Fruitcake

High FODMAP

Serving sizes

Fruitcake 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

Fructans Excess Fructose

Fruitcake is High FODMAP, a dense mix of wheat flour and dried fruit that packs in fermentable carbs even in a small slice.

The wheat flour and dried fruits like raisins and currants stack up Fructans and Excess Fructose together, so a small serving already lands at moderate and climbs to high by a moderate serving.
Fruitcake comes in many styles, but the flour-plus-dried-fruit base is the constant driver, and glazes or extra fruit only add to the load.

If you want that festive spice-and-fruit feel, a small treat made with a gluten-free flour and low-FODMAP fruit keeps things much more comfortable.

Why fruitcake is rated high

Fruitcake is rated high FODMAP overall because two problems are baked into one dense loaf: the wheat flour brings fructans, and the dried fruit brings excess fructose. Drying fruit strips out water and concentrates its sugars, and a fruitcake is packed with it, so the two subgroups pile on top of each other in every bite. This rating is estimated from what fruitcake is made of rather than measured at a set serving. There is no low rung on its ladder: a Small serving already reads moderate, and both a Moderate serving and a Large serving read high.

What changes your risk

Serving size Even the Small serving reads moderate, and by a Moderate serving it is high, so there is no amount on the ladder that counts as low.
Dried fruit concentrates fructose Drying removes water and leaves the sugars behind, so a cake heavy with dried fruit carries far more excess fructose than the same fruit would fresh.
Wheat flour Ordinary wheat flour is a steady source of fructans, and soaking the fruit or baking the cake longer does not remove them.
Stacking at the holiday table Fruitcake tends to arrive alongside other wheat bakes, honey-glazed dishes, apple or pear desserts and fortified wine, which add more fructans or excess fructose to the same sitting.
Glazes and extras Honey glazes, extra candied fruit and fruit-based syrups on top add to the excess fructose rather than diluting it.

Swaps

For the same festive, spiced role, a loaf baked with gluten free flour, orange or mandarin zest, warm spices, and walnuts or pecans gives the texture and aroma without the wheat. Fresh blueberries, raspberries or strawberries can stand in for some of the fruit, and maple syrup or table sugar sweeten it in place of honey. Raisins, currants, dried apricots, dates and other dried fruit are the very thing driving the rating, so they are not swaps, and neither is a honey glaze. Ordinary wheat-based spiced breads and buns carry the same fructan problem.

How to lower the load

If fruitcake is on offer, keep to the Small serving and know that it still reads moderate, so leave room by keeping the rest of that meal free of wheat bread, honey and dried fruit. For a version to bake at home, start from a gluten free flour blend, check the blend for inulin or chicory root, and replace most of the dried fruit with citrus zest, nuts such as walnuts or pecans, and fresh berries folded in at the end. Store-bought fruitcakes and fruit loaves almost always combine wheat flour with a heavy load of dried fruit, so the label rarely changes the picture.

Common questions

is fruitcake low fodmap

No, fruitcake is rated high FODMAP overall, estimated from what it is made of. A Small serving reads moderate, and a Moderate serving and a Large serving both read high.

is fruitcake high in fructans or fructose

Both. The wheat flour brings fructans and the dried fruit brings excess fructose, which is why the two together push it high.

can you eat fruitcake on the elimination phase

No serving on its ladder reads low, so it is generally set aside during elimination. A homemade spiced loaf with gluten free flour, citrus zest and walnuts or pecans fills the same role.

what is a low fodmap swap for fruitcake

A gluten free spiced cake made with orange zest, walnuts or pecans, fresh berries and maple syrup gives a similar festive feel. Swapping in other dried fruit or a honey glaze does not help.

Learn more

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

Fruitcake 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.