You wanna talk about a serious issue for Gluten Free folks? Start talking Wraps & Tortillas. As a general rule, we've found that G-Free eaters have been unhappy about their tortilla choices, and we understand. There are some products that are just plain hard to reproduce under Gluten Free conditions, and Wraps & Tortillas must be one of them, because there are some unfortunate-tasting products out there. On the bright side - we've tasted through lots of tortillas, and here's a list of the best G-Free Foodie finds for you to try!
*The key to eating Gluten Free Tortillas or Wraps is to warm them. Most of the products we tried included directions for warming on the package. For sure, all Gluten Free tortillas should be at room temperature before bending or folding.
Best Overall Tortilla/Wrap: Whole Grain Ivory Teff Wraps from Sonoma All Natural by La Tortilla Factory - we love these wraps! Great texture & flavor, they don't fall apart with moist fillings, and they brown with out getting super-crunchy under the broiler. These wraps are Dairy Free too, find them in retail stores nationwide.
Best "Flour" Style Tortilla: Gluten Free-Wheat Free Toritlla by Maria and Ricardo's Tortilla Factory - These tortillas have a bright-white appreance and fold well when warmed. They are made from a blend of Tapioca, Sorghum & Potato flours and Sunflower oil. These tortillas are new to the Maria and Ricardo's product line, so you may want to request them at your local grocer or natural products store.
Best Brown Rice Tortilla: We're at a tie here at G-Free Foodie, some of us like the Whole Grain Brown Rice Tortilla from Food for Life, some of us are in the Trader Joe's Brown Rice Tortilla camp. These products are both good, so get the ones you can find most easily. We think Brown Rice tortillas are best in grilled or broiled applications, because they can get a little chewy. The Food for Life tortillas are Kosher, and the Trader Joe's ones are Vegan, Dairy & Soy Free. Find Food for Life products at national retailers, and Trader Joe's products at their stores.
Best Soft Taco Size Tortillas: We like the flavor & texture of the Gluten Free Tortillas from French Meadow Bakery, and they're Dairy & Peanut Free, too. The 6 inch size of these tortillas make them great for soft tacos or other hand-held applications, but warm them first - these tortillas have a tendency to crack. Find French Meadow products at national retailers.
Corn Tortillas: There are tons of great corn tortillas out there - we can't mention them all! Here are some tips: good corn tortillas shouldn't contain much more than Corn, Salt, Water and Lime, so if you're looking at a huge ingredient list, choose another brand. A tip from Ted Schroder, Founder of Pure Tacos in New Jersey: "Use high, dry heat to roast them (corn tortillas) prior to eating. Put a pan on your burner turned up to its highest setting and wait for the pan to get extremely hot (preferably 500 degrees if you have an infrared thermometer). Roast each corn tortilla on each side for 8-10 seconds."
Here's a Recipe for Corn Tortillas if you'd like to make your own!
R.O'Quinn says
There's no lime juice in corn tortillas (at least not usually). The lime referred to in the ingredient list is the mineral, not the fruit. The corn is treated with lime in order to make the texture better and to make the nutrients more available to the human digestive system.
I'd love to see G-Free Foodie post a list of corn tortillas made in dedicated facilities - most are made in factories that also make flour tortillas, and so are often contaminated.
elle says
Personally, I cannot stand the Trader Joe's Brown Rice tortillas. They are hard as a rock and even with heat, are not flexible enough. The taste is also lacking. I rather eat a cardboard box than their tortillas. Food for Life is very good. I haven't seen any of the other tortillas you have mentioned above.
Thank you for doing the research!
Trish says
The Sonoma tortillas are amazingly good, found them at Whole Foods recently. They're now our go to for any recipes requiring a tortilla.
J.A. Toy says
Trader Joes gluten free tortillas are really good if you dab the whole tortilla with water on both sides and heat on medium, in a sprayed pan, turning a few times on each side. They are soft and stay that way. We were pleased because we couldn't get them to be eatable before that.
Hannah S says
The ivory teff ones, although tasty are not truly gluten free. Millet and spelt which are both main ingredients are not TRULY gluten free, they are simply considered safe by the FDA because they have a low part per million count. Thus, these tortillas are not a good option if you wan to be truly gluten free.
Administrator says
Hannah - Nina is correct. The Ivory Teff tortillas from Sonoma/La tortilla factory are certified Gluten free and Do Not contain Spelt.
Nina says
Hannah S is misinformed.
La Tortilla Factory teff tortillas do not contain spelt, millet is GF and the product is certified GF by the GIG Gluten Free Certification Organization.
J.D. says
BEWARE Maria & Ricardo's "corn" tortillas! They are labeled as "corn" tortillas, but when you look at the actual ingredient list, they're FULL of gluten and wheat. The ingredients include: wheat gluten, wheat flour, and wheat fiber.
They should be labeled, "Corn & Wheat Tortillas" on the front of the package, but instead they're just labeled, "Soft Corn Tortillas." What a joke.
Apparently they have a line of gluten-free tortillas available in some stores, but I didn't see them in Whole Foods. I'm kinda disappointed that Whole Foods would allow this misleading advertising to get buy.
JMO says
I always go for corn torillas with only corn, salt, water, and lime. Cellulose Gum (plant-based fiber) is an ingredient commonly found in corn tortillas. From what i understand there is a surplus of wood pulp from the declining newspaper industry so they (loggers i guess) figured, hey you can put this in fewd. It may not be that bad for you but I don't need it or want it.
Savoy cabbage shells work great for fish tacos. I went to this catered event once that used raddichio and endive leaf as shells too. 'twas ingenius and delicious.
G-Free Foodie says
JMO - we agree! we LOVE Cabbage as wraps!
J.D. - we haven't seen that product - but if you read our note on Corn Tortillas in this post, you'll see we encourage reading ingredient statements & choosing tortillas that list Corn, Salt, Water & Lime.
Here's our favorite recipe for Gluten Free "Flour" Tortillas: https://gfreefoodie.com/recipes/detail/395/
The G-Free Foodie crew
Stella says
Just had the Trader Joe's Brown Rice Tortillas. AWFUL excuse for a tortilla. Going to look for the LaTortilla Factory Teff. I haven't had any success finding the others around here. Seriously, Trader Joe's needs to go back to the drawing board. YUCK.
David says
Tried the Maria & Ricardo's tortillas, purchased from Whole Foods. It's difficult to describe how bad they are. Thick, leathery, dry, expensive and virtually tasteless. Served to 15 adults with fajitas, most didn't finish the first wrap and all chose fajitas without the bread for their second attempt. More tortillas in the trash than consumed by guests.If these made the best list I cannot imagine what the bad ones taste like.
Linda says
The Sonoma Brand of Wraps are very good. They do contain Carrageenan. I know a lot of people are trying to avoid this ingredient. I haven't checked the other brands mentioned here. I would be careful and read the ingredients before you buy.
Bert Sargent aka Bob says
A the Calidad tortilla chips made with GMO corn?