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?
Coconut flour is not a one-for-one replacement for almond flour in this dough. It absorbs liquid differently, and a working replacement ratio has not been established for these chips. Use the almond flour amount in the card for the intended result.
How many carbs are in these tortilla chips?
The nutrition estimate is 1.6g net carbs and 5.6g total carbs per serving, with five servings in the batch. Divide the finished chips into five portions. About 10 chips is only a guide because their size and thickness vary. Dips, toppings and ingredient brands change the numbers.
Can I bake or air fry these chips?
The instructions here are for frying in avocado oil. A repeatable oven or air fryer temperature and time has not been established for this exact dough. Use the skillet method for this dough.
What oil should I use for frying?
The recipe uses avocado oil. Heat it over medium heat and test a small piece of dough before adding a batch. It should bubble and brown gradually. If it darkens immediately, reduce the heat. Avoid crowding the pan, and keep water and wet utensils away from the oil.
Can I substitute the protein powder?
Use unflavored whey protein powder, such as the linked product, for this recipe. Collagen and egg white powders behave differently and are not established replacements here. Soy, pea protein and wheat gluten would also change the dough rather than act as identical swaps.
Can I use a tortilla press instead of rolling?
A tortilla press can help flatten small portions between parchment sheets. Check the thickness after pressing and finish with a rolling pin if needed. Cut the pressed rounds into wedges. The number of chips will change, so divide the finished batch into five portions for the listed serving estimate.
Can I replace or reduce the xanthan gum?
The card uses 1 tablespoon of xanthan gum for this batch. Psyllium, other gums and eggs are not established direct replacements, and reducing the gum changes how the dough holds together. If you cannot tolerate xanthan gum, choose a recipe developed without it rather than assuming this dough will behave the same.
Can I freeze the dough or cooked chips?
A reliable freezing and reheating method for this exact dough has not been established. For predictable texture, make the chips fresh.
Can I use these for keto nachos?
Yes. Add toppings just before serving so the chips stay crisp as long as possible. Use cooked chicken or meat and count the toppings separately from the plain-chip nutrition. My keto nachos recipe gives you a complete version to follow.
Do these contain corn?
There is no corn flour or masa in the dough. Almond flour, whey protein and xanthan gum form the base. Corn tortilla extract is optional flavoring; check its label for ingredients and allergens. It adds flavor without turning this into a traditional corn tortilla recipe.
Are these gluten-free or dairy-free?
The dough uses almond flour instead of wheat flour, but check every packaged ingredient if you need a gluten-free preparation. The whey protein comes from milk, so these are not dairy-free. They also contain almonds. Follow product labels and cross-contact guidance for allergies.
How many chips does one batch make?
The card estimates five servings of about 10 chips each, but the actual count depends on how you cut and roll them. Divide the batch into five equal portions rather than relying on an exact chip count. Large triangles need smaller counts per portion than tiny ones.
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.
