A vegan copycat recipe of the infamous Taco Bell Crunchwrap? You know we had to! 

Our spicy queso, seasoned “beef” and a crunchy center, all folded into one golden hexagon. It looks almost too good to eat, but it tastes even better.

This vegan copycat Crunchwrap is our dairy-free, gluten-free take on the fast food classic. It makes 8 wraps in about an hour, which covers game day, Taco Tuesday or a Friday night when nobody wants to go out.

Recipe at a glance

• Dietary: vegan, dairy-free, vegetarian, gluten-free (check the labels on your "beef" and taco seasoning)

• Contains: cashews, coconut and corn, plus whatever's in your "beef," shreds and sour cream, so check those labels

• Total time: 1 hour

• Makes: 8 crunchwraps

• Skill level: easy, though your first fold might take a practice run

• Serve it: warm from the pan, whole or sliced in half

What is a Crunchwrap Supreme?

The Crunchwrap Supreme is Taco Bell’s folded, grilled half-taco, half-quesadilla. It first showed up as a limited-time menu item in 2005 and was created by Lois Carson, who was part of Taco Bell’s food innovation team at the time. (Thank you Lois!)

The goal? Something you could eat on the go (or in the car) without making a mess. Her answer was a big flour tortilla filled with seasoned beef, nacho cheese sauce, a crispy tostada shell, lettuce, tomato and sour cream, folded in from the edges and grilled until it seals. That’s where the famous hexagon comes from. Call it hex appeal.

Home cooks have been making copycat crunchwraps ever since, and we figured it was about time we had a go at a vegan version!

How we made this copycat crunchwrap vegan

The original gets its creamy, cheesy middle from nacho cheese sauce and sour cream. Ours gets it from our Spicy Queso, dairy-free sour cream and vegan Mexican-style shreds. The ground “beef” is plant-based, cooked with taco seasoning and a spoonful of tomato paste, and the tortillas are gluten-free, so this vegan crunchwrap works for a lot more people at the table.

Our Spicy Queso is handmade in small batches in Asheville from cashews, coconut milk, pickled jalapeños, roasted red peppers and live cultures. It’s creamy, it brings the heat (we mean it when we say spicy), and it melts into the taco plant-based meat like true love.

The best part of a homemade vegan crunchwrap? You get to build it exactly how you like it! Extra queso, extra crunch, extra hot sauce, get creative!

How to fold a crunchwrap without it falling apart

We're going to let you in on a secret... getting a crunchwrap that holds together isn’t the fold. It’s the patch!

Start with a warm tortilla. 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave, wrapped in a damp paper towel, makes gluten-free tortillas soft enough to fold without cracking. Then go easy on the filling. About 2 tbsp of Darë queso and 2 to 3 tbsp of “beef” is plenty, even when your heart says more.

Now for the patch. Cut 2 extra tortillas into quarters and lay 1 piece over the filling before you fold. It covers the gap in the middle, so nothing escapes. Fold the edge closest to you up and over, turn the wrap, and keep folding in the same direction, 5 or 6 pleats in total, pressing each one down as you go. This is one recipe that won’t fold under pressure. Well, it will. 6 times.

Last trick: cook it seam-side down first. The heat seals the folds shut before you flip, and that’s how you get the classic crunchwrap shape. (scroll to the bottom for all the spicy tips)

How to make ahead and reheat crunchwraps.

Crunchwraps are best straight out of the skillet, but you can get a head start. Cook the “beef”, chop the veggies and cut your tortilla quarters earlier in the day, then keep everything covered in the fridge. Once it’s all lined up, assembly goes fast!

Leftovers? Wrap them up and refrigerate. To reheat, put them back in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes per side, or pop them in the air fryer, so the outside crisps up again. The lettuce will wilt a little, so if you’re making extras for tomorrow’s lunch, leave the lettuce, tomato and sour cream out of those and add them fresh.

Ingredients

• 10 twelve inch gluten free tortillas

• 1 tub Darë Spicy Queso

• 1 lb vegan “ground beef”

• 3 tbsp taco seasoning (check label for gluten-free)

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 24 gluten free tortilla chips (check label for gluten-free)

• 2/3 cup diced tomatoes

• 1 1/2 cups lettuce chopped thinly

• 1/2 cup dairy free sour cream

• 1 cup vegan Mexican cheese shreds

• 2 tbsp avocado oil

• Guacamole or hot sauce for serving

Directions

Cook the vegan ground “beef.”

Heat 2 tbsp avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the vegan ground “beef” and cook according to the package instructions. Stir in the taco seasoning and tomato paste while cooking, allowing the flavors to soak in. Once cooked, set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Prep the veggies.

Finely chop the tomatoes and lettuce, keeping the pieces small and thin so they’re easier to fit inside the crunch wraps.

Prepare the tortilla quarters.

Take 2 tortillas and cut each into quarters by cutting them in half, then cutting each half in half again. You’ll use these smaller pieces to seal the center of each crunch wrap.

Set up your assembly station.

Assemble the crunch wraps on a large cutting board or flat plate. If the tortillas feel too stiff to fold, microwave them for a few seconds wrapped in a damp paper towel to soften them.

Add the filling.

Place about 2 tbsp of Darë spicy queso in the center of a large tortilla, spreading it into a small circle. Top with 2–3 tbsp of the vegan ground “beef” mixture.

Add the crunch.

Place about 3 tortilla chips over the “beef” for extra crunch. If your tortillas are large enough, you can use a tostada shell instead.

Layer the toppings.

Drizzle with dairy-free sour cream, then add about 1½ tbsp diced tomatoes, some shredded lettuce, and vegan cheese.

Seal the crunch wrap.

Place one tortilla quarter over the filling in the center, making sure the filling is completely covered.

Fold the wrap.

Starting with the side closest to you, fold the edge of the tortilla up and over the center. Continue rotating the crunch wrap and making 5–6 folds in the same direction until the entire center is covered and the wrap is sealed.

Flip and repeat.

Carefully flip the crunch wrap over so the seams are facing down. Repeat the assembly and folding process with the remaining 7 crunch wraps.

Crisp the crunch wraps.

Heat a cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat with 1 tbsp avocado oil. Place the crunch wraps seam-side down and cook for 2–4 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Carefully flip and cook for another 2–4 minutes until the other side is golden and crispy.

Serve and enjoy! Slice the crunch wraps in half, if desired, and serve with guacamole and/or hot sauce.

Darë’s tips for the best vegan crunchwrap

Go big on the tortillas

10 to 12 inch gluten-free tortillas give you room to fold. Look for soft, pliable ones, and warm them first so they don’t crack.

Keep the crunch in the middle

Tortilla chips (or a gluten-free tostada shell, if your tortillas are big enough) go right in the center of the filling. That’s where the signature crunch lives.

Keep the wet stuff off the tortilla

Sour cream and tomatoes sit on top of the chips, not against the outer tortilla, which helps prevent a soggy crunchwrap.

Stick to medium heat

Too hot and the tortilla burns before the queso gets warm and melty. Medium heat gives you a golden, crispy outside and a hot middle.

Press gently, then flip

Press down lightly with a spatula while it cooks so every layer heats through. Once the bottom is golden and sealed, flip carefully and crisp the other side.

Serve your crunchwraps right away

The crunchy center softens the longer it sits, so eat them hot! We Darë you to stop at 1.

Want it milder?

Swap in our Queso Blanco for a creamy, mild version everyone at the table can handle. Got queso left over? Grab a spoon and eat it straight from the tub (we won’t tell). Or warm it up and drizzle it over our Taco Salad with Spicy Queso, or bring it to the party with our Easy Cheesy Party Platter.