What is in my Gluten Free Food?
An explanation of common ingredients found in gluten free baked goods.
Hi friends,
I’ve noticed lately that there is a lot of confusion around gluten free ingredients.
In fact, I’ve even noticed some fear. I’ve seen internet personalities implying certain ingredients are something to be scared of, or recipes without them carry a “halo of health.”
There is WAY too much fear bandied about in every corner of the internet these days and in this age of over-information I thought a little explanation and clarification was in order. It’s best to have all the info so you can know what works best for you right?
There are a few ingredients commonly used in gluten free baking or included in gluten free products that you may not be familiar with.
I’m going to explain what 3 of them are here: Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, and Psyllium.
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Xanthan Gum
What is Xanthan gum? Xanthan Gum is a cultured product, much like cheese, yogurt, or wine.
It is made from a bacteria that is naturally found on the leaf surfaces of green vegetables, including broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, rutabaga and turnip.
In fact you have probably accidentally grown this yourself if you’ve ever kept a head of cabbage in your fridge or out in the garden too long, and the outside got a little slippery. That was the same bacteria.
For food production it is fermented (usually on a sugar solution) then dried and ground into powder.
Why would you want that in your food? Xanthan is a soluble fiber, which means it absorbs liquid and creates body or thickness. In gluten free baking means it makes your flour mixture stronger, your baked goods less crumbly, and rise higher.
Where else is this ingredient used? Ice creams, barbeque sauces, salad dressings and many other products in the store, start turning over bottles you’ll find it all over the place. In high concentrations it’s sometimes used as a fiber supplement and in other medical applications.
What’s a good baking substitute for this? Guar gum can substitute for xanthan gum easily in recipes.
Read up on xanthan gum: Here or Here
Guar Gum
What is guar gum? Guar gum is the ground up seeds of the guar plant.
Why would you want that in your food? When mixed with water absorbs the liquid and becomes viscous, full of body. In gluten free baking it can strengthen your dough, help keep in air and make lighter baked goods. It also makes your baked goods less crumbly.
Where else is this ingredient used? Similar to xanthan gum, everywhere. Salad dressing, ice cream, yogurt, sauces, spice mixes, chips, fiber supplements, just start turning over packages.
What’s a good baking substitute for this? Xanthan gum is an easy substitute for this.
Psyllium
What is psyllium? Psyllium is the whole or ground up husks or seeds of the shrubby psyllium plant. It’s a fibrous plant that mostly grows in India.
Why is guar called a gum and psyllium isn’t even though they are both ground up fibrous seeds? I don’t know friends, who decided this? Why did guar get this label instead of say flax seeds? This sometimes leads people to believe one ground up seed is more virtuous than another in recipes. What if we called psyllium a gum, would that make it bad or good?
Why would you want that in your food? Psyllium works similarly to xanthan and guar, by absorbing water and creating a strong gel. It’s however much much stronger than xanthan or guar and able to hold in the air created by yeast or sourdough starter like the outside of a balloon. This allows your gluten free yeast or sourdough baked good to rise and puff much more than those made without psyllium.
Where else is this ingredient used? Many fiber supplements are made out of mostly psyllium. Some other products like breakfast cereals or bars claiming high fiber content also include psyllium.
What’s a good baking substitute for this? Since it is a stronger fiber than others it is difficult to substitute, although I’ve had success with konjac powder (a powdered root vegetable) by substituting 1/2 the amount of konjac by weight for the psyllium in baked goods.
Read more about psyllium here and here.
Thanks so much for joining me on this ingredient deep dive friends! I hope this cleared up some confusing terms for you. Are there other ingredients you’d like to hear about? Drop me a comment.
Happy Baking,
Rachel
Next Level Gluten Free recipes are tested over and over and scientifically work! Then I walk you through all the details. Upgrade to a full membership for a library of gluten free baking workshops, product comparisons, and exclusive gluten free recipes.
PS. You should ALWAYS make sure that all ingredients you use are gluten free and ALWAYS consult with your doctor about what you should eat. I do not dispense medical advice in any way.
This is a great topic for discussion...gluten-free eaters should be asking these questions when buying products and reading labels as informed consumers. Products that rely on tapioca, potato, cassava and rice starches can have high glycemic effects and you introduce better options as well so many options to cook at home
Thanks for this explanation, Rachel! 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum is the magic ingredient in my easy ice cream base. (And it's Paul Hollywood & Prue Leith approved!)