I have been wanting to make a low FODMAP mac and cheese, heavy on the cheese, for a long time now. I have published a FODMAP friendly vegan mac and cheese in the past; a recipe I love and use often. However, there are occasions where one really just wants to load up on cheese.
This FODMAP friendly mac and cheese is RICH. It is the sugar daddy of intolerance friendly mac and cheese recipes. If you’d like a somewhat less rich version, try my vegan one!
Low FODMAP mac and cheese
This mac and cheese is gluten free, low lactose and low FODMAP. Depending on the pasta variety you use, this recipe is egg free and nut free as well.
The Mac and cheese uses a roux made from butter, gluten free cornstarch and lactose free full cream milk. Once the roux has thickened nicely, we’re adding A LOT of delicious sharp cheese (that we have grated ourselves). Our cheeses of choice are open to preferences, but I love to use a sharp aged cheddar and a Comte, gruyere or parmesan.
Layering different types of cheese gets the best out of each variety. Aged cheddar and parmesan are piquancy and flavour big hitters, while Comte and gruyere add flavour but also oozy, melty goodness.
Once the cooked pasta gets folded in, you can dig into your low FODMAP Mac and cheese straight away. However, it can also be pretty special to top it with crispy goodness and bake it until perfectly golden.
Either way, this delicious Mac and cheese will please everyone at the table while being undetectably food intolerance friendly.
Is cheese low FODMAP?
There is a bit of confusion about FODMAPs and cheese. A lot of people seem to exclude dairy entirely, thinking that it is all high in lactose. Not (necessarily) so, my friends, not so. Monash classifies the wide majority of hard cheeses as low FODMAP. If you don’t have the FODMAP app (which I highly recommend) have a look at this handy article. If you’re definitely not into any dairy, I have a DELICIOUS recipe for a low FODMAP vegan mac and cheese here.
FODMAP notes
Butter, like hard cheeses, is virtually lactose free. If you’d like to avoid butter, you can substitute a butter alternative or olive oil. Both work equally well.
In terms of dairy, I use lactose free full cream milk (also called whole milk in some places) for this recipe. If lactose free milk is not available where you live, you can make your own.
Parmesan, cheddar, gruyere and Comte are all low FODMAP in serves of up to 500g per person, according to Monash. These thresholds are current as of July 2025.
I use gluten free pasta for this recipe. While the FODMAP diet isn’t strictly gluten free, gluten free pasta is often lower FODMAP courtesy of the fructans in wheat. Choose a non-legume based gluten free pasta to keep the FODMAP content down.
Monash lists corn and rice flour blend gluten free pasta (they don’t specify the brand) as remaining low FODMAP in up to 500g serves per person.
On the note of gluten free, make sure your cornstarch is gluten free if you need it to be.
Which cheeses are best for mac and cheese?
There a million and one mac and cheese recipes out there, and they all seem to use different cheeses. This is good news because it means you can work with what is accessible to you.
The most important things are to choose good quality aged cheeses for the tastiest result. Another great thing about aged cheese is that it is lower in lactose than other cheeses. Tasty and lower FODMAP: a win win.
The other non-negotiable is not to buy pre-grated cheese. Pre-grated cheeses contain fillers which prevent them from melting. This means that you will never get a smooth and delicious mac and cheese.
An aged vintage cheddar is a great easy cheese to use in mac and cheese. It melts nicely and adds great flavour.
Gruyere and gouda are great melting cheeses that add a lovely flavour to mac and cheese. I have found them in some Australian supermarkets in the specialty deli section.
Parmesan is another good cheese for a delicious mac and cheese. It adds a sharp flavour which is deliciously cheesy. Make sure you grate it yourself – you can do this in a Nutribullet to save time. Simply chop the block into relatively small cubes and blend.
Is this low FODMAP mac and cheese vegetarian?
Yes, if you choose the right sort of cheese. I have a list of animal rennet free cheeses (including parmesan) available in Australia here.
More low FODMAP gluten free recipes
- Gluten free low FODMAP ‘apple’ crumble
- Vegan, gluten free and low FODMAP gravy
- Easy gluten free chocolate cake
- Low FODMAP vegetarian Caesar salad
- Low FODMAP, gluten free pizza
Low FODMAP mac and cheese (gluten free)
Equipment
- 1 X 31cm length x 23cm width x5cm height baking dish
Ingredients
- 500g gluten free macaroni pasta (see notes)
- 75 g butter
- 75g cornstarch (make sure it's gluten free if needed)
- 1000ml (1 litre) full cream lactose free milk
- 150-250g sharp cheddar, freshly grated
- 100-150g Gruyere, comte or parmesan, freshly grated
- salt, to taste
- 20-40 ml (1-2 tablespoons)* white vinegar
- 1-2 tsp Dijon mustard (Maille brand is made without garlic)
Optional ingredients:
- 1/2 cup crushed and toasted rice bubbles/rice crispies (make sure they are gluten free if needed)
- truffle oil, to finish
Instructions
- Measure out all your ingredients and grate the cheeses. Set aside.
- Bring a large well salted pot of water to the boil. If you are baking your mac and cheese, preheat the oven to 180C/356F.
- When the pasta water is boiling, add the pasta and cook the pasta al dente – about 2-3 minutes less than the package instructions. Reserve some pasta water as it cooks in case you need to thin out your bechamel.
- Place the butter in a large pot over a medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the cornstarch whisk to combine. Allow the mixture to cook off for a minute or so before adding the milk. Whisk to combine and cook on a low heat for anywhere from 5-15 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and can coat the back of a spoon.
- Once the roux has thickened, remove it from the heat and gradually add in the melted cheese. Doing so gradually (and ensuring the roux is not too hot) will ensure your bechamel does not become grainy. Add the vinegar, mustard and extra salt to taste.
- Pour the pasta into the sauce, adding pasta water as you see fit. Stir super well to combine. You can eat the mac and cheese as is or bake it.
- If you're baking it, top the mac and cheese with the toasted and crushed rice bubbles/rice crispies. I find this to be the best gluten free version of panic .
- Transfer the bake to the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes. You can turn the grill on to colour it up right at the end. Serve immediately, but leftovers keep very well. If you're feeling bougie, finish it with a drizzle of truffle oil or garlic infused oil.
Notes
- See the FODMAP notes in the body of the post.
This mac and cheese is lucious!! Will definitely make it again!! Thank you so much!
So glad you enjoyed it Lena! 🙂