Do you love flaky, rich, buttery pie crust? Add our Low FODMAP Cream Cheese Pie Crust to your repertoire in addition to our All-Butter Pie Crust. This one features the extra richness of lactose-free cream cheese, which also lends a bit of tang. We love it for sweet as well as savory pies. Don’t miss it in our Low FODMAP Fresh Blueberry Pie, for starters.
Perhaps you have never heard of a cream cheese pie crust and have some questions. Let’s dive in.
The low FODMAP diet is not a dairy-free diet. It is lower in lactose. Hard cheeses like cheddar and Parmesan are naturally lactose-free.
You can learn how to tell if any cheese is low FODMAP by reading our article, Is Cheese Low FODMAP?
Softer cheeses like cream cheese and ricotta do have low FODMAP serving sizes, but they are small.
Monash has lab tested cream cheese and it is low FODMAP in 2 tablespoon amounts.
You could use conventional cream cheese for this recipe, if you like. The texture of the dough will be different, but it will work.
I chose to use lactose-free cream cheese to keep this pie crust as low lactose as possible.
Butter is also lactose-free, which many (most?) people do not realize. We like using unsalted butter in our recipes and recommend that here. Make sure it is very cold.
More info on the FODMAP content of butter below.
We use xanthan gum more often than not in our baked goods. We are very often creating gluten-free baked goods and xanthan gum improves the texture dramatically, re-creating the more traditional texture of gluten-rich items.
Here, it helps create the flaky pie crust texture and improves workability.
Gums such as xanthan and guar gum can be gut irritants to some, but they are low FODMAP.
You can read more in our article, Are Xanthan Gum & Guar Gum Low FODMAP?
This Cream Cheese Pie Crust is just as easy as any pie crust. Just follow my directions and you will have success!
Ingredients
The ingredients for our Low FODMAP Cream Cheese Pie Crust are fairly standard, except for the lactose-free cream cheese.
We have found that all the lactose-free cream cheese products on the market behave quite differently in cooking and baking. We developed this recipe with Green Valley Creamery brand as it is readily available to us and the quality is excellent.
If you try this recipe with a different cream cheese and have success, please do let us know; or let us know if it doesn’t work, too!
How To Make Low FODMAP Cream Cheese Pie Crust
To Make In Food Processor: Fit food processor with metal blade. Add flour, xanthan gum, salt and baking powder and pulse on and off to combine.
Add your chilled unsalted butter…
Then pulse on and off until butter pieces are broken down and the mixture looks like a coarse meal.
Add cream cheese…
Then pulse a couple of times to begin to combine. Turn machine on and dribble water and vinegar through the feed tube. Keep machine running until dry ingredients are evenly moistened and the crust begins to come together.
Dump mixture out onto lightly floured surface
Knead a few times until the dough ball comes together. It comes together quite easily!
Divide in half, flatten each half into a disc
Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours. The dough will be ready to roll out; proceed as described in individual recipes. I am not partial to freezing this dough.
Directions for making by hand are below in the recipe itself.
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Butter: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested butter. Monash states that a low FODMAP Green Light portion is 1 tablespoon or 19 g and also states that “butter is high in fat and does not contain carbohydrates (FODMAPs)”. FODMAP Friendly gives it a “Pass” at 1 tablespoon or 19 g. Both recommended serving sizes are presented as part of healthy eating guidelines, not as maximum FODMAP serving size. Fat can affect guy motility and trigger IBS symptoms in some people. Eat to your tolerance.
- Lactose-Free Dairy: Lactose-free dairy, such as lactose-free milk or lactose-free cream cheese, has lactase enzyme added that breaks the disaccharide molecules and creates a more digestible dairy product, from a lactose perspective. The resulting product is not dairy-free, but it is lactose-free. Some products might have miniscule amounts of lactose remaining, but the amount is small enough for the product to be labeled as lactose-free. For instance, Breyers Lactose-Free Vanilla Ice Cream states it is 99% lactose-free, while Lactaid Vanilla Ice Cream states it is 100% lactose-free.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Pies, Tarts & More Pies!
When you are ready to explore the world of low FODMAP pies, look no further:
- The Berries Pie
- Blueberry Pie
- Fresh Blueberry Pie
- Chocolate Caramel Tart
- Black Bottom Pie
- Key Lime Pie
- Classic Pumpkin Pie
- Turkey Pot Pie
- Rhubarb Cheesecake Tart
- Sour Cream Custard Grape Pie
- Banana Cream Pie
- Cranberry Snowdrift Pie
- Chocolate Pudding Pie
- Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
- Fourth of July Slab Pie
- Rhubarb Raspberry Crostata
- Coconut Lime Cream Pie
- Browned Butter Salted Caramel Pecan Pie in a Chocolate Flecked Pastry Crust
- Cheesecake Pie
- Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Lemon Tart
- Rhubarb Pie with Lattice Crust
- Strawberry Rose Tart
- Thanksgiving Leftover Pie
- Fresh Strawberry Tart
- Maple Pumpkin Pie with Lemon & Ginger
- Crumb Topped Berry Slab Pie
Low FODMAP Cream Cheese Pie Crust
Do you love flaky, rich, buttery pie crust? Add our Low FODMAP Cream Cheese Pie Crust to your repertoire in addition to our All-Butter Pie Crust. This one features the extra richness of lactose-free cream cheese, which also lends a bit of tang. We love it for sweet as well as savory pies. Don’t miss it in our Low FODMAP Fresh Blueberry Pie, for starters.
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes enough for a double crusted 9-inch (23 cm) pie; serving size depends on usage. Nutritional information based on 12 servings.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (290 g) low FODMAP gluten-free all-purpose flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour – you must use a flour blend that contains xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum; this is in addition to the xanthan gum in the flour blend
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt for a sweet crust; use ½ teaspoon for a savory crust
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder; use gluten-free if following a gluten-free diet
- ¾ cup (170 g; 12 tablespoons; 1 ½ sticks) very cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ½ cup (120 g) lactose-free cream cheese, such as Green Valley Creamery
- 2 tablespoons ice water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar
Preparation:
-
To Make In Food Processor: Fit food processor with metal blade. Add flour, xanthan gum, salt and baking powder and pulse on and off to combine. Add butter and pulse on and off until butter pieces are broken down and the mixture looks like a coarse meal. Add cream cheese and pulse a couple of times to begin to combine, then turn machine on and dribble water and vinegar through the feed tube. Keep machine running until dry ingredients are evenly moistened and the crust begins to come together. Dump mixture out onto lightly floured surface and knead a few times until the dough ball comes together. Divide in half, flatten each half into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours. The dough will be ready to roll out; proceed as described in individual recipes. I am not partial to freezing this dough.
-
To Make By Hand: Place flour, xanthan gum, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl and whisk to aerate and combine. Add butter, cut into small pieces, work with a hand-held pastry blender until butter pieces are broken down and the mixture looks like a coarse meal. Add cream cheese and fold the mixture with a silicone spatula several times until it begins to incorporate. Drizzle the water and vinegar evenly over the mixture and begin to combine with the hand-held pastry blender, then switch to your hands, lightly floured, and work the dough until it begins to come together. Dump mixture out onto lightly floured surface and knead a few times until the dough ball comes together. Divide in half, flatten each half into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours. The dough will be ready to roll out; proceed as described in individual recipes. I am not partial to freezing this dough.
Notes:
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
• Butter: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested butter. Monash states that a low FODMAP Green Light portion is 1 tablespoon or 19 g and also states that “butter is high in fat and does not contain carbohydrates (FODMAPs)”. FODMAP Friendly gives it a “Pass” at 1 tablespoon or 19 g. Both recommended serving sizes are presented as part of healthy eating guidelines, not as maximum FODMAP serving size. Fat can affect guy motility and trigger IBS symptoms in some people. Eat to your tolerance.
• Lactose-Free Dairy: Lactose-free dairy, such as lactose-free milk or lactose-free cream cheese, has lactase enzyme added that breaks the disaccharide molecules and creates a more digestible dairy product, from a lactose perspective. The resulting product is not dairy-free, but it is lactose-free. Some products might have miniscule amounts of lactose remaining, but the amount is small enough for the product to be labeled as lactose-free. For instance, Breyers Lactose-Free Vanilla Ice Cream states it is 99% lactose-free, while Lactaid Vanilla Ice Cream states it is 100% lactose-free.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
Lol, butter IS NOT lactose free. Ghee is lower lactose with trace amounts of it. But pure butter, like that commonly used in a pie crust, IS NOT lactose free.
According to Monash university from a FODMAP diet perspective, it is.