Xanthan gum vs Guar gum: what is the difference?

How they differ

Both are thickeners used in gluten-free baking, sauces and ice cream, and they come from different places. Guar gum is milled from the guar bean, a galactomannan, and it thickens cold liquids cheaply and very effectively. Xanthan gum is made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris, and it produces a more stable gel that tolerates heat, acid and salt where guar gum thins out. Xanthan also gives the stringy, elastic quality that mimics gluten, which is why gluten-free bread recipes call for it specifically. Guar gum is roughly the cheaper of the two and is more likely to cause digestive upset in quantity. They are often used together because each covers the other's weakness.

Side by side

Common questions

What is the difference between Xanthan gum and Guar gum?

Both are thickeners used in gluten-free baking, sauces and ice cream, and they come from different places. Guar gum is milled from the guar bean, a galactomannan, and it thickens cold liquids cheaply and very effectively. Xanthan gum is made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris, and it produces a more stable gel that tolerates heat, acid and salt where guar gum thins out.