Xanthan Substitute: Four Alternatives

If you don’t have any xanthan on hand, a replacement is easily found. There are a few ways to replace the binder. Almost every shop has alternatives that you can fall back on. We present four suitable alternative solutions.

Substitute for xanthan: psyllium husk and guar gum

Xanthan is a gluten-free binding agent that is often used for low-carb cuisine and by people with gluten intolerance. However, this can be replaced by alternatives.

• Flea seed shells: You can replace xanthan with flea seed shells, for example. Thanks to their ability to swell, they store moisture and make your baked goods juicy. But flea seed shells offer even more advantages. Cakes crumble less because more moisture can be retained.
• For bread, you usually need one to three tablespoons of psyllium, which you can use either dry or soaked in water. To do this, place the psyllium husks in warm water about two to three hours before use. So they can swell well. As a rule of thumb, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of psyllium husk for one tablespoon of xanthan gum.
• Guar gum: Another alternative is guar gum. This also contains no gluten and can serve as an excellent thickening and gelling agent. Guar gum binds liquid and contains a lot of fiber and few calories.
• Cold dishes in particular can be thickened with guar gum. But the flour can also be used for baking. To do this, stir the gelling agent into the cold food by stirring it constantly. But you can also add it to the dough as usual. Replace one tablespoon of xanthan gum with one and a half tablespoons of guar gum.

Other alternatives: chia seeds and locust bean gum

If you don’t have xanthan gum on hand, it’s also a great substitute for chia seeds or locust bean gum.

• Chia seeds: Unlike psyllium husks and guar gum, chia seeds must be soaked in water before processing. Soak the seeds in water for two to three hours so that they can swell well. Use three tablespoons of water for one tablespoon of chia seeds.
• You can tell if the chia seeds have swollen by the fact that a jelly-like mass has formed. Because chia seeds retain a lot of moisture, you may need to increase the prep time when preparing different foods. The same applies here: replace one tablespoon of xanthan gum with one tablespoon of chia seeds.
• Locust bean gum: Another alternative is locust bean gum. You don’t have to soak that. Just add it to the respective dishes. For bread, for example, you need one to one and a half teaspoons of locust bean gum for every 250 g of flour.
• You can strengthen the binding effect of the locust bean gum, for example, with the help of other binding agents such as guar gum. Use the binder for making ice cream, for example. This is how you can prevent your homemade ice cream from crystallizing. Replace one gram of xanthan gum with 1.5 grams of locust bean gum.