This recipe may come as a shock to you, but today I’m going to show you how to make tortillas out of cauliflower… yes, these are Cauliflower Tortillas!
Watch the quick, how-to video showing you how to make Cauliflower Tortillas, then print out the complete recipe at the end of this post so you can make them at home.
Cauliflower Tortillas
Don’t be scared. They sound strange, I know. The funny thing is that they are both strange and wonderful.
Cauliflower Tortillas don’t taste like your typical corn or flour tortilla at all. They’re a simple substitute for using grains, and they totally work.
The recipe (with a couple of small changes) comes from Joshua Weissman’s book: The Slim Palate Paleo Cookbook.
I’m not on the Paleo diet, and if you’re reading my blog, you’re probably not either, but you don’t have to be eating Paleo to enjoy this recipe or indulge in reading this cookbook.
There is a lot to this cookbook that cookbook lovers will embrace. First of all, it was written by a (then) 17-year old who was in the midst of making healthy changes to his life (see photos below). Joshua decided to take charge and incorporate real food into his life (no grain, gluten or refined sugar), and in the process of doing that, he lost 100 pounds and wrote a cookbook. I don’t “treasure” cookbooks all that often, but I am truly in love with this one. I’ve been reading it like a novel, and it’s so impressive and inspiring to know that it was written by such a young person who is intelligent beyond his years.
The book contains recipes for all meals of the day. Those recipes on my list to try very soon are: Bacon and Caramelized Shallot Quiche, Grilled Coconut- Basil Chicken, Sweet Rosemary Meatballs, Sea Bass with Fennel and Tomato, Egg Drop Soup, Indian Cauliflower Couscous, Spaghetti Squash Alfredo with Mushrooms, Salted Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Fudge, Pumpkin Blondies, and Strawberry- Toasted Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
YUM, right?? There is a big, beautiful photograph for every single recipe- and all of the photographs were taken by the talented Mr. Weissman.
How to make Cauliflower Tortillas:
It begins with cauliflower that has been obliterated into cous-cous-like granules in your food processor. Some people have mentioned in the comments that they’ve had success using already riced cauliflower instead of processing a head of cauliflower. Once it’s in this state, a short stint in the microwave softens it up. If you don’t own a microwave, just steam it on the stove instead.
When cauliflower is cooked, the moisture comes out in full force. Wrapped in cheesecloth or a thin dishtowel, you can gently squeeze out the moisture. It’s important to squeeze out ALL of the moisture!
The crumbled cauliflower is mixed with egg, salt and pepper (I add fresh cilantro and lime juice). If you are vegan, or if you are allergic to eggs… readers have mentioned that they substitute flax eggs without any trouble.
This mixture is shaped into “tortillas” and baked- first on one side and then on the other.
Then the Cauliflower Tortillas are placed on a rack for a bit of cooling.
The final quick step in the recipe is tossing them in a heating skillet for a little browning and crisping on each side.
That’s it! I enjoy these Cauliflower Tortillas straight out of the pan for eating. I also enjoy them with a little cheese melted on top like a quesadilla. They’re also good in the morning with a scrambled egg and eaten like a taco.
They are somewhat pliable to bend and fill with a small amount of filling for tacos, but they are most certainly perfect to eat all by themselves too. I recommend eating them “tostada-style” because they may tear when trying to bend like a taco. Try topping them with this Best Ground Beef Taco Meat.
Can you taste the cauliflower? I’d say, yes. If you’ve ever sampled the cauliflower pizza crust, you’ll most likely also be a fan of Cauliflower Tortillas. You might also like to try my Zucchini Pizza Crust too!
Can you freeze Cauliflower Tortillas?
This is a commonly asked question, but I haven’t tried freezing them so I’m not sure how well that works. My guess is that they would be fine. Just heat them in a hot skillet to warm them up and make them pliable again.
Can you use frozen cauliflower to make cauliflower tortillas?
Yes, but frozen cauliflower will have much more moisture in it. Be sure to squeeze out that extra moisture!
Try making cauliflower tortillas, and let me know what you think.
Cauliflower Tortillas
Recipe Details
Ingredients
- ¾ large head cauliflower (or two cups riced)
- 2 large eggs (Vegans, sub flax eggs)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ medium lime, juiced and zested
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F., and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Trim the cauliflower, cut it into small, uniform pieces, and pulse in a food processor in batches until you get a couscous-like consistency. The finely riced cauliflower should make about 2 cups packed.
- Place the cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes, then stir and microwave again for another 2 minutes. If you don't use a microwave, a steamer works just as well. Place the cauliflower in a fine cheesecloth or thin dishtowel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible, being careful not to burn yourself. Dishwashing gloves are suggested as it is very hot.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add in cauliflower, cilantro, lime, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. Use your hands to shape 6 small "tortillas" on the parchment paper.
- Bake for 10 minutes, carefully flip each tortilla, and return to the oven for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, or until completely set. Place tortillas on a wire rack to cool slightly.
- Heat a medium-sized skillet on medium. Place a baked tortilla in the pan, pressing down slightly, and brown for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Video
Notes
- *You can munch these by themselves, make quesadillas with them, or add some taco filling and fold it like a taco.
- *Some people have mentioned in the comments that they've had success using already riced cauliflower instead of processing a head of cauliflower.
- *Leftover tortillas should freeze well for you.
I have mad these A LOT!!!! We started with original recipe came out perfect ( I believe most fails are due to not getting enough water out) since have experimented with pre riced frozen and reg frozen. Both worked well remember squeeze squeeze squeeze! The last batch I threw all the old veggies in the drawer into the mix ( green onion, carrots, zucchini mushrooms bell peppers etc..) they came out great. Totally freezable! These help curb the bread cravings thank you for this wonderful recipe!
What great recipe- they fit excellent in my new WW diet. And I liked them 🙂
Made the tortillas very good
Easy to make and tasted great. I first served with Mexican quinoa and the tortila went well with the spices. The cookbook is out of print and over 70.00 on Amazon. Could you print more recipies? The sound so good.
Can I use frozen cauliflower, instead of fresh?
I haven’t tried it, but it might work. Frozen cauliflower will have a lot more moisture, so be sure to really squeeze it out.
I made them based on the recipe but I couldn’t do the flippy part, they stuck to the parchment paper. Do you think I did something wrong?
I’m not sure!
Just had cauliflower breadsticks with our shakshuka. These looks wonderful for our sheet pan roasted chicken onions and peppers. Thank you.
Great recipe! If you add parmesan it will be extremely pliable.
i couldn’t flip my tortillas, so i allowed the first side to cook longer. i still had trouble flipping. am i missing something?
They may have been too wet. You may have needed more cauliflower.
These are excellent! Thanks for sharing. I have purchased a commercial version of these, but homemade is tastier and cheaper. I added about 1/4 cup of coconut flour to bind it a bit, and also a tsp of baking soda to leaven it a little–both of which worked out well. I might experiment with nut flours as well.
I am going to try these but I am going substitute the cilantro for spinach basil and green onion
Do you think it will be ok
Perhaps!
I really enjoyed this though I tweaked it based on what I had on hand. I left out the cilantro and lime and added 1 tbsp of organic masa harina and 1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese. That added about 6g of carbs (about 1g per tortilla) but was delicious and totally worth it! It tasted very close to a real corn tortilla, only eggier and not in a bad way. Thanks for the recipe!
We are trying this tonight. Do you have any suggestions if we wanted to make more than 6 at a time. We tripled the recepi but found that 6 eggs may be too runny of a batter. Have you made more than 6 at a time?
I haven’t–
These definitely hit the spot for my paleo-friendly tacos craving. Thanks for taking the time to share this recipe. I also heated one up the next morning with scrambled eggs, avocado, tomato, and onions. So good!
I was just wondering what to do if you can’t put it in the microwave?
Steam it on the stove instead.
Just a heads up, there is indeed a cauliflower flour you can buy now.
Interesting!
I made this for the first time and my taste buds were very pleasantly surprised! Better than I imagined and a definite 5 Star keeper. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
These tortillas have a great flavor and texture. I love the addition of cilantro and lime to the steak tacos I made with them. My husband said he could have eaten these tortillas all night!
What would you suggest I substitute for the lime juice? My hubby is allergic to citrus, tree nuts and peanuts…. thanks they sound yummy….
You can certainly leave it out!
Omg delicious! I was looking for an alternative for pita to use for homemade gyros. Substituted seasoning to make more complimentary… garlic powder, thyme and oregano with lemon juice. Perfect and folded well too!
Followed the recipe exactly, but the mix was much too wet with 2 eggs. I had to add more squeezed cauliflower and then, about a tablespoon of flour to get them to hold together. Good idea, but this recipe didn’t work for me as written.