Cassava Flour Tortillas

Recipe: $4.23 | Per Serving: $0.14 | Yield: 30 | Jump to Recipe

Soft and pliable, these cassava flour tortillas are the perfect vessel for all your favorite taco fixin's. They're so GOOD!

Although I'm sure I'll be able to eat corn masa again one day, I'm so glad to have discovered these amazing cassava flour tortillas while my gut hates all things corn. Cassava flour is almost as magical as cauliflower. It works great as breading, for muffins and pancakes and waffles, for tortilla chips, and for these perfect tortillas. 

Benefits of Cassava Flour

• Non-Allergenic: free from nuts, wheat, corn, and coconut, cassava flour is the perfect addition to an allergy-friendly kitchen. 
• AIP-Friendly: Yes! These cassava flour tortillas are also AIP tortillas! 
• Pliable & Stretchy: If there's one thing missing from most gluten-free alternatives, it's that coveted stretchy chewiness. Cassava is a great option because it is super stretchy!

If there is one downside, it's that cassava flour is essentially pure starch, so it isn't quite as nutrient dense as, say, (organic) heirloom corn or other starchy options like sweet potatoes. However, a lot of people can't have grains, including corn (both a vegetable and a grain), so cassava is a GREAT gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo replacement. 

I've made a lot of whole wheat and corn tortillas, and I will say the hardest thing about corn tortillas specifically is making sure they don't break after you've cooked them. Luckily with cassava tortillas, that is not going to be a problem because they are super bendy and pliable. 

However, making them does take a little bit of skill. The dough is a bit fragile and if you add too much water or roll them out too thin, the raw tortillas can break apart easily. I recommend pressing them or rolling them out between parchment paper to prevent tearing before you cook them. 

How to Make Cassava Flour Tortillas

• First, you want to combine the cassava flour, coconut oil, salt, and 1 1/4 cup of water. I prefer to start with a fork and then use my hands to smooth it out.

• To test the dough, roll or press one little ball into a tortilla. If it sticks together, it's ready. If it falls apart, it's got too much water so add a little cassava flour and try again. 
• Divide the flour into even-sized balls. I usually go for golf-ball sized, but go with whatever works for your pan (and your tortilla press if you're using one). Makes 30 small (street taco-sized) tortillas or 15 large tortillas. 

• Be sure to cover the dough with a towel to prevent it from drying out as you start the processing of making your fancy cassava flour tortillas. 
• Now, here's the tricky part. Place the ball of dough on a piece of parchment paper. Lightly flatten the dough with your hands and then cover it with a second piece of parchment paper and gently roll it out with a rolling pin.

• If using a tortilla press, you want to line the press with parchment paper and then press as usual. It works much better than plastic wrap! You can press, rotate, and press again, or just press once for a slightly thicker tortilla. I recommend rolling out several before you start cooking.

• After they're rolled out, you can just cook them on a dry OR oiled skillet over medium heat, approximately 1-3 minutes on each side, and that's it! My stove burners are all a little different, but I find that temperature 4-5 (out of 10) is best for these. 

Can I use something besides coconut oil?

I have not yet tried anything other than coconut oil, but I think you might have luck with avocado oil, softened butter, or even ghee. For cooking, I sometimes use a little oil to start, and then oil the pan again about halfway through. 

Can I use something in place of parchment paper?

Yes, but I would not recommend using plastic wrap because it sticks to the dough. I've successfully rolled these out by placing the dough inside a large freezer gallon bag. It's a little finicky, but it seems to work ok.

I try not to buy single-use plastic bags if I can help it, so I stick with the parchment. You can find If You Care unbleached parchment paper on Amazon and on Grove Collaborative (referral link!). I actually lined my tortilla press when I received it 7 months ago, and I've just been wiping the parchment clean and storing it. I've used it maybe 5 times so far, so I'll probably have to replace it soon. 

How to Store Cassava Flour Tortillas

Storing them is a touch trickier than corn and flour tortillas. Since these babies are primarily starch, they will stick together if you stack them, especially while they're cooling.

I recommend letting them cool completely before storing, and then wrapping them in a single layer in a dish towel, as shown below. 

I fold the dish towel along the gaps between tortillas and then place it in a plastic bag, Stasher bag, or in a storage container. I have also stored them stacked without wrapping them, but they do just become a pain to pull apart. Store these cassava tortillas in the fridge.  

When you're ready to eat them, they'll be a little firm from the coconut oil. You can nuke them, toss them in a toaster oven, or just reheat them briefly on a skillet and then stuff them as usual.

How Many Tortillas Does This Recipe Make?

If you make them small, as shown in the picture, you can get about 30-32 street taco tortillas. I sometimes make them twice that size and get 15-16 medium-sized tortillas. I haven't yet made these into burrito-sized tortillas just because I don't really have a large enough pan to cook them in, but you should try it!

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Paleo: Yep!
Vegetarian: Yep!

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