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Xanthum Gum

What is it and why you need it

When you start baking and cooking with gluten free ingredients, some of them seem a little strange.

That is definitely true with xanthum gum. I have a lot of people at my cooking classes ask me what is xanthum gum and what does it do. Why do I need to use it and can I use guar gum instead?

Xanthum gum is derived from corn sugar. It comes in 8oz packages and is a very fine powder. It has no taste or odor of its own and blends in with the dry ingredients of your recipe.

Since we cook without wheat, gluten free baked goods lack the gluten structure found in wheat based goodies. Gluten is what makes regular wheat bread spongy and elastic. It gives bread its stretch, such as with pizza dough. You can twirl it up in the air making it thinner and thinner without tearing it.

Using wheat is not an option for us so our baked goods lack the ability to stretch and become elastic. They have a tendency to be dry and crumbly, often falling apart in your hands. I tried making pizelles ( an Italian cookie similar to a thin ice cream cone) without adding xanthum gum to the batter. When I placed the batter in the iron and pressed down the lid, the batter blew out the sides and scattered every where on the counter.

That is why you need to use xanthum gum. It is a very sticky substance that binds to your gluten free flours and makes them stick together instead of flying apart. Xanthum gum gives your baked goods structure and forms a sticky, spongy batter so your cookies or muffins will hold together and take shape.

Xanthum gum can be pricey. But you only need a teaspoon at a time for your recipes. It is very shelf stable and will last in your pantry for months. I have had some for 8 months and it functioned just fine.

When you buy your xanthum gum, place it into a small lidded container that you can store in your kitchen cupboard. It is a lot easier to measure out of container than the plastic bag it is sold in.

Remember that I said it was a very sticky substance. It really is! If you get it on your hands, wash it off immediately. If you don't, it will be as hard to get off as super glue. This stuff has some great sticking power!

What is the difference between guar gum and xanthum gum?  

Guar gum is ground from guar seeds. It has a lot of fiber to it and can cause people who eat a lot of it problems. It has been know to behave like a laxative.

Guar gum is much cheaper than xanthum gum and can be used in recipes calling for xanthum gum. If you decide to use it, replace the xanthum gum called for with about half as much guar gum. So, if your recipe says 1 teaspoon of xanthum gum then add only 1/2 teaspoon of guar gum.

I prefer to use xanthum gum myself. But you may find that you like guar gum instead. Experiment with both. That way you can judge for yourself which one works best for you.

How to use xanthum gum in your gluten free recipes

Use this chart to convert your recipes to gluten free based on the amount of flour called for:

• Cookies: Use 1/4 tsp per cup of flour
• Cakes: Use 1/2 tsp per cup of flour
• Muffins and Quick Breads: Use 3/4 tsp per cup of flour
• Yeast Breads: Use 1 to 1 1/2 tsp per cup of flour
• Pizza Crusts: Use 2 tsp per cup of flour

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