Are Jaffa Cake Low FODMA

Are Jaffa Cakes Low FODMAP?

Want to know whether Jaffa Cakes are low fodmap or not? Keen to find out whether they’re suitable for a low FODMAP diet?

The Quick Answer

Jaffa Cakes are not low FODMAP, unfortunately. We explain why in a little more detail further down this page but ultimately it comes down to the huge concentration of glucose-fructose syrup in every Jaffa Cake we have taken a look at from major brands and leading supermarket chains in the UK.

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Jaffa Cakes on a FODMAP Diet

Perhaps you want to know exactly why you need to avoid Jaffa Cakes when following a low FODMAP diet? Or maybe you want a reliable, easy Jaffa Cake style recipe that you knock together at home? Well, we’ve gone through everything you could possibly want to know about Jaffa Cakes on a low FODMAP diet below:

You can use the below links to navigate through this article:

Why Jaffa Cakes Are NOT Low FODMAP

If you’ve been following a low FODMAP diet for any period of time, you’ll know that glucose-fructose syrup is a big no-no when trying to avoid FODMAPs. This is one of the main ingredients people on a low FODMAP diet must avoid.

All you need to do is flip over your box of Jaffa Cakes and take a look at the ingredients list. Mcvities, Marks and Spencers, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose all list glucose-fructose syrup as one of the main ingredients in their Jaffa Cakes.

It’s also worth noting that high concentration of orange juice can also have an adverse effect on some IBS suffers. There are incidences where the concentrated orange jam in a Jaffa Cake can have a negative impact on IBS sufferers so that’s a further reason to avoid Jaffa Cakes, unfortunately.

Low FODMAP Jaffa Cakes Recipe

Creating a Jaffa Cake as you know it at home is challenging at the best of times. Trying to do so without any high FODMAP ingredients is incredibly challenging. Instead, we’ve put together a little cake that tastes somewhat like a Jaffa Cake but might not be quite what you’re used to:

Ingredients:

  • 150g Butter
  • 200g Gluten-free self-raising flour
  • 1tsp Baking powder
  • 3 Eggs
  • 6tbsp Lactose-free milk
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
    For Topping:
  • 200g Dark chocolate
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • 50g Caster sugar

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 180c and then line a muffin/cupcake baking tray with cases or butter.
  2. Place the top 6 ingredients into a bowl and beat until well combined. This shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes. It should be light and fluffy.
  3. Pour the mixture into your lined tray and then bake for 8 to 10 minutes. You can check they are done by inserting a skewer into the centre of the cake. It should come out clean.
  4. While they are baking, heat the orange juice and sugar over a low heat until the sugar dissolves.
  5. When the cakes have cooked, pop them out of the tray and onto a wire rack. Allow them to cool a little.
  6. Poke a few holes in the top of the cakes with a skewer then pour over your orange syrup to infuse the cake with your sticky orange flavour. Allow the cakes to completely cool.
  7. Melt your chocolate and then dip the top of each cake in the melted chocolate to give them a chocolate cap. Return to the wire rack so that the chocolate can set.

You may have noticed we have used butter above. Butter is, in fact, low FODMAP in moderation. If, however, you’d prefer to avoid risking it then you can substitute for lactose-free spread.

These aren’t your standard Jaffa Cakes, we know. But when needs must, you do need to think outside of the box a little, unfortunately.

Quick Summary

There you have it. Jaffa Cakes are one of those food items you’re going to have to banish from your shopping list. There is scope to make a Jaffa Cake style snack at home. Unfortunately, you will struggle to replicate a traditional Jaffa Cake so you might have to concede a rare defeat in this instance.

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