These grain-free homemade cassava flour tortillas with lime are super easy to make. They work great with tacos, fajitas, quesadillas or wraps, and the addition of lime adds a bright and zesty flavor.
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Why I love these cassava flour tortillas
Cassava flour is grain-free, gluten-free and easily digestible, making it perfect for a Paleo diet. This nutrient-dense flour is high in vitamin C, contains fibre and resistant starch, supporting gut health and feeding good gut bacteria. Once you start making homemade cassava flour tortillas with lime, you'll quickly notice that the bagged store-bought tortillas aren't nearly as fresh or flavorful.
Try them with these tasty White Fish Tacos with Mango Mint Salsa.
Noteworthy ingredients
Cassava flour: is similar in flavor and texture to all purpose flour, making the tortillas soft and pliable.
Fine sea salt: helps the ingredients pop.
Unrefined coconut oil: is often made from fresh coconut meat and adds moisture and pliability to the tortillas.
Lime zest and juice: adds a zesty, tart taste with delicious floral notes. Choose organic if you can, as the zest will not be affected by pesticides. If you cannot get organic limes, make sure you scrub the lime well before zesting.
Step by step instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and the salt until they are fully incorporated.
2. Use the tines of a fork or a pastry cutter to press the the coconut oil into the dry ingredients repeatedly until the oil is evenly distributed. The dough will be pea-sized and crumbly.
3. Add the lime zest, lime juice and warm water. Continue to press with the tines of your fork or your pastry cutter. Once it starts to come together you may want to get in there with clean hands.
4. Shape the dough into a large ball with your hands.
5. Cut the dough ball into 8 equal pieces with a sharp knife and roll into separate balls.
6. Rest the dough balls under a barely damp towel while you press each tortilla.
7. Heat a large cast iron or ceramic non-stick pan over medium heat until good and hot.
8. Prepare 2 square 7-inch pieces of unbleached parchment paper.
9. Using your tortilla press or rolling pin, place a rounded dough ball between the parchment paper and press or roll until flattened to about ⅛-inch thick.
10. Place your flatted dough in your hot pan by carefully removing the top layer of parchment. Flip the dough into the pan, and slowly peel off the bottom parchment (which is on top now).
11. Cook for 30-60 seconds per side. Repeat steps 9-11 until you have cooked all the tortillas.
Tips for the perfect tortillas
Use warm water when mixing. This helps the dough come together more easily and keeps it soft and pliable (like playdough).
Use a dry cast iron or ceramic non-stick pan if you can. They work really well to keep the tortillas from sticking. A metal pan may require a little oil for the tortillas to release.
Don't overcook your tortillas or they will be crisp and difficult to fold. If this happens, just break them up and use as tortilla chips.
Keep tortillas warm between sheets of unbleached parchment paper and wrapped in a clean kitchen towel before serving.
Limes and other citrus fruit produce more juice when at room temperature. Give it a little roll on the counter with the palm of your hand to break up the juice capsules before juicing.
Frequently asked questions about cassava flour tortillas
Cassava flour is made from the yucca root, also known as manioc. A staple in Asia, Africa and South America, this flour is used in many baked goods like breads, cakes and cookies. It is grain free, gluten free, nut free and vegan, has a mild, neutral flavor and can be swapped with grain flour in many recipes.
Cassava flour can be swapped with all purpose flour but it's not always perfect for a 1:1 substitution. It can be used in a yeast based baking recipe that requires rising by replacing a portion of the flour in the recipe. However, cassava flour can replace all of the grain flour in a recipe that does not require rising. It’s lighter, fluffier and more absorbent than all-purpose flour. If you’re swapping it into a recipe you will need to adjust your liquid measures to find the right balance.
Yes, the tortillas can be frozen. To avoid sticking, freeze on a baking tray in a single layer, then stack with unbleached parchment paper in between the layers. Place in an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Having a tortilla press is handy but you can also roll out your tortillas with a rolling pin or a clean wine bottle. Just place the dough between two sheets of unbleached parchment paper and roll it out, rotating the paper as you go. You can also press out the dough with your hands in a rustic circle.
While you can use either one, bleached parchment paper is treated with chlorine to make it white. Some say that the chlorine can leak into your food but there are no studies to prove this. Unbleached parchment paper seems to be a little slippier than bleached, so that food releases easier.
This recipe makes 8 small, 4 ½" tortillas. You can make 6 larger tortillas by cutting the dough in 6 segments before rolling. You can also easily double the dough to make 16 small tortillas.
What you will need
- Large bowl
- Fork or pastry cutter
- Unbleached parchment paper
- Tortilla press or rolling pin
- Cast iron or ceramic non-stick pan
- Kitchen towels
Recipe
Cassava Flour Tortillas with Lime
- Total Time: 30 min
- Yield: 8 tortillas 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This grain-free homemade cassava flour tortilla with lime recipe is super easy to make. They work great with tacos, fajitas, quesadillas or wraps, and the addition of lime adds a bright and zesty flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cassava flour (140 grams)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (3 grams)
- 3 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil (40 grams)
- zest of 1 fresh organic lime
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (30 grams)
- ½ cup warm water (118 grams)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt until thoroughly incorporated.
- Use the tines of a fork or pastry cutter to press the coconut oil into the dry ingredients repeatedly until the oil is evenly distributed and the dough is pea sized and crumbly.
- Add the lime zest, lime juice and warm water. Continue to press with the tines of your fork or pastry cutter, then mix the dough until it starts to come together.
- Shape the dough into a large ball with your hands.
- Cut the dough ball into 8 equal pieces with a sharp knife and roll into separate balls.
- Rest the dough balls under a barely damp towel while you press each tortilla.
- Heat a large cast iron or ceramic non-stick pan over medium heat until good and hot.
- Prepare 2 square 7-inch pieces of unbleached parchment paper.
- Using your tortilla press or rolling pin, place a rounded dough ball between the parchment paper and press or roll until flattened to about ⅛-inch thick.
- Place your flattened dough in your hot pan by carefully removing the top layer of parchment, flipping the dough into the pan, then slowly peeling off the bottom parchment (which is now on top).
- Cook for 30-60 seconds per side. Repeat steps 9-11 until you have cooked all the tortillas.
- Cover the cooked tortillas on a dish with a dry towel and squares of parchment paper between each tortilla to prevent sticking.
Notes
- Don't overcook your tortillas or they will be crisp and difficult to fold. If this happens, just break them up and use as tortilla chips.
- The cassava tortillas are best eaten fresh. You can refrigerate them if necessary in an airtight container with parchment between each tortilla. They will last a couple of days in fridge.
- The tortillas can be frozen. To avoid sticking, freeze on a baking tray in a single layer, then stack with unbleached parchment paper in between the layers. Place in an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: main course
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tortilla
- Calories: 112
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 146.1 mg
- Fat: 5.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.9 g
- Fiber: 1.1 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: cassava flour tortillas, cassava tortillas, cassava flour, paleo tortillas, gluten free, grain free
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