These gluten-free, lactose-free, low FODMAP Valentine’s Day Cupcakes are based upon our Low FODMAP White Cupcakes and can be decorated in many different ways, so everyone can pick and choose which one catches their eye. Start off with our Vanilla Frosting and get creative.
It’s All About the Look
For themed baked goods, like these Valentine’s Day Cupcakes, there are so many decorative elements to choose from. One look at your local craft store or anywhere there are cake decorating supplies and you will have your choice of fluted paper wrappers, sugar decorations and the like.
Have fun and choose what speaks to you. You can find elegant or kitschy, fun and silly to serious and everything in-between.
Start with the Basics
You will need a batch of our Low FODMAP White Cupcakes and also of our Low FODMAP Vanilla Frosting. I frosted some of them with the vanilla frosting as is, and for some of them I added fresh raspberries to the frosting, which creates that pretty pink color – and fabulous fruity flavor.
As for the sugar decorations that go on top, you can pick and choose. They are usually made from low FODMAP ingredients and used in such small quantities that you should be fine.
Calling All Bakers
If you are a baker, you are in the right place! We are the low FODMAP baking experts. I have 17 cookbooks under my belt, most focused on baking and desserts. I have IBS and follow the low FODMAP diet. Trust me, I was not going to go without my baked goods!
Check out our eBook, Low FODMAP & Gluten Free Baking: Everything You Need To Know! It is almost 300 pages long and has exclusive recipes, as well as tons of info on technique, equipment, and more.
And of course, we have hundreds of free recipes for you here on the site. Just put Chocolate Chunk Cookies, or Coffee Cake, or Scones, or Muffins in our Search bar and you are off to the kitchen!
FODMAP Information
All recipes are based upon Monash University & FODMAP Friendly science at time of initial publication.
- 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 used to give it a “Pass” at 1 tablespoon or 19 g. Both recommended serving sizes are/were 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. Currently FODMAP Friendly lists butter as containing no FODMAPs, which is more accurate to FODMAP content, and does not overlay government guidelines. Eat to your tolerance.
- Dairy: The low FODMAP diet is not a dairy-free diet. It is however, low in lactose. Many dairy ingredients are low in lactose, such as heavy cream and many cheeses.
- 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.
- Lemon Juice: Monash University has lab tested lemon juice and it is low FODMAP in ½ cup (125 g) amounts.
- 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. As the fructose is never in excess of the glucose, white sugar will never be high FODMAP, even in large amounts.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. Foods will be retested from time to time; in the case of raw ingredients, such as fruits and vegetables, results may vary. All lab tested results are valid and represent a snapshot in time. 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.
Valentine’s Day Cupcakes
These Valentine’s Day Cupcakes use our basic Gluten-Free White Cupcakes and our Low FODMAP Vanilla Frosting. Both recipes must be made and ready to use.
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes 24 cupcakes; serving size 1 cupcake
Ingredients:
- 1 batch Gluten-Free White Cupcakes, baked and cooled
- 2 batches Vanilla Frosting
- Decorating bag
- Star shaped piping tip such as a Wilton 1M
- Sugar Decors
- 6 ounces (170 g) raspberries, optional
Preparation:
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Have the cupcakes baked and cooled and the frosting prepared. It should be super smooth and ready to use.
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To duplicate what we did, pipe some of the cupcakes with a swirl of vanilla frosting and add sugar decors on top while frosting is freshly applied, so that they will adhere.
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To make the raspberry frosting, add a small handful of fresh raspberries to the vanilla frosting and beat very well until incorporated and smooth. The frosting is very high in fat and the berries contain a lot of water, so getting them to combine will take some doing and the amount of berries that you can add is not endless. For every cup of frosting you can add about 3 berries. You are just going for color and texture so pay attention to the texture of the frosting as you beat it and start by adding just a few berries. I have obviously opted to leave the seeds in, which I like.
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Pipe raspberry frosting as described above.
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Frosted cupcakes are ready to serve or store in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature and are best served within 24 hours.
Dédé’s Quick Recipe Tips Video
Notes:
Tips
- We think picking and choosing cake decorations can be fun! There are truly dozens and dozens of sugar decors to choose from – just read the labels, keep your Monash App handy and find something you love. You might also brush up on our article, What If A Food Has Not Been Lab Tested for FODMAPs?
FODMAP Information
All recipes are based upon Monash University & FODMAP Friendly science at time of initial publication.
- 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 used to give it a “Pass” at 1 tablespoon or 19 g. Both recommended serving sizes are/were 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. Currently FODMAP Friendly lists butter as containing no FODMAPs, which is more accurate to FODMAP content, and does not overlay government guidelines. Eat to your tolerance.
- Dairy: The low FODMAP diet is not a dairy-free diet. It is however, low in lactose. Many dairy ingredients are low in lactose, such as heavy cream and many cheeses.
- 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.
- Lemon Juice: Monash University has lab tested lemon juice and it is low FODMAP in ½ cup (125 g) amounts.
- 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. As the fructose is never in excess of the glucose, white sugar will never be high FODMAP, even in large amounts.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. Foods will be retested from time to time; in the case of raw ingredients, such as fruits and vegetables, results may vary. All lab tested results are valid and represent a snapshot in time. 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.
