Elizabeth Barbone

Can I use guar gum in baking if xanthan gum causes me problems?

Lately, I've received a few questions, like the one above, about Guar Gum. It is not a gum I bake with on a regular basis. When I first taught gluten-free cooking classes many of my students reported having trouble with guar gum. So, I developed recipes that use xanthan gum to give stability to gluten-free baked goods.(The trouble they had? Guar gum has a laxative effect...) While most people can tolerate xanthan gum, some can't. And I want them to be able to make my recipes, too!

If you can't tolerate xanthan gum, guar gum can be used as a substitute in my recipes. (Xanthan gum is grown primary on corn and can can also be grown on soy. For those with a corn/soy allergy it can cause problems.) Simply replace the xanthan gum in a recipe with equal parts guar gum.

Elizabeth, I love your idea of preparing homemade mixes. What should I store them in?

Good question! I store my mixes in a basic plastic bag with a zip closure or tie. Before filling the bag with mix, I make sure to write the name of the recipe on the outside of the bag with a marker. It is amazing how similar yellow cake mix and sandwich bread mix can look when they aren't labeled!