Homemade Wonton Wrappers
Wonton wrappers are essential to making appetizers like egg rolls and dumplings. Did you know you that they are incredibly easy to make at home? Make a big batch of our recipe, and use them to make egg rolls, wontons, dumplings, ravioli (yes, ravioli!), and more!
This article contains affiliate links. These links are provided to help you find some of the more specialty products we mention in the recipe. See our Disclosure Policy for more information.
What is the difference between wonton, egg roll, dumpling, and gyoza wrappers?
You've probably encountered wonton wrappers in their fried-to-perfection form holding in the tasty cabbage and pork stuffing of an egg roll or the creamy filling of a crab rangoon.
You may have even encountered the paper-thin wrappers in the produce section of your grocery store (typically found by the bean sprouts and tofu).
Maybe you've even picked up a package to make your own egg rolls or mozzarella sticks.
But, did you know that those paper thin wrappers are actually quite easy to make at home?
Wonton, egg roll, dumpling, or gyoza wrappers all start from the same basic dough. The size (big for egg rolls, small for wontons) and shape (round or square) that you cut the dough will be determined by what you are using the dough for.
What are wonton wrappers made of?
The ingredient list for wonton wrappers is pretty straightforward: flour, eggs, salt, water.
If you're familiar with the ingredients to make pasta (like ravioli), you'll notice a similarity here. Basically, we're just making a very thinly rolled pasta.
How to knead wonton wrappers
While the dough for wonton wrappers is easy to make, you will give your arms a bit of a workout with the rolling pin, since it needs to be rolled nice and thin for the perfect wonton wrappers.
But, don't get discouraged.
We like to roll 5-10 strokes and then flip the dough over, roll 5-10 more, flip, etc.
The dough will contract when you flip it, but flipping helps make sure that the dough isn't sticking to the counter.
If you are having trouble getting your wonton wrapper dough as thin as you want it, here's a trick. Roll it part way and then cover it with a tea towel to let the gluten relax for 5 minutes. Then, try rolling it out again.
(Think about the gluten in the dough like a tight muscle that you are trying to stretch out. Sometimes, it can only stretch so much before it needs a little rest. Then, once you try stretching again, you're surprised that you can stretch farther than before!)
If you are one of those lucky people who has a pasta roller, this would be the perfect time to break it out. Using a pasta roller is a great, easy way to get your wonton dough to the perfect consistency.
We don't have one though, and it's never stopped us from making our own wonton wrappers!
Can I use cornstarch instead of flour to roll the dough?
When rolling out dough, it is habit to reach for the flour to keep it from sticking to the counter. Right? Not with wonton wrappers!
We can't say it enough. DON'T DUST YOUR COUNTER WITH FLOUR when rolling out the wonton wrappers.
Extra flour will make the wonton wrappers tough and gummy.
So, instead, we use cornstarch. Cornstarch will not be absorbed as it coats the dough, creating the perfect non-stick barrier.
How to use and freeze homemade wonton wrappers
We prefer to use our wonton wrappers right when we make them. We find that the dough is easiest to use when it is fresh.
We still make a big batch of wonton wrappers, but then we make our potstickers, egg rolls, etc. Then we'll freeze those for later.
It's so nice to have a bag full of egg rolls in the freezer that you can just pop one or two out when you crave them!
That being said, we have frozen the wonton wrappers themselves, and it's definitely a route you can go if you want to save them to use later.
Simply stack the cut wonton wrapper squares with a very generous dusting of cornstarch between them.
A good amount of cornstarch between each wrapper is key to being able to separate the wrappers when you want to use them later!
The homemade wonton wrappers will keep for 2-3 months in an airtight container in the freezer.
Simply thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Can I use wonton wrapper dough to make egg roll wrappers?
As we mentioned above, the difference between egg roll wrappers and wonton wrappers is simply the size. (The same is true of wontons and gyoza wrappers.) All can be cut from wonton wrapper dough.
You simply need to cut the dough to the size you need for your desired use.
How to use wonton wrappers
There are so many fun uses for wonton wrappers, even outside of the classic Asian treats. You can even use them as pasta to make ravioli!
Homemade Pizza Rolls from DIY Natural
Thung Thong (Thai Crispy Dumplings) from Tara's Multicultural Table
(Fried) Shrimp and Vegetable Egg Rolls from A Day In The Life On The Farm
Spinach and Sausage Ravioli from Sew You Think You Can Cook
Pork and Prawn Wonton Soup from Food Lust People Love
Edible Origami by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
So, the next time you're craving crispy egg rolls or a big bowl of wonton soup, grab a bowl and your rolling pin, and try your hand at making your own wonton wrappers!
Wonton Wrappers
Ingredients
- 2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ c water
- cornstarch (for rolling and dusting)
Instructions
- Place flour into a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, salt, and water.
- Create a well in the center of the flour and pour in the wet ingredients.
- Mix everything together with a spoon (or your hands), until the mixture begins to come together.
- Turn the dough onto the counter and knead for 3-5 minutes. The dough should be firm but silky smooth when you are done. (If your dough is too tacky, add a little extra flour to your counter.)
- Cover the dough with a damp towel and let rest for 1 hour. (Letting the dough rest will make it easier to roll thin wrappers.)
- Divide the dough in half. Cover one half of the dough with your towel. Lightly dust your counter-top with cornstarch (NOT flour), and roll half of the dough as thin as you can, aiming for a rectangle roughly 20"x10" if you are cutting 5" wrappers, or 15"x9" if you are cutting 3" wrappers.
- Cut the sheet into your desired shapes. (5 inch squares are perfect for egg rolls. 3 inch squares or circles are great for wontons or dumplings.)
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Use the wonton wrappers immediately or freeze them below (see below).
Notes
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I never knew how easy it could be to make homemade wonton wrappers without a pasta machine! I had made a lovely broth and wonton filling from Andrea Nguyen and didn't want to ruin it by using store bought wrappers that contained preservatives. I tried using bread flour out of curiosity and the result was a soft, pliable, very easy to roll out dough. Can't wait to use this recipe again!
So glad you enjoyed the wonton wrappers! Thanks for sharing your experience making them with bread flour!
How do you make the dumpling wrappers not separate from the meat filling while steaming these?
Hi Marietts. When you use the dumpling wrappers, you need to make sure they are sealed tightly around the filling. We do this by moistening the sealing edges lightly with water. This helps the wrappers to get a bit sticky and seal better. Enjoy!
Does it have to be un-bleached flour and if so why can’t bleached flour be used?
Hi Eva. You could use bleached all-purpose flour. We just prefer to use unbleached because of the chemical agents they use in the bleaching process. Enjoy!
Can we use normal plain flour or cake flour?
All-purpose flour is what you want to use here (not cake flour).
Love this recipe using it with my pasta roller for first time last time I rolled it by hand made double today for egg rolls and won tons
So glad you're enjoying the wonton wrappers! A pasta roller is perfect for making these!
OMG Thank you! I was going crazy in my supermarket trying to find these and thought to just look up how to make them instead...but...when you pointed out they're by the tofu, I found them!!! This blog helped me in a different way ? Still going to save this for next time though and give it a try after I see if I like what I'm making in the first place. ?
We're glad we could help!
Great recipe, I learned a few things doing it. The dough was a little soft for the pasta maker so I kneaded in more flour. When using a pasta maker don't use any corn starch untill the sheet is the right thickness or it won't roll thin. Once it's the right thickness dust liberally and nothing sticks. I let the stacked squares sit for a couple hours and no sticking.
Great tips! Thanks Chuck! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Going to make Thanksgiving Egg Rolls!! My dough is resting, fingers crossed it all works out!!
That sounds so tasty! We hope they turned out wonderful!
This is a great easy recipe! I actually made it in my stand mixer with the dough hook. I made a well in the flour, added the wet ingredients, then mixed it on a 1 until everything was combined. Then I "kneeded" it on a 2 for three minutes. I don't think I'll ever buy premade wontons again. Thanks for the great recipe!!
We're so glad you enjoyed the wrappers Kristen! Thanks for sharing your tips!
@Kristen,
What a great tip. Being an older woman with arthritis I was wondering if I could kneed dough that long. I'm definitely going to try this recipe now. Thank you too Sharon for sharing. I might look into a pasta roller because they are cheap.
Made these for my Chinese themed Birthday party....
I used 2 cups sifted white SPELT flour as I am gluten intollorant..
I followed the recipe exactly, the dough was a little sticky after I let is sit for the hour, but using some corn starch solved this. I rolled slightly int a rectangle and then used my Kitchaid pasta attachment. I ran the dough thru the first two settings twice and the third once. I dusted generously with corn starch and then using my quilting ruler, cut with my pizza cutter each 1/4 of rolled dough into 8 3 1/2 in ch squares. I made certain that each square had a good corn starch dusting and wrapped the stacks of eight in between wax paper and into a zip bag to cool. I fried up a wedge of off cut dough, light bubbles and delicious! ! Awesome recipe. the site will not let me tap the fifth star this is a 5 star!!!
Thank you for your comments Maggie! It's good to hear that this recipe works well with Spelt flour too. I'm sure many of our readers will be excited to hear this! We're so glad you enjoyed the wrappers!. A very Happy Birthday to you as well!
I'm wondering whether this would work with whole grain spelt flour and not sifted?
Hi Janet. Unfortunately, we don't have much experience working with spelt flour, so we can't speak to if it would work well for these wrappers. If you do give it a try, please come back and let us know how it turns out for you!
Spelt isnt gluten free. If you can eat it without any reaction, you probably have a fructan intolerance instead. Observing a person's reaction to spelt is actually one of the best ways to determine a fructan vs gluten intolerance.
Hi
I tried rolling the dough in the pasta machine and wow it stuck.
So rolled out by hand and used.
I did add 2 egg yolks to the mix ing process what I had could have been why dough was so sticky.?
?
Will make another time with just one.
Hi Dianne, Adding the extra egg yolk without adding more flour would indeed make the dough sticky. Hopefully you get the chance to try it again!
In the recipe for wanton wraps how much flour is 2c ...? Thank you
Hi Glenda. 2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour is roughly 8 1/2 oz or 240g.
There are commercial egg replacers that can be added to traditional dough recipes. They work well. We have a egg allergy too.
Thanks so much for sharing Rita!
Some people with egg allergies can have duck eggs
Allergic to eggs and diabetic. Any ideas for egg and wheat free wonton wraps? I can occasionally find egg-free wrappers at a specialty stores but still fight the wheat content. Thanks.
Hi Marilyn. Thanks for your question. Unfortunately, we don't have a good answer for you. We're not particularly familiar with how alternative flours would work for these wrappers, and, as far as we can tell, the egg is pretty crucial to the texture. Maybe another reader can help you out. Good luck with your search!
can rice flour be substituted?
Hi Linda. Thanks for your question. We're not particularly familiar with working with rice flour, so we're not comfortable recommending making the substitution in this recipe. However, if you do decide to give it a try for a small batch, please pop back by and let us know how it turned out for you. That way others can benefit from your experience!
A really easy way to roll dough real thin is to put it between two pieces of cling film ( clear food wrap). It never sticks to your worktop, and it is so easy to handle.
That is a great idea! Thanks Steven!
Great recipe! Would have this for some ravioli this weekend. - Regine
Thanks! Enjoy your ravioli!