Best Vegan Flour Tortillas

These vegan flour tortillas come together with just 5 simple ingredients. Pair them with fajitas, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more!

5 from 102 votes

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 20

Total Time 1

Course How-to, Snack

Cuisine Mexican, Vegan

Servings 12 tortillas

Calories 154 kcal

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Mix in the vegetable shortening with your hands to incorporate it into the dry ingredients. Then, add the water and stir everything together.
Next, remove the dough from your mixing bowl onto a floured surface. Begin kneading the dough to form a ball that's sticky enough to stay together, but not coming off on your hands. Keep folding over and pressing with your palm for 10 minutes.
If the dough appears too crumbly, add a tablespoon of water at a time until you are able to form a texture similar to play dough. If it's too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour while continuing to knead.
Once smooth and elastic, cut the ball of dough into 12 pieces. Roll each piece in your hands until smooth, then flatten it slightly. Cover the flattened pieces with a towel to rest for at least 15 minutes up to a few hours (the longer they rest, the softer they'll turn out).

On a floured surface, use your hand to flatten the disc out a little then begin rolling it out with a rolling pin. Roll it until the tortilla is quite thin (don't forget about the edges). If you don't have a rolling pin, use a tortilla press or the bottom of a baking dish.

Preheat a seasoned cast-iron skillet slowly up to medium. Then, add a tortilla in and cook on the first side for 45-60 seconds, or until you see bubbles forming and light brown spots on the underside. Flip and cook for another 45-60 seconds.
Note: You may have to adjust the heat and cook time depending on your individual stove and pan.
Remove from heat and wrap each tortilla in a tea towel to keep warm while you cook the rest. Serve your flour tortillas warm with your favorite meals. Happy eating!

Keep kneading: The texture will be slightly crumbly when you initially mix it. As you continue kneading, the consistency will turn more uniform.
Preheat the pan: Make sure your pan is hot before you add the tortillas. We prefer using cast iron as it retains heat the best and adds a distinct flavor.
Watch for burning: If you see dark brown or black spots form right away, remove the pan from the burner and turn down the heat for the next tortilla.
Oblong is okay: Don't be obsessed with achieving the perfect circle. An oblong tortilla just adds to the authenticity of being homemade!
Use hot water: Use the hottest water your hands can tolerate. The dough will turn out much more tender this way. If it's too hot, use a stand mixer with a hook attachment to prevent burning your hands.
Thin rolling: Roll the tortillas as thinly as possible. You want them to look almost see-through before cooking them.
Don't skip resting: Give the dough ample time to rest. This relaxes the gluten bonds, resulting in a soft, pliable texture.
Nutritional information is a rough estimate and should not be taken as health advice.

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