Gelatine makes desserts firm, sauces creamy and cake fillings creamy. But the popular product consists of animal collagen and is therefore unsuitable for a vegan diet.
Luckily, there are a wide range of vegan alternatives available - and working with the gelatin substitute is no more difficult than the original.
What is gelatin?
Gelatine is one of the binding and gelling agents , which in turn are food additives. They change the consistency of food by thickening and gelling by swelling in water or another liquid. Depending on the amount added, the food becomes creamy, chewy and jelly-like or completely solid .
Edible gelatin is always an animal product that is made from connective tissue. In addition to the skin of pigs and cattle, bone parts are also often included. Gelatine is therefore not suitable for a vegan and vegetarian diet .
But people who don't follow a vegan or vegetarian diet are also more often looking for an alternative to gelatin . You don't want to consume products made from skin and bones and instead switch to plant-based alternatives.
Which products contain gelatin?
Pure gelatin is available in the supermarket in the form of powder or tender sheets. It is also processed in numerous foods. In addition to cake icing, marshmallows and gummy bears, this is also the case with pudding and some types of margarine and cheese. Gelatine can even be used in the production of juice, vinegar or wine.
Gelatine can be substituted vegan
Edible gelatine is considered an auxiliary ingredient in food production . According to the current legal situation, it does not have to be stated in the list of ingredients of a product.
If you want to be sure that you are buying vegan products , pay attention to the V label. This also takes production aids into account and only labels products as vegan or vegetarian if they really are.
Of course, you're even safer if you make your own food. This works just as well with a vegan gelatine substitute as with animal gelatine. Particularly interesting: Some fruits such as kiwi or pineapple are even easier to gel with a vegan substitute product .
Gelatin substitute: These options are available
If you're looking for a vegan gelatin substitute , there are a few options:
Agar-Agar - Versatile algae substitute for gelatin
Agar-agar is made from dried seaweed , which primarily comes from East Asia. However, there are now also manufacturers who source algae from Spain or Morocco. In terms of its gelling effect, agar-agar probably comes closest to animal gelatine.
Another advantage : The gelatine substitute is tasteless , so you can use it to thicken savory sauces and soups as well as sweet desserts, jellies and cake toppings.
In order for agar-agar to gel, you must first heat it . It then solidifies quickly during the cooling process. Because the gelling process only begins when it cools down, it is possible to boil the mixture several times and allow it to gel again.
This allows you to correct the consistency of a dessert with agar-agar if it hasn't developed properly. With one level teaspoon of agar-agar you can replace approximately one packet of gelatine powder or six sheets of gelatine .
However, it is best to follow the instructions on the package, as the gelling ability of the powder can vary greatly from product to product. For very fatty or acidic foods, the binding power of agar is usually somewhat weaker.
Pectin as an ecological gelatine substitute
Pectin can be obtained from various fruits and vegetables such as apples, sugar beets or citrus fruits. This gelatine substitute is also part of the classic preserving sugar from the supermarket.
Fruits that naturally contain a lot of pectin can also be cooked into jam with pure sugar instead of preserving sugar. Such types of fruit include apples, citrus fruits, gooseberries, blackcurrants, blueberries and quinces.
Many of these fruits are native to our latitudes, which significantly reduces the ecological footprint .
Pectin causes liquids that already contain (fruit) sugar to solidify when boiled down. This alternative is therefore best suited if you want to make jam. Seven to eight grams of pectin are enough for 500 grams of fruit. If you want to make a cut-proof mixture, for example for a cake filling, you will need a little more pectin .
You only have to boil the food briefly so that the gelling process begins. This has the advantage that vitamins can be largely retained .
Guar gum and locust bean gum
Guar gum is made from the seeds of the guar bean , which is native to India and Pakistan. Carob gum , on the other hand, is made from the seeds of the carob tree.
Although both substitutes cannot form jelly, they are very suitable for thickening various dishes . Locust bean gum in particular can bind five times more intensively than ordinary cornstarch. However, the biggest advantage of locust bean gum and guar gum is that both alternatives are almost tasteless .
You can thicken and bind cold and warm dishes equally with both guar gum and locust bean gum. The binding agents are particularly suitable for creams, sauces, soups and spreads.
Locust bean gum is a popular substitute in vegan and gluten-free cuisine . It can replace the egg yolk in mayonnaise and act as a glue when baking with gluten-free flour. If you use locust bean gum, make sure that cold foods first have to soak until the right consistency is achieved.
Guar gum has a similar binding power to locust bean gum . Liquids do not become solid, but they become creamy to viscous. Note that sugar can reduce binding ability.
Our biggest insider tip : You can make fantastic vegan ice cream yourself with guar gum! This is because guar gum prevents ice crystals from forming when frozen.
There is one level teaspoon of locust bean gum for every 500 milliliters of liquid. If you are working with guar gum, use two teaspoons for the same amount of hot liquid. If the liquid is cold, increase the dose to four teaspoons.
food starch
Cornstarch is the umbrella term for various starch products made from potato, corn or rice starch . You probably know this versatile product as a sauce thickener, but you can also use it as a gelatine substitute . This is demonstrated, among other things, by vegan wine gum manufacturers who use cornstarch instead of gelatine .
You can use cornstarch to thicken a wide variety of dishes, from sauces and soups to creams and cake toppings to cold dishes and puddings . So that it binds, you dissolve the starch in a little liquid and then boil it. There are about three tablespoons of cornstarch for every 500 milliliters of liquid.
More alternatives to gelatin
Sago
Sago is a starch product made from the pulp of the sago palm or other starch-rich plants such as potatoes. You can find sago in stores in the form of small grains. You can use this to replace gelatine if you want to thicken pudding or fruit jelly, for example.
If you stir sago into hot liquid, it can swell three times as much . When it cools down, it binds the liquid. Make sure to only soak the grains until they are soft but still retain their shape. Otherwise the dish could develop a mushy consistency.
Ideally, you replace a packet of gelatin powder with 35 to 50 grams of sago and add the grains to the already boiling liquid.
Psyllium husks
Psyllium husks are the seed pods of various plantain species. When they swell, they can bind very large amounts of water . That's why they are used, among other things, in the production of vegan mozzarella .
In the kitchen, you can use this gelatine substitute to thicken cake fillings or cold-prepared desserts. There are about five tablespoons of psyllium husk per 500 milliliters of liquid. Another advantage of the delicate peels: They are very rich in fiber and could therefore support your digestion in a natural way .
Lucuma
Lucuma is a powdered gelatin substitute made from the South American fruit of the same name. Thanks to its strong sweetening power, Lucuma is not only a suitable substitute for gelatine , but also for sugar.
The powder is primarily stirred into cold dishes and has to swell for a few minutes. You need around five tablespoons of Lucuma for 500 milliliters of liquid. Lucuma powder is particularly suitable if you want to make vegan ice cream .
Gelatin substitute: conclusion
There are a variety of vegan gelatin substitutes . Each of these alternatives has its own advantages and disadvantages . Whether you want to live gelatin-free for ethical reasons, because of an allergy or an intolerance, there is a suitable alternative for everyone .
Now it's up to you to choose the best option for you and use it to refine your favorite recipe. Which product is best depends on your own needs and preferences . Have fun experimenting!
