How To Use Xanthan Gum In Low Carb Baking
When using xanthan gum you ll need to add liquid to activate it s gel like qualities.
How to use xanthan gum in low carb baking. Add xanthan gum to the dry ingredients before mixing with the wet. That gel helps keep ingredients emulsified and suspended so they look appetizing on the shelf. One of my most used ingredients in my recipes xanthan gum has a slew of uses from thickening soups and gravy to emulsifying smoothies and making chewy cookies. It is important to remember though that it is a man made product and may have side effects if mishandled or used regularly. If i had to guess i would say about 50 of my recipes include xanthan gum.
It is recommended that the use of xanthan gum in cooking not exceed over 2 teaspoons. When added to water xanthan gum forms a gel. I cover the basics of subbing for starch and gluten when making high carb recipes into low carb keto recipes. Simply omit the eggs and whisk 1 to 2 tsp 2 1 2 to 5 g of xanthan gum into your dry ingredients. Use in small amounts and be sure to sprinkle the thickener into soups or sauces a little at a time so that it doesn t clump.
Use xanthan gum as a binder if you re vegan or have an egg allergy. Overall xanthan gum has a wide variety of uses in the kitchen especially if you are following a low carb diet such as keto. So how to use xanthan gum in keto baking. Xanthan gum is a common additive in a variety of foods such as ice cream yogurt sauces and dressings as well as gluten free baked goods it is a corn based fermented product that is made by fermenting corn sugar with a microbial called xanthomonas campestris. If you dabble in low carb keto friendly or gluten free baking xanthan gum is the secret ingredient to creating a dough that s as close as possible to the gluten filled counterparts.
This fundamental property is what makes the gum powder a great stabilizing agent for many products from soups salad dressing and gravy to keto ice cream and baked goods. Well once this powder is added to a liquid it quickly disperses and creates a thickening solution. Used for baking or thickening soups or sauces xanthan gum has zero net carbs. If you experience undesirable results increase the amount of xanthan gum for the next batch. For breads and doughs add 2 tsp xanthan gum per 1 cup flour.
Why use xanthan gum in gluten free baking. There s a little bit of food science involved but once you get used to the different ingredients it starts to make sense. It is a great replacement for corn starch and white flour in keto soups and stews. For cakes and cookies add 1 tsp xanthan gum per 1 cup flour. The more xanthan gum you use the denser your baked good will be.