This Low FODMAP Frozen Peppermint Bûche de Noël began life as a recipe that I developed for Bon Appetit magazine and it is so much fun, and so delicious, that I gave it a FODMAP makeover. A tender cocoa cake rolled around lactose-free peppermint ice cream, slathered with meringue frosting, browned with a torch, and served frozen with warm chocolate sauce. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Note that the cake needs an overnight sit in the freezer. Make room!
Here you can see the original image, photo taken by Patricia Heal. For that version we embellished with real chocolate “leaves” and miniature candy canes. Instructions for the leaves are in the original recipe.
“Making” Low FODMAP Peppermint Ice Cream
You do not need an ice cream maker for this Low FODMAP Frozen Peppermint Bûche de Noël recipe! All you need is purchased lactose-free vanilla ice cream, which is easy to find, and crushed peppermint candy. Lactaid brand is pretty ubiquitous here in U.S. markets. Full directions below, but I just wanted to let you know that you don’t need any fancy equipment.
Of course, if you happen to find low FODMAP peppermint ice cream in your market, you can use that. You need 1 ½-quarts (1.4 L).
Leave the ice cream white, tint it light green, or go pink like we did. And the candy canes? Again, should be easy to find ones that are low FODMAP. You can stick with red and white, or go with green and white – or red, green and white! Your choice. The colorings are low FODMAP.
Clear The Freezer
This recipe takes some planning. You need a platter large enough to hold the Low FODMAP Frozen Peppermint Bûche de Noël that will also fit in your freezer. Don’t leave this to the last minute! When you get to the part where you are working with the ice cream, you want to be ready to move in and out of the freezer as needed.
A Bûche de Noël is the classic French Christmas log, or Yule log cake. Flavors vary but it is always cake rolled jellyroll style around a filling and the exterior is always made to look like bark.
We also have a Chocolate Chestnut Bûche de Noël for you as well as a White Chocolate version filled with cranberry,and even one that looks like a stump (you have to check that one out).
This Low FODMAP Frozen Peppermint Bûche de Noël is coated with meringue and meant to look like a birch tree.
Cake flour is “softer” than all-purpose flour. What this means is that it has a lower protein content and will produce a more tender crumb. You would want to use cake flour in many cake recipes, but not in a bread recipe, for instance. Bread flour has an even higher protein content than all-purpose.
In the gluten-free world we have various flours and blends at our disposal that are also low FODMAP. As many of you know, I believe that Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend is hands-down the best substitute for conventional all-purpose flour in most recipes.
When I need a softer, tender crumb, in a recipe where I would normally use cake flour, I prefer King Arthur Measure For Measure Flour. It has different ratios of flours and starches than the Bob’s Red Mill and produces the more tender result I am looking for. This is also why I do not think it is a good all-around substitute for all-purpose flour in conventional recipes, where it can yield a gummy result.
Using The Right Flour, Correctly
For a deeper dive, read our article Choosing A Low FODMAP All-Purpose Flour.
This recipe will be its best texture if made with King Arthur Measure For Measure Flour, measured correctly, of course. We suggest whisking first to aerate, then dip and sweep with accurate dry measuring cups.
Learn all about accurate volume measuring in this article.
I like to place small candy canes in a heavy plastic bag and whack them and roll them with a heavy rolling pin.
The liquid food colors you can find in most grocery stores are okay, but gel and paste food colors are very rich in color and will not add liquid to your dish. They are easy to find online or at craft or cake decorating stores.
When it comes to Red, which can make red or pink, I am partial to Wilton No Taste Red.
Make Your Bûche!
For the Cake: Position rack in center of oven. Preheat to 375°F (190°C). Line 15-inch by 10-inch (38 cm by 25 cm) jellyroll pan with parchment paper. Coat paper with nonstick spray.
Dust with cocoa; set aside.
Whisk ½ cup (99 g) sugar, flour, ¼ cup (21 g) cocoa, baking powder and salt into small bowl to aerate and combine.
Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks in large bowl until thick. Beat in oil, water and vanilla.
Gradually add dry ingredients, beating just until blended.
Using clean dry beaters and a clean, medium-sized grease-free bowl, beat egg whites until frothy, then add cream of tartar and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.
Gradually add remaining ½ cup (99 g) sugar, beating until egg whites are stiff but not dry. Fold a quarter of the whites (you can do this by eye) into yolk mixture to lighten.
Fold in remaining whites in 2 more additions until well combined, but do not overmix. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
Bake cake about 12 minutes or until puffed and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes. Sift light layer of extra cocoa over a large piece of parchment paper.
Cut around cake’s sides, separating it from pan. Turn cake out onto cocoa dusted parchment, leaving 3-inch (7.5 cm) parchment border on one long side. Peel off parchment that the cake baked upon and discard.
Starting at long side with parchment border and using parchment as an aid, roll up cake along with the parchment. Place cake, seam side down on work surface to cool completely.
While cake is cooling, slightly soften ice cream in microwave. Zap at 10 second intervals until it is barely softened. Scrape into a bowl and quickly fold in half of the crushed peppermint candy (I like to do this in a stand mixer with the flat paddle). You can leave the ice cream white, or tint it pink like we did with a little red food coloring.
If the ice cream has melted, return to freezer until it is spreadable but not liquidy.
Unroll cake on work surface but leave parchment underneath.
Dollop ice cream over cake by large spoonfuls.
Gently spread ice cream into even layer, leaving 1-inch (2.5 cm) plain border on the long side opposite parchment border.
Sprinkle ice cream with remaining crushed candy.
Again, using parchment to help, roll up cake, enclosing ice cream in cake, but do not roll the parchment within.
Place cake, seam side down, on long platter; cover with plastic wrap or foil. Freeze cake at least 8 hours or overnight.
For the Meringue & Assembly: Have a large platter available that is big enough to hold your buche and can also fit in your freezer.
Using electric mixer and a clean bowl, beat egg whites until frothy in a large bowl, then beat in cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until meringue is stiff, but not dry. Beat in vanilla.
Cut log in two on an angle, in slightly uneven lengths. Place them together to create a “Y” configuration of branches; use images for inspiration. Then cut off about one-eighth of the end of the cake and press onto one of your “branches” to create a “knot”.
Spread meringue all over top, sides, and ends of cake. Using a small icing spatula, make long grooves in meringue down length of cake and in circles on ends to resemble tree bark and rings.
Freeze cake until meringue is cold and firm, at least 3 hours. Using propane or butane torch, brown meringue as desired. Cake can be served immediately or returned to the freezer overnight. Serve cake slices with warm chocolate ganache as a sauce.
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Cocoa: Monash University has lab tested what they call “cocoa” and also “cacao” and they show different FODMAP content. The problem is that from the chocolate manufacturing industry’s perspective, there is no difference between cacao and cocoa powder. The FDA, The Food Standards for Australia and New Zealand, the ICCO (International Cocoa Organization) and the National Confectioners Association do not even recognize the term “cacao” to describe cocoa powder. We have an article, All About Cocoa, that we encourage you to read. It attempts to explain the discrepancies in the Monash lab testing.
- Eggs: Eggs are high in protein and do not contain carbohydrates, according to Monash University.
- 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.
- Oil: All pure oils are fats and contain no carbohydrates, therefore they contain no FODMAPs.
- 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.
Consider this a great choice if you need a do-ahead dessert.
And if you are a dark chocolate and raspberry lover, we have another Buche just for you.
Low FODMAP Frozen Peppermint Bûche de Noël
This Low FODMAP Frozen Peppermint Bûche de Noël began life as a recipe that I developed for Bon Appetit magazineand it is so much fun, and so delicious, that I gave it a FODMAP makeover. A tender cocoa cake rolled around lactose-free peppermint ice cream, slathered with meringue frosting, browned with a torch, and served frozen with warm chocolate sauce. It doesn’t get any better than that. Note that the cake needs an overnight sit in the freezer. Make room!
Ingredients:
Cake & Filling:
- 1 cup (198 g) sugar, divided
- ¾ cup (87 g) low FODMAP gluten-free cake flour, such as King Arthur Flour Measure For Measure Flour
- ¼ cup (21 g) sifted natural cocoa, plus extra for pan
- 1 teaspoon baking powder; use gluten-free if following a gluten-free diet
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 2 tablespoons neutral flavored vegetable oil, such as canola
- 2 tablespoons room temperature water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 ½- quarts (1.4 L) lactose-free vanilla ice cream
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 1 cup (140 g) coarsely crushed hard peppermint candies or candy canes, any color you like, divided
- Red food coloring, preferably paste or gel type; optional
Meringue & Sauce
- 5 large egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ cup (149 g) sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) Dark Chocolate Ganache, warmed and in a pourable state
Preparation:
-
For the Cake: Position rack in center of oven. Preheat to 375°F (190°C). Line 15-inch by 10-inch (38 cm by 25 cm) jellyroll pan with parchment paper. Coat paper with nonstick spray and dust with cocoa; set aside.
-
Whisk ½ cup (99 g) sugar, flour, ¼ cup (21 g) cocoa, baking powder and salt into small bowl to aerate and combine. Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks in large bowl until thick. Beat in oil, water and vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients, beating just until blended.
-
Using clean dry beaters and a clean, medium-sized grease-free bowl, beat egg whites until frothy, then add cream of tartar and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining ½ cup (99 g) sugar, beating until egg whites are stiff but not dry. Fold a quarter of the whites (you can do this by eye) into yolk mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining whites in 2 more additions until well combined, but do not overmix. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
-
Bake cake about 12 minutes or until puffed and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes. Sift light layer of extra cocoa over a large piece of parchment paper. Cut around cake’s sides, separating it from pan. Turn cake out onto cocoa dusted parchment, leaving 3-inch (7.5 cm) parchment border on one long side. Peel off parchment that the cake baked upon and discard. Starting at long side with parchment border and using parchment as an aid, roll up cake along with the parchment. Place cake, seam side down on work surface to cool completely.
-
Prepare the Ice Cream: Allow the ice cream to soften; it should be firm, but spreadable. (You can do this at room temp, or in the microwave with short bursts, if you are daring). Place ice cream in bowl of stand mixer and attach flat paddle. Mix on low speed and add peppermint extract and food coloring, if using, along with three-quarters of the chopped peppermint candy canes. Blend until thoroughly mixed, but not melted. If the ice cream has melted, return to freezer until it is spreadable but not liquidy. Taste and mix in more peppermint extract if you want it extra minty!
-
Unroll cake on work surface but leave parchment underneath. Dollop ice cream over cake by large spoonfuls. Gently spread ice cream into even layer, leaving 1-inch (2.5 cm) plain border on the long side opposite parchment border, then sprinkle ice cream with remaining crushed candy. Again, using parchment to help, roll up cake, enclosing ice cream in cake, but do not roll the parchment within. Place cake, seam side down, on long platter; cover with plastic wrap or foil. Freeze cake at least 8 hours or overnight.
-
For the Meringue & Assembly: Have a large platter available that is big enough to hold your buche and can also fit in your freezer.
-
Using electric mixer and a clean bowl, beat egg whites until frothy in a large bowl, then beat in cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until meringue is stiff, but not dry. Beat in vanilla.
-
Cut log in two on an angle, in slightly uneven lengths. Place them together to create a “Y” configuration of branches; use images for inspiration. Then cut off about one-eighth of the end of the cake and press onto one of your “branches” to create a “knot”.
-
Spread meringue all over top, sides, and ends of cake. Using a small icing spatula, make long grooves in meringue down length of cake and in circles on ends to resemble tree bark and rings. Freeze cake until meringue is cold and firm, at least 3 hours. Using propane or butane torch, brown meringue as desired. Cake can be served immediately or returned to the freezer overnight. Serve cake slices with warm chocolate ganache as a sauce.
Notes:
- I chilled the platter that I used for the log. That way as I was spreading the meringue and browning it the log was kept somewhat chilled.
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
• Cocoa: Monash University has lab tested what they call “cocoa” and also “cacao” and they show different FODMAP content. The problem is that from the chocolate manufacturing industry’s perspective, there is no difference between cacao and cocoa powder. The FDA, The Food Standards for Australia and New Zealand, the ICCO (International Cocoa Organization) and the National Confectioners Association do not even recognize the term “cacao” to describe cocoa powder. We have an article, All About Cocoa, that we encourage you to read. It attempts to explain the discrepancies in the Monash lab testing.
• Eggs: Eggs are high in protein and do not contain carbohydrates, according to Monash University.
• 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.
• Oil: All pure oils are fats and contain no carbohydrates, therefore they contain no FODMAPs.
• 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.
And we have more recipes featuring mint in our Amazing Mint Recipe Round-Up that will blow your mind!
