These keto tortilla chips fry up thin and crisp, with the little bubbles I love on a tortilla chip. I roll the almond flour dough between parchment sheets, cut it into triangles, and fry small batches in avocado oil. One fifth of the batch has an estimated 1.6g net carbs.
Chips were one of the snacks I missed when I started making low carb versions of our favorite foods. I wanted something I could scoop into salsa or guacamole, with a thin edge and a proper crunch. That's the idea behind these homemade tortilla chips.
The dough starts with almond flour, unflavored whey protein powder and xanthan gum. Those are the three ingredients that give it structure; you also need salt, hot water and oil for frying. Corn tortilla extract is optional. There is no cheese in the dough, so the result is different from a baked cheese crisp.
My favorite part is watching the little bubbles form in the oil. Rolling the dough thinly is what I pay attention to first. A thick center can stay chewy even when the edges look browned, and a crowded pan makes it harder to pull each chip out at the right moment.
The card allows about 10 minutes, but rolling, drying and frying extra batches can take longer. Set out the draining plate and slotted utensil before the first triangles go into the oil. These small pieces can brown quickly.
Serve them plain with a dip, or use the separate recipes for nacho cheese chips and cool ranch chips when you want a seasoned batch. For a meal, pile on the toppings in my keto nachos just before serving.
How to get the crispiest chips
Roll an even, thin sheet. Loosen the dough from both pieces of parchment before cutting, as shown in the card. That makes the triangles easier to lift without stretching or tearing them.
Give the cut pieces a short rest. Let them dry for several minutes while the frying setup is prepared. Allow longer overall if rolling and frying take more time.
Watch the first chip. Medium heat is a starting point, not a fixed oil temperature on every stove. Test one small piece and adjust if it darkens too quickly. Add small batches and remove individual chips as they turn golden.
Let steam escape. Drain the chips, season while warm, and let them cool before closing a storage container. Warm chips trapped under a lid can lose their crunch.
Plain, nacho cheese or cool ranch
For the plain chips, salt is already in the dough and a little more goes on after frying. The optional corn tortilla extract adds corn flavor; follow the listed amount with the intended product and check the directions if you use a different strength of flavoring.
For cheese and ranch flavors, use the full seasoning amounts in my keto Doritos or cool ranch Doritos recipes. Those versions spell out the blends instead of leaving you to guess how much cheese powder or ranch seasoning to add.
Seasoned versions and toppings change the nutrition. The estimate on this page is for the plain batch divided into five portions.
Choosing packaged chips
If you are buying a bag, compare the serving weight, total carbohydrate, fiber and ingredients on that bag. Chip size and formulas differ, so a per-chip comparison can be misleading. Flavors within the same brand can have different numbers.
A corn-free or wheat-free label does not by itself tell you the carbohydrate count. Check the portion you plan to eat and count any dip or toppings separately. The homemade recipe here is one option when you want to make a fresh fried batch.
Serving and keeping the crunch
These are best freshly made. Let any extra plain chips cool fully, then store them in a clean, dry, airtight container for a short period. Humidity and thickness affect how long they stay crisp,.
Keep dips and nacho toppings separate until serving. Once you add chicken, cheese or another perishable topping, refrigerate the leftovers promptly and use within 3-4 days.
A reliable freeze-and-fry schedule for this dough is not established here. Make a smaller fresh batch for the most predictable texture.
How to make these chips
Mix, roll, cut and fry. Combine the dry ingredients, then add the hot water and optional extract. Roll between two sheets of parchment, loosen both sides from the paper, and cut into triangles. Let them stand for several minutes while you prepare the oil. Fry a few at a time until golden, then drain and salt.
Keep the dough ingredients as written for your first batch. The linked unflavored whey powder helps give this recipe its crisp texture, and xanthan gum binds the dough. Coconut flour, collagen, egg white powder, psyllium and eggs are not direct substitutes for those ingredients.
Thin and even matters more than perfect triangles. Aim for an even sheet that you can lift without tearing. If some pieces are much thicker, fry those separately so the thinner ones do not burn while you wait.
In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, unflavored whey protein powder, xanthan gum and salt. Stir in the hot water and optional corn tortilla extract until a dough forms.
2
Roll it out
Place dough in between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out in all directions (attempting to form a rectangle shape) until the dough is very thin. The thinner the dough, the crispier the chip. To easily keep the dough from sticking to the parchment paper, carefully peel away the top parchment paper. Then replace and flip over. Then remove the new parchment paper on top. Now the dough will remove easily when you cut your shapes.
3
Cut into triangles
Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the dough into triangles. Let the pieces stand for several minutes while you prepare and heat the oil.
4
Fry in oil
Add enough avocado oil to a large skillet to cover the triangles as they fry, leaving plenty of room above the oil. Heat over medium heat. Test a small piece of dough first: it should bubble and gradually turn golden, not darken immediately. Add a few triangles without crowding and fry until golden brown, turning carefully if needed. Adjust the heat between batches to prevent burning.
5
Dry & salt
Once the chips are golden brown, remove them using a slotted spatula or spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate or baking sheet. Lightly season with salt.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1/5 of the base batch (about 10 chips, depending on size)
Calories
100
Fat
7.5g
Protein
3.9g
Total carbs
5.6g
Net carbs
1.6g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these with coconut flour?
I haven't tested coconut flour for this recipe. Coconut flour absorbs significantly more liquid than almond flour, so if you try it, start with about 2 1/2 tablespoons and add hot water a teaspoon at a time until the dough is pliable. The texture and flavor will be different since you lose the nutty taste that almond flour brings.
How many carbs are in tortilla chips?
A serving of Juanita's (13 chips) has 14g net carbs. My recipe gives you a full serving for only 1.6g net carbs, roughly 88% fewer carbs. I've put these side by side with regular chips at get-togethers and people grab them without asking.
Can I make these in the air fryer?
They cook faster and come out just as crispy. Watch them closely because they brown fast in the air fryer. I'd start checking at 4 minutes. You can also bake them at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway, but baked chips come out more cracker-like without those bubbles. The air fryer gets you closer to the fried version.
What oil is best for frying?
Avocado oil is my first choice because of the high smoke point and neutral flavor. I've used coconut oil and it works, but you get a slight coconut taste. You need enough oil in a large skillet to cover the chips as they fry. I drop a tiny scrap of dough in first to test the temperature. If it browns in under 10 seconds, the oil is too hot. Back it down and wait a full minute before adding the batch.
Can I substitute the protein powder?
I've only tested unflavored whey isolate, and that's what I recommend. Collagen powder doesn't produce crispy chips. I haven't tested soy or pea protein, so I can't vouch for those.
Does psyllium husk work instead of xanthan gum?
No, and I wouldn't recommend trying. Psyllium doesn't hold the dough together the way xanthan does once it hits hot oil. If xanthan gum bothers your stomach, I'd try using half the amount rather than swapping it out completely.
How do I freeze these for later?
I freeze the cut, unfried triangles flat on a parchment-lined sheet until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag. They keep for about 2 months. Fry straight from frozen with no thawing, just add about 30 extra seconds to the fry time. I've also frozen fried chips and re-crisped them at 300F for 3 to 4 minutes, but the texture is noticeably better when you fry from raw.
Can I use these for keto nachos?
Yes, and it's my favorite way to eat them. I spread a fresh batch on a sheet pan, pile on shredded chicken, melted cheese, and pickled jalapenos, then run it under the broiler for a minute. These hold up under the weight far better than the store-bought bags, which is why I reach for them whenever I want low carb nacho chips that don't turn to mush. For the full spread I follow my keto nachos recipe. They've become the keto nacho chips my family asks for on game day.
Are corn chips keto?
Regular corn chips are not keto. One ounce runs around 18g net carbs, so a single handful wipes out your carb budget for the day. That gap is the whole reason I started making these. I add a dropperful of corn tortilla extract to the dough and it turns them into keto corn chips that actually taste like the real bag , at only 1.6g net carbs a serving. I keep a batch in the pantry so the corn chip aisle never tempts me.
Is there a keto friendly tortilla chip?
Yes. I fry these at home from almond flour, unflavored protein powder, and xanthan gum, and a serving of 10 chips runs only 1.6g net carbs. Store bought options exist too. Beyond Chipz runs 2g net carbs and Quest Protein Chips run 4g, but none of the bags get those fried bubbles.
What chips are ok for keto?
Chips without corn or wheat flour fit keto. My homemade tortilla chips run 1.6g net carbs per 10 chip serving, and pork rinds and cheese crisps work when I want zero fuss. Regular corn chips run around 18g net carbs an ounce, so one handful wipes out most of a day's carb budget.
I always drop a little scrap of dough in first. If it doesn’t bubble right away, the oil’s not ready and your chips just soak up grease. Honestly beats a thermometer.
I almost gave up on them too before I got this ratio right. The corn extract is optional but it’s what pushes them over from ‘decent keto snack’ into actual chip territory.
My daughter ate half the batch straight off the paper towel before I even got the salsa out. She then asked if there was more dough, which with a 10-year-old is about as clear a verdict as you get.
Third batch in two weeks, which I didn’t expect after how nervous I was about the frying part. I’ve never actually fried anything at home before. The oil temp turned out to be way less fussy than I thought, and once you see those bubbles come up you know exactly when it’s right. I make a batch on Sunday now and they’re gone by Tuesday.
Made these maybe eight or nine times now. First few batches I rolled them too thick and they came out chewy in the middle, didn’t bubble at all. Once I started going closer to paper-thin, you get that actual snap when you bite in. Also tried skipping the corn extract once and they were still good, but something about that dropperful makes them taste weirdly close to regular tortilla chips.
These are exactly what they promise, crispy and light with barely any carbs. Rolled mine too thick the first time and they stayed chewy instead of crisping up. Thinner than you think is the move.
I’ve tried probably every keto chip brand out there and the crunch is always off. These actually puff up and bubble when they fry, like a real tortilla chip. Nothing I’ve bought has ever done that.
Very good! Easy, crunchy, and able to scoop up pico de gallo and guacamole. I use my tortilla press and two little parchment sheets to make small round chips. It’s fast and it saves me the rolling and cutting. Bless you!
These were good! They hit the spot.
I didn’t have any unflavored protein powder so i subbed in Vital Wheat Gluten and it worked perfectly. I did need to add like two extra tbs of water though I think. I cut them, sprayed with coconut oil and air fried them for like 5-6 minutes. Came out really good. Delicious delivery method for guacamole
Thanks for sharing the exact changes you made. Wheat gluten and extra water make this a different dough, and it would no longer be gluten-free. I would not treat that as a direct substitution for the whey powder in the original recipe.
The very first keto recipe I ever tried for anything, that actually turned out crispy results. These are so much better and crispier that the ones I made with cheese. Thank you!!! I will definitely try more of your recipes now. By the way, I used coconut oil because I didn’t have avocado oil. They still turned out crispy and beautiful, but I think they will be even tastier with avocado oil.
What a great recipe! I used Tajin to season the dough, then separated it into 4 balls. I don’t have a tortilla press (yet) so I flattened each disk with a rolling pin, then with a pizza cutter rolled each disk into 8 triangles. One of our favorite dinners is carnitas nachos and let me tell you, these chips fit the bill…thanks for this awesome recipe 😋
Just made these for our KETO Cinco de Mayo dinner and the chips turned out delicious. Followed the recipe and made a few operational changes – shaped the dough into a small 1.5″ diameter roll. Divided into 8 pieces, and used my tortilla press with parchment on both sides. Cut them in quarters with a pizza cutter and fried them up. 32 chips were perfectly crisp and awesomely delicious. Thank you for creating this recipe.
I made two batches today, one following the recipe, only I used egg white protein powder instead of whey protein powder because that’s what I had. The second batch I replaced a quarter cup of almond flour with Lupine flour. Also experimented with some flavorings, sweet corn and corn bread. I preferred the lupine flour batch made with corn bread extract as far as flavor. Neither batch came out crispy, more bready, like a sopapilla, they puffed up and reminded me of that. I think they would be good drizzled with keto honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Would using a different protein powder cause them to not get crispy?. I was hoping egg white would be a fine substitute, so I don’t have to buy another protein powder. Thanks
Yeah, I bet it was the egg white powder instead of the whey protein powder. Thanks for experiment though. I love sopapilla. Maybe that’s a good replacement for that. I’ll have to try it! Thanks!
Just fyi, tried using psyllium powder instead of Xanthan gum; couldn’t peel them off the parchment paper without them falling apart. So not a good substitute.
Still tried frying them; boy do they fry quickly before burning!
Will try the egg next time.
Yeah, psyllium doesn’t hold the dough together the way xanthan does once it hits hot oil. Not really interchangeable. And these fry in seconds, tongs ready before the first chip goes in.
