Whole Wheat Tortillas

These whole wheat tortillas are soft, flexible, and made with just a handful of simple ingredients. They come together in under an hour and are perfect for tacos, wraps, quesadillas, or meal prep.

If you’ve only ever used store-bought tortillas, homemade versions are noticeably different. They’re tender, pliable, and have a fresh wheat flavor that works just as well for savory dinners as it does for breakfast wraps.

This recipe makes 8 tortillas and can be made entirely with whole wheat flour or with a half whole wheat, half all-purpose flour blend for a milder flavor and softer texture.

Ingredient Notes

Please scroll down for the full recipe. These notes explain a few details that affect texture and flexibility.

• Whole wheat flour – using 100% whole wheat gives these a hearty wheat flavor. They clearly taste whole wheat. For a softer tortilla with a milder taste, use half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour. Or use white whole wheat! That’s my favorite option, however it seems harder to find these days.
• Butter – unsalted butter gives the best flavor and pliability. You can substitute a neutral oil if preferred. Different oils may slightly change the color, texture, and taste.
• Warm water – warm (not hot) water helps hydrate the flour and makes kneading easier.
• Salt – don’t skip this! It enhances the flavor and balances the wheat.

How to Make Them

1. Stir together the whole wheat flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter.
2. Work the butter into the flour with your hands or a fork until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
3. Add the warm water and mix until a dough forms. Knead for about 5 minutes, until smooth. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
4. Preheat a dry skillet over medium heat. Divide the dough into 8 pieces. On a clean piece of parchment paper, roll each piece into a thin circle, flipping and rotating as you go.
5. Cook in the hot skillet for about 60 seconds, flip, and cook another 30–60 seconds until cooked through.
6. Keep warm in a towel and repeat with remaining dough.

Why Do My Tortillas Crack?

If your tortillas crack when folded, they were likely overcooked or the dough needed a bit more water or fat. Try shortening the cook time slightly, or add a small splash of warm water to the dough next time.

Can the Dough Rest Longer?

For the best texture, I recommend rolling and cooking the tortillas after a 20–30 minute rest.

Whole wheat dough is temperamental. Unlike all-purpose flour, whole wheat contains the bran, which acts like tiny shards of glass. As the dough sits, the bran continues to hydrate and can actually “cut” the gluten strands you worked so hard to develop during the 5-minute knead.

While you can refrigerate the dough, whole wheat continues to absorb moisture as it sits, which can make the tortillas denser.

If you must chill the dough, bring it completely to room temperature before rolling to ensure it stays pliable.

Vegan Option

If you’re making some Vegan Fajitas and want some vegan whole wheat tortillas, all you have to do is use vegan butter, refined coconut oil, or a neutral oil like avocado oil, light olive oil or vegetable oil.

Storage and Freezing

Store cooled tortillas in a resealable bag at room temperature for up to 2 days.

For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 1 week. To freeze, place parchment paper between each tortilla and store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.

How to Reheat

To reheat, warm a dry skillet (cast iron works especially well) over medium-high heat. If your tortillas have been refrigerated for a few days, they may feel a bit stiff.

Lightly sprinkle or flick a few drops of water over the surface before placing them in the pan. This helps rehydrate the bran and brings back that fresh, just-made texture.

Heat each tortilla for about 15–20 seconds per side, then immediately transfer it to a tortilla warmer or wrap it in a clean kitchen towel. The trapped steam is what restores their flexibility.

If you’re reheating a full stack, the microwave is actually better for keeping them soft. Place the tortillas on a plate, cover with a slightly damp paper towel, and microwave in 20-second intervals until warm and steaming. The damp towel helps prevent the whole wheat fibers from drying out.

5 from 1 vote

Whole Wheat Tortillas

Author Erin Dooner

Course Side

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 8

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 16 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

These soft, pliable whole wheat tortillas are easy to make with simple pantry ingredients and cook up beautifully in a hot skillet. Perfect for tacos, wraps, and quesadillas. Can be made with butter or oil and easily adapted to suit your needs.

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups (250 grams) whole wheat flour or white whole wheat or 50/50 whole wheat and all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 3 tablespoons (42 grams) room temp unsalted butter or oil
• ▢ 3/4 cup (177 ml) warm water

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, salt and baking powder until the salt has been fully incorporated into the flour.
  2 cups (250 grams) whole wheat flour

  1 teaspoon salt

  1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• Add the butter or oil to the flour and begin combining the butter with the flour using your hands or a fork. I highly recommend using your hands because you can assure the butter gets fully mixed into the flour and there are no large butter pieces left in the mixture. Continue pressing the butter into the flour with the fork, or squeezing the butter with your finger tips, until the flour has become a sandy texture.
  3 tablespoons (42 grams) room temp unsalted butter or oil
• Next, add the warm water to the flour base and continue mixing with your hands. Continue mixing until the dough has come together and formed a doughball. Once the dough has formed a doughball, begin kneading the dough for about 5 minutes. You can knead in the large bowl or on a piece of parchment paper.
  3/4 cup (177 ml) warm water
• Return the doughball to the bowl if you kneaded on a piece of parchment paper, and cover the kneaded doughball in the large bowl and cover with a clean, dampened linen, or a plastic wrap sprayed with oil. Cover for about 20 minutes and let them sit at room temperature.
• After 20 minutes, pretheat a skillet to medium heat. Do not grease the pan.
• While the pan is warming, cut the dough ball into 8 equal parts. I found that using a bench scraper was the best way to do this, however you can use a knife if you do not have a bench scraper. Place all of the small dough balls into the bowl and leave one on a clean piece of parchment paper. Keep the remaining dough balls covered to prevent any from drying out.
• Using your palm, press the small doughball to make a flat circle. Then, take a rolling pin and roll up and down a few times. Stop, turn the tortilla dough over and rotate it 90° so the widest part is going left to right.
• Now, using the rolling pin, roll up and down a few times again. Stop, flip, rotate, roll, again.
• Repeat this until you have an even circle that is thin enough to almost see the countertop or the light through the dough. We flip and rotate the dough to help encourage the gluten to stretch and not contract.
• Gently lift the tortilla and place it in the fully heated skillet. The skillet does not need to be oiled or greased. Allow the tortilla to sit for about 60 seconds. You should be able to slide the tortilla around with a spatula while it is heating. You do not need to do this, but it is a great way to check for even and proper cooking.
• After 60 seconds, flip the tortilla over and allow it to continue to cook for an additional 30-60 seconds or until the tortilla dough is no longer raw.
• Remove the tortilla and keep it warm between clean, dampened kitchen linens, or a tortilla warmed that is lined with a dampened linen.
• Repeat the process again until all 8 tortillas have been cooked.
• Use immediately, or store in a resealable bag for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week. To freeze, place parchment paper between each tortilla and freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
• To reheat, heat a dry skillet (cast iron is best) over medium-high heat. If your tortillas have been in the fridge for a few days, they might feel stiff. Lightly flick a few drops of water onto the surface before reheating in a pan. This "re-hydrates" the bran and makes them taste fresh-off-the-press again! Place the tortilla in the pan for about 15–20 seconds per side. Immediately place the warm tortilla into a tortilla warmer or wrap it in a clean kitchen towel. The trapped steam is what actually makes it "bendy" again. If you're reheating a whole stack at once, the microwave is actually superior for keeping them soft. Place the stack of tortillas on a plate. Cover them with a slightly damp paper towel. Microwave in 20-second bursts until they are warm and steaming. The damp towel prevents the whole wheat fibers from losing their moisture to the air.

Notes

• The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 140kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 4gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 338mgPotassium: 110mgFiber: 3gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 134IUCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg

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