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Two hands, holding a small clear container of edible glue in one and a paintbrush in the other, with fondant-covered cookies in the background.
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5 from 1 vote

Edible Glue Recipe

Edible glue is essential in any cake decorator's toolkit, and as a bonus, it's super easy to make at home with this easy edible glue recipe.
Prep Time2 minutes
Total Time2 minutes
Servings: 1 Tablespoon of edible glue
Author: Natalie | Sweetness & Bite

Equipment

  • Small container or jar with a tight-fitting lid
  • Food-only paintbrush

Ingredients

For Tylose/CMC Glue

  • ⅛ teaspoon tylose/CMC powder see notes
  • 1 Tablespoon boiled and slightly cooled water

For Gum Arabic Glue

  • 1 teaspoon gum arabic powder see notes
  • 2 teaspoons boiled and slightly cooled water

Instructions

How to make edible glue

  • Measure the tylose or gum arabic powder into a small container.
  • Add the water and stir (I use a toothpick for this, but the end of a teaspoon also works well).
  • The glue will look a bit chunky or cloudy until the powder dissolves. Leave it to sit until the powder dissolves and the glue becomes clearer (about an hour or so).
  • Keep the edible glue with the lid tightly closed in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.
    If you see any signs of mould growing in the glue, discard it and make a new batch.

To adjust the consistency of the edible glue

  • The consistency of the glue can be adjusted by adding more or less water. For thicker glue, add less water, for thinner glue, add more.

Notes

  • Tylose powder - Also known as Tylo powder or CMC powder. It is a common thickener used in food products. It's also used in cake decorating to make gumpaste and to harden fondant when making decorations. It's a white powder that makes a mostly clear edible glue.
  • Gum Arabic - This is an edible gum used as a thickener, emulsifier and stabiliser in many food products. It's an off-white powder that makes a slightly yellow-ish glue. It is a bit stickier than tylose glue, making it better for heavier or bigger decorations.
  • Both powders are available from cake decorating suppliers and online.
  • Tylose absorbs more liquid than gum arabic, which is why the amounts needed in the recipe are slightly different.
  • Most people don't have a 1/8th teaspoon measure, so just half-fill a 1/4 teaspoon.
  • The recipe makes about 1 Tablespoon of glue, but if you have a lot of decorations to attach, you can easily scale it up.
Tried this recipe?Tag @sweetness.and.bite on Instagram, and hashtag #sweetnessandbite so we can see it! ❤
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