A great flour tortilla should be soft and bendable; it shouldn’t tear or crumble apart when you roll it into a burrito. Above all else, it should taste good! I wanted a gluten free version of our favorite flour tortillas, basically, Gluten Free Flour Tortillas that don’t taste gluten-free.
Finding a combination of ingredients that would produce the perfect tortilla and in the process not taste like weird, chewy cardboard is something I almost gave up on many times.
While this recipe contains three times as many ingredients as traditional tortillas with their simple combination of flour, salt, water, and oil; the ingredients aren’t complicated ones.
Each of these items works with the others to create the perfect tortilla. I tested this recipe six times before sharing it here for the first time. Since then, we’ve made these tortillas countless times over the past few years. These Gluten Free Flour Tortillas turn out perfectly every time.
When I finally figured out this recipe, we had more breakfast burritos and breakfast tacos that month than we had eaten in the past two years. My whole family is thrilled with this recipe. For more gluten-free recipes that don’t “taste” gluten-free, check out all of the Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes!
COOK’S NOTE: You can roll these tortillas thicker, like naan bread, or as thin as possible. If you are more of a perfectionist than I am, you can even roll the lightly floured dough into a ball and create much more perfectly round tortillas.
Kitchen Tip: I use this style of pastry roller, this pan, or this electric griddle to make this recipe.
The Best Gluten Free Flour Tortillas
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup potato starch
- 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 6 tablespoons milk plus 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 6 tablespoons light flavored olive oil
- 2 eggs
- Additional 1/3 cup of potato starch for rolling out tortillas
Instructions
- Combine the milk and the vinegar and let it sit for a few minutes. Stir together the dry ingredients and set aside. Whisk the honey into the warm water and then add the milk/vinegar and oil. Whisk in the eggs and stir until well combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir with a spoon until the dough is between the consistency of mashed potatoes and biscuit dough. It should be wet and sticky. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes! (The resting time is crucial to the final result, if you skip resting the dough, the brown rice flour won't be absorbed and the texture will be gritty.)
- When you are ready to make the tortillas, heat a large non stick pan over medium high heat. Lightly dust a mat or countertop with a tablespoon of potato starch. The amount doesn't need to be exact, just lightly rub the potato starch across the surface with your hands, so the tortillas won't stick to the counter. You will dust your work surface with a fresh sprinkling of potato starch for every tortilla! (I used about 2 teaspoons for each tortilla.) This makes a huge difference in the ease of rolling out the tortillas.
- Scoop a golf ball size amount of dough and drop it onto the floured surface. Roll it around just a bit to lightly coat the dough with starch. Press down with your hands to flatten the dough. I flip it over a time or two, just to make sure it is coated in the starch to avoid sticking. Use a pastry roller or lightly dusted rolling pin to spread it out into a circle. Use a large spatula to transfer it to the hot pan.
- Cook on each side for 60-90 seconds, allowing it to brown and start to bubble before flipping it over. Wrap the tortillas in a thin tea towel to keep them warm until ready to eat. Serve immediately or let cool and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. Reheat for 10-15 seconds in the microwave or in a hot skillet, just before serving. The tortillas should keep nicely at room temperature for a day or two. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Gloria Baker says
these tortillas look awesome!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
I used to make tortillas years ago while living in Colorado. I always enjoyed homemade tortillas and know yours would be amazing!
Sue/the view from great island says
Wow, I'm sharing these today on facebook, they sound amazing.
Lucas Deville says
That looks yummy!!
Mrs. P. says
Have you ever tried these with a milk alternative? I'm gluten free and have a dairy sensitivity. Do you think rice milk will work with this recipe?
Mary says
I'm guessing that rice milk will be fine, but I haven't tested that myself. If you do make them, please let me know how they turn out!
Meesh says
Late, I know, but I figured I could help someone else who was wondering…
I used coconut milk and apple cider vinegar and they came out perfect! It curdled like I'd imagine cow's milk would.
Christy says
Could you substitute the potato starch with corn starch?
Mary says
That might work, but I haven't tried it myself. If you do try it, let me know how it works!
Mikhaila's Art says
i substituted the potato starch with tapioca flour. worked great!
Anonymous says
I made your these tortillas last night and I am very happy with how they turned out! Thank you!
Anonymous says
Could a tortilla press be used in place of rolling out the dough?
Mary says
Unfortunately, the dough is rather fussy and I haven't had luck making these with the tortilla press. The above method works great though!
Anonymous says
You'll be glad to know I just made these using a tortilla press to make them nice and round. I'm not so good with the rolling pin. I first flattened them to a disk about 4", placed them between two pieces of parchment paper and pressed 'half way' very gently; lifted the paper and sprinkled a little more starch around the edges and pressed gently again. I peeled the paper from one side, transferred them to the hot pan using the other piece of paper and gently lifted it off once in pan. They turned out gorgeous and delicious. Flexible and soft but strong enough to hold a very juicy and large portion of pulled pork. Thank you!
Dina says
These look great, Mary. Any sense if you can freeze them?
megdalena says
I have been craving fajitas for weeks, but have been avoiding making them because tortillas make me sad. I made this recipe tonight and followed it exactly and OMG! These tortillas are AMAZING! thank you so much for your hard work and persistence in creating this recipe! They were delicious! And even better than the flour tortillas I used to be able to enjoy.
megdalena says
I have been craving fajitas for weeks, but have been avoiding making them because tortillas make me sad. I made this recipe tonight and followed it exactly and OMG! These tortillas are AMAZING! thank you so much for your hard work and persistence in creating this recipe! They were delicious! And even better than the flour tortillas I used to be able to enjoy.
Kelsie says
Thank you so much! These were great! I used them in a "taco bake" casserole, and my two kids (1 allergic to dairy and corn, and the other to gluten) pretty much inhaled it. I used my homemade almond milk in place of the milk. It didn't curdle very well, but the end product was fantastic just the same! I halved the recipe, in case of disaster (I'm good at testing the bounds of "fool-proof), and they were great. 🙂
Nomadgurl says
I've recently discovered that I have a gluten intolerance, and wow, this recipe is a life changer!!!! I made these for dinner tonight and they are amazing! The taste and texture are even better than the regular gluten versions I used to get in the supermarket. I am never going back. This recipe is a keeper. Thank-you so much!!!!!
Anonymous says
Do you know the calorie and fat content of these?
Mary says
That isn't information that I track. However, you can use http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php to enter the ingredients and figure it out though! Hope that helps
Shaina says
I subbed cornstarch for potato starch because it's what i had on hand. They turned out great!
Stephany Gatrelle says
I made these today. They turned out so good! I did not have potato starch so I used Tapioca flour instead, thanks to previous recommendations. They are so soft and pliable. They were also very tasty! They are WAY better than any gluten free wrap I have bought at the store. The only problem I had was getting them more round and as I rolled them out they would stick to the surface. I just kept adding more tapioca flour. I am sure with more practice I will get better at the rolling process!
Anonymous says
Thank you for the recipe! I plan to make these soon since I've been craving wraps and tacos for so long. Would it be possible to add a flavor – like spinach or tomato, something that isn't a dry spice and might complicate the recipe a bit. Has anyone tried making that?
Mary says
I'm not sure about adding wet ingredients. You could get away with spices or maybe dehydrated tomato or spinach powder. If you decide to play with it, I'd love to hear how it works.
Anonymous says
Wow. Just found out I have gluten issues, my husband probably does as well, and so does my sister. One of the biggest things that made me sad was not being able to eat wheat flour tortillas. I am so excited to try these! The other thing is I LOVE PIZZA!!! Do you have any really good recipes for non-gluten pizza crust? Thanks so much for these recipes.
Mary says
I haven't yet found a pizza crust that I love enough to share here. I will definitely keep you posted though!
Sherri Baker says
Do you have any nutrition information for this recipe? carbs / calories etc? I have celiac disease and am also diabetic so I have to watch the carbs as well. Thanks!
Mary says
Hi Sherri! That isn't information that I track. However, you can use:
http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php to enter the ingredients and figure it out though! Hope that helps
Sherri Baker says
That site is amazing!! Thank you!! I look forward to checking out your recipes! Glad I stumbled across your site.
NevadaPuP says
OMG these are FANTASTIC 🙂 Great taste and just like a wheat flour tortilla. I substituted 1 cup of the Brown Rice Flour with Almond Flour to save a little on the carbs, used Almond Milk, used Maple Syrup instead of Honey and Tapioca Starch instead of Potato (I am nightshade free too) I rolled out the sticky dough balls between 2 sheets of parchment paper and put it all in my medium heated pan. This is a simple trick to working with these types of flour. After a minute of cooking the tortilla falls off the paper and end result is no sticking in the pan and you get amazing awesome flour tortilla's 🙂 THANK THANK YOU for the recipe.
Katie Kowalski says
Thats an awesome tip with the parchment paper, always held off making wraps because of the stickiness. I’ll have to try it 🙂
Lovey Dove says
I LOVE these. I just used white rice flour since I could not found brown. They were tasty. I find myself just eating them plain. Thank you for another great recipe. I am sharing on my blog too. Thanks again!
Sarah says
Hi Mary – I just wanted to thank you for your gluten free flour tortilla recipe. My husband and daughter were both recently diagnosed with celiac, and a decent gluten free wrap is so hard to find. Your recipe is the best I've tried, by far, and always seems to work. We freeze them and use them as a quick pizza base or donut substitute too – defrosted in a hot pan and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar or spread with Nutella and rolled up. I know that it's just a recipe, but sometimes that's all it takes to touch a person's life. And you've made my 10 year old smile with this one, and made feeding her that little bit easier.
Charissa says
Thank you for the recipe. I am going to try it with flaxmilk and arrowroot powder instead of the potato starch and milk. Can I leave out the honey? I'm not able to do any sugars at all.
Mary says
Hi Charissa, I think you'll be okay without the honey. I've never made these with flaxmilk and arrowroot, but they should work close to the same way. (not 100% certain on the arrowroot, but I've heard from many people who used alternative liquids.) Let me know how they turn out for you!
Anonymous says
Made these last night with a tortilla press. Husband thought they were great! My son who doesn't like most things gluten free ate 6 of them! Thank you very much! Laura
Mary says
The flaxmilk worked fine?
Charissa says
I'm sorry about the confusion above! I tried to post a longer comment explaining how it went and the flaxmilk was just an after-note, but somehow my comment never made it through. 🙂 Here it goes again!
I made these with flaxmilk, coconut oil, and a baking mix that included all of your dry ingredients. I omitted the honey and used arrowroot powder to form the tortillas. Unfortunately, the dough was so sticky and fell apart that I could not roll them out and resorted to putting globs of dough into the skillet and pressing them down with my fingers. I ended up with something that looked a lot more like naan than a tortilla! 🙂 It was still enjoyable since my diet doesn't include anything remotely bread-like or any baked goods. I guess I will need to try again one day and see if I have better results. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us!
Anonymous says
I made the Gluten Free Flour Tortillas today and I was very surprised, I didn't think they would be as good as they looked. They were Dlish!!!
Pat S says
I only had garbanzo bean flour and white rice flour. So I used half of each. I also used instant potato flakes instead of potato starch since my store didn't have potato starch. The other ingredients I kept the same. They turned out great. I know I changed your recipe somewhat but your basic measurements and ingredients were the same. THANK YOU! Like another poster suggested, I also rolled them out in between parchment paper and put the parchment paper and all in a non stick pan. They cooked and slid right off.
phillip says
where can i buy these tortilla made
Mary says
I don’t sell these tortillas. I simply share my tips for making them at home, so that everyone can enjoy their own.
Katherine says
I don’t eat gluten free myself, but I have friends who do and this recipe is great to have! Thank you!
Charlene DeLaFuente says
Would like the recipe to open gluten free soft tortillas thank you
Daniel says
Regrettably, I don’t have a non-stick on handy. Can I use the broiler setting in my oven or just “fry” the tortillas in my stainless steel skillet with oil?
Thanks!
Daniel says
Non-stick pan handy* is what I meant to say
Mary says
Unfortunately, the tortillas are a somewhat finicky recipe. I haven’t had the best luck with any other pans. It’s certainly worth a try though. I wouldn’t use oil though. Just make sure they’re well dusted in flour and try them in the stainless pan. Let me know how it works for you!
deedelicious says
I am a GF personal chef and cook for folks who do not eat eggs. Wondering if anyone has tried this great recipe with and egg replacer?
JMe says
These are delicious! They really almost taste like homemade flour tortillas. My dough was too sticky and even though I was using piles of potato starch they would not roll out with just a rolling pin. I almost cried and gave up, (no kidding) but then I remembered the parchment paper trick for rolling sticky things. I used the potato starch as normal but rolled them between two small sheets of parchment. Then I left the rolled out dough on the parchment that it wanted to stick to (usually the top) and flipped it right into the pan with the parchment attached. The parchment will release on its own about 30 seconds in and then the tortilla can be flipped and they came out amazing!
Gail Allen says
I was pleasantly pleased with this recipe. So much better than any gluten-free store bought tortillas. I did however found them a little floury but that may have been my own problem as I was trying to make sure they didn’t stick to the counter where I rolled them out. I will definitely make this recipe again but try to limit the amount of potato starch that I use.
Diane says
Good starter recipe. I found it to be way to wet to roll out. Used at least another cup of flour in the mix. I think I will try shortening next time instead of oil, maybe less wet.
Ash says
Made these today, they tasted amazing! Thanks so much! Also found that, after rolling the dough flat, you can use a bowl or the top of a pan to cut the dough into a perfectly round tortilla!
Mary says
That’s a great tip, Ash. I’m glad that you enjoyed the tortillas!
Jan says
These look wonderful! I wonder though, do you think I could use almond milk instead if cow,’s milk?
Mary says
I’ve never tried that, Jan. It’s certainly worth a try. If you do make them that way, let me know how it turns out!
Michelle B. says
Fantastic! Turned out better than store bought. I found that flattening the dough in parchment paper is really helpful, and a little less messy.
Mary says
Parchment really does help, Michelle. I’m so glad you enjoyed the tortillas.
Jennifer says
Best GF tortilla recipe I’ve ever used!
Mary Younkin says
I’m thrilled that you’re enjoying the tortillas, Jennifer!
Sam says
Does anyone know if it will work with Ener-G egg replacer and rice milk? My husband has a ton of allergies going on right now with his celiac.
Connie F Farrell says
Milk substitute? for these
Suzanne says
These were amazing! I used tortilla press but they didn’t get thin enough so then rolled out further between parchment paper. So yummy, and bendy! We successfully had fajitas. Thanks so much!!
Mary Younkin says
I’m thrilled that you’re enjoying the tortillas, Suzanne!
Kay Harrell says
Are these freeze able?
Mary Younkin says
I haven’t tried it myself, because we tend to eat them so quickly, but I imagine they’ll freeze fine, Kay.
Jeanne says
are you using the US cup or metric cup measurement ?! I just realized I might have messed up some recipes from that
Mary Younkin says
I’m in the US, so yes, I’m using US measuring cups, Jeanne.
Sonia says
Hello I was wonder if I could substitute tapioca flour for the potato starch in the flour tortilla recipe. Thank
You.
Mary Younkin says
It won’t work/taste exactly the same, but they should still come together for you, Sonia.
Lois says
I will try an egg substitute and see how it works out. Am anxious to taste them. About how many does this recipe make if you roll quite thin?
Mary Younkin says
I usually get about a dozen small tortillas, Lois.
Lisa Haines says
Delicious! What is the nutrition value of these please?
Mary Younkin says
Hi Lisa, I’ve added the nutritional information to the bottom of the recipe card. I didn’t realize it wasn’t there. Thanks!
Rima says
Hi
What is the gluten free product brand that u use it in ur recipes ?
Mary Younkin says
I use Bob’s Red Mill brand of flours and starches for my gluten free baking, Rima.
Vi Klassen says
This is THE BEST tortilla I have ever had! My family could not believe they were gluten free and that I had made them. They turned out beautifully the first two times I made them. They were soft and pliable and could be rolled without cracking or breaking. I’ve made them four times and I don’t know what I did wrong the last two times. They are hard and cracked and are impossible to roll. I am so disappointed and discouraged because I love everything about them when they turn out. Any suggestions???
Mary Younkin says
I’m thrilled that you love the tortillas, Vi. I can’t imagine what might have gone wrong. Is there any chance you are using a different size egg? It sounds like they are a little dry. It’s possible that the humidity is affecting them as well. I’d try adding a bit more oil (very gradually) and see if that helps.
Jan says
Since you are using milk with vinegar added and I don’t have milk on hand, would buttermilk work?
Mary Younkin says
Yes, buttermilk will work nicely, Jan.
Rose says
Can I share a tip? Produce bags. Put them in your tortilla press on either side of your ball of dough. I don’t know why, but those specific bags the dough will not stick to them. The bags that you put your produce in, in the produce department at the grocery store.
Mary Younkin says
That’s interesting, Rose! I never would have thought of that.