Gluten-Free Vegetarian Tostadas with Honey Lime Sauce (Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Plant Based)

Mexican is one of my favorite international cuisines, and luckily, it’s usually super simple to adapt Mexican recipes and make them gluten-free! This gluten-free vegetarian tostadas recipe is a delicious plant-based spin on traditional Mexican tostadas.

You’ll love the veggie-filled filling, crunchy corn tostada shell, and delicious homemade creamy honey lime sauce.

Keep reading for the best tips on how to prepare this delicious veggie tostada recipe or use the jump to recipe button below to jump right to the recipe card. 

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love these Gluten-Free Vegetarian Tostadas
• Are tostadas gluten free?
• Veggie Tostadas Ingredients
• Equipment to Make Homemade Baked Tostadas
• How to make tostadas in the oven
• What to serve with Vegetarian Tostadas
• Did you enjoyed this healthy recipe for potato black bean tostadas with honey lime sauce?
• Looking for other gluten-free Mexican style recipes?
• Gluten-Free Vegetarian Tostadas with Honey Lime Sauce (Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Plant Based)

The gluten-free guide below is based on personal experience and research.  Always be sure to discuss any medical changes with your doctor for your personal medical needs. Additionally, this post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My full disclosure isn’t that interesting, but you can find it here. 

Why You’ll Love these Gluten-Free Vegetarian Tostadas

These plant-based tostadas are a burst of flavor–so flavorful you won’t miss the meat. In these tostadas, you’ll love:

• The crunchy shell that’s perfectly toasted and topped with melty cheese
• The filling has an assortment of flavors from the chard, beans, and potato, and topped with the most delicious homemade honey-lime sauce (which, honestly, is the perfect topping for tostadas)
• This dish is high in folate, plant-based iron, vitamins C & K, and a variety of minerals

This dish is wholly perfect just as is.

Are tostadas gluten free?

If you’re wondering:  is there gluten in tostadas? The answer isn’t a simple yes or no.

Let's dig deeper--the fillings in tostadas vary greatly and can definitely may contain gluten depending on the seasonings and other products used in the filling.

However, if you're asking specifically are corn tostadas gluten free, then the answer is usually.

While this Mexican-style tostada recipe is, indeed, gluten-free as written, not all tostadas are gluten-free. Tostada shells are traditionally made of corn, which is gluten-free, some brands may use a blend of flours including some made of gluten-containing grains such as wheat, barley, or rye.

It’s always important to check the nutrition label of the item you are purchasing to be sure it is made with gluten-free ingredients or if it has a gluten-free claim on the package (even better!)

If you're looking for already crunchy gluten free tostada shells, try these!

However, in this recipe we're making the shells ourselves from gluten free corn tortillas.

Additionally, if you are eating out at a restaurant, you want to be sure that the food is being prepared to minimize cross-contact (including whether tostada shells may be fried in a shared fryer or if any seasoning may contain gluten).

If you’re curious what questions to ask while eating out to ensure a safe dining experience, check out my tips in this post.

Veggie Tostadas Ingredients

Most of these ingredients for these vegetarian baked tostadas can be found at your local grocery store.  However, you can get a really great deal on some of these ingredients (like spices, beans  and gluten-free corn tortillas) at Thrive Market. 

To make this vegetarian tostada recipe you’ll need:

• avocado oil. or other high heat oil.  We like this avocado oil.  Alternatively, you could use an avocado oil spray like this one to cut down on the amount of oil used.
• sweet onion.
• minced garlic.
• yukon gold potatoes.
• chili powder. Always double check that your spices are gluten-free. We typically buy the Badia brand at our local grocery store, but you can also find it on Amazon here.
• cumin.  We buy Badia for this too.
• canned black beans. I used these from Whole Foods to make these black bean tostadas.
• swiss chard. I know depending on where you live fresh greens can be difficult to find depending on the time of year.  If you need to sub something else, try rainbow chard, kale, or collard greens.
• Salt & pepper to taste.
• plain Greek yogurt. I used Chobani brand.
• lime.
• honey. I’m a big fan of local honey, but if you can’t find it locally, this brand is really delicious.
• gluten-free corn tortillas. (see below for brand recommendations)
• white cheese cheese. We used regular mozzarella
• Cilantro. I love cilantro, but if you do not, try fresh parsley instead.

Recipe Variations

Vegan: You can sub gluten free vegan cheese shreds instead of the cheese on the tostada shells and top it with a delicious mango habanero salsa instead of the yogurt sauce. Or you could make the yogurt sauce with a gluten free vegan yogurt option.

Spicy: If you want spicier tostadas, feel free to add more seasoning in the mix, or replace the honey-lime sauce for something with more of a kick like this Chile Crema.

Protein Boost: To boost the protein, add an additional can of black beans, or shred some tofu into the filling.

Are corn tortillas gluten friendly?

In this recipe we use corn tortillas.  As long as they are made only using corn (and not other grains that contain gluten) the tortillas are gluten-free.  

However, there are also many brands that are certified gluten-free.  

My family typically purchases Guerrero brand corn tortillas. They are pliable (aka: do not crumble easily) and are very tasty.  Plus, they are certified gluten-free! Find them on Amazon here.

Equipment to Make Homemade Baked Tostadas

To make these tostadas at home, you’ll need a few kitchen essentials:

• Cutting board. I like these cutting mats because they are color coded, helping to prevent cross contact. 
• Chef’s knife.
• Mixing bowls.
• Large skillet.
• Sheet pan.
• Citrus squeezer. You can just juice it by hand, but I find one of these does a great job and it keeps seeds from getting in your food.

How to make tostadas in the oven

First, you’ll need to preheat your oven, prep your vegetables, and heat your sauté pan over medium heat.

You’ll sauté the onions in half of the avocado oil until they begin to be translucent (this will take about 3 minutes). 

Then, add the potatoes and cook until they begin to brown.  If needed, add a couple tablespoons of water into your sauté pan to keep them from sticking.

Add the chopped stems of the swiss chard, garlic, chile powder, and cumin and cook until the stems begin to soften and potatoes are fully cooked through.  

Next, add the black beans to the pan and mix, cooking until the beans are heated through.

Lastly, add the leaves of the chopped swiss chard and mix together.  Remove the chard, bean, and potato mixture from the heat. The chard will slowly begin to wilt even with the pan off the heat.  

Baking corn tortillas for tostadas

Brush the tortillas lightly with olive oil and arrange on a large sheet pan, and cook in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes until the tops begin to get crispy. 

Halfway through cooking, remove from the oven, top with grated cheese, and put back in the oven until the cheese is fully melted.

Preparing the Creamy Honey Lime Topping for Tostadas

While the corn tostada shells are cooking, juice your lime and mix with the yogurt and honey, adding salt and fresh chopped cilantro to taste.

Assemble Your Gluten-Free Tostadas

Assemble your gluten-free vegetarian tostadas by topping the cheesy tostada shells with a portion of the potato mixture, a dollop of yogurt lime sauce, and freshly chopped cilantro or other toppings of your choice.

What to serve with Vegetarian Tostadas

These gluten-free vegetarian tostadas would taste great with a side of instant pot cilantro lime rice, a side salad, or this gf + vegan Southwestern Quinoa Salad.

Did you enjoyed this healthy recipe for potato black bean tostadas with honey lime sauce?

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