Collagen extracted from animal skin, bone and connective tissue, dried and ground to a powder. Dissolved in warm liquid, it sets into a wobbling gel as it cools.
What it does in a recipe: A thermoreversible setting agent that melts at body temperature, which is what gives set desserts their clean melt in the mouth. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Powdered gelatin, Gelatine, Unflavoured gelatin
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Agar-agar powder
1 tbsp powdered gelatin (one standard packet, about 7 g) = 1 tsp agar-agar powder
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4 ways to replace gelatin
Agar-agar powder
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1 tbsp powdered gelatin (one standard packet, about 7 g) = 1 tsp agar-agar powder
Agar is a polysaccharide from red seaweed rather than an animal protein, and it forms a much stronger gel network, so roughly a third of the quantity sets the same volume of liquid. It is the vegan setting agent.
MethodAgar must be brought to a full boil for a minute or two to activate, which is the opposite of gelatin — gelatin is ruined by boiling and should only be warmed until dissolved. Whisk the agar into the cold liquid, boil it, then pour and let it set.
Trade-offSets firm, sliceable and slightly brittle, and it holds at room temperature rather than melting in the mouth the way gelatin does. A panna cotta made with agar will not have that melting quality; it will cut like a jelly sweet. Agar also sets much faster, so work quickly once it comes off the heat.
Identical material in a different format — the sheets are graded to a standard bloom strength, which is why professional recipes prefer them for consistent results.
MethodSoak the sheets in plenty of cold water for five minutes, squeeze out the excess, and stir them into the warm base. Do not bloom them in the recipe liquid the way you would with powder.
Trade-offEssentially none — the set is the same. Sheet grades differ though, so bronze, silver, gold and platinum sheets are not interchangeable piece for piece; work by weight if you are unsure.
1 tbsp powdered gelatin = about 2 tsp low-methoxyl pectin, plus a calcium source per the packet
Pectin sets through a completely different mechanism — it needs either sugar and acid or, in the low-methoxyl form, calcium ions to bridge its chains — but it produces a plant-based set suitable for fruit preparations.
MethodFollow the specific packet instructions; pectin brands vary far more than gelatin does and the calcium requirement is not optional for LM types.
Trade-offShort, spreadable and jam-like rather than wobbling, and it works properly only in acidic, fruit-based preparations. It will not set a cream or a savoury aspic.
1 tbsp powdered gelatin = about 1/2 to 1 tsp kappa carrageenan
Another red-seaweed extract, kappa carrageenan gels strongly in the presence of the calcium in dairy, which makes it the usual choice for setting milk-based puddings without animal collagen.
MethodDisperse it into the cold liquid, then heat to around 175°F while whisking so it hydrates fully before it sets.
Trade-offBrittle and prone to weeping if you overdose it, and it behaves quite differently in water than it does in milk.
Gelatin is made from animal collagen and is therefore neither vegan nor vegetarian, however unmeaty the finished dessert looks. It also fails to set at all with raw pineapple, papaya, kiwi, mango, figs or fresh ginger — the protease enzymes in those fruits cut the protein chains apart. Cook the fruit first, or use agar.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.