Gluten-free but craving “flour” tortillas? Same! Luckily, the craving can now be satisfied. Introducing our perfected method for cassava flour tortillas that are chewy, soft, and easy to fold without cracking.
Just 4 ingredients stand between you and your taco, quesadilla, enchilada, and (mini) burrito dreams coming true! Bonus? They’re vegan, grain-free, and SO versatile. Let us show you how it’s done!
What is Cassava Flour?
Cassava flour is a naturally gluten-free flour made from a tuberous root grown in tropical regions. Some call the tuber cassava, while others know it as manioc or yuca, among other names. It’s a staple food in many countries located in the tropics.
Unlike tapioca flour, which is made using only the starchy pulp of cassava, cassava flour utilizes the whole root. It supplies a beneficial type of fiber called resistant starch and contains minerals such as potassium and calcium.
Cassava flour is used around the world to make breads, tortillas, cakes, and more. The following is our favorite way to use cassava flour to make tortillas that resemble classic wheat flour tortillas!
How to Make Cassava Flour Tortillas
This recipe begins with combining cassava flour, tapioca starch, and sea salt. While cassava is the primary flour, the addition of a little tapioca starch helps ensure these tortillas fold without cracking and creates a pleasantly chewy texture.
The remaining ingredients include warm water to help the mixture form into a dough and oil or vegan butter for both flavor and texture. When everything is combined, the texture resembles Play-Doh (FUN)!
Since brands of cassava flour vary slightly in their absorbency, you can adjust the dough by adding a little more water if it’s too dry or more cassava flour if it’s too sticky. It should look like the photo above!
Once the dough is the right texture, it’s time to roll into tortillas! We found that rolling out from the center and turning the parchment (rather than using a back-and-forth motion) prevents the tortillas from sticking to the parchment paper, tearing, or being uneven in thickness.
The last step is to cook the rolled-out dough in a hot cast iron or non-stick skillet for about 30 seconds per side. You’ll know the pan is hot enough if air bubbles appear within that time frame. If they don’t, try turning up the heat for the next one!
You’ll be a tortilla-making PRO in no time!
We hope you LOVE these cassava flour tortillas! They’re:
Soft
Chewy
Foldable
Tearable
Fillable
Buttery
& SO delicious!
They have a neutral flavor, making them great for everything from tacos to quesadillas, enchiladas, (mini) burritos, and more.
More Gluten-Free Tortillas & Wraps
- 3-Ingredient Plantain Tortillas
- How to Make Tortillas (2 Ingredients, Oil-Free!)
- Gluten-Free Flatbread (1 Bowl, 20 Minutes!)
- Fluffy Gluten-Free Naan (Yeast-Free, 20 Minutes!)
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Cassava Flour Tortillas (Grain-Free)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cassava flour (plus more for rolling // we like Otto’s — see notes for other brands)
- 2 Tbsp tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2/3 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup melted vegan butter or oil (such as olive or avocado oil // dairy butter would work, too)
Instructions
- To a medium bowl, add cassava flour, tapioca starch, and sea salt. Whisk to combine. Add warm water and melted vegan butter. Stir using a spatula or wooden spoon for about 1-2 minutes (it will look wet at first) until the mixture has a texture that’s slightly softer than Play-Doh. If too dry, add more water 1 Tbsp (15 ml) at a time. If too sticky, add more cassava flour 1 tsp at a time. Shape the dough into a ball and cut it into 6 equal pieces for taco-sized* tortillas.
- Place a piece of parchment paper onto your work surface and dust lightly with more cassava flour. Place a portion of dough onto the center of the cassava flour and dust with more flour. Use your hands to flatten the dough and shape it into a disk. Now use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to ~7 inches, adding more flour to the top of the dough if it begins to stick. You want to get them as thin as possible while still being able to handle them! We found it works best to roll from the center out, turning the paper in 1/4-circle movements and repeating until it is all rolled out. We noticed using a back-and-forth motion made the tortillas more prone to tearing and being uneven!
- Heat a cast iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Flip the tortilla into your hand and gently peel off the parchment paper before flipping it onto the skillet, being careful not to let it fold on itself. Cook for ~30 seconds — until the tortilla begins to bubble — before flipping and cooking for another 30-45 seconds.
- While waiting for the first tortilla to cook, roll out the next one. Until you get the hang of it, you can cook a tortilla, remove it from the pan, and turn the heat to low before rolling out the next one!
- Serve the tortillas warm with your desired fillings. They’re perfect for making tacos, small burritos, quesadillas, and enchiladas. Their neutral flavor and pliable texture also makes them very satisfying to tear and dip into dals and curries.
- Leftover tortillas will keep stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days or in the freezer for 1 month (separated by pieces of parchment paper). Reheat in a skillet on the stove when ready to enjoy next!
Video
Notes
*This recipe works much better with taco-sized tortillas than burrito-sized tortillas because the larger the tortillas, the more difficult it is to transfer to the pan (especially if you have small hands). However, if you want to try out larger tortillas (it’s a challenge – you’ve been warned!), divide the dough into 4 pieces (vs. 6) and roll out into a bigger circle. Make sure you have a large enough pan to cook the larger tortillas!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with Miyoko’s vegan butter.
*Loosely adapted from Evolving Table’s Cassava Flour Tortillas.
Tanya Davis says
I really really want to be able to make these. I’ve had 2 failed attempts now. The first time I used avocado oil and it was too sticky no matter how much extra Otto’s I added. 2nd attempt I used melted dairy butter. I couldn’t roll them out at all even from the middle- out. The consistency looked like the picture. Do you think if they went in the fridge for a bit it would help the rolling process ? I’m in FL it’s very humid. I don’t want to pay $9 to buy packaged cassava wraps anymore I need this to work 🙃🙂
Sorry it’s given you trouble, Tanya! That’s so interesting. It definitely could be the humidity contributing. How much extra flour did you add? It sounds like it needs even more! Adding to the fridge for a bit could be worth a try.
CBS says
I’ll definitely try these again but the first attempt yielded WAY more tapioca starch than expected. I doubled the recipe and it was really oily. I couldn’t shape into a ball so added more tapioca and Otto’s cassava. In order to roll out I had ro add a lot of tapioca. I’ll take the advice of another reviewer and use parchment to roll out next time. REALLY tasty and the tapioca added a nice chew.
Thank you for sharing your experience! We hope it goes even better the next time!
Aleks Crossan says
Hmmmm im not sure what I did wrong, I doubled the recipe and it turned in to a soup! 1 cup of oliveoil and 2.6 water to 3 cups of flour and 8 tbsp tap. Flour. How weird! I can’t figure out where I went wrong.
To try and save it I added potato flour and some rice flour and tried pouring it like a Crêpe….but it’s all gluey.
The recipe looks great and I’ll try it again another time, I love all your recipes and they always turn out great so will try again! I’m
Hi Aleks, Those measurements sound like you may have quadrupled it! But they do seem proportional. We haven’t tried this one in a larger batch and wonder if perhaps it doesn’t work for some reason? We’d recommend trying a single batch to see if you have better success that way! Our only other idea would be perhaps the brand of cassava flour isn’t absorbent? Are you sure it’s cassava flour and not tapioca?
Carol says
We haven’t had a flour tortilla in 10 years since my hubbie got Lupus…we missed them dearly. This mimics flour tortillas so perfectly. We loved these so much even though the Otto cassava flour is expensive! But it’s worth it to get that flour tortilla taste back without the gluten.
We’re so happy you enjoyed these tortillas, Carol! Thank you for sharing! xo
Dee says
Can you make these without any oil?
Hm, we’re not sure as we haven’t tested it that way, but don’t think they would be as flavorful. Let us know if you try it out!
Amanda Guerin says
Agreed with previous comments. Your flour and patience are key. One tip. Let the dough rest 15 mins before rolling and cooking. Achieved really good results with this. Held up a sloppy black bean taco perfectly!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Amanda!
Roz says
This tortilla recipe has a bit of a learning curve. In my first attempt the dough was way too wet even after adding more cassava flour (Otto’s brand). I couldn’t get the tortilla into the pan without ruining it. On my second attempt, I used a lot more flour and dusted my hand and the flattened tortilla (I actually used a tortilla press instead of rolling it out).And I sprinkled a little cassava flour on the tortilla and my hand so I could get it into the pan without sticking to my hand. This time they turned out really good, and I know I’ll be making them again. Patience and getting the dough consistency right are key until you get the hang of it, and then it’s smooth going.
We’re so glad you ended up enjoying them, Roz! Thanks so much for sharing your experience! xo
Mya says
These tortillas are fabulous! I used ghee in place of vegan butter and had to add extra cassava flour to reach the play doh consistency. I opted to make 4 larger tortillas and honestly, compared to several other tortilla recipes I’ve tried previously, had a much easier time with rolling, shaping, and cooking this dough. I made sure to sprinkle additional cassava flour over both the dough and rolling pin as needed to prevent sticking/tearing and instead of trying to lift the rolled tortilla off the parchment paper just flipped it onto the pan and then peeled off the paper. They remained very pliable and I had no issues with cracking once rolled into burritos (I think they perform much better than the almond flour Siete tortillas on this front). Oh yeah, and they taste wonderful too! Thank you for another great recipe. I hope others are not deterred by the lower rating; I’d definitely recommend giving it a go.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Mya! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe! xoxo
Suzi says
I found when I rolled it out it worked best to put it in between the parchment and then take to top layer off the parchment after rolling. Then I would pick up the bottom parchment with the tortilla in it and flip it over onto the cast iron. My dough appeared a bit oily after mixing (I used coconut oil). I definitely prefer sourdough flour tortillas but these are a good option for someone who is gluten-free! Especially if you are single and have a lot of time to cook and experiment.
Thank you for sharing your experience and method, Suzi!
Alice says
Great recipe, thanks for sharing
Thank you for the lovely review, Alice!
Zopi says
I tried to make burrito wraps using this recipe. I used olive oil instead of melted butter and followed all instructions to the T. It kept cracking while I was rolling it;. Also, I found it hard to put the flattened dough onto my cast iron pan as it was cracking and falling apart no matter how careful I was. The taste was great but it’s a shame they didn’t hold.
We’re so sorry it gave you trouble, Zopi! Did you try adding more water to the dough? Would you mind sharing what brand of cassava flour you used? We’d love to be able to troubleshoot and help all readers have success! Taco size definitely are easier to roll, so maybe give those a try if you’re up for it!
Zopi says
Thanks so much for getting back to me. The dough was soft like the texture in the video. I used Whole Food Earth Organic Cassava flour. I live in the UK and bought this online. I would love to know how I can tweak this recipe for burritos.
We aren’t familiar with that brand, but the reviews we saw say it’s much more drying than Otto’s. We’ll do some more testing with burrito size tortillas to see if we can offer more guidance there.
Hi Zopi, we did some more testing with burrito-sized tortillas and admit it’s very challenging to flip them into the pan! We’d recommend taco-sized for best results, but if you want to make them bigger, we’d recommend slowly increasing the amount of dough/size of tortilla and finding someone with big hands to help out :)
Caitlin says
Did not work. Tried it twice. It was too wet and would not roll added a lot more then it was too dry and it cracked. Very disappointed
We’re so sorry you had a negative experience with it, Caitlin. This is a more technical recipe and can take some practice to get the right texture. If you’re up for giving it another try, we’d suggest using Otto’s Cassava Flour so it’s the most similar to what we used and be sure to reference the photos and video.
Alicia says
Hello! Thank you for this recipe! Do you know how well the burrito-sized ones actually hold up for making burritos? I saw you mentioned it in the notes and I’ve been wishing to make a vegan/GF substitute that can hold well for burritos. Any insights would be helpful :) So grateful for your dedication to sharing such wonderful recipes, I’ve been a raving fan for years now. Blessings and gratitude!
Thank you so much for your kind words and support, Alicia! That’s a great question. The burrito-sized ones are more tricky to roll out and you need a pretty big pan to cook them, but do hold up!
Anna says
Do you think corn masa flour would work?
Hi, We don’t think it would work well in this recipe, but we do have a corn tortilla recipe.
Anna says
Would this work with Masa Harina flour?
Hi Anna, we’d suggest using this recipe instead if using masa harina flour.
Stephanie Whiteley says
I’m very excited to try these! I made all of our flour and corn tortillas. But about 8 months ago we had to switch to gluten and now dairy free which put a stop to the flour tortillas. Now, we’re also largely grain free and that means I haven’t attempted many tortilla options. Not fun when you’re Mexican…anyways, this looks excellent! Question, have you tried using these in enchilad recipes? Do they hold up to being sauced and baked?
Hi Stephanie, we’re excited for you to try them too! We haven’t used this exact recipe in enchiladas, but have used a similar store-bought version with success. These are quite sturdy and we think they’d work great. Hope that helps!
Blake Spencer says
I cannot wait to make these. I usually buy the Siete almond flour tortillas but they have gotten so expensive! I saw a reviewer wanted to know if they could be frozen. I wonder if you par cook them then freeze? Would probably have to freeze separately before stacking or use parchment paper. Could be an option…this is how the Siete come…just a thought. Thanks for the recipe!
Yes, cooking or par cooking then freezing between parchment would work great! Enjoy!
Nev says
Hi! Do you think arrowroot powder would work in this recipe?
Hi Nev, we haven’t tested it, but it might work! Let us know if you give it a try.
KAREN w says
I have a recipe with almond flour and tapioca flour and almond mike it comes out runny so i use a soup ladle to measure it out and cook it and it is nice. I put herbs or spices in the mix i have even beaten up a banana to make a sweet one and they come out like a crap
Sounds lovely!
Esther says
Hi Karen, would you share your tortilla recipe? Thx!
Deanna says
Can you refrigerate or freeze unused dough?
That might work! Our only concern would be it might dry out the dough too much, causing it to crack when you roll it out.
Gloria Corley says
Would ghee work?
Yes!
Gloria says
Thank you for the tutorial! I really appreciated the excellent explanation. To the point and very helpful.
Gloria
So glad to hear it, Gloria! xo
The Vegan Goddess says
Hooray! I will try this! I love gluten-free options!
Usually I swap vegan butter with refined coconut oil with success but you didn’t mention that. Any reason why?
Yay! We prefer the flavor of vegan butter in this recipe, but if you don’t mind a slight coconut taste, go for it :) Hope you love it!
Livia says
Thanks for sharing this very interesting recipe. I came across cassava flour for the first time in my supermarket a few days ago, and I absolutely want to try it!
Just one question: why is the Tapioca starch needed? Or can I also replace it with corn starch?
Thanks a lot in advance for your reply.
Kind regards,
Livia
Hi Livia, the addition of a little tapioca starch helps ensure these tortillas fold without cracking and creates a pleasantly chewy texture. We don’t think corn starch would be quite the same, but possibly arrowroot starch if you have that. Let us know if you try it :)