Dried Coconut

Low FODMAP

By Michael EisenwasserUpdated October 5, 2026

Serving sizes

Dried Coconut changes rating with portion size. These are the amounts tested in the literature behind our ratings.

About ¼ cup (30g) Low
Larger portions Moderate
Much larger portions High

Sorbitol

Dried shredded coconut is Low FODMAP at about ¼ cup (30g), with Sorbitol building at larger portions.

Shredded coconut is low at about ¼ cup (30g).
Drying concentrates its Sorbitol, so larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high.

Measure shredded coconut rather than pouring it, keeping to about ¼ cup (30g) per serving in oats or baking.

Why dried coconut is rated low

Dried shredded coconut is low at about ¼ cup (30g), then moves to moderate at larger portions and high at much larger portions, so the serving size is the entire story here. The FODMAP in it is sorbitol, a polyol, and drying is why the low serve is a few spoonfuls rather than a bowlful. Taking the water out of fresh coconut flesh leaves the sorbitol behind in a much smaller, lighter piece, so a scoop of dried flakes represents far more coconut than the same scoop of fresh would.

What changes your risk

Where the serving turns About ¼ cup (30g) is low, larger portions are moderate and much larger portions are high. The difference between a portioned scoop and a generous pour is the difference between levels.
Drying is the concentrator Dried coconut is fresh coconut with the water removed, so the same volume carries much more of the fruit and its sorbitol. Treat the fresh and dried forms as separate foods rather than assuming one figure covers both.
Flakes are deceptively light Shredded and flaked coconut is airy, so a bag poured by hand fills a bowl far faster than it feels like it should. Spooning out ¼ cup (30g) once, then eyeballing from that, is more reliable than pouring straight onto the bowl.
Coconut hidden in mixes Granola, muesli, trail mix, bliss balls and macaroons all carry coconut as one ingredient among several, and a large bowl of granola can quietly deliver more than ¼ cup (30g) on its own, before anything else on the plate counts.
Stacking sorbitol in one sitting Sorbitol adds up across a meal. Coconut over a breakfast with blackberries, stone fruit or a sorbitol-sweetened bar, or alongside avocado, builds the same polyol from several directions.
Toasting changes nothing Browning coconut in a dry pan improves the flavour but does not lower the FODMAP content. Heat does not break FODMAPs down, so a toasted portion is still the same portion.

What else works

Dried coconut does not need replacing at about ¼ cup (30g), so the useful question is what else can carry the crunchy, sweet topping role when you want more than that amount on the bowl. Pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pecans, macadamias and peanuts all work scattered over oats, yoghurt or a fruit bowl, and they bring a different texture without more sorbitol. Avoid filling the gap with cashews or pistachios, which are not low at ordinary servings. Keep in mind that coconut flour and coconut sugar are separate products with their own serves, and the ¼ cup (30g) figure does not carry across to them.

How to keep it low

Buy unsweetened desiccated or flaked coconut rather than the sweetened shreds sold for baking, since sweetened versions often carry added syrups and give you less control over what is in the portion. Read the ingredient list on anything labelled coconut chips, because some are tossed in honey before drying. At home, spoon out about ¼ cup (30g) before the coconut touches the bowl, since portioning from the bag by hand is where a larger portion happens without noticing. Store it in a sealed jar away from heat, because the oil in coconut goes rancid faster than most dried fruit, and a stale batch tastes soapy. When coconut is one layer in a granola or a bar rather than a topping you control, check how much of the serving it makes up before assuming the portion is still low.

Common questions

how much dried coconut is low fodmap

About ¼ cup (30g) is the low serving. At larger portions it is moderate, and at much larger portions it is high.

is shredded coconut low fodmap

Shredded and desiccated coconut is low at about ¼ cup (30g), with sorbitol building quickly above that. Choose unsweetened versions, since sweetened shreds can carry added syrups.

can i eat dried coconut on the elimination phase

Yes, at about ¼ cup (30g), which is low. Keep an eye on granola and trail mix, where coconut is mixed in and the amount is harder to judge.

is coconut flour the same as dried coconut

No. Coconut flour is a separate product with its own serves, and the ¼ cup (30g) serving here does not apply to it.

Learn more

Where this rating comes from

Dried Coconut is rated from published lab measurements of its FODMAP content, using the low, moderate and high cutoffs of Varney et al. (2017).

Feedback sent through the FODMAP Foods app has led to changes in this list.

See our full rating method →

Sources

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 high-performance liquid chromatography (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 between healthy individuals and patients with irritable bowel syndrome. 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.