillas got me tinkering on a homemade recipe that could work for when I don't want to shell out eight bucks for a package of tortillas!

After playing around with this recipe I've determined that these tortillas:

• are so easy to make! If you've never made tortillas, you will be surprised as to how easy they are to whip up! You may never feel the need to buy tortillas again!
• have great texture, they're soft and pliable!
• don't fall apart! They are sturdy enough for whatever you want to use them for.
• have a great nutty flavor that doesn't compete with the flavor of what's inside.

Ingredients & Equipment:

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• Cassava Flour: using a good quality cassava flour is key.
  • Otto's brand cassava flour is a very popular, high-quality brand. It worked great for these tortillas!
  • I also tested these with Anthony's cassava flour. It is a little cheaper than Otto's and I felt it worked just as well. Just by feeling the flour, both Otto's and Anthony's were very smooth and did not feel gritty.
  • I've made these with Thrive Market Cassava flour, but they don't seem to have it available right now. You can purchase Otto's Cassava flour through Thrive Market and receive 25% off your first order through this link.
  • I tried making several things with Pamela's cassava flour and unfortunately, I can not recommend it. The flour feels very gritty and doesn't absorb moisture as well as the other cassava flours.
• Coconut flour: This ingredient can be eliminated if desired. I liked the results with it though, which is why I included it in the final recipe. The texture was more 'flour tortilla-like'. The tortillas without the coconut flour were great but slightly chewier in texture.
• Coconut oil: if you're averse to coconut oil, any neutral-flavored oil will work.
• Salt & Water

If you are serious about tortilla making, you may want to purchase a tortilla press. If you're making tortillas regularly, using a tortilla press is going to give you the best results. It's worth the investment and will save you the headache of trying to roll them out. If you're not sure, try them with the rolling pin first and then decide if it's worth it for you.

What is cassava flour?

Cassava flour comes from the Cassava plant which is also known as yuca. It is a root vegetable commonly grown in South America.

Cassava has many health benefits but what makes it great for our purposes is that it is gluten-free, grain-free, and nut-free. This flour can often be used as a 1:1 replacement for wheat flour in many recipes.

While there is some concern that cassava is dangerous, which is true if cassava is eaten in its raw form, we do not have to worry about that. The flour sold in the U.S. is made from cassava root that has been peeled (removing much of the poisonous material) and then cooked before grinding into a flour.

Interestingly enough, if you've been gluten-free for long you probably already have a type of cassava in your pantry. Tapioca starch (tapioca flour) also comes from the cassava plant. The difference between tapioca starch and cassava flour is that cassava flour is made from grinding the whole root into flour. Whereas, tapioca starch is made from a process that removes only the starch from the root. The difference is similar to that of Potato flour vs. potato starch.

How to make the tortillas:

Step 1: Whisk together the flours and salt.
Step 2: Then stir in the oil, I usually use my fingers to work it into the flour until the mixture is evenly combined.
Step 3: Stir in the water.

Step 4: Keep stirring the mixture until it starts to come together. Then take the dough out of the bowl and knead a few times until it comes together to form a ball.

The dough should:

• Not be super wet or sticky.
• Hold together without easily crumbling apart.
• Have a similar texture to play dough.

Step 5: Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and roll into balls.

Step 6: Line a tortilla press with two pieces of parchment paper. Place a piece of dough in-between the parchment. Press down firmly on the tortilla press. Lift and rotate the parchment and press again. Do this one or two more times until you have a 5-6 inch tortilla.

*You can also use a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Place the dough in between two sheets of parchment and roll out into a thin tortilla. Your tortilla may not be as perfectly round as with the tortilla press.

Step 7: Heat a non-stick or cast-iron skillet over low heat until hot. You can brush the skillet with a very light coating of oil if needed. Cook the tortillas for 4-5 minutes, flipping after each minute or so.

The tortillas can be used immediately or reheated later. They will be very crisp after cooking and soften as they cool. As they sit they will stiffen up again, which is why you'll want to reheat them before serving.

How to store cassava tortillas:

The tortillas are delicious when eaten fresh from the skillet but you can also store them! Cool completely before stacking and use your preferred storage method below:

• Refrigerator: They last at least about one week in the fridge in an airtight container. The tortillas can be rewarmed & softened in the microwave or heated again in a skillet.
• Freezer: Freeze them to keep for longer periods. Place a piece of parchment paper between each tortilla so that you can pull out just one or two at a time as needed.
• Room temp: They can be kept sealed for a few days at room temperature.

Tips for success:

• I didn't need to add any extra water the many times I tested this recipe, but if your dough is too dry or crumbly to form a ball, take the mixture and work in a few drops of water at a time until the consistency is a little better. Don't add too much! If the dough is wet and sticky it will be very hard to work with.
• As a reminder, check the ingredients list above! The brand of cassava flour you use makes a big difference in results.
• The dough makes 8 - 5-6" tortillas, which are small taco-sized tortillas. Only form 6 balls if you want them slightly larger than that.
• Take care not to burn the tortillas. They will scorch if your pan is too hot. Cooking them low and slow is best.

Recipe

I am so excited to finally have a good tortilla to go with my favorite chicken fajitas! Check out that recipe for the best sheet pan or grilled fajitas!