Mostly used as a thickening agent in many popular foods like jello, yogurts, soups, and pudding, Xanthan gum is even a product in some cosmetic and personal care products.
Now, you may have been asking yourself, what is Xanthan gum exactly? This is a lab-made soluble fiber but, safe to use, in fact, Xanthan gum has many health benefits like lowering blood pressure, weight loss, and can even help those who struggle with dry mouth.
Wondering what to do when you don’t seem to find Xanthan gum lying around in your kitchen? Here are some substitutes to help you out.
The 11 Best Substitute for Xanthan gum is
- Psyllium Husk
- Ground Flax Seeds
- Ground Chia Seeds
- Cornstarch
- Unflavored Gelatin
- Guar Gum
- Agar-Agar
- Egg Whites
- Potato Starch
- Flax Meal
- Coconut Flour
Find out more about these binding agents in the article down below.
Best Substitute For Xanthan Gum
Psyllium Husk
Psyllium husk is also known as Ispaghula and it is a type of fiber made from the Plantago ovata plant. Psyllium husk powder is a known natural laxative, and it’s used in various baking recipes, preventing your baked goods from becoming crumbly and stiff.
Ground Flax Seeds
Flax seeds are seriously all over the place. From the beauty world to the cooking and baking world. They are the best and the healthiest source of fiber you will ever find, as well as the best source of nutrition.
Flax seeds are used in the dietary world as a healthy source of fiber(Omega 3 fatty acids). The flax seeds give out the feeling of fullness to keep your food needs satisfied.
Flax seeds can help to lower your blood cholesterol, lowering blood sugar levels, lowering the risk of heart diseases, and many other health issues. This dietary fiber comes from the flax plant, where only the seeds are extracted and used for eating and cooking.
Flax seeds, when mixed with water are an excellent substitute for Xanthan gum in recipes, as well as gelatin.
How To Use Flax Seeds Instead Of Xanthan Gum
- Take a handful of ground flaxseed (use a coffee grinder to grind them if you don’t already have ground ones).
- Put them in hot water, and stir non-stop until you start to get a jelly-like texture.
- You will see that after a minute or so, the consistency will thicken and it will look like a gel even more.
- Take your finished product off the heat, and let it sit and cool for 10 minutes.
- Use this product to make baked goods or any baking recipe.
Ground Chia Seeds
Ground Chia seeds are great binding agents and when put in water, they absorb and spread out up to 12 times their own weight. Chia seeds are very easy and healthy to work with. They can improve the consistency of your dough or any baked good you.
When soaked in water, chia seeds form a gummy texture, similar to the flax seeds. Use 2:1 water to chia seeds ratio to get the best results. If you do not own a coffee grinder, that’s fine, you can just use whole chia seeds with no problem.
Cornstarch
Cornstarch is the starch that’s extracted from corn grains. Cornstarch is a white/ pale yellow substance in powdered form and it is used as a thickening agent in soups, stews, baked desserts, other baked goods, as well as frying chicken, salad dressings, or French fries(to make them crispier and crunchier).
Cornstarch is used in Asian cuisines to give the food a bit of a crunchy aftertaste. It is an excellent choice for substituting Xanthan gum.
[Related Article: 7 Dark Corn Syrup Substitute For Cooking And Baking]
Gelatin
Gelatin is a setting agent derived from animal collagen, that is found mostly in animal bones and skin, most often pigs.
Gelating is so easy to cook with and you can do whatever you want with it. You can use it in cooking but also, in baking as well. To substitute Xanthan gum with Gelatin, use a 2:1 ratio of Gelatin.
For those of you who didn’t already know this, gelatin isn’t vegan nor vegetarian so, you might want to search elsewhere if you don’t eat animal meat.
Guar Gum
Given the name Guar Gum, you’d be disappointed to hear that this isn’t actual gum. It is made from legumes called the Guar bean it is made with the purpose thicken and binding processed foods, making it an excellent replacement for Xanthan Gum.
Guar Gum consists of dietary fiber, and as a bonus, it is also very low on calories. Guar gum also has major health benefits like lowering blood pressure, helping with weight loss, cardiovascular diseases, and maintaining stable blood sugar.
To use this product as a substitute for Psyllium husk, use the same amount that you would use Xanthan Gum, they are very similar. For example, if you need a tablespoon of Xanthan Gum, use a tablespoon of Guar gum in its place.
Agar-Agar
Agar-Agar or just Agar is a plant-based, vegan alternative to gelatin that is most often than not, made from seaweed.
This gelatinous food additive can be used in dairy-free, vegetarian, and gluten-free recipes since it’s not derived from animals.
Agar powder can also be sold in blocks or flakes and its use is exactly the same as gelatin. So, use it as you would regular gelatin.
Egg Whites
Again, if you’re not into animal products then you should probably stick with something else. Everyone knows that eggs are natural binders with a sticky structure. So, if you’re in a hurry and don’t have either of these binding products, then this is the easiest solution.
Potato Starch
This starch is made from crushing potatoes and extracting the starch out of them. Potato starch looks exactly like a powder or just a regular white flour and it has the same abilities as well. Corn starch acts as a thickening agent in most foods that it has been mixed into.
This starch is gluten-free and totally flavorless and can fit in almost every gluten-free baking or cooking recipe, without interfering with the taste.
I am certain that you can find this product in every grocery store, flour aisle. This product can hold up to high temperatures(higher than corn starch even), and it is used as a thickening agent in soups, and gravies,
One tablespoon of potato starch is equal to one tablespoon of Xanthan gum.
Flaxseed Meal
Flax seed meal is basically the same thing as flax seeds so it really doesn’t need any further explanation. When combined with a couple of tablespoons of water, flax meal forms a gel-like substance that can act as a thickening agent in many meals and baked goods.
Coconut Flou
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This is a product that comes from dried coconut meat and it’s made one of the most popular gluten-free flours in the world.
Yes, coconut flour is completely gluten-free and grain-free just like its friend, almond flour. You can use this flour to make the best-smelling and tasting baked goods in the world.
[Related Article: 11 Substitute For Banana In Your Favorite Smoothie Recipes]
Conclusion
In conclusion, Xanthan gum is a thickening agent that is mostly used in jello, pudding cups, milkshakes, yogurts, etc. It has many health benefits like stabilizing blood pressure, promoting weight loss, and can help with a severe case of dry mouth.
Substitutes for Xanthan gum are flax seeds, chia seeds, corn starch, potato starch, Agar-Agar, Psyllium husk, Guar Gum, Gelatin, egg whites, flax meal, and coconut flour.