Q. Any suggestions for dairy-free, low-FODMAP desserts?

A. Most people on low-FODMAP diets can eat versions of custards, puddings, ice creams, and parfaits made with lactose-free cow’s milk. But some people on low-FODMAP diets avoid even low-lactose dairy products for various reasons; this makes desserts more of a challenge. 

If the main ingredient of a recipe is usually cow's milk, just substituting with almond milk or another alternative milk can have unexpected results. And recipes that are all about the flavor of butter, such as butter cookies or fudge, aren’t easily made dairy-free either! It is probably best to begin elsewhere, with recipes that don’t have milk products at their core.