Everyone and their mother has been whipping up homemade Crunchwraps (yep the Taco Bell variety) so I decided well why not?
I’ve actually never had Taco Bell before but the Crunchwrap is quite intriguing.
With its layers on layers and folded, portable nature.
A standard Crunchwrap contains one large soft tortilla, seasoned ground beef (you already know that’s not happening over here), nacho cheese, a tostada aka crisp tortilla, chopped tomato, shredded lettuce, and sour cream… I think that’s it?
Anyway I clearly veganized it and made it my own, while staying true to the Crunchwrap’s roots.
What ever that means.
My version includes a soft tortilla, vegan refried beans, chili powder, plant-based cheddar cheese, a crunchy tostada, smashed creamy cado, diced juicy tomatoes, shredded romaine, nondairy sour cream, and a pinch of salt!
I toasted it up in a hot pan until lightly golden brown and heated through, then dug in!
With the addition of some hot sauce, zesty lime, and snipped chives, of course.
P.S. Is this thang worth whipping up on the regular? I mean no. But it was fun to try it out! Tacos are easier and taste very similar FYI.
P.P.S. Honestly I don’t even like sour cream sooo I would probably leave that little detail out next time around ha. Silly me.
P.P.P.S. If you have vegan nacho cheese feel free to use that instead of the cheddar… I just couldn’t find any at the store and was too lazy to make my own (no surprises there).
P.P.P.P.S. The tomatoes were being a little camera shy but I promise they’re in there!
Vegan Crunchwrap Supreme
Ingredients
- 2 9-inch across tortillas or wraps (use gluten-free for a gluten-free recipe)
- 1/3 cup vegan refried beans
- 3 dashes chili powder, or to taste
- 5 tablespoons vegan cheddar cheese shreds (I used Vevan Ched-Shred); divided
- 1 5-inch across tostada (crisp tortilla)
- 1/4 cup lightly smashed avocado
- Pink sea salt, to taste
- 1/4 cup shredded romaine
- 2 tablespoons chopped tomato
- 1 tablespoon vegan sour cream (I used Follow Your Heart)
- Avocado oil, for lightly greasing pan
- Hot sauce, for serving
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Sliced scallions or chives, for topping
Instructions
- Start by cutting one of the tortillas into a smaller circle. Use the tostada as a template by laying the tostada on top of the tortilla. Cut around the tostada to get a 5-inch across tortilla (the same size as the tostada). If you have both a 9-inch and a 5-inch tortilla, you can skip this step. Or, if you have one very large soft tortilla that can seal everything up on its own that will work too.
- Take the uncut, 9-inch tortilla and spread the refried beans in the middle, covering an area the same size as your tostada.
- Season the beans with chili powder, then sprinkle on 2 tablespoons of the cheese.
- Place the tostada over the beans, very gently pressing down.
- Gently spread the avocado over the tostada, then season with salt.
- Top the avocado with the shredded lettuce and tomato.
- Dollop on the sour cream, then sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons of cheese on top.
- Lay the 5-inch cut tortilla on top of the cheese, gently pressing down.
- Now it's time to fold and seal the tortillas. Take one section of the large tortilla and fold it over, crossing on top of the smaller tortilla. Moving in a circle, fold sections of the large tortilla over the smaller tortilla until your Crunchwrap is complete. I had 6-7 folds or edges on mine. (A circle of the smaller tortilla will be exposed in the center.)
- While you are assembling your Crunchwrap, heat a medium sized nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Lightly grease with avocado oil.
- Once the pan is hot and your Crunchwrap is assembled, carefully transfer the Crunchwrap to the pan, seam side down. Press down gently with a spatula.
- Cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until light golden brown and heated through.
- Serve with hot sauce, lime wedges, and scallions or chives for topping, if you wish.