Are Madeleines Acidic or Alkaline?
Madeleines (baked) are slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
Madeleines are acid-forming at +3.9 because the egg-and-flour batter supplies protein and phosphorus, while butter and sugar add nothing to the mineral balance. At 460 kcal per 100 g they are rich, which the PRAL doesn't show. A single 25 g madeleine with your coffee adds about +1.
In the Sweets & Snacks category, madeleines (baked) rank #70 of 91, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Butter cake (sugar cake) (+3.7), Gingerbread (+3.7), Chocolate muffin (+3.5). More acid-forming are Linzer torte (+3.9), Lemon cake (+4.0), Vanilla crescent cookies (+4.6).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
On this site, acidic and alkaline refer to the PRAL (potential renal acid load). It estimates what a food leaves behind once it has been digested: a positive value is acid-forming, a negative value is alkalizing. That is different from the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0, so it is alkalizing. Your diet does not change your blood pH. It does change how much acid your kidneys have to deal with.
What balances madeleines
A small serving (40 g) of madeleines adds +1.5 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are madeleines acidic?
It depends on what you mean by acidic. The pH describes the food itself, for example how sour it tastes. The PRAL describes what it leaves behind after digestion: Madeleines (baked) have a PRAL of +3.9 per 100 g, so they count as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
How much lamb's lettuce offsets a small serving (40 g) of madeleines?
A small serving (40 g) of madeleines adds +1.5 to your daily balance. Lamb's lettuce (fresh) has −8.3 per 100 g, so about 20 g of lamb's lettuce offset this serving.
Do I have to avoid madeleines on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Madeleines are slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Madeleines logged, balance checked.
Basentracker adds up every meal automatically and shows whether your day is in the alkaline range. The same values as on this page, all 977 foods, photo scan, recipes.
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Compare all Sweets & Snacks: Sweets & Snacks table. Common questions are answered in Acidic or Alkaline?, and the PRAL calculator adds up a whole meal.
Source: Basentracker food database (PRAL according to Remer & Manz, calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per 100 g). This information does not replace medical advice.