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Easy Cassava Flour Tortillas Recipe (4 Ingredients)

December 13, 2020 (Last Updated: April 7, 2024)

Looking for a simple and satisfying recipe for paleo and gluten-free tortillas that are soft and pliable? Look no further than this fantastic cassava flour tortillas recipe!

With only four easy-to-find and simple ingredients – cassava flour, water, extra virgin olive oil, and salt – you can quickly make a batch of delicious tortillas that are perfect for all sorts of dishes.

Whether you use them to make tacos, burritos, wraps, or even quesadillas, count on these soft and pliable cassava flour tortillas to make your healthy lifestyle easier.

A tortillas recipe that can accommodate many diets

I’ve been making cassava tortillas since 2017. I remember the first time; they were terrible, but I was proud. At the time, there were not many store-bought alternatives, so my only option was to make them.

In the meantime, I made them repeatedly and perfected them so you won’t have to go through the same painful process.

It does take some practice to perfect them, depending on how skilled you are at working with dough in general. But anyone can make them. They are closer in taste and texture to wheat flour tortillas than corn tortillas.

I love this cassava flour tortillas recipe because it can accommodate so many diets:

  • grain-free
  • nut-free
  • paleo
  • gluten-free
  • lectin-free
  • dairy-free
  • vegan
  • AIP (auto-immune protocol)
  • whole-30
  • low-histamine

Cassava flour

Cassava flour is such a great flour to work with. Cassava flour is made of yuca root, also called cassava root or manioc, a starchy root vegetable native to South America. To create the cassava flour, the root is peeled, ground, and sun-dried or slow-baked.

If you’ve ever been to a Brazilian restaurant or a churrascaria, you probably had the famous Brazilian cheese bread, Pao de Queijo, as a starter. Those are made of cassava flour.

I have two versions of Brazilian bread made with cassava flour:

NOTE: cassava flour and tapioca starch or tapioca flour are not the same thing.

Check out our Quick Guide to Lectin-Free and Gluten-Free Flours.

Tools you need to make this grain-free tortilla recipe

A cast-iron skillet or griddle is best for making these tortillas. Alternatively, you can use a ceramic-coated pan.

The tortillas are cooked on medium-high heat, in a pan without oil; that’s why you need something that can withstand these conditions.

They can be made on the stove, but during summer, we even make them on the grill (with the cover), using a cast iron plate.

Don’t use non-stick pans made of Teflon or other toxic materials.

Now, I work with a Carbon Steel Crepe Pan.

A kitchen scale

I feel is safer to measure 200 grams, as sometimes a cup measurement can be tricky due to the different textures cassava flour brands may have.

If you don’t have a scale yet, the approximate measurement is 1 cup + 1 tablespoon. Don’t worry, though; you can always adjust the quantity of water if there is too much or too little flour.

A tortilla press (or a rolling pin)

To flatten the dough, you can use a rolling pin or a tortilla press. The tortilla press method is faster, so please use it if you have one.

I don’t have a tortilla press. Due to our nomadic lifestyle, a tortilla press seems too much to carry around, so I stick to the old method, a rolling pin. It works very well to flatten the dough, but it takes a slightly longer time.

Other tools: mixing bowl, parchment paper, non-slippery work surface

Sometimes I can roll them without a piece of parchment paper on top; sometimes, I can’t. You can try and see what works for you.

I usually work on my kitchen table. If my table is too slippery for the parchment paper sheet, I use a silicone mat as a base.

Ingredients for 8-10 cassava tortillas

  • 200 grams cassava flour (if there is an option for the type of flour, make sure it is extra-fine)
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cup lukewarm water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

If you roll them out and want to shape them perfectly round, with the help of a round bowl, you will have some discarded dough, which you will use at the end to make one or two extra tortillas. That’s why the number of portions can vary from 8 to 10.

The size of these tortillas is about 7-8″ or about 20cm. They are not all perfectly equal.

How to make easy cassava flour tortillas

  • Add the cassava flour, extra virgin olive oil, and salt to a bowl. Add one cup of water, mix with a wooden spoon or spatula and start adding the rest of the water. When you cannot use the spatula anymore, start mixing with your hands. For me, it almost always works with 1 1/2 cup of water, but if your flour has a slightly different texture, it might require more or less. Look for a play dough texture.
Mixing ingredients in a bowl
Mixing the dough with the hands

  • This is the secret to a very elastic dough, so don’t skip this step. Once the dough becomes homogeneous, knead it for about five minutes until it becomes very elastic and you start to hear and feel pockets of air inside it. You have to stop before it becomes sticky.
The dough becomes very elastic
Kneaded dough in a bowl

  • Shape it into a ball and portion it into eight equal parts, which you will shape into eight dough balls. While you are working on each tortilla, cover the rest, so they don’t dry out. If you feel they are a little dry, you can add warm water or you can lightly wet your hand and knead it a little bit before rolling it out.
Cassava tortilla dough portioned into eight equal parts
Flatten tortilla dough

  • There are two ways to do this. 1. You roll them all out first and place them in between squares of parchment paper. After rolling them out, you start to cook them. 2. Roll them one by one, and while one cooks, you can prepare the next one. I use the first method when cooking them on the stove. When I make them on the grill outside, I first finish rolling them out, and then my husband is in charge of cooking them on the grill.
Rolling out tortillas in between two parchment paper sheets
A tortilla being covered with parchment paper

How to cook cassava tortillas

  • Heat a dry cast-iron skillet on the stove or on the grill. It has to be hot before you add the first tortilla.
  • If the dough is really pliable and elastic (which it should be if you follow all the steps above), you just take the tortilla with your hands (see photo below) and throw it in the pan. If you feel they are not that sturdy, use the bottom parchment paper to flip them onto the pan.
  • Cook for about two or three minutes on each side, on medium high heat; they will start forming brown blisters and air pockets. Don’t worry if they don’t form the air pockets; they’ll still be good. Some things will come with practice. I noticed that when I use the grill, they’ll take a little longer to cook.
  • Once cooked, put them on a towel and partially cover them. If you cover them entirely, steam will be formed, and they might stick to each other or get too soft. But even if that happens, you can separate them again. I actually prefer when they soften up, especially if I will reheat them. If the heat is too strong and you cook them for too long, they’ll become hard.
Cassava flour tortillas covered with parchment paper and ready to be cooked
Picking up one tortilla with the hand
One cassava flour tortilla cooking on the grill. It is forming a nice air bubble.

How to store cassava tortillas

You can eat these immediately, or you can make them in advance and quickly warm them up before serving (you can also use them cold).

You can store them overnight on the counter, wrapped in a towel, or the refrigerator for one day, in a covered container or plastic bag.

I love to make big batches, stack them with parchment paper squares and freeze them. You don’t need to thaw them. Just drop them on a hot pan, and they’ll be ready in a maximum of one minute.

They can also be warmed in the oven. Just be careful; if you warm them for too long, they’ll become chips or tostadas.

Baked cassava flour tortillas in a tortilla warmer

Gluten-Free Green Cassava Tortillas

I used this recipe as a base and made these beautiful and delicious Gluten-Free Green Tortillas. Try them out if you want to have more fun with color and even add more nutrition power to these lectin-free cassava flour tortillas.

Gluten-free green tortillas on a plate
Green tortillas

How to serve cassava tortillas

Of course, they are best with tacos, but they can replace any type of bread. Use it for sandwiches, burritos, or as pita bread. Serve them with our homemade ground beef taco meat.

Four burritos made with cassava flour tortillas

They are also perfect for trying the famous tortilla wrap hack. It makes for an amazing tortilla sandwich.

The Most Satisfying Lectin-Free Breakfast I’ve Ever Had. The Tortilla Wrap Hack, Step by Step

Tortillas sandwich

Let me know if you make them and how you use them! And don’t forget, practice makes perfect. My first-ever cassava flour tortillas were terrible, but they are better every time I make them. Enjoy!

A keto tortilla recipe

If you are looking for a low-carb tortilla, try our Coconut Flour Tortillas. They are soft and pliable, perfect for holding your favorite fillings, and have under 1 gram of carbs.

*This post contains affiliated links, which means I get a small commission if you choose to purchase something via one of my links, at no extra cost to you.

Easy Cassava Flour Tortillas

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (9 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
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By Claudia Curici Serves: 8
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 50 minutes

These easy-to-make cassava flour tortillas only have four ingredients: cassava flour, water, extra virgin olive oil, and salt. Count on these tortillas to be soft and pliable and easy to store and reheat. Use them to make tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and tortilla wraps, or even use them as a base for a mini pizza or flatbread.

Ingredients

  • 200 grams cassava flour (if there is an option for the type of flour, make sure is extra-fine)
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cup lukewarm water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1

Add the cassava flour, extra virgin olive oil, and salt to a bowl. Add one cup of water, mix with a wooden spoon or spatula and start adding the rest of the water. When you cannot use the spatula anymore, start mixing with your hands. For me, it almost always works with 1 1/2 cup of water, but if your flour has a slightly different texture, it might require more or less. Look for a playdough texture.

2

This is the secret to a very elastic dough, so don't skip this step. Once the dough becomes homogeneous, knead it for about five minutes until the dough becomes very elastic, and you start to hear and feel pockets of air inside it. You have to stop before it becomes sticky.

3

Shape it into a ball and portion it into eight equal parts. While you are working on each tortilla, cover the rest, so they don't dry out. If you feel they are a little dry, you can lightly wet your hand and knead it a little bit before rolling it out.

4

There are two ways to do this. 1. You roll them all out first and place them in between squares of parchment paper. After rolling them out, you start to cook them. 2. Roll them one by one, and while one cooks, you can prepare the next one. I use the first method when cooking them on the stove. When I make them on the grill outside, I first finish rolling them out, and then my husband is in charge of cooking them on the grill.

5

Heat a dry cast-iron skillet on the stove or on the grill. It has to be hot before you add the first tortilla.

6

If the dough is really pliable and elastic (which it should be if you follow all the steps above), you just take the tortilla with your hands (see photo above) and throw it in the pan. If you feel they are not that sturdy, use the bottom parchment paper to flip it onto the pan.

7

Cook for about two or three minutes on each side, on medium high heat; they will start forming brown blisters and air pockets. Don't worry if they don't form the air pockets; they'll still be good. Some things will come with practice. I noticed that when I use the grill, they'll take a little longer to cook.

8

Once cooked, put them on a towel and partially cover. If you cover them entirely, steam will be formed, and they might stick to each other or get too soft. But even if that happens, you can separate them again. I actually prefer when they soften up, especially if I will reheat them. If the heat is too strong and you cook them for too long, they'll become hard.

9

You can eat these straight away, or you can make them in advance and quickly warm them up before serving (you can also use them cold). You can store them overnight on the counter, wrapped in a towel, or in the refrigerator for one day, in a covered container or plastic bag.

10

I love to make big batches, stack them with parchment paper squares and freeze them. You don't need to thaw them. Just drop them on a hot pan, and they'll be ready in a maximum of one minute. They can also be warmed in the oven. Just be careful; if you warm them for too long, they'll become chips or tostadas.

Notes

I recommend reading the entire post and seeing the picture guide before starting.

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36 Comments

  • Reply
    Julia
    March 28, 2024 at 7:56 am

    I love this recipe and keep coming back to make it! My cassava will not take all the water though. I found it takes 1 cup — even after kneading five minutes. They puff nicely on my cast iron griddle. And they taste fantastic!! Thank you for the recipe, Claudia. Keep up the experimentation 🙂

    • Reply
      Claudia
      March 29, 2024 at 10:08 am

      Hi Julia! Cassava flour remains the biggest mystery to me :))) But it’s great we can add water gradually, the same way we add water with wheat flour. Glad you love the result! -Claudia

  • Reply
    Jackie
    January 10, 2024 at 12:12 am

    I had a bunch of cassava flour leftover from a prior experiment and yours was only the second recipe I’ve ever tried with the ingredient. I did the spinach version and it came out fantastic! Thanks for the detailed instructions – maybe it was beginner’s luck but I got the puff and browning and everything. My husband even went back for seconds. Thanks for a great recipe!

    • Reply
      Claudia
      January 10, 2024 at 3:56 am

      Thank you so much, Jackie! So glad you successfully made these tortillas. You are right, not everyone can nail it from the first try. xx -Claudia

  • Reply
    Maria
    September 21, 2023 at 9:43 am

    Hi Claudia after a successful lectin and gluten free sourdough starter and bread I was so looking forward to these tortillas seems easy, BUT after following all of it mine never became elastic just crumble I kneaded it for over 10 minutes still crumble, I’m using SUN TROPICAL cassava flour that’s the only one I could find here in UK, any suggestions what I’m doing wrong please thank you

    • Reply
      Claudia
      September 21, 2023 at 1:12 pm

      Hi Maria! Firstly, congratulations on the sourdough bread, that’s a huge achievement! Have you tried adding more warm / hot water to the flour, until you reach the right consistency? Are you on Instagram or in our Facebook group? If you are on any of these, send me some pictures. This recipe should be very easy, but sometimes the flour can be the problem. It might just need more hot water. -Claudia

  • Reply
    Renata
    July 12, 2023 at 8:06 am

    Hi Claudia, thanks for the recipe, I found it after trying a similar one, where they never explained the kneading part and the tortillas were a disaster, so I added more water and made crepes to make wraps to take on a hike today!

    I’m going to try again with the kneading, but I’m in Peru and the flour I found doesn’t even have a brand on the package, it’s just a nylon bag 🤣 I had the same issue Erin above here had. But I’ll try the kneading! Do you think that maybe adding rice flour, garbanzo bean or another kind of flour would help? I’m not celiac but my doc recommended avoiding wheat flour for now and I’m quite excited trying different recipes ☺️

    • Reply
      Claudia
      July 12, 2023 at 8:13 am

      Hi Renata! I hope this recipe works for you. If you are on Instagram, could you send me a picture of the flour – to see the texture? With all the translation confusion around cassava I want to see how the flour looks like so it’s not confused with a starch. Let me know how it goes! -Claudia

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