Our Low FODMAP Financiers are just like the classic French petit fours. They are small, yet pack a wallop of flavor and texture, being rich with almond meal, sugar and butter. They are moist, a little crumbly from the almonds and sweet but not too sweet. They lend themselves to variation and their diminutive size allows us to play with what are typically considered high FODMAP ingredients, like peaches and plums, because we literally just use a few tiny slivers. They are great plain, too, or simply embellished with a few almond slices.
Is Almond Flour Low FODMAP?
Almonds can be confusing for those new to the low FODMAP diet principally because they are on so many “high FODMAP foods” lists.
Here’s the deal. As with so many foods, almonds have high as well as low FODMAP serving sizes. It is all a matter of understanding what SERVING SIZE is considered low FODMAP.
We highly recommend that you read our article, High FODMAP Foods With Low FODMAP Serving Sizes. Almonds are a perfect example.
20 whole almonds weighing 24 grams is considered a high FODMAP portion. But 10 whole almonds at 12 grams is low FODMAP, according to Monash.
And, luckily for us, almond meal, or ground almonds, have been lab tested by Monash University as well. A Green Light low FODMAP serving size is ¼ cup or 24 g.
As you can see, a total of 85 g of almond meal is called for in this recipe, which yields 24 financiers. At a recommended 2 low FODMAP financiers per serving, you will be well within low FODMAP levels – even if you add sliced almond embellishments.
Choosing Almond Flour
The terms “almond meal” and “almond flour” might be referenced interchangeably by some, but you do have to understand what is available, as there are differences.
First of all, some almond meal/flour products are made from “natural almonds”, which means “skin on”. You can see the brown flecks of skin in flours made from natural almonds and these products tend to be coarser in texture.
Then, there are almond meals/flour that are made with “blanched”, or skinned, almonds and these flour products will be much lighter in color with no brown flecks.
If we can make one general statement it is that almond meal made from natural, skin-on almonds tends to be coarser and that made from blanched almonds is usually finer – and more flour-y.
In some recipes they can be substituted for one another but sometimes not. The skin-on tend to be a drier product and can lead to drier end-results.
I love when brands make it easy for the consumer to know what is in the bag. This product is labeled very clearly.
A Note On Flour
If you spend any time around here baking with me, you know that I am a huge fan of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. The blend of flours and starches and the inclusion of xanthan gum provides a very good low FODMAP gluten-free baking experience, in my opinion.
This recipe was developed with this flour, but as you can see, there is very little flour called for – a mere 2 tablespoons. If you want to try this recipe with a low FODMAP gluten-free flour that does not contain xanthan, I think you have a pretty good shot at a good end result. I don’t usually say that!
So, try that out if you like, but remember, to get the results pictured here, follow our recipe “to a T”, as the saying goes.
About Those Toppings
Financiers can be made plain or embellished. Traditionally they are made in tiny rectangular molds that were meant to evoke gold bars; the treats were favored by bankers in the late 19th century near the Parisian stock exchange. When made in the traditional molds, they were left as is. But the molds are not typically found in the home kitchen and mini-muffin tins have become a common replacement.
Feel free to leave the financiers plain or use any of the optional toppings. If you stick to the amounts of toppings described and then adhere to the serving size recommended, our treats will remain low FODMAP.
Look at what 30 grams of yellow peaches looks like below! Each wedge is a low FODMAP serving size of peaches and you are using a mere fraction on each financier.
Ratios In Baking Recipes
I have worked as a professional pastry chef. I have owned a bakery (Harvest Moon, with Robin!), and my daughter owns a wholesale bakery in Brooklyn, NY. We live in a world of ratios! Baking is different from cooking. Let’s say you are making burgers and you decide to add some chopped fresh herbs. No problem!
But if you are baking and decide to throw in extra sugar or extra almond flour to make it sweeter or nuttier…chances are, you will not end up with a great result. You certainly will not end up with a dessert that looks like our representative images.
Then, you have to take into the fact that when a recipe has very few ingredients, such as this one, it becomes all the more important to pay attention – of choice of ingredient and amount (and technique of preparation of course) – because each and every component takes on more importance.
Some classic recipes, such as Financiers, are often presented in weights and ratios so that pastry chefs can increase and decrease as needed and create an end result that works every time. This is one of those recipes that is rarely made by the home cook, often made in professional kitchens, and typically presented in such a chef-y fashion.
The thing is that financiers are EASY and can be made in one bowl (after browning your butter) and there is no reason why home bakers shouldn’t make them! I have given you all the information you need for the correct choice of ingredients, measurements and preparation technique.
Just make SURE you prep your pans well. Do not skimp on that step; you have been warned:)
How To Make Low FODMAP Financiers
The biggest tip I can give you is to pay close attention to prepping your pan. Financiers are notorious for sticking.
Then, to get the batter started, brown your butter slowly and carefully. You might get a few very dark bits of very toasty milk solids on the bottom of the pan but try to minimize that. Set aside to cool briefly.
Add all of the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl.
Whisk around until evenly combined.
Add the egg whites. They are not whipped first or anything like that – just stirred and folded in! It is that simple!
Then the browned butter is folded in. If you can leave back any of the very dark milk solid flecks, do so, but don’t fret too much. You do want to get basically the entire amount of butter in there and I personally don’t mind just scraping the entire amount into my batter, flecks and all.
Then dollop into your prepared pans – you did grease and flour your pans, right? – and fill about halfway.
Optional toppings can be placed on top at this time.
Bake until golden brown, then immediately invert onto a cooling rack. Flip each financier upright to cool further. Get ready to enjoy!
Low FODMAP Financiers
Our Low FODMAP Financiers are just like the classic French petit fours. They are small, yet pack a wallop of flavor and texture, being rich with almond meal, sugar and butter. They are moist, a little crumbly from the almonds and sweet but not too sweet. They lend themselves to variation and their diminutive size allows us to play with what are typically considered high FODMAP ingredients, like peaches and plums, because we literally just use a few tiny slivers. They are great plain, too, or simply embellished with a few almond slices.
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes 24 Financiers; 2 per serving; 12 Servings
Ingredients:
- 5 tablespoons (71 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
- ¾ cup (85 g) finely ground blanched almond flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill
- ½ cup (99 g) plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons low FODMAP gluten-free all-purpose flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour, plus extra
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3- ounces (85 g) egg white; from 3 or 4 large eggs
Optional Toppings:
- Sliced or slivered almonds - 2 to 4 pieces per
- Slices of plum or peaches – 2 or 3 tiny slices per
- Whole raspberries – 1 per
- Whole blueberries – 2 or 3 small per
Preparation:
-
Position rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Thoroughly coat the inside and top inside edges of 24 mini-muffin wells with nonstick spray. Sprinkle extra flour in the wells and rotate the pan(s) until the wells are thoroughly coated with flour. Tap out and discard any excess. You can use small fluted paper cups, if you like, but that veers away from the traditional approach; your choice!
-
Melt the butter over low-medium heat in a saucepan until it begins to smell nutty and toasty but take care not to burn the milk solids. The color should be a rich golden brown. Set aside to cool briefly.
-
Meanwhile, place almond flour, sugar, flour and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk around to combine thoroughly. Add egg whites and mix in with a folding/stirring motion. Once the egg whites are incorporated, fold/stir in the browned butter.
-
Use two teaspoons to dollop batter into prepared pan(s) filling wells up about halfway. Place toppings of choice on top of your financier batter, if desired. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown, especially around the edges. Immediately unmold onto a cooling rack, flip each one upright and continue to cool on rack for about 10 minutes. You can eat them slightly warm or at room temperature. Store in single layers in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes:
Tips
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Almonds: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested whole almonds, and their results vary from one another. Monash says that a Green Light low FODMAP portions is 10 whole almonds at 12 g, but a high FODMAP portion is 20 whole almonds at 24 g. FODMAP Friendly gives them a “Pass” at 30 g or ¼ cup.
- Almond Meal: Monash University has tested almond meal (ground almonds) and states that a low FODMAP serving size is ¼ cup or 24 g.
- Blueberries: Blueberries have also been lab tested by both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly. FODMAP Friendly gives them a “Pass” at 1 cup or 150 g. Monash states that a Green Light low FODMAP serving is a heaping ¼ cup or 40 g. In their tests the fruit jumped to Moderate FODMAP levels quickly at ⅓ cup or 50 g.
- 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.
- Eggs: Eggs are high in protein and do not contain carbohydrates, according to Monash University.
- Raspberries: Raspberries have been lab tested by both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly. FODMAP Friendly gives them a “Pass” at 10 berries or 45 g. Monash states that a Green Light low FODMAP serving is 30 berries or 60 g. In their tests the fruit jumped to Moderate FODMAP levels quickly at 35 berries or 65 g.
- Sugar: Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have both lab tested white, granulated sugar. Monash states that a Green Light low FODMAP serving size of white sugar is ¼ cup (50 g). FODMAP Friendly simply states that they have tested 1 tablespoon and that it is low FODMAP. Regular granulated white sugar is sucrose, which is a disaccharide made up of equal parts glucose and fructose. Sucrose is broken down and absorbed efficiently in the small intestine.
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.
Thank you! These look divine, and I can’t wait to make them!
Let us know what you think. And pay attention to the pan prep. They DO tend to stick. You could use small fluted paper cups.