Apple Pie

High FODMAP

Serving sizes

Apple Pie changes rating with portion size. Its rating is estimated from what it is made of, so the servings are described rather than weighed.

Small serving Moderate
Moderate serving High
Large serving High

Apple pie is High FODMAP, thanks to a fruit filling and wheat-flour pastry that stack up their fermentable sugars.

The apple filling brings Excess Fructose and Sorbitol, while the wheat-flour crust adds Fructans, so these stack together: a small serving sits at moderate, and it climbs to high by a moderate serving.
Most versions follow this pattern regardless of the recipe, though extra sweeteners or a thicker crust can shift the picture, so it is worth keeping in mind what goes into your slice.

For a lighter treat, try a crumble made with a low-FODMAP fruit over an oat topping, which sidesteps both the apple and the wheat pastry.

Why apple pie is rated high

Apple pie is high FODMAP overall, a rating estimated from what it is made of rather than from a measured serving. The apple filling brings excess fructose and sorbitol, and the wheat pastry adds fructans, so three subgroups pile up in one dish. Even the lowest rung does not reach low: a Small serving reads moderate, and a Moderate serving and a Large serving are both high. There is no serving on the ladder of ordinary apple pie that comes in low.

What changes your risk

Serving size Small serving: MODERATE, Moderate serving: HIGH, Large serving: HIGH. The smallest rung is already moderate, so cutting a thinner portion does not make apple pie a low FODMAP food.
Baking does not help Heat does not break FODMAPs down, so cooked apple keeps its excess fructose and sorbitol. The juices stay in the pie, so nothing is poured away.
Sweeteners in the filling Recipes that sweeten the apples with honey, agave syrup or high fructose corn syrup add more excess fructose on top of what the fruit already carries.
Stacking on the plate Apple juice, pear, a wheat-based meal before dessert, or a second pastry all add to the same subgroups. Cream and ice cream on the side are not low FODMAP either, so the classic serving style pushes the load further.

Swaps

The best swap keeps the warm, spiced fruit and buttery crust but changes both halves. Bake a crumble or pie with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple or firm, just-yellow banana, sweetened with maple syrup, table sugar or rice malt syrup. For the crust or topping, use gluten free pastry or an oat and butter crumble. Serve it with lactose-free yoghurt instead of cream or ice cream. Pear, peach, nectarine, plum, cherry, apricot and blackberry fillings are not low FODMAP swaps, because they share the same fruit sugar problem as apple.

How to lower the load

At home, make the swap version in a dish so every portion is the same: a berry or pineapple filling with cinnamon and a little maple syrup under an oat crumble or gluten free pastry. Baked in advance, it keeps covered in the fridge and reheats well. At a bakery or restaurant, ordinary apple pie will carry apple and wheat pastry, and the Small serving still reads moderate, so treat it as a high FODMAP dessert rather than a small safe one. If dessert is on the menu, choose one built on berries, lactose-free yoghurt, oats or a hard cheese plate with grapes instead.

Common questions

is apple pie low fodmap

No, apple pie is rated high FODMAP overall, estimated from what it is made of. The apple filling carries excess fructose and sorbitol, and the wheat pastry adds fructans.

is a small piece of apple pie ok on low fodmap

A Small serving still reads moderate, not low, and a Moderate serving is high. No serving on the ladder of ordinary apple pie comes in low.

does cooking apples lower fodmaps

No. Baking does not break down excess fructose or sorbitol, so cooked apple in a pie keeps the same FODMAPs as the raw fruit.

what is a low fodmap alternative to apple pie

Try a crumble made with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or pineapple under an oat or gluten free topping, sweetened with maple syrup and served with lactose-free yoghurt.

Learn more

Informational only, not medical advice. Individual tolerance varies. Talk to a healthcare professional or a dietitian for personal guidance.

Apple Pie is an estimated rating: it is inferred from the food's ingredients and composition and cross-checked, not measured directly in the papers below. The low, moderate and high cutoffs are still those of Varney et al. (2017).

References

Fructan and free fructose content of common Australian vegetables and fruit. Muir et al. (2007), J. Agricultural and Food Chemistry 55(16):6619-6627.
Measurement of short-chain carbohydrates in common Australian vegetables and fruits by HPLC. Muir et al. (2009), J. Agricultural and Food Chemistry 57(2):554-565.
Quantification of fructans, galacto-oligosaccharides and other short-chain carbohydrates in processed grains and cereals. Biesiekierski et al. (2011), J. Human Nutrition and Dietetics 24(2):154-176.
Dietary sorbitol and mannitol: food content and distinct absorption patterns. Yao et al. (2014), J. Human Nutrition and Dietetics 27(Suppl 2):263-275.
FODMAPs: food composition, defining cutoff values and international application. Varney et al. (2017), J. Gastroenterology and Hepatology 32(Suppl 1):53-61. Supplies the low, moderate and high cutoffs used on this page.