Xanthan Gum vs. Guar Gum
April 27, 2009
I’ve been told that xanthan gum and guar gum are interchangeable in gluten free baking so I bought guar gum last time because the store was out of xanthan gum. Below are the results…
Guar Gum Loaf
I couldn’t even get the bread out of the pan without it falling apart, we made this loaf into french toasts since the egg helped keep it together. I couldn’t bear to give it to the chickens.
Below is the exact same recipe a week later using xanthan gum…
Entry Filed under: Hey What's Goin on Here?, How to become a gluten-free goof!. Tags: baking, gluten-free-bread.
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1.
Kathryn | April 27, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Wow! What a difference. I haven’t used either very much.
Obviously you do, so it sounds kind of stupid to ask what you think of it. The xanthan gum i have is so coarse (like coarse ground cornmeal) that i’ve not used it much. I have guar gum as well, but can’t think of any time i’ve used it.
I’ve not followed you all that long, have you written on this before & i missed it? Thanks for letting me ask . . .
2.
glutenfree4goofs | April 27, 2009 at 5:41 pm
I’m new to blogging so no, old posts
anyways I’m always happy to answer. My xanthan gum is very fine and dusty-like. Does that make sense? I think I’d try getting some new. I know it’s really expensive but you only use approx. 1T at a time. It doesn’t taste good if you over-do it but it sure helps to improve the texture of gf-baked goods. I wish it wasn’t so! 
Lol
3.
Kathryn | April 27, 2009 at 9:08 pm
I appreciate you so much, & have enjoyed following your blog. I’ve just tagged you at my blog for the “Attitude of Gratitude” award. http://kateekat.blogspot.com/
Thanks for the info on xanthan gum. Maybe i’ll have to try some others. I think my is too coarse.
4.
purplemoose | April 28, 2009 at 10:23 am
Wow, that;’s a huge difference!
5.
Linda | April 28, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Wow, that’s interesting. Guar would probably work okay in cookies or muffins. Carol Fenster uses both xanthan and guar together. Thanks for sharing. Now I’ll know not to try guar in a loaf of bread.
6.
Kathryn | April 28, 2009 at 3:05 pm
I thought i tagged you? Did you not want to do it?
7.
glutenfree4goofs | April 28, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Sorry! Oh yes, yes thank you! Somehow wordpress sent your tag to spam but it approved your comments automatically. It took me a while to find it but I’m good now.
Thanks and I’m Jessie
8.
donna | April 29, 2009 at 6:21 am
I have only ever used xanthan gum in my recipes…and will heed your wisdom to the other…I love discovering ladies willing to share their gluten free recipes and experiences through blogging…
thanks for the visit to my blog….
blessings
donna
9.
Brian | April 30, 2009 at 11:46 am
I’ve always thought Guar Gum and Xanthan Gum were interchangeable as well. Now, I know better. Thanks for sharing this.
10.
MARIE FECHTER | May 1, 2009 at 10:07 am
not sure who you are “me at a glance” but your ideas are very simillar to mine – gluten free mamma, a dream of a farm and thankful to our Magnificent Maker for his glorious Creation and his wonderful book of instruction and direction.
I have a g/f sourdough starter that I’m wondering if it has gone off – do you know how to tell? Any help would be great cause I just received some fresh ground brown rice to bake with.
11.
Gina | May 1, 2009 at 12:23 pm
I’ve never used guar gum. I have what seems to be a lifetime supply of xanthan gum, I use so little in recipes. I’ve always wondered if I should check out guar gum – now I’ll hold off unless I get a clear indication that it’s worthwhile!
12.
glutenfree4goofs | May 4, 2009 at 10:19 am
I used to be really bothered that xanthan gum is really a non-food and some cannot have it due to it’s often containing corn but I’ve tried and tried to find an alternative to no avail. I guess I should just give in and use it sparingly!
Kathryn- I’m still planning to participate!
Brian- I wanted to use Guar because it’s cheaper, oh well
Marie- try my “sourdough starter” posts also I will email you
Gina- all you need is a little, too much and it tastes bad in my opinion
Thanks again all for visiting!
Jess
13.
Jeanine | May 4, 2009 at 10:34 am
Wow, am I glad that I found this post! I just bought some guar gum because of the price difference, and reading everywhere that it could be interchanged with xanthan gum. Now I know, I’ll save it for things like cookies & pancakes. Thanks for sharing what you learned.
14.
Karen Joy | May 5, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Just checking in, Jess… You haven’t posted for a week or so, and I’m wondering if all is OK w/ you.
15.
gfe-gluten free easily | May 6, 2009 at 5:46 pm
I’ve steered clear of the guar gum because it can have a laxative effect. I’ve actually experienced that issue with some processed gf treats that contained it. Sorry to bring it up, but you should know. There are a lof of recipes that don’t even need either.
I just read this elsewhere: “Carol Fenster’s Gluten Free 101 books says that to substitute for Xantham Gum you can use 50% more of Guar Gum.” So there is a difference in amounts. I also read you can substitute buckwheat for the xanthan gum sometimes. I’ve read other substitutions, but can’t remember them right now.
Thanks for the heads up, Jessie!
Shirley
16.
Happi Heart | July 24, 2009 at 9:46 am
Hi I am new to this and went out and bought all the stuff the healthfood store person said I needed to live gluten free. So I have a bag of Guar gum. From what I have read ???? Is there any good use for it?
Happi
17.
glutenfree4goofs | July 24, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Yes you can certainly use it, I just wouldn’t try making bread with it right yet!? I’ve heard it works better than what I’ve experienced if you use quite a bit MORE. That would be why it is less expensive. I would use it for things like pancakes, crepes, soup thickener, possibly half and half with xanthan gum in baked goods. Experiment, but just know that if you are converting something that calls for xanthan you will need more guar. Also if you are converting a wheat recipe you could use some of each. I think there are many recipes that call for guar
I hope I haven’t sent you in a panic!