Need an Agar Agar substitute? The popular emulsifier and thickener is loved, but there might be times when you need to replace it in a recipe. Besides, while this ingredient is fairly common in Asian recipes, it is generally used as a substitute itself in several Western and American recipes.
Agar Agar is sourced from plants, more specifically, the red algae, which is a type of seaweed. That makes agar agar vegan-friendly. Besides, it can be a pretty impressive agent that’s far more potent than conventional emulsifiers and gelling agents like gelatin.
Of course, the substitution can vary by recipe and requirement. Still, some of the common substitutes for agar agar are cornstarch, guar gum, pectin powder, arrowroot powder, and a few more.
Let’s get into the details!
Table of Contents
Best Agar Agar Substitute To Suit Your Recipe
1. Gelatin
In Western cooking, Agar Agar is often used as a substitute for gelatin. So, in many recipes, you could simply use gelatin to replace agar agar powder.
Gelatin is a popular ingredient, found in jell-o, some jellies, marshmallows, gummies, and more. It’s easily available and can be purchased from nearly any store that deals in food items.
Gelatin is flavorless, colorless, and odorless, which makes it a good substitute for agar agar as they have the same properties. Interestingly, while agar agar must be boiled for it to become the gelling agent that we love, gelatin must not be boiled for it to perform properly.
This also creates a limitation for the use of gelatin as a substitute for agar agar. Gelatin is not heat stable. So, gelatin will not work as an agar agar substitute for recipes like crystal candy (kohakutou).
Another thing to note is that gelatin is derived from animals and therefore, is not vegan or vegetarian friendly. That’s a big reason why many vegan recipes replace gelatin with agar agar.
To use gelatin as an agar agar substitute, use gelatin two to three times to the agar agar powder requirement. So, the ratio is 3:1, though 2:1 may be better for some cases. This is because agar agar is a much stronger gelling agent.
2. Pectin Powder
Pectin powder is an excellent alternative for agar agar in sweet recipes, but shouldn’t be used for savory recipes. It has an inherent sweet taste, which works with sweet recipes but obviously won’t go well with savory dishes.
This powder is derived from plants, usually berries and some citrus fruits. This makes it vegan-friendly.
Rich in soluble fiber, pectin powder is a great pick for jams and jellies. Plus, it has a really nice texture and works rather well as a thickener. On the downside, this is a somewhat rare ingredient and may not be readily available in many places.
As for the substitution ratio, you’ll have to use more of pectin powder to replace agar agar. The usual ratio is 3:1.
Pectin And Gelatin Combination
Combining pectin and gelatin can work as a good substitute for agar agar. In a sense, the combination reduces the downsides of each of its constituents. This combination can have a better shelf life than just gelatin, and also sets relatively easily. Plus, the presence of gelatin also receives the sweetness that pectin brings to the table.
Conventionally, the combination uses a small amount of pectin powder with gelatin covering the rest. So, perhaps a spoon or less of pectin could be mixed with two spoons of gelatin.
The mixture’s substitution ratio for agar agar stays at 3:1.
3. Guar Gum
Guar gum is a natural thickener, often used as an alternative to gluten in gluten-free products. In such uses, it provides the stickiness generally associated with gluten. So, while its primary use is as a wheat alternative in modern recipes, it can also work decently as a thickener and occasionally as a replacement to agar agar powder as a thickening agent.
It is rich in fiber and is considered a healthy and nutritious product.
Keep in mind, guar gum will work as a thickener or stabilizer in a recipe. However, it will not solidify the recipe. So, if you’re making something like jello, this isn’t the right pick. However, if you want a thickener, it will work great.
There is no fixed ratio to use here for substitution, so some experimentation is necessary. A good choice would be to start with a 1:1 ratio and adjust the amount if necessary.
4. Carrageenan
I’ll start by saying that carrageenan is not recommended for use since there is a possibility of potential adverse health effects. While studies are still needed to confirm these claims, you might want to exercise some caution. However, as of December 22, 2023, the FDA does not have any warnings against the use of carrageenan.
This substance is extracted from red seaweeds very similar to those that give us agar agar, but they can belong to a different family. As such, carrageenan finds wide use as an emulsifier and thickener in several food products. In those capacities, it can be used as a replacement for agar agar as well.
The general ratio for substituting agar agar with carrageenan is 1:1.
5. Cornstarch
Since we’ve been talking of thickeners, it would be an oversight to not consider the most popular one – cornstarch. It can handle glazing, works well for thickening, is very popular, and is readily available almost anywhere!
When using cornstarch as a replacement, you’ll have to work with a bit of iteration and experimentation to get the right fit.
Other Starch And Flour Options
There are several suitable replacements that you could use in place of cornstarch. These include arrowroot powder, tapioca starch, konjac flour, and cassava flour.
6. Xanthan Gum
Xanthan gum is another option to consider if you want a stabilizer or thickener in place of agar agar. This product is relatively rare, but can be quite useful and has gained increased attention in recent years.
In most cases, a substitution ratio of 1:1 should work just fine with xanthan gum and agar agar.
7. Commercial Jel Products
When in doubt about use in recipes or substitution ratios, you can give commercial jel products a try. These products are generally stabilizing and thickening agents, which can be great substitutes for most agar agar recipe substitutions.
The Jel products mostly use one of the ingredients that are already on our list, often mixed or blended with other ingredients to achieve specific results. Each commercial product may take a different route in achieving these results, so be sure to check the ingredient list in case you have specific preferences.
For example, some jel products like the Bakol Jel Dessert rely on vegetable gum, while other products, like the SimplyDelish Jel use carrageenan for this role.
Some FAQs And Quick Ideas
Agar Agar Substitute For Crystal Candy
Agar Agar in crystal candy (kohakutou) provides the unique gummy texture for the interior and the tougher body for the exterior. It’s tough to have a substitute do both. Yet, if you must try a substitute, pectin powder and Carrageenan would be your best bet.
Agar Agar Substitute For Mushroom Cultivation
Most mushroom growers would agree, there is no true substitute for agar agar in shroomery. There are alternative methods that involve brown rice and such, but they’re known to be tougher to handle and don’t always deliver the desired results.
Substitute For Agar Agar In Vegan Cheese
K Carrageenan or kappa carrageenan is the best choice to substitute agar agar in vegan cheese. Carrageenan doesn’t just plain replace agar in the recipe, it brings some of its own properties along. Notably, k carrageenan adds meltability to the vegan cheese, something that’s not usually possible when using agar agar. However, it also adds a change in overall texture, which is different from conventional agar-based vegan cheese.
Getting The Right Agar Agar Substitute
Choosing the right agar agar substitute will depend on your recipe and the role agar agar plays in the recipe. If you’re okay with a non-vegan option and the recipe doesn’t need to go to high heat, gelatin can work just fine. Or, you can try other vegan options like carrageenan and pectin powder. For many applications, especially glazes and thickeners, some flours and vegetable gums can do the trick.