Double Cream

Why double cream is rated low

Double cream comes in LOW at about 2 tablespoons (40g), which is about as straightforward as a dairy answer gets on this diet. Cream is mostly milk fat, so a spoonful carries only a little lactose, but lactose is the group that builds as the helping grows: larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high. The sensible way to read this page is that a normal spoon into a sauce or over a pudding is fine, not that double cream is unlimited.

What changes your risk

• The portion that stays low About 2 tablespoons (40g) is LOW, larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high. A spoon over a pudding sits inside the low serve, while a jug poured freely does not.
• The rest of the plate A low rating applies to the serving, not to the meal it sits in. Double cream almost always turns up alongside something else, so the total FODMAP load of the whole plate is what decides how the meal lands.
• Lactose-free cream when you want a bigger helping Lactose-free cream is ordinary cream with the lactase enzyme added, which splits the milk sugar before it reaches you. It is genuinely low in lactose, and it is not dairy-free, so it is not an option for a milk allergy.
• What gets stirred in with it Double cream is a carrier. It goes into pan sauces, gratins and soups, and the FODMAP risk in those dishes usually sits in the stock, the soup base or a seasoning blend carrying onion and garlic rather than in the cream itself.
• Cooking does not lower it Reducing cream in a hot pan concentrates it rather than lightening it, and heat does not break FODMAPs down in any case. A simmered portion is not a lighter portion than a cold one.

What else works

Since double cream reads LOW at about 2 tablespoons (40g), the swap question usually comes up for a different reason: wanting to pour without thinking about it, or wanting something lighter. Lactose-free cream is the closest genuine stand in and behaves the same way in a pan or on a pudding, and lactose-free milk and lactose-free yoghurt cover the pouring and dolloping roles. All of these are ordinary dairy with the lactase enzyme added rather than dairy-free products. Hard, aged cheeses such as cheddar, parmesan and swiss lose nearly all their lactose in the making and are dependable when a dish needs dairy richness from another angle. The dairy that does not make a good substitute at ordinary servings is ordinary milk, ordinary yoghurt, condensed milk, ice cream and the fresh soft cheeses such as ricotta, cottage cheese and cream cheese.

How to keep it low

Buy plain double cream with no thickeners or sweeteners added, since plain is the form this rating describes. Keep it cold and sealed, and pour what you need into a jug rather than serving from the carton, which makes about 2 tablespoons (40g) easy to see. For sauces, build the flavour base with garlic infused oil, chives or the green parts of spring onions so the dish is not carrying hidden onion and garlic beneath the cream. Whipping is fine and changes nothing about the FODMAP content, though it does make the same amount look like much more, which cuts both ways. Ordering out, cream tends to arrive already in the sauce, so asking what the sauce is built on is more useful than asking about the cream.

Common questions

is double cream low fodmap

Yes. Double cream is LOW at about 2 tablespoons (40g). Larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high, as lactose builds.

how much double cream can i have

About 2 tablespoons (40g) is LOW. Larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high, so a spoon in a sauce or over a dessert fits and a generous pour does not.

can i have double cream on the elimination phase

About 2 tablespoons (40g) is LOW, so it fits during elimination at that amount. Lactose-free cream covers a bigger helping, and individual tolerance still varies.

is lactose free cream the same as dairy free

No. Lactose-free cream is ordinary dairy cream with the lactase enzyme added to split the milk sugar, so it is low in lactose but still a dairy product and not suitable for a milk allergy.