10 tips for healthy homemade tortillas, savoury and sweet

1.9K

Tortillas are a wonderful food that you can turn into countless tasty dishes, whether savoury, sweet, baked or no-bake. Even vegans will find something to enjoy. Simply put, tortillas let you serve delicious, healthy treats that are sure to become part of your regular recipes.

Tortillas as a main course and dessert

These ideas for dishes and desserts will earn a permanent place in your recipe collection, because you will never run out of ways to use up the last few tortillas in the pack. They are also very tasty and nutritious meals that will delight you, your family and your guests.

You do not need the skills of a professional chef to make these dishes. The recipes are genuinely easy, yet they can impress at any table. You will see that you will happily make them again. You can also use them as inspiration for your own versions of tortilla dishes.

Healthy and tasty dishes

You probably already know that you can whip up many tasty main courses with tortillas. Here is a little inspiration for healthy breakfasts, lunches and dinners. You will find ideas for both savoury treats and sweet desserts that will satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you nicely full.

1. Tortilla lasagne

Even a treat like lasagne can be made in a healthier form, and with tortillas, no less. Instead of layers of pasta, you use soft tortillas and spread generous amounts of meat, tomato and cheese mixture between them. These lasagne are also completely simple, very tasty and look great. On top of that, their wonderful aroma will tempt you to take a bite straight away.

You will need

• 3 tortillas
• 2 packs of mozzarella for sprinkling

Tomato and meat mixture

• 1 onion
• 500 g minced meat
• 1 carrot
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 200 g tomatoes
• dried basil

Béchamel

• 750 ml  milk
• 200 g grated cheese
• 4 tablespoons rice flour

Fry the finely chopped onion in a pan with oil. Then add the minced meat, the finely chopped carrot and the garlic, and fry for about 5 minutes until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables start to soften. Then add the chopped tomatoes and the dried basil and bring to the boil. 

Meanwhile, make the béchamel. Melt the grated cheese in the milk. It will take a little longer, but be patient. Then add flour as needed to thicken the mixture into a sauce.

Pour half of the tomato and meat mixture into a round baking dish and place 1 tortilla on top. Next, spread half of the béchamel and cover it with another tortilla. Then add the remaining tomato and meat mixture, the last tortilla and the second half of the béchamel. Finish by sprinkling with grated mozzarella.

Bake in an oven preheated to 200 °C for about 30 minutes until golden.

2. Tortilla with cream cheese and strawberries

You can enjoy this sweet tortilla treat as a great breakfast, a snack or even a tasty dinner if you get sweet cravings in the evening. It is a quick and delicious recipe that will not harm your figure or your health. It uses strawberries, but you can easily swap them for other fruit.

You will need

• a tortilla 
• 100% apple purée or jam
• cream cheese (žervé, Lučina, cream cheese)
• strawberries
• nut butter

Warm the tortilla slightly if you like, then spread it with the purée or jam. Add a layer of cream cheese and the sliced strawberries, then drizzle with nut butter. Roll up and enjoy.

If you prefer sweeter flavours, mix the cream cheese with chicory syrup or honey.

3. Tortilla pizza

Pizza is one of many people’s favourite foods. If you fancy one but do not want to waste time on complicated preparation, and would also rather not harm your figure, you can try this friendlier tortilla version. It is very simple, tastes good, is really filling and takes just a few minutes to make.

You will need

• a tortilla
• tomato purée 
• oregano/pizza seasoning
• ham, cheese
• mushrooms, sweetcorn and anything else you like 

Spread the tortilla with tomato purée, sprinkle with oregano or pizza seasoning, and top with ham, cheese and anything else you like and currently have in your fridge and cupboard. 

Then simply bake in an oven heated to 180 °C for about 10–15 minutes.

The great thing about pizza is that you can adapt it to your taste and put whatever you like on it. Everyone can make their own version of pizza. What is more, you can enjoy a whole tortilla pizza without feeling guilty.

4. Strudel-style tortilla

Do you like apple strudel? Then you must try this tortilla, which does not need to be baked in the oven and yet tastes like this popular dessert. The filling is the same as in strudel, and all you need to “bake” it is a toaster.

You will need

• 1 tortilla
• 1 apple
• cinnamon
• raisins and ground nuts as desired
• chicory syrup for sweetening (optional)

Peel the apple, grate it coarsely and squeeze out the juice. Then mix it with cinnamon and the other ingredients to taste, and spread this mixture over the tortilla.

Wrap the tortilla and toast it in a toaster or contact grill. Serve with quark cream or vanilla pudding.

💡 Tip: Try adding some grated dark chocolate to the tortilla as well. It will make the treat much tastier.

5. Tortilla omelette with cheese

It pays to keep a few tortillas at home in reserve, because you can use them to conjure up a quick lunch, dinner or refreshments for guests. Just add eggs, cheese and any other favourite ingredients, and you have a complete meal on the table.

You will need

• 1 tortilla
• 2 eggs
• grated or sliced cheese
• ham, mushrooms, olives, etc. as desired
• oil or butter for greasing the pan
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil or butter in a pan, then pour in the beaten eggs and immediately cover with the tortilla. Fry for about 20 seconds and turn the tortilla over.

Then top with cheese and any other ingredients, and cover with a lid so that everything heats through properly (about 2 minutes). You can then serve, ideally with your favourite vegetables.

6. French toast-style tortillas

These tortillas made like French toast are an easy and tasty breakfast that is also perfect for children with a sweet tooth. They are also really quick to make and will perfectly satisfy your sweet cravings. 

You will need

• 4 tortillas
• 240 g žervé
• 125 g soft quark
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons chicory syrup
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 4 tablespoons butter
• fresh fruit to taste

Whip the cream cheese, quark, lemon zest and chicory syrup together and set aside.

Beat the eggs and milk, and coat the tortillas on both sides in this mixture. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan for each tortilla and fry each one on both sides until golden (about 2–3 minutes per side).

Spread the tortillas with the whipped mixture, decorate with fruit and fold in half. Once on the plate, you can drizzle them with more chicory syrup.

Healthy snacks for buffet tables

Tortillas are also versatile when it comes to preparing refreshments for guests and buffet tables at parties. Snacks made from them take minimal time, are among the healthier alternatives and will pleasantly surprise everyone with their flavour.

7. Cinnamon nachos

Have you got an open pack of tortillas left over and fancy something sweet? Try these cinnamon nachos, which will satisfy your cravings and save both the tortillas and your waistline from ruin. They are also great for buffet tables, and if your guests cannot resist sweets, they will love you for this.

You will need

• 4 tortillas
• 50 g butter
• 2 tablespoons chicory syrup
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Cut the tortillas into small triangles. Melt the butter in a saucepan, set it aside, add the cut triangles and mix well. Then add the cinnamon and chicory syrup and keep stirring until all the tortilla pieces are thoroughly coated.

Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread the tortilla triangles over it. Bake for roughly  5–10 minutes at 180 °C until the tortillas turn golden. Then take them out of the oven and let them cool so that they become crispier. 

Serve with a dip made from quark, cocoa and chicory syrup or honey. If the mixture is too thick, thin it with a little water.

8. Savoury tortilla pinwheels

Everyone knows the popular puff pastry pinwheels from all kinds of parties. But if you do not feel like turning on the oven, you can save some time in the kitchen and make a quicker and simpler version of bite-sized snacks for buffet tables. And believe us, these tortilla pinwheels will be a real hit.

You will need

• 8 tortillas 
• 250 g cream cheese (for example žervé)
• 300 g ham
• 300 g sliced cheese
• iceberg lettuce
• various herbs and spices to taste

Spread the tortillas with cream cheese or any other spread, and sprinkle with your favourite herbs or spices. Top with ham, cheese and lettuce leaves, and roll the tortillas up tightly.

Carefully cut into thin slices (about 2–3 cm) and stick a toothpick into each one. Let them rest in the fridge and then serve.

This recipe has endless possible variations. Simply use whatever you like best and whatever you have to hand. Smoked salmon, tomatoes and various other foods also work brilliantly.

9. Tortilla bites with banana

Do you love the combination of banana, chocolate and nut butter? Then you have to try these quick “banana bites” made from tortillas. Just be careful, because you definitely won’t stop at just one! They are also perfect for a spread of snacks when you have visitors. What’s more, they are ready in no time. 

You will need

• tortillas
• bananas
• nut butter or Nutella
• dark chocolate (at least 70%) + coconut oil
• crushed nuts or desiccated coconut

Spread the tortillas with your chosen spread (or feel free to try combining several spreads or jam). Place one banana in the middle of each spread tortilla and roll it up. 

Melt the dark chocolate with the coconut oil and brush the resulting glaze over the rolled tortilla. Finally, sprinkle with nuts or coconut and leave to set in the fridge. Then cut into slices, stick a cocktail stick into each one, and tuck in.

10. Homemade tortilla nachos

Nachos are one of the most popular Mexican dishes and are essentially a kind of tortilla chips. The only difference is that they are baked in the oven. They are usually made from corn, but you can use wheat tortillas too. Sprinkle them with your favourite seasoning, herbs or cheese. They are delicious on their own, but you can also serve them with a dip, salsa or guacamole.

You will need

• tortillas 
• tomato purée
• dried garlic
• oregano
• grated cheese
• salt, pepper

Mix the tomato purée with the garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Cut the tortillas into small triangles and spread them with the mixture. 

Spread the triangles out on a baking tray lined with baking paper and sprinkle them with grated cheese. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 °C for about 5 to 10 minutes. Once the edges start to brown, you can take them out. Leave them to cool, as this will make them even crunchier.

You will love tortillas because you can quickly and easily turn them into tasty, nutritious meals in all sorts of ways. They will delight lovers of both sweet and savoury food, and they work well in both hot and cold dishes. They also make a great main course, snack, dessert or treat for guests.