Our Low FODMAP Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream is low FODMAP, gluten-free and as rich and creamy – maybe creamier! – than the ice cream from your corner ice cream shop. Envision creamy smooth vanilla cream with broad ripples of sweet/tart rhubarb compote and pockets of crunchy brown sugar oat crispy bits (I don’t know what else to call them).
Just look at those swirls and whirls of rhubarb and the crunchy bits of crisp baked oats in the image above.
I was inspired by this recipe from Taste of Home. All I needed was seeing a picture and reading the title and I knew that I had to make a FODMAP IT! version with lactose-free dairy and determining FODMAP load per serving.
Three Components = Ice Cream Nirvana
Let’s dive into the parts, as this is one of those recipes that is more than a sum of, as the saying goes.
- There is the vanilla ice cream part, which functions as the base and you will make it with lactose-free dairy – milk and cream – in addition to sugar and vanilla extract.
Lactose-free whole milk should be easy to find. For those in the U.S, lactose-free heavy cream is not available. I suggest you check out our DIY Lactose-Free Dairy article. Or, if you can find lactose-free half-and-half, which might also be easier, just use 3 cups total of that. The ice cream will not be quite as rich, but the ease of preparation might win out.
If you are in Australia or the UK, check out our article called All About Cream & FODMAPs to see a chart that explains the various cream terminology from country to country. You want to use the right fat content dairy products! It is a great article for those based in the U.S., too, for general cream info.
- The rhubarb ripple, or ribbon. Or swirl. I am not sure what to call it, but I do know that it is sweet and tart and incredibly delicious. Especially when it is wound throughout your creamy vanilla base. A study in flavor, texture and color contrasts. It is a simple rhubarb compote. Sweet, but still tart to contrast with the sweet vanilla ice cream base.
And rhubarb contains no FODMAPs! YAY!
- Brown Sugar Oat Crunchies. Again, not sure what to call these incredibly tasty bits. Rolled oats are sautéed in a pan with butter and brown sugar until toasted. They turn very crunchy as they cool and are added to the ice cream as it finishes churning, to retain their crisp texture.
When you take the vanilla ice cream and fold in the crunchies and then ripple in the rhubarb, you get an incredibly delicious treat!
Ice Cream Machines
We have many popsicle recipes, and a semifreddo, that do not require an ice cream maker, but this recipe does. I use a Cuisinart ICE-100 machine in our Test Kitchen. It has its own compressor, so there is no need to have room in the freezer or to pre-chill any parts and it has a 1 ½ quart capacity.
It replaces my ancient beloved Simac Il Gelataio machine. If ANY of you have access to one that you want to sell, please contact me. I miss it terribly.
Anyway, you can use whatever ice cream machine that you have as long as it has at least a 1 ½ quart (1.4 L) volume. Simply make the ice cream mixture as explained below and follow your particular manufacturer’s instructions for freezing.
Ingredients for Low FODMAP Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream
All of the ingredients are readily available with the exception of the rhubarb, which can be hard to find for some. Check for frozen, which will work fine.
Check out all of our fruit desserts and drinks!
Vegan Red, White & Blue Popsicles – Low FODMAP
Vegan Low FODMAP Fruit Crumble Bars
The Best Low FODMAP Lemon Bars
The BEST Low FODMAP Blueberry Muffins
The Berries Pie – Low FODMAP & Gluten Free
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
How To Make Low FODMAP Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream
Stir the rhubarb, part of the sugar and water together in a non-reactive pot.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often,
…until it has broken down, become saucy and has thickened, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small nonstick skillet. Stir in oats, brown sugar and cinnamon and keep stirring, over low-medium heat, for a minute or two or until oats are a bit toasted. This must cool before adding to the ice cream base.
Whisk together the cream, milk, vanilla and remaining sugar until sugar dissolves…
Process and freeze in your ice cream machine per manufacturer’s instructions. During the last few minutes of churning, add the cooled oat mixture, breaking up any large crumbles before adding to the ice cream base.
All those lovely crunchies will distribute throughout the finished vanilla ice cream.
Transfer half of the ice cream to a freezer-safe container – flatter is better. I used a 10-inch (25 cm) metal cake pan, but if you have a wide, flat airtight container of at least 1 ½ quart (1.4 L) volume, use that. Then scrape about half the chilled rhubarb mixture on top.
Use a butter knife to swirl the rhubarb into the ice cream.
Top with the rest of the ice cream base and repeat with rhubarb compote, very lightly swirling it in. Cover with plastic wrap (or snap on lid) and freeze until firm, about 4 hours or overnight. Serve to the delight of everyone who gets to try your low FODMAP ice cream creation!
Serving Size
The recipe below and the recommended serving sizes is based on using the ingredients listed.
You can make this recipe with lactose-free milk and conventional heavy cream. Read our article, All About Cream & FODMAPs to determine the serving size you are most comfortable with.
More Rhubarb – Sweet & Savory
Calling all rhubarb lovers – also check out our:
- Low FODMAP Rhubarb Cheesecake Tart!
- Sparkling Rhubarb Cocktail
- Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
- Rhubarb Lattice Pie
- Spiced Rhubarb Chutney
- Rhubarb BBQ Sauce
- Rhubarb Scones
- Fennel Rhubarb Gin Spritz
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- Rhubarb Raspberry Crostata
- Rhubarb Ginger Syrup
- Slow Cooker Pork with Rhubarb BBQ Sauce
Low FODMAP Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream
Our Low FODMAP Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream is low FODMAP, gluten-free and as rich and creamy – maybe creamier! – than the ice cream from your corner ice cream shop. Envision creamy smooth vanilla cream with broad ripples of sweet/tart rhubarb compote and pockets of crunchy brown sugar oat crispy bits (I don’t know what else to call them).
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes about 1 ½ quarts (1.4 L); about 8 servings; ¾ cup per serving
Ingredients:
- 13- ounces (370 g) trimmed rhubarb, diced; this is about 3 cups
- 2/3 cup (131 g) plus ¾ cup (149 g) sugar, divided ; use superfine if you have it
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup (33 g) old-fashioned rolled oats; use gluten-free if following a gluten-free diet
- 1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 ¼ cups (540 ml) lactose-free heavy cream, chilled
- ¾ cup (180 ml) lactose-free whole milk, chilled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation:
-
Stir the rhubarb, 2/3 cup (131 g) sugar and water together in a non-reactive pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often, until it has broken down, become saucy and has thickened, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.
-
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small nonstick skillet. Stir in oats, brown sugar and cinnamon and keep stirring, over low-medium heat, for a minute or two or until oats are a bit toasted. Remove from heat and cool completely.
-
In a bowl (a chilled bowl is even better) whisk together the cream, milk, vanilla and remaining ¾ cup (149 g) sugar until sugar dissolves, then process in your ice cream machine per manufacturer’s instructions. During the last few minutes of churning, add the cooled oat mixture, breaking up any large crumbles before adding to the ice cream base.
-
Transfer half of the ice cream to a freezer-safe container – flatter is better. I used a 10-inch (25 cm) metal cake pan, but if you have a wide, flat airtight container of at least 1 ½ quart (1.4 L) volume, use that. Then scrape about half the chilled rhubarb mixture on top and use a butter knife to swirl it into the ice cream. Top with the rest of the ice cream base and repeat with rhubarb compote, very lightly swirling it in. Cover with plastic wrap (or snap on lid) and freeze until firm, about 4 hours or overnight. Serve to the delight of everyone who gets to try your low FODMAP ice dream creation!
Notes:
Tips
• If you know you will not be serving all of the ice cream at once, you can transfer it to an airtight container, if you didn’t use one in the first place.
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.
- 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.
We just made this, and it was a delicious concept. Want to share a few notes from our experience. We don’t like things too sweet, so I cut the sugar in the ice cream base to 1/2 cup instead of 3/4 cup and still found it much too sweet… the lactose free dairy already starts sweet. Next time I’ll try cutting it to1/4-1/3 cup (tasting along the way), and hope it doesn’t affect the texture too much. The rhubarb compote was delicious, we loved the sweet and sour and might make it as a jam on its own again! The oats, when cooked to the indicator of just “a bit toasted” and for just a couple minutes were too soft and chewy for our tastes. They also separated to individual flakes instead of clusters. Next time, we will toast them till full crunchy and save for topping the ice cream instead of mixing it in. Overall, a delicious recipe, such a fun idea and was surprisingly easy to make despite the many components!! We will make again 🙂
Hi Jess, thank you for sharing your experience. As you noted, the issue with sugar and ice cream is that it very much does affect texture. But you will only know through experience. Of course lessening ingredients is never an issue from a FODMAP perspective while adding is, so that is important for everyone to keep in mind when tweaking recipes. What kind of ice cream maker do you use?
I have never seen lactose-free heavy cream & prefer to make lower fat ice cream anyway. Any suggestions on how to make this w/o cream–perhaps w/ lactose free 1/2 and 1/2 or with lactose-free evaporated milk? Thanks. I’d love to try this. I’ve been on a rhubarb kick. To keep lower fat ice cream from getting icy, I’d probably add a tablespoon or two of alcohol–maybe vodka.
Hmm, I think your thought process is great. You could use all half-and half for sure. And it is easy to find LF half and half. If that is “low” enough in fact, it would be my suggestion. I am not a huge fan of the flavor of evaporated milk – it has that cooked flavor – but your ideas about adding the vodka are great. I say start experimenting!
I love the recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble on this web site. I am a fan of rhubarb and would sure like to make this ice cream. But I don’t have an ice cream freezer and really don’t want to buy one. Do you think it would work to use commercially prepared vanilla lactose free ice cream as the base? Or even a Fodmap safe regular vanilla ice cream since I can eat that if I take a lactase tablet. (Kemps Simply Crafted is delicious!)
Yes, you could start with a lactose-free vanilla ice cream! Or, like you said, even take an enzyme tablet.