Abstract <p>The permeabilized cells of two <i>Pantoea anthophila</i> strains (BI 55.2 and BI 69.1) were evaluated for galactosylation of phenolic compounds with different molecular structure (gallic acid, caffeic acid, catechin, phlorizin, puerarin and mangiferin), the highest conversion was observed on puerarin (36.5 ± 8.4 and 53.3 ± 7.1), followed by phlorizin (33.5 ± 4.6 and 41.8 ± 0.4) and caffeic acid (21.4 ± 0.05 and 32.5 ± 0.5), respectively, no reaction was observed on mangiferin. They also exhibited a high catalytic promiscuity for most of the phenolic compounds (3 to 7 different galactosides). BI 69.1 was selected for a further kinetic characterization on phlorizin and puerarin as acceptors, elongation of the galactosyl change was observed, the mass spectrometry determined by UPLC-ESI-Qtof-MS showed the synthesis of digalactosides (759.1 and 739.08&#xa0;m<i>/z</i>) from monogalactosides as starters (597.13 and 577.12&#xa0;m<i>/z</i>) for phlorizin and puerarin, respectively. The major phenolic galactoside was purified and the molecular structure was elucidated by NMR, corresponding to a β-D-(1 → 6) puerarin monogalctoside.</p> Key points <p>• <i>Permeabilized cells efficiently galactosylate diverse phenolic substrates</i></p> <p>• <i>High catalytic promiscuity observed with formation of multiple galactosides</i></p> <p>• <i>NMR confirmed a β-D-(1→6) monogalactoside structure derived from puerarin</i></p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>