Psyllium in Gluten Free Baking

Psyllium husk is an ingredient you might not be familiar with, but it’s a great addition for gluten free baking. Psyllium is produced from the seeds of plants in the genus Plantago, grown in northern India and Russia. Psyllium husks are the fibrous byproduct of processing the seeds.

The fiber from psyllium is used as a thickening or binding agent in foods, but it can also be used as a laxative if a larger amount is taken. It’s the main ingredient in Metamucil. If consumed on a regular basis psyllium may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and can also help control blood sugar. Research indicates that psyllium may contribute to better gut and heart health.

Psyllium can absorb up to 16x it’s volume in water! This water-attracting quality is helpful for gluten free baking because it forms a gel structure similar to gluten. It provides elasticity, flexibility, maintains moisture, and decreases crumbliness of gluten free baked goods. This article explains the best way to use psyllium gel in gluten free breads. Low carb and keto recipes often use psyllium to increase fiber content and keep net carbs low.

Some gluten free bakers choose to use psyllium, flax, or chia, rather than xanthan gum due to concerns with how xanthan gum is digested. While psyllium doesn’t produce quite the same stretchy consistency as xanthan gum, it’s pretty close and offers the benefit of improved digestion to boot. To replace xanthan gum in recipes, sub 2 parts psyllium for each part xanthan.

Recipes that use psyllium:

• Ultimate gluten free bread from The Loopy Whisk

• Keto psyllium buns from My PCOS Kitchen

• Life changing loaf of bread from My New Roots

• Raw butterfinger bar from The Rawtarian

• The best gluten free pizza crust from Meaningful Eats

• Secret ingredient healthy nutella fudge from Desserts with Benefits

• 3 Ingredient low carb crepes from Sugar Free Londoner