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Baking essentials · Baking aids

Gelatine

Animal-derived setting agent sold as powder or leaves; melts in the mouth and gives a soft, wobbly set.

Also called: gelatin, jelatin, leaf gelatine

4 recipes with it

What it is

Gelatine is a protein made from collagen in pork skin, beef bones and hides or fish. Powder and leaf (sheet) gelatine set liquids into soft, elastic gels that melt at about body temperature, giving a melt-in-the-mouth quality agar cannot match. Leaves come in strength grades (bronze, silver, gold, platinum), so the number needed varies. Raw pineapple, kiwi, papaya and fresh ginger contain enzymes that stop it setting unless cooked.

How it’s used

  • Panna cotta and mousses
  • Jellies and terrines
  • Marshmallows and gummies
  • Cheesecakes and bavarois
  • Stabilising whipped cream

Characteristics

Texture
Soft, wobbly, melt-in-the-mouth set.
When cooked
Bloom in cold liquid first, then dissolve in warm (not boiling) liquid; boiling weakens it.
Sold as
powder
Cooking uses
Used for thickening, Used for binding

Storage

Pantry-stable. Keep dry and sealed; it keeps for a long time.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Made from animal parts (often pork): unsuitable for vegetarians and vegans, and check the source for halal or kosher diets.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
335 kcal
Protein
85.6 g
Carbohydrate
0 g
Fat
0.1 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
0 g

USDA FoodData Central: Gelatins, dry powder, unsweetened.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Agar agar — Use much less (roughly 1/4 to 1/2 the weight of powdered gelatine), boil it to activate, and expect a firmer, more brittle set.

Related ingredients

Recipes with gelatine

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