Xanthan gum has been vital to my means to develop gluten free recipes since 2005— however I have been trying to find a correct xanthan gum substitute for a very long time. When you’re on the lookout for a method to change xanthan gum in your baking, I can assist!
Listed below are 4 worthy substitutes. I’ve examined the primary 3 in my recipe for gluten free chocolate chip cookies. The 4th is just for yeast bread:
- Cellulose, or “Excellent Gluten Alternative” (changed xanthan gum practically 1:1)
- Guar Gum (about 2.5 instances as a lot as xanthan gum)
- Konjac Powder (a bit greater than xanthan gum by quantity)
- Psyllium husk (in yeast breads, with various outcomes)
Xanthan gum substitute highlights
The overall suggestion for xanthan gum is to make use of between 0.05% and 0.35% of the whole weight of the recipe.
Here is a high-level abstract of my findings, however please hold studying for all the main points:
- Excellent gluten alternative (cellulose): Retains moisture very effectively. Carried out in addition to, if not higher than, xanthan gum within the cookies recipe, in bigger quantities. Beneficial use is 0.75% to 1% complete weight of recipe.
- Guar gum: In bigger quantities than xanthan gum (about 2.5 x), it labored rather well in cookies. Ultimate alternative for comparatively brief baking instances at reasonable temperatures as a result of it would not retain moisture that effectively. Beneficial use is 0.5% to 2% complete weight of recipe.
- Konjac powder: Retains moisture effectively. Required a barely greater quantity, and about 2x by weight, and labored considerably much less effectively than xanthan gum. Beneficial use is 0.5% to 0.7% complete weight of recipe.
- Psyllium husk: Not for muffins and cookies, however works remarkably effectively in yeast bread baking, significantly when there’s one other binding agent to carry the rise upright. Beneficial use is about 2% complete weight of recipe.
What’s xanthan gum & why will we use it?
Xanthan gum is a posh sugar that’s created via the fermentation of sugar by naturally-occurring micro organism, which is then dried and floor right into a powder. It is a hydrocolloid (that’s, creates a gel with water) that has been FDA-approved to be used in meals within the U.S. since 1969.
Xanthan gum acts to bind meals elements collectively, retain moisture, and add elasticity. It is activated at any temperature and stays secure in very excessive warmth and over lengthy durations of time, making it perfect for changing a number of the properties of gluten in gluten free baking.
Why do you have to change it?
In recipes that decision for xanthan gum, it is best to solely change xanthan gum if you happen to do not prefer it or simply do not need to use it. Perhaps you are delicate to it even within the comparatively very small quantities it seems in meals (often lower than 0.4% of the whole weight of the elements in a recipe). Or perhaps you have simply heard that psyllium husk is significantly better in yeasted gluten free bread than xanthan gum.
In recipes that already name for a gluten free flour mix with out xanthan gum, like gluten free pancakes, gluten free crepes, and because the base for a roux for gluten free gravy, you need not change xanthan gum. However in gluten free baking that requires xanthan gum as a gluten alternative, if you wish to keep away from it, I am right here to assist.
How will you change it?
To interchange xanthan gum in cookies, muffins, muffins, and pastries, I like to recommend guar gum, konjac powder and cellulose powder for binding, thickening and elasticity. For yeast breads, I additionally suggest psyllium husk.
There is not any magical method the place I can let you know precisely how a lot of every of those binders to make use of instead of xanthan gum in completely any recipe. Like the perfect quantity of xanthan gum to make use of in any specific recipe varies, so does the quantity of every of those substitutes. As some extent of reference, xanthan gum weighs about 3 grams per teaspoon.
Guar gum
Guar is not nearly as good at retaining moisture, so it isn’t perfect for yeast breads, that are baked at greater temperatures for longer durations of time. I used about 2.5 instances as a lot guar gum within the cookies as I might have xanthan gum. Guar gum weights about 2.6 grams per teaspoon.
Konjac powder
Derived from the tuber of the konjac plant, it is excessive in glucomannan, a dietary fiber that’s identified for gelling and thickening properties. I used about 1.5 instances extra konjac by weight, and about the identical quantity by quantity, as xanthan gum. Konjac weights about 3.2 grams per teaspoon.
Cellulose
Bought by Modernist Pantry as “Excellent Gluten Alternative,” this “modified cellulose” product is a dietary fiber derived from the cell partitions of vegetation. I used fairly a bit extra cellulose by quantity and practically 2.5 instances the burden of xanthan gum. Cellulose weighs about 1.4 grams per teaspoon.
Psyllium husk
A dietary fiber derived from the plantago ovata plant, psyllium husk is offered because the “complete husk” or floor into powder. It turns right into a gel in water that resembles hydrated flax, and provides binding, elasticity and makes uncooked gluten free baked items simpler to deal with. It begins to interrupt down at comparatively low baking temperatures. Complete psyllium husk weighs about 5 grams per tablespoon.
Baking cookies with a xanthan gum substitute
I examined cellulose, guar gum, and konjac powder in my excellent, thick and chewy gluten free chocolate chip cookies recipe. I eradicated psyllium husk from this spherical of testing as a result of I solely prefer it as a binder in yeast bread.
The testing course of
I researched how a lot of every binder to make use of in drop cookies like these, and stored each single different ingredient fixed as directed within the recipe. I used eggs and butter from the identical batches, on the identical temperature, in precisely the identical quantities. I used to be meticulous in avoiding cross-contamination of the binders. No dishonest!
For the flour mix, I used Vitacost Multi-Mix Gluten Free Flour, which is gum-free, tremendous cheap and glorious for drop cookies. I could not use Higher Batter’s traditional mix or Bob’s Purple Mill 1-to-1, which already include xanthan gum. I did not need to use Nicole’s Finest, because it tends to bind considerably effectively even with out xanthan gum.
I made a half-batch of the cookies, weighed out 50 grams uncooked dough for every cookie, and let the dough chill for 12 hours precisely earlier than baking based on the recipe directions.
I used the next precise quantity in every 1/2 batch of cookie dough:
- 2 teaspoons guar gum (about 5 grams) (or 1.2 % of complete recipe weight)
- 1 teaspoon konjac powder (about 3 grams) (or 0.7 % of complete recipe weight)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons cellulose (about 3.7 grams) (or 0.85 % of complete recipe weight)
Check outcomes
In making traditional drop-style gluten free chocolate chip cookies, this is how guar gum, konjac powder, and cellulose powder carried out once I used them instead of xanthan gum within the quantities listed above:
Guar gum
The cookies held their form fantastically, and the outcomes have been practically similar to what I anticipate from xanthan gum. No notes!
Konjac powder
The cookies did not maintain their form fairly as effectively, however I feel it’d require extra for a perfect consequence. I actually appreciated this in gluten free biscuits with out xanthan gum, so I stay actually hopeful about it.
Cellulose
This was my favourite binder of the bunch, outperforming even guar gum. The cookies held their form at the same time as they cooled identical to ones made with xanthan gum, with out feathering on the perimeters.
Here is a photograph of the entire cookies from all 4 batches, lastly in a position to mingle collectively. Can you see which is which? I positively cannot any extra!
Psyllium husk in gluten free baking
Xanthan gum would not break down even at excessive oven temperatures over lengthy durations of time, so it really works fantastically for the lengthy baking instances which are usually essential to bake good gluten free bread. Nevertheless it produces a considerably boring crumb, and I do know that yeast bread with psyllium is simpler to deal with and even knead (making a stand mixer much less vital), so I began testing months in the past.
Common use rules
Make sure to use greater purity “blond” husk, which is a light-weight tan coloration from which the outermost layer of the husk is eliminated, or your baked items might flip a innocent however unpleasant blue/purple coloration. I like NaturaleBio model complete husk from Amazon, but when it is out of inventory, I might purchase Yupik model.
I desire to make use of the entire husk, versus psyllium husk powder. When you desire to make use of the powder, use about 15% much less by weight in a recipe that requires the entire husk.
Baking a loaf of bread with psyllium
Once I used psyllium husk instead of any xanthan gum in my gluten free artisan bread, made in a Dutch oven, I used to be utterly unsuccessful. With out the supportive construction of a loaf pan, the excessive sides of a Pyrex bowl, or any xanthan gum or substitute, it did not maintain its form because it cooled.
Once I added psyllium instead of xanthan in my traditional white gluten free bread recipe, utilizing the Vitacost Multi-Mix Gluten Free Flour, the dough rise fairly excessive but in addition slumped a bit because it cooled. It was additionally very damp inside even after cooling for two hours. Psyllium gel begins to interrupt down round 180°F, so it requires the correct of extra help within the type of sufficient starches, egg whites, and/or ideally some xanthan gum to help the rise because it cools.
Subsequent, I added 20 grams of psyllium husk and 1 additional tablespoon of lukewarm water to my gluten free bread recipe, utilizing Higher Batter’s traditional mix which already accommodates xanthan gum. It was among the best gluten free loaf breads of my life, with a crisp crust, a young inside that was moist however not moist, and lots of bready style and aroma. It additionally had an extended shelf-life.
You possibly can see beneath the way it rose actually excessive and has a pleasantly irregular crumb because of the psyllium husk, and held its form fantastically after rising very excessive because of the egg whites—and the xanthan gum. Xanthan gum alone tends to yield a really common, uniform crumb, however this was a extra gluten-like crumb.
Baking formed bread with psyllium
Thus far, I’ve not appreciated utilizing psyllium husk instead of xanthan gum fully in formed gluten free bread made with an all function gluten free flour mix. I’ve tried gluten free bagels and gluten free cinnamon rolls, however they did not maintain their form.
I do actually love the mix of xanthan gum and psyllium husk in formed gluten free breads, although, made in my normal fashion.
In my recipe for gluten free cinnamon rolls, I used the Vitacost gum-free mix, however added xanthan gum and psyllium husk with nice success. The rise was even and managed, with tons of oven spring, and the rolls have been chewy and even held the filling higher.
Psyllium husk + a xanthan gum substitute in breads
Subsequent, I plan to check these yeasted gluten free bread recipes utilizing both konjac powder or cellulose instead of xanthan gum plus psyllium husk. I anticipate actually good outcomes. I will not strive guar gum, since I anticipate it will not retain moisture over the lengthy baking time.
FAQs
If a recipe requires xanthan gum however you are utilizing a gluten free flour mix that already accommodates it, depart it out. In any other case, you should change it with an alternate in the correct amount for that sort of recipe, or your baked items might be crumbly, dry, and can go stale extra shortly.
No, though cornstarch does thicken liquids to create a roux and can be utilized to thicken pudding, it doesn’t create elasticity or gel like xanthan gum in any quantity as a gluten-replacer.
Pectin might be helpful in gluten free baking, however I have not been profitable in utilizing it to switch xanthan gum.
I have not been profitable in utilizing gelatin to switch xanthan gum.
I like konjac, guar gum, or cellulose as a alternative for xanthan gum in pastries, cookies, muffins, muffins, and fast breads. You will want various quantities of every, however I feel they’re all efficient substitutes.
No, baking powder accommodates a chemical leavener (baking soda), a starch, and an acid (often cream of tartar). It would not bind, thicken, or retain moisture like xanthan gum.
No, though they do have some gelling properties, they will not present the gluten-like community that xanthan gum, konjac powder, cellulose, guar gum, or psyllium husk can.
