Is Custard on the no no list for folks with IBS?
It is if it is made with cow’s milk. You can try lactose free milk if that works for you, but many IBS folks are lactose intolerant and need to find alternative milk for recipes calling for regular milk.
Can Alternative Milk Become Custardy ?
Does alternative milk such as almond or coconut bake into a custard consistency the way that cow’s milk does? I had to find out because I can’t live without a yummy, velvety, vanilla, cinnamon custard. So I did what we all do – I scoured Google for a baked custard made with alternative milk that looks and tastes like the consistency of those made with cow’s milk.
Several Keto desserts came up, but I didn’t want anything Keto. They are loaded with fat, and too much fat is an IBS trigger. However, one of them said that almond or coconut milk bakes into custard exactly like cow’s milk does. I looked at their picture and it really did look like a wobbly custard consistency just like regular custard. Who knew? Better yet, I saw the method for making custard with alternative milk was the same as for cow’s milk. Happiness.
I am giving a shout out to Low Carb Yum for their recipe for custard using alternative milk. I based my recipe on theirs, but adapted the ingredients to fit a version more low fodmap and IBS friendly. For example they added shredded coconut which is high in fodmaps, so I didn’t include it. I also used almond coconut milk (which is not high in fodmaps) instead of canned coconut milk (which IS high in fodmaps.) But I used the same amount of eggs and followed their method for baking the custard in a water bath just as I used to do with regular cow’s milk custard. So thank you Low Carb Yum!
It May Look Like Custard, but Does it Taste Like Custard?
Yes, it actually does! When I tasted my almond coconut milk custard, the result was creamy and custardy just like my cow’s milk recipe. It wasn’t as dense and rich as the one I used to make with condensed milk, but condensed milk gave me such an IBS attack that it took days to recover. So I can’t miss using that ingredient. Besides, the almond milk custard is delightful in its own way. It feels smooth and velvety just like any custard, and chilled, it is very refreshing.
Can Low Fodmap Custard become A Caramel Custard?
It can also become caramel custard. Here’s how. In a small saucepan, simmer ½ cup maple syrup on the stove for 5 to 8 minutes or to 260.° Pour a thin film of the syrup on the bottom of the custard cups before filling them with the custard mixture. You ca also make a sugar water caramel, but I don’t suggest using honey because honey is high in fodmaps.
What Other Alternative Milk Can I Use?
I have not tried making custard with rice or any other alternative milk, so if you do, please let me know how it turns out.
Ingredients:
3 organic eggs
¼ cup sugar or use your fav sugar substitute
2 ¼ cups almond coconut milk or your fav almond milk
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt
dash of freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg
dash of cinnamon
Directions:
Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add in the sugar and dash of salt. Using a whisk, lightly beat the eggs just until the mixture is smooth. Do NOT whip them into a thickened state. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, on medium heat, bring the almond coconut milk to a slight simmer. Take off the heat and slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking it into the egg mixture. You want to temper the eggs by doing this slowly so that the eggs will not cook or even curdle. When all the milk has been added to the egg mixture, stir in the vanilla.
Pour the mixture into 5 UNGREASED custard cups. Sprinkle the tops with the nutmeg and cinnamon.
***If you are making the custards into caramel custards, then pour the caramel into the custard cups until the bottom of the cup is covered with about 1/8 inch of caramel. Then pour in the custard mixture.
Taking a 9×13 brownie pan, fill it with a few inches of hot water. Then place the custard cups into the water filled pan and place the pan in a preheated 350° oven. Bake the custard cups for 45 – 60 minutes or until a table knife inserted in the middle of a custard cup comes out clean.
Eat warm or refrigerate until serving time. Delicious warm or cold, but the cold custards are firmer than the warm.
Low Fodmap Custard
Ingredients
- 3 organic eggs
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 1/4 cups almond coconut milk or almond milk
- dash salt
- dash cinnamon
- dash grated or ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Low fodmap custard making - ibskitchn.com Low fodmap custard cups - ibskitchn.com Low fodmap custard cups in a water bath - ibskitchn.com low fodmap custard - ibskitchn.comCrack the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add in the sugar and dash of salt. Using a whisk, lightly beat the eggs just until the mixture is smooth. Do NOT whip them into a thickened state. Set aside.In a small saucepan, on medium heat, bring the almond coconut milk to a slight simmer. Take off the heat and slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking it into the egg mixture. You want to temper the eggs by doing this slowly so that the eggs will not cook or even curdle. When all the milk has been added to the egg mixture, stir in the vanilla.Pour the mixture into 5 UNGREASED custard cups. Sprinkle the tops with the nutmeg and cinnamon.***If you are making the custards into caramel custards, then pour the caramel into the custard cups until the bottom of the cup is covered with about 1/8 inch of caramel. Then pour in the custard mixture.Taking a 9x13 brownie pan, fill it with a few inches of hot water. Then place the custard cups into the water filled pan and place the pan in a preheated 350° oven. Bake the custard cups for 45 - 60 minutes or until a table knife inserted in the middle of a custard cup comes out clean.Eat warm or refrigerate until serving time. Delicious warm or cold, but the cold custards are firmer than the warm.
