Pavlova: The Ultimate Low FODMAP Dessert

When following a special diet, the best recipes are the ones that you don’t have to modify with weird ingredients to fit your restrictions – they already work, just the way they are. Pavlova is a great example of this, for those on a low FODMAP diet.

Pavlova has been my signature dessert for quite some time now, but for Christmas this year I decided to make it a little bit special by making it into the shape of a Christmas wreath. This was surprisingly easy to do! For toppings, I went tropical, both because it’s stinking hot in Queensland at Christmas time, and because lots of these fruits just happen to be FODMAP friendly.

For the base, full credit must be given to the pavlova queen herself, Stephanie Alexander. I’ve been using her recipe for years without a single failure. My recipe uses her base, with a few modifications to get the wreath shape.

Print Recipe

Pavlova Yum

Note that you will need to prepare this recipe the night before. It is critically important that you do not open the oven at any point throughout the cooking or cooling process, otherwise your meringue will collapse. Ideally, leave it in the oven right up until you are ready to serve.

Servings

Ingredients

Base

• 4 eggs separated (set aside yolks for another recipes)
• 1 pinch salt
• 250 g caster sugar
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp vinegar white wine or rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

• 300 g pure cream for whipping
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 mango peeled, sliced
• 1 punnet strawberries trimmed, sliced
• 1 punnet raspberries
• 1 punnet blueberries
• 2 passionfruit pulp only
• 2 tbs shredded coconut toasted

Servings Ingredients Base 4 eggs separated (set aside yolks for another recipes) 1 pinch salt 250 g caster sugar 2 tsp cornflour 1 tsp vinegar white wine or rice vinegar 1/2 tsp vanilla extract Topping 300 g pure cream for whipping 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 mango peeled, sliced 1 punnet strawberries trimmed, sliced 1 punnet raspberries 1 punnet blueberries 2 passionfruit pulp only 2 tbs shredded coconut toasted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line a round baking tray with baking paper and draw a large circle on the paper.
2. In a very clean dry bowl, and with equally clean and dry beaters, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, until the meringue is stiff and shiny. Avoid adding the sugar in one go, as this can cause your meringue to collapse. If you have whipped the meringue enough, you will be able to invert the bowl without anything falling out!
3. Mix cornflour, vinegar and vanilla into a slurry in a small bowl, and then gently fold through your meringue.
4. Option 1: for a traditional pavlova, simply pile the meringue onto the baking paper and use a pallet knife or the back of a spoon to shape into a round pavlova base. Option 2: for a pavlova wreath, place the meringue into a piping bag with a large nozzle (or making one using a plastic ziplock bag). Pipe large “blobs” of meringue around the circle, and then use a pallet knife or the back of a spoon to smooth it out.
5. Place in oven and immediately reduce the heat to 150C. I like to use an oven thermometer to ensure temperature control throughout the cook. Cook for 30 minutes 150C, being sure not to open the oven at any point during the cooking process.
6. Reduce the heat to 120C and cook for a further 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and the leave pavlova in the oven to cool completely.
7. When you are ready to serve, whip your cream and vanilla together until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overwhip, or you'll end up splitting the cream. Top your meringue base with cream, then arrange fruit over the top. Garnish with passionfruit and coconut.

Recipe Notes

I like to use an oven thermometer like this one to ensure a consistent cook.  Temperature control is key when it comes to meringues!

How to make a piping bag out of a plastic bag here.