xanthan gum alternative
 

Today is the start of my much anticipated return to the low carb lifestyle. :yay: Many of the recipes I've compiled require xanthan gum. And I know it's very strong stuff. So here's my problem. Most of the recipes, which are six servings+ want me to use 1/8 of a teaspoon of xanthan gum. I'm a party of one, so that's scary. I Googled xantum gum alternatives. I get lots of choices, but Google doesn't care about taste and I do. Anyone have any tried and true alternatives to Xanthan gum? Thanks for any advice.

What's so scary about Xanthan gum?

WebMD says:

Dr. Axe says:

Other than the possibility of intestinal gas, I can't find anything else negative and a lot of positive. Of course you can't always believe what you read, so if you know differently, please let us know.

Thanks
Bob

I’ve never used it, but would be inclined to say that if a recipe for 6 calls for 1/8 tsp, and you want to cut that back to, say, 2 servings only, you could try just leaving it out & see what happens. If the object is to thicken a sauce, I would maybe start with less liquid, and let more of it boil off. Depending on the sauce a knob of cream cheese or an egg yolk might do the trick. If you feel that you must use it, then stick the tip of a knife in the container, and use the tiny amount that balances on the tip.

psyllium husk
potato fiber
chia seeds
potato flour
ground flax seeds (weird taste in some foods)
cornstarch
gelatin
agar agar
guar gum
konjac powder

Depends on what use.
I often use potato fiber, sometimes I use eggs to thicken food, raw and whipped or stirred and heated at a low temp.

Hope this helps.

Hi Laura. I use xanthan gum quite a bit, often in 1-4 serving sized recipes. I don't worry about the exact amount in baked goods. If there's a tad extra, it won't make much difference. In sauces or gravies, I just start with a tiny bit, and either adjust as it thickens, or combine thickeners (heavy cream, pureed vegetables, etc.)

If you have any specific recipes, maybe we can help convert them.

I use Xanthan frequently too.


They make measuring spoons that are smaller than 1/4 tsp. They're labeled smidgen, dash, and pinch - If you can't find them locally at a kitchen store, I'm sure that the Big River website has them. (Can we mention that website that sells everything from A--->Z on here? I'm on too many forums, can't keep straight what's allowed on which one :o)


Anyhow, here's an equivalency chart:
Dash: 1/8 tsp.

Pinch: 1/16 tsp.
Smidgen: 1/32 tsp


I don't worry too much about the exact amount of xanthan though.

Thanks for the great input everyone! ....I guess I was overthinking it about the xanthan gum. Kinda like how I overthink about how many heads of cauliflower I should buy. :lol: Now I've got a list of good substitutes if I do decide I need a thickener.

At least cauliflower freezes well. :lol: My rule is if it's cheap, buy lots.

Best of luck getting back into the LC groove. :thup:

Calianna, I've never heard of that. That's very cool; I should keep an eye out for those next time I'm at a kitchen shop.

I remember buying mine locally (many, many years ago), but it was at an outlet store called Reading China and Glass. They had a huge variety of kinds of cooking gadgets. The store still exists, but things have changed as far as what's available in a lot of stores since the pandemic - you might be able to find some of those measuring spoons somewhere, might not. If not, I googled "dash, pinch, smidgen measuring spoons", and they're available online.



As an alternate, if you need to measure an even smaller amount, Kal Stevia comes with a tiny "scoop"/measuring spoon packed in the bottle, and it measures 1/40 teaspoon.

I actually use mashed cauliflower to thicken things like stews if they turn out too watery. I use cauliflower chunks instead of potatoes, cook them in the pot/slowcooker with the rest of the stew ingredients, when done pick out some cauliflower & a bit of the excess fluid, whiz it in my Magic Bullet and add it back to the stew.

Or, if there is no cauliflower in my recipe, I pull some frozen cauliflower florets out of the freezer, stick them in my Magic Bullet with some extra fluid, nuke it 'til soft, whiz it in my Magic Bullet and add it back to the recipe.