Gluten-Free Keto-Vegan Tortilla

This simple and easy gluten-free tortilla makes a great base for wraps, vegan quesadillas, burritos and naturally, it’s an essential part of a Mexican dinner. Moreover, this recipe is nutritious and fiber-rich — unlike the conventional wheat or corn-based tortillas that are also high in carbs.

About the Gluten-Free Keto-Vegan Tortilla recipe

I often make a kind of sandwich with tortilla and different fillings for my son as his school snack. Tortilla — with veggies and some protein — keeps his little tummy full for a long time. I also use tortillas myself. They make a great base for example for breakfast burritos, and with some modifications, they turn into delicious nachos (I will post a proper nacho recipe here at some point!).

It took me quite a while before I managed develop a decent low-carb tortilla recipe. You can read more about that on my other blog where you also find two variations for a low-carb paleo tortilla. However, those two variations are not vegan as they both contain egg. There is also a low-carb tortilla recipe on my Low Sugar, So Simple book, but that also contains egg. Therefore, I needed a healthy vegan option. My goal was to develop a grain-free, gluten-free and 100% plant-based keto-vegan tortilla.

I knew psyllium is one of the best vegan egg replacements out there, but I learned that so are chia seeds. However, I needed also a bulk ingredient to which I finally chose coarse almond flour (sometimes called almond meal). Another option would have been coconut flour, but my experiments with it failed miserably. In one experiment, I used 1 tablespoon coconut flour, 1 teaspoon chia seeds, 1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder, and 2 tablespoons water. When I added the water, the mixture turned into an extremely stiff dough quickly and was impossible to spread or even pat flat to the plate to make any tortilla.

Moreover, I was afraid that coconut flour would give a coconutty taste to the tortilla — which wouldn’t have been desired. Previously, I have made low-carb tortillas with coconut flour and egg, and they were okay (and the dough wasn’t too stiff), but I wanted to get the corn-like feeling to the keto-vegan tortilla, so that’s why I also choose coarse almond flour in the end. It’s quite neutral in taste and gives a great texture for this tortilla. And it works so much better than coconut flour.

However, my first tortilla experiment with almond flour wasn’t a success. Nope. I used only almond flour, psyllium husk powder, and water. The result was stretchy, gum-like and watery flat creation which didn’t deserve to be called tortilla. Well, even though the look and consistency were disastrous, the taste was okay.

In my keto-vegan bread recipes I often use both psyllium and chia seeds. Therefore, I got the idea to add also chia seeds to my keto-vegan tortilla experiment. And when I added chia seeds in addition to psyllium and almond flour, the result was perfect. I was still pondering whether I should use 2 or 3 tablespoons water (I made experiments with both) but concluded that the tortilla was just perfect with 3 tablespoons water. It made a tasty, flexible, yet sturdy tortilla that made a perfect wrap. Mission accomplished!

Oh yes: since this tortilla is rich in fiber, remember to drink lots of water with it to enable your digestion system to handle it properly.

In the photo I’ve filled the tortilla with vegan Waldorf Salad and red bell pepper to make a wrap. I wanted to make salad with wild mushrooms that I had picked myself. However, when I went to forest, I didn’t find any edible mushrooms! Usually there are plenty of mushrooms especially when it has been this moist and warm. But not this time. Luckily, I had ingredients for this keto-vegan mayo, celery stalks and walnuts, so I made Waldorf salad and used that as filling. It was really good!

Tips for making the Gluten-Free Keto-Vegan Tortilla

Personally, I prefer a microwave oven to prepare this tortilla. However, you can use a dry (i.e. no oil added) non-stick skillet. When developing this recipe using a microwave, I noticed that it’s better to use less power and longer cooking time — that makes the tortilla bake more evenly.

When preparing the tortilla in a microwave oven, you need not grease or oil the plate where you bake the tortilla. I’ve never had problems with the tortilla sticking to the plate even I haven’t oiled the plate — just the opposite, when I greased the plate, the tortilla turned out dry, and it stuck badly to the plate.

For me, a ceramic plate has always worked best. Plastic is not good in the microwave oven – even if it’s marked microwave-proof. Plastic and a hot temperature is a bad combination since plastic releases toxins when it reacts with a hot temperature — and also with acid. Therefore, I strongly recommend microwave-proof ceramic or a porcelain plate when preparing the tortilla.

After baking, when you remove the tortilla from the plate, it’s best to use a thin knife or a cheese slicer and slide it between the plate and the tortilla to remove the tortilla nicely from the plate.

Other than that, this is an easy recipe to make, as you’ll soon see. Let’s look at how to make it:

Take a small bowl.

Add the almond flour…

…chia seeds (I prefer white ones)…

…psyllium husk powder (use fine powder for the best result)…

…and a pinch of unrefined sea salt (or other natural salt).

Add also water.

Mix well…

…like this…

…until well combined.

Transfer the dough on a microwave-proof ceramic plate.

Here we go.

Pat flat and round with your fingertips…

…like this…

…so that it looks like a tortilla.

Bake at 500 watts for 4-5 minutes or until done. Don’t overbake!

The tortilla will turn out too dry and be difficult to remove from the plate if baked too long.

Remove the tortilla gently from the plate by sliding a thin knife or cheese slicer between the plate and the tortilla.

Ready!

Make as many as you need and use like a regular tortillas.

Here is the video (no, it’s not a tattoo in my arm, my 7-year-old son just wrote my name there with a black pen!):

 
And here is the recipe: