For those embracing a paleo diet or seeking gluten-free and corn-free alternatives, the craving for crispy, salty snacks can be a challenge. Traditional tortilla chips, made with corn, are off-limits due to corn being considered more of a grain than a vegetable and its high carbohydrate content. Fortunately, there are delicious and healthy paleo-friendly options available.
Cassava Flour Tortilla Chips
These cassava tortilla chips are a great option. You can bake them or fry them to be perfectly crisp!
Ingredients
- Cassava Flour Tortillas dough (recipe below)
- Herbs (optional)
- Garlic (optional)
- Avocado oil
- Salt
Instructions
- Make the recipe for cassava flour tortillas, stopping when you have a large ball of dough.
- At that point, knead in the herbs and garlic until well combined, if desired.
- Then, continue cooking as per the tortilla recipe.
- Tip: roll the dough extra thin for crispy chips.
- Once your tortillas are cooked and cooled, slice them into 6 equal pieces.
- Lightly oil a sheet pan with half the avocado oil.
- Place the individual tortilla chips on the sheet pan and brush the top side with the remaining oil.
- Sprinkle the salt on top.
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and cook the chips for 10-15 minutes, or until crispy.
- Turn your pan halfway through to prevent any chips from burning.
Low Carb Paleo Tortilla Chips
These chips offer a satisfying crunch and are packed with healthy ingredients. They take just 10 minutes to prep. These paleo chips are easy to make. One serving has less than 150 calories and boasts 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and just 2 grams of net carbs.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Almond flour
- 1/2 cup Flax meal
- 2 Egg whites
- 1/2 tsp Sea salt
- 1/2 tsp Chili powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Paprika
- 1 Tbsp Chia seeds
- 1 Tbsp Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
- In a medium sized bowl, combine ingredients in order and stir until well combined.
- Split dough in half and roll into a ball.
- Place ball of dough between two layers of parchment paper.
- First flatten with the palm of your hand, and then roll with rolling pin. Dough should be about 1/8 inch (3mm) thick.
- Once flattened, cut dough into a smaller circle. (I traced an inverted cereal bowl to make sure it was perfectly round.)
- With a round pizza cutter, cut chips into triangular shapes. Repeat until all of your dough is used.
- Place chips on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave about 1 inch (25 mm) between chips.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Carefully flip chips over and bake an additional 6 minutes, or until crisp.
Tips for Extra Crispy Chips
The thinner you can roll out the almond flour tortilla chips, the crunchier they will be! Make sure that they are an even thickness throughout too, or some chips will cook faster than others. Baking time will vary depending on the exact thickness of the chips and your oven. Watch them closely, because they go from crisp to burnt easily! To get perfectly shaped keto tortilla chips, cut out circles using an inverted bowl. Then you just need to cut them into wedge shapes. A pizza cutter makes this job quick and easy.
Storage
Store these grain-free tortilla chips in an airtight container at room temperature. If they lose some of their crispness, put them in a hot oven for a minute or two and they’ll get crunchy again. They are best within a few days, but I doubt you’ll have them for that long.
Read also: Paleo Granola Recipes
Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips
These homemade sweet potato tortilla chips are made with sweet potato, onion and flax seed. No corn!
Ingredients
- 4 cups cubed raw sweet potato (approximately 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes)
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1½ cup roughly ground flax
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds, ground fine
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2½ teaspoons ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225F and take out three large baking sheets. Set aside.
- Add cubed sweet potato and onion the bowl of your 14-cup food processor. Process until almost smooth. You want the puree to be little, itty bitty pieces.
- Add remaining ingredients. Pulse until combined fully.
- Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Grab a piece of parchment paper about 10 inches wide. Scoop 1-cup of the dough, roll it between your hands to make a ball, then place on one side of the parchment, in the middle.
- Fold over the parchment (like a book) and then roll the dough between the two pieces of parchment until it’s about ¼-inch thick.
- Fold away the top half and cut or rip it away.
- Score the tortillas by running a sharp knife across the dough, then crossing over to make a diamond shape.
- Keeping the tortillas on their current sheet of parchment, transfer the sheet to a baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.
- Bake for 2 hours, flipping halfway through and removing the parchment paper. You can break up the tortillas at this point.
- The baking time will vary greatly on how thick/thin you make the tortillas. You want the end result to be crisp, crunchy with no moisture left.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
The best part about almond flour tortilla chips? The dips that go along with them, of course!
Guacamole
Guacamole is one of my favorite things on this planet. So creamy, delicious and loaded with lots of vitamins, avocados are also good for you! Have you ever noticed that when you serve guacamole there is almost never any leftover? That is because it is so tasty and good and everyone loves it.
- 3 Avocados
- T. Lime Juice
- tsp. Salt
- tsp. Pepper
- T. Onion
- Brush with olive oil.
Other Dips and Pairings
- The Best Vegan Queso
- Homemade Easy Pico de Gallo
- Ranch dip
- Mexican bean dip, if you tolerate beans.
- Salsa
You can serve these with really any Mexican food dish that you need tortilla chips for.
Store-Bought Options
When time is short, store-bought tortilla chips can be a convenient option. Look for brands that specifically state they are gluten-free and made with corn. Read the ingredients carefully to ensure they are gluten-free. Some of the larger brands sell “corn tortillas” that are made from a mix of corn and wheat flour.
Read also: Paleo Diet Delivered: What You Need to Know
The Joy of Homemade
Making your own homemade tortilla chips turned out to be easier than I hoped. These all-natural, homemade tortilla chips are an excellent healthy option to serve with dips. Once the dough for the chips is mixed together, you roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper. When rolling out the dough, try to get it as thin as possible. The thinner that the dough is, the crispier the tortilla chips will be. I list the serving size for these chips as 3-4 people, because they are actually a lot more filling than regular store-bought chips. This is unsurprising, since these homemade tortilla chips contain way more nutrients than their store-bought counterparts. You’ll definitely be skipping store-bought chips after baking these crispy, salt-free tortilla chips at home!
Read also: Paleo Mayonnaise Recipe