Looking For Sub For Xanthan Gum

[Takala]

Bisquick makes me sick. Also Arrowmills. I made pancakes from them today and got super sick. I wonder if it was the xanthum gum. But I'm fine with it in my bread. So maybe it is the amount. Maybe someone could make a list at the end of the post of all the substitutions that work. Yes please what baking mixes or flower mixes do not have the gums already added? What should I buy to be safe with out the gums?

I end up making almost everything baked from scratch for this reason. These mixes tend to:

may contain soy ingredients

in the case of the Bisquick, or just run a higher chance of cross contamination in the case of the Arrowheadmills, for some varieties.

________

Buckwheat pancakes sans gums

use equal parts of 1/3 each gluten free buckwheat, (I grind my own in a coffee grinder) potato starch, and garbanzo bean flour. Not only does it not need gums, this particular mixture does not need egg.

link-

if you are thinking OMGONOES a bean flour! remember that the buckwheat is distinctive enough that if you also add other flavorings you won't notice it. I put a pinch of cumin and some sweet spices such as Chinese five spice or cinnamon/anise in most recipes with garbanzo flour.

[IrishHeart]

One day while drinking almond milk, same brand that I had drank before but chose almond instead, I got so sick. Looked at the ingredients and that's what was in it. It is in some ice cream and ice cream cakes. I am really really hoping that one day I am not so sensative! Thanksgiving desserts were a bit depressing as I read the labels. Even those cheese balls with the almonds on them have xantahn gum in them!!!

May I just have a minute to explain why I ask? Please, bear with me as you and I share similar health histories and I would like to offer this thought to you. If a food really bothers you, you should avoid it, of course!!

However, when I first went gluten-free after DX, I thought EVERYTHING was a problem. I drove myself insane trying to figure it out. I believed "I have a leaky gut and so I must be sensitive to everything". This thinking (planted there by a ND and an integrative MD who were clueless about celiac and that kept me ill for 3 years) made me suspicious of every damn food that went in my mouth.

I just was still raw in the GI tract and not healed yet and so, it was not necessarily every food or additive. Long UnDXed celiac takes time to resolve. I was Burning from mouth to rectum. Even vegetables and fruit bothered me (one day, even water burned going down ) and I was sure I had a sensitivity to salicylates, carageenan, gums, fructose, yeast, pork, citrus, eggs, chocolate, soy, coffee, dyes, peanuts, corn, the air I breathe. It became ridiculous. I was swollen in the face and eyelids, my mouth and throat burned. The endless speculation made my already wound up central nervous system from Celiac all the more "revved up" and anxious. Poor hubby put up with all of this and we threw out more food or gave it away. I was thinking is it CC? Is it this, that? what? arrgh!!???

The one thing that DOES still bother me is MSG and I go easy on dairy and sugar because the villi is where lactase and sucrase are produced and when the villi are blunted, they cannot produce these enzymes to digest dairy well enough. That is a secondary intolerance in celiac and should resolve in time. I had pizza last week and so far, so good!

I made the dough from scratch, so I can control what's in it. Same with bread, etc.

The best advice I ever got on here was "it is just your body still healing. Don't drive yourself crazy about food intolerances as they almost all resolve in time." I wish I knew who posted that back in May because her wise words made me stop the madness. She was so right.

All those foods that I thought sure were a problem? They aren't. Why? My gut is healing and I can eat them again. It took nearly 10 months for the burning to stop and for me to be able to swallow orange juice. I never thought I'd be able to do that again in this lifetime. Coffee, soy, all of it. No problem. (However, I do not eat soy because of the estrogen issue)

My eyes and face and neck and scalp?--not red, itchy, peeling, covered in red sores or swollen anymore. That huge bump in my throat that prevented me from swallowing? swollen glands? suspicious Thyroid mass?? GONE! I no longer feel like I am in a constant 24/7 histamine response. That went on for 3 years! yet every allergy test was NEG. It was inflammation from celiac/gluten.

Whenever a processed food has more than 2 or 3 ingredients, it is nearly impossible to determine what food is the culprit. In 2009 and 2010, I tried elimination diets, rotation diets, cleansing and detox, blah blah blah -all before I knew it was gluten and celiac. All it did was make me sick, irritate the gut further and I lost more weight. A total of 95 lbs. From celiac and gluten. Not any other food intolerance.

The ONLY way to figure out a food sensitivity is to isolate the food. People would say to me "It's the corn starch in everything!". No, I eat CORN all by itself and I am fine, thanks.

Since carageenan is a seaweed derivative, I guess taking a seaweed capsule would tell you pretty darn fast if that is your issue.

If you think it is soy, eat some edamame and you'll know. Dairy? drink MILK alone. Not IN something. Almonds? eat almonds alone, not IN almond milk.

I was not substantially better even after the first 6 months and I was discouraged so I thought, OMG, what ELSE is causing me trouble?? The truth is, there are too many variables at play in packaged, processed foods--which is why some of the veterans on here offer the wise words "Eat a plain, whole foods diet at first. Avoid packaged foods". Ravenwoodglass, Gemini, Sylvia--these women assured me that in time, I would feel better and to just hang in there. Wise women! This is what I pass on as well...We have been there/done that.

Looking at a label that has multiple ingredients and thinking one of them is a problem is not an exact science ( believe me, I live with a chemist and he got me to see the error in my thinking about these foods ) and you may still have an issue with something in that packaged food, yes, but it may only be because your GI tract simply cannot handle it JUST YET.

I asked my GI doc about this last week --telling him so many of us have problems still --is it really that many food intolerances? and he said the same thing, "Give it a year. If you still have problems, we'll do further testing for food issues." But, the truth is....I have already had extensive and expensive allergy testing and food intolerance testing (IgG and IgE) and it revealed....absolutely nothing.

This is JUST MY EXPERIENCE and I know many people have multiple food intolerances and it is difficult to deal with. I am only offering to you that it is possible these many food sensitivities may resolve in time and I do not want to see anyone else go through the anxiety and frustration and expense I went through trying to figure out a puzzle that isn't really a puzzle at all. It just "Is what it is ..until it isn't."

I am still "not there yet" and have many health issues to resolve, and I do not always feel well after adding more foods back in--- but I can wait.

I know that was long (sorry) but there is just so much endless speculation going on for so many of us that sometimes, I just feel bad for people in a place where I once was , and I want to encourage you with: it is just a matter of healing. I was deathly ill for so long and now, I am on the road to regaining my health.

Just my humble opinion.

Best wishes,

IH

[AVR1962]

IrishHeart, I have a friend who is Celiac and she told me the same thing. I keep saying I hope one day I am not as sensative and that very well may be the case. I definately am still very much in the healing stages. I was able to back off my D vit but everything else is still in the works. I was able to have tomatoes four days in a row whereas before I could not so it is definately encouraging. For now though, got to stay away from the gums!!

[IrishHeart]

IrishHeart, I have a friend who is Celiac and she told me the same thing. I keep saying I hope one day I am not as sensative and that very well may be the case. I definately am still very much in the healing stages. I was able to back off my D vit but everything else is still in the works. I was able to have tomatoes four days in a row whereas before I could not so it is definately encouraging. For now though, got to stay away from the gums!!

I think you should do whatever you need to do to feel better! But please do consider my thoughts about isolating foods to test intolerances. It will save you from guessing. Cheers!

[Marilyn R]

Hi Marilyn,

I mostly use almond flour and coconut flour for baking now. The taste and the texture you get from using these flours are so much better than any I was able to get using all the other flours that they are pretty much all I use now.

Hi, thanks for the advice! I haven't tried coconut flour yet, but I've got a 5 lb' bag of almond flour taking up space in my freezer. I went a little overboard with that and started reacting to it, I'm going to give it a whirl again. I love coconut milk in baked goods, even though I'm ok with dairy again. I wish I understood the science of baking more! (Binders, risers, all of that.)

Thanks again!

[Marilyn R]

Bisquick makes me sick. Also Arrowmills. I made pancakes from them today and got super sick. I wonder if it was the xanthum gum. But I'm fine with it in my bread. So maybe it is the amount. Maybe someone could make a list at the end of the post of all the substitutions that work. Yes please what baking mixes or flower mixes do not have the gums already added? What should I buy to be safe with out the gums?

The gluten-free Bisquick made me sick too! I'm ok with Chebe's mix, can you get that locally? (I'm ok with dairy and eggs though, and buns made with it usually has a slightly gooey texture that you'll either love, tolerate or hate.) I bought 5 lbs. of King Arthur gluten-free flour but haven't found one recipe for it without gums, dag nub it.

[pricklypear1971]

The gluten-free Bisquick made me sick too! I'm ok with Chebe's mix, can you get that locally? (I'm ok with dairy and eggs though, and buns made with it usually has a slightly gooey texture that you'll either love, tolerate or hate.) I bought 5 lbs. of King Arthur gluten-free flour but haven't found one recipe for it without gums, dag nub it.

Use chia instead of gums. I'm going to try KA pancakes in the morning subbing chia. I'll let you know...

[RiceGuy]

Use chia instead of gums. I'm going to try KA pancakes in the morning subbing chia. I'll let you know...

The best pancakes I've made have been with little to no gums at all. However, I also find that buckwheat and/or bean flours work very well, while starches, and flours high in starch do not work, regardless of gums. But this is without any dairy or egg, so perhaps one or both of those make the difference for a starchy blend.

For those who don't like the taste of garbanzo, I'd suggest yellow pea flour. Depending upon the source, fava flour can be good too. These I find many uses for, especially compared to garbanzo, which IMO is just icky.

Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, chia just doesn't function like the gums. I think in pancakes it may just tend to make them gooey. But I guess you'll find out. My guess would be that egg would be enough for pancakes (if your not using buckwheat and/or bean flours), given a decent blend of course.

[pricklypear1971]

The best pancakes I've made have been with little to no gums at all. However, I also find that buckwheat and/or bean flours work very well, while starches, and flours high in starch do not work, regardless of gums. But this is without any dairy or egg, so perhaps one or both of those make the difference for a starchy blend.

For those who don't like the taste of garbanzo, I'd suggest yellow pea flour. Depending upon the source, fava flour can be good too. These I find many uses for, especially compared to garbanzo, which IMO is just icky.

Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, chia just doesn't function like the gums. I think in pancakes it may just tend to make them gooey. But I guess you'll find out. My guess would be that egg would be enough for pancakes (if your not using buckwheat and/or bean flours), given a decent blend of course.

Ok, so I tried the KAF pancakes. Again. Every other time (3?) I've followed the recipe and used xanthan gum.

It was exactly the same using chia. I did double the chia (2 tsp.) because the recipe has always made flat pancakes and I was hoping for a bit of lift. No luck.

That said, I don't like the recipe. The pancakes are flat...like fast-food pancakes. Even if you let the batter sit they are flat.

I'm used to fluffy 1-2 inch thick pancakes, this batter is thin and runny and suitable for pouring into kiddie shaped molds (Star Wars at my house).

So, good news is that the chia made no difference. The bad news is that it made no difference.

I don't think it's the KAF flour - its the recipe. I love their chocolate chip cookie recipe.

[RiceGuy]

Ok, so I tried the KAF pancakes. Again. Every other time (3?) I've followed the recipe and used xanthan gum.

It was exactly the same using chia. I did double the chia (2 tsp.) because the recipe has always made flat pancakes and I was hoping for a bit of lift. No luck.

That said, I don't like the recipe. The pancakes are flat...like fast-food pancakes. Even if you let the batter sit they are flat.

I'm used to fluffy 1-2 inch thick pancakes, this batter is thin and runny and suitable for pouring into kiddie shaped molds (Star Wars at my house).

So, good news is that the chia made no difference. The bad news is that it made no difference.

I don't think it's the KAF flour - its the recipe. I love their chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Wow! 1-2 inch thick pancakes?! Are you serious? I'm guessing you're using molds, because I've never seen or heard of any pancake that thick. It certainly won't ever happen on a flat surface, at least not with gluten-free batter.

The pancakes I grew up with were maybe 1 centimeter in thickness at most. Perhaps it's a regional thing, like biscuits and dumplings. These are apparently very different from one part of the country to an other.

Anyway, if you want that kind of height, besides a mold, I'd suggest using an SAPP-based baking powder, such as the one sold by Bob's Red Mill, or Argo. This will not fizzle out early, since it requires heat to become activated. Then of course, the batter is going to need xanthan or something like it. Eggs may also help for such pancakes. The batter may need to be thicker too, in which case using less liquid should take care of that.

Just the other day I made some pancakes, and though I was in a hurry, and didn't really care how they turned out as long as they were edible, some of them turned out surprisingly well. I included some applesauce (unsweetened) in the batter, which can help make them more moist. The best ones seemed to result from a thicker batter. I didn't include any gums. However, I have serious doubts that such a batter could work for the kind of thick pancakes you're looking to make. Something needs to hold them together in order to enable that much rise. An inch is even thicker than any waffle I've ever seen or heard of, and waffles are generally thicker than pancakes (at least any I'm familiar with).

[pricklypear1971]

Wow! 1-2 inch thick pancakes?! Are you serious? I'm guessing you're using molds, because I've never seen or heard of any pancake that thick. It certainly won't ever happen on a flat surface, at least not with gluten-free batter.

The pancakes I grew up with were maybe 1 centimeter in thickness at most. Perhaps it's a regional thing, like biscuits and dumplings. These are apparently very different from one part of the country to the other.

Anyway, if you want that kind of height, besides a mold, I'd suggest using an SAPP-based baking powder, such as the one sold by Bob's Red Mill, or Argo. This will not fizzle out early, since it requires heat to become activated. Then of course, the batter is going to need xanthan or something like it. Eggs may also help for such pancakes. The batter may need to be thicker too, in which case using less liquid should take care of that.

Just the other day I made some pancakes, and though I was in a hurry, and didn't really care how they turned out as long as they were edible, some of them turned out surprisingly well. I included some applesauce (unsweetened) in the batter, which can help make them more moist. The best ones seemed to result from a thicker batter. I didn't include any gums. However, I have serious doubts that such a batter could work for the kind of thick pancakes you're looking to make. Something needs to hold them together in order to enable that much rise. An inch is even thicker than any waffle I've ever seen or heard of, and waffles are generally thicker than pancakes (at least any I'm familiar with).

Yes, I use BRM baking powder and the batter is VERY THICK. Mine are about 1 inch thick, my Dad's can peak at 2. He's the pancake king.

Of course, these are gluten...

I'm going to try my old recipe and see, using gluten-free flour. I had not tried converting recipes because I thought they wouldn't work, but I'm ready to give it a whirl. I think I'm going to order some fine-grind sorghum flour and make my own flour mix.

KA recipe is like freakin' crepes. Ick.