Cream of Tartar

Low FODMAP

Typical portion

Any typical portion Low

Cream of tartar is Low FODMAP, a simple acid salt with no fermentable carbohydrate behind it.

As potassium bitartrate, cream of tartar is a pure acid salt used to stabilize whipped egg whites and add lift to baking, and it carries no fermentable carbohydrates to stir up trouble at a typical portion.

Use it freely to whip meringues or activate baking soda, and pair it with naturally gluten-free flours like rice or oats for a low-FODMAP bake.

Why cream of tartar is rated low

Cream of tartar is low FODMAP at Any typical portion, with the rating estimated from what it is made of rather than a measured serving. It is potassium bitartrate, an acid salt used to steady whipped egg whites and to give baking soda something to react with, and it brings no fermentable carbohydrate into a recipe. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with cream or dairy. The rating covers the cream of tartar itself, not the bake it goes into.

What changes your risk

The recipe around it The FODMAP load of a cake, meringue, scone or biscuit comes from the flour, sweetener and dairy, not from the cream of tartar. A low leavening does not make the bake low.
Wheat flour An ordinary wheat flour sponge or cookie is not low FODMAP just because its leavening is. Changing to gluten free flour, rice flour or oats changes the bake; changing the cream of tartar does not.
Sweeteners and dairy in the mix Honey, agave syrup or high fructose corn syrup in the batter, or ordinary milk, cream or cream cheese in a filling, set the finished dish's rating far more than the leavening does.
Ready-made mixes Packet cake, meringue and pancake mixes that list cream of tartar can also contain wheat flour, milk powder or inulin, so read the whole label rather than assuming the mix shares this rating.
Stacking across the meal A low FODMAP ingredient does not cancel out a high FODMAP one. The total load of everything on the plate still adds up.

What else works

Eggs, the main partner of cream of tartar in meringues and soufflés, are low FODMAP, and so are table sugar, maple syrup and rice malt syrup for sweetening the same bakes. When a recipe also needs dairy, lactose-free milk and cream stand in for ordinary milk and cream; they are ordinary dairy with the lactase enzyme added, so they are not dairy-free and not suitable for a milk allergy. The lookalikes that are not covered here are tartar sauce, a mayonnaise-based condiment that often contains onion or shallot, and cream-of soups such as cream of mushroom, which are built on milk, mushroom and onion.

How to keep it low

Buy it in the baking or spice aisle and keep the jar tightly closed in a dry cupboard, since moisture makes it clump. For meringue, add it to the egg whites once they begin to foam so the whites hold their peaks. For scones and biscuits that pair it with baking soda, whisk it evenly through the dry ingredients so the rise is even. For a low FODMAP bake, build the rest of the recipe around gluten free flour, rice flour or oats, table sugar or maple syrup, and lactose-free milk, since those choices set the final rating.

Common questions

is cream of tartar low fodmap

Yes. Cream of tartar is rated low FODMAP at Any typical portion, estimated from what it is made of: it is an acid salt with no fermentable carbohydrate.

is cream of tartar dairy

No. Despite the name, cream of tartar is potassium bitartrate, an acid salt, and contains no milk or cream.

can i use cream of tartar in low fodmap baking

Yes. It works the same way in a low FODMAP bake as in any other, and the rating of the finished bake depends on the flour, sweetener and dairy you pair it with.

is tartar sauce the same as cream of tartar

No. Tartar sauce is a mayonnaise-based condiment that often contains onion or shallot, which are high FODMAP, and it is not covered by this rating.

Learn more

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

Cream of Tartar 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.