Christmas bakers using biscuits
If the recipe needs custard creams as a biscuit component or topping, start with a plain biscuit pack rather than a chocolate gift. Sainsbury’s lists a 200g custard-cream pack, while Tesco and Asda list 400g packs.
Who is choosing?
Shoppers choosing a gift
Decide whether the gift should be biscuits or chocolate confectionery. McVitie’s describes its Family Circle festive selection as an assortment that includes Custard Creams, separate from its Penguin milk-chocolate treat.
Hosts shopping for dietary requirements
Check the precise requirement before choosing a pack. Standard Sainsbury’s and Asda custard creams contain wheat and milk; the listed Schär and Asda Free From alternatives carry different dietary claims.
What should you check?
Choose the product format first, then check the exact pack for guests’ dietary requirements and the quantity needed for baking, sharing or gifting.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Product format | Check whether the pack contains plain biscuits, chocolate-coated biscuits, a mixed biscuit assortment or chocolate confectionery. Tesco lists plain and chocolate-coated custard creams separately; McVitie’s describes Family Circle as a biscuit selection. | For a biscuit recipe, I need the specified biscuit. For a gift, I want to know whether I am giving biscuits or chocolates. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the exact pack’s ingredients, highlighted allergens and any precautionary allergen statement. Sainsbury’s and Asda list wheat and milk in their standard custard creams; check that a free-from pack states the particular claim required. | If guests have dietary restrictions, I need to check their requirements against the pack I will serve, rather than relying on the name “custard creams”. |
| Pack quantity | Check net weight and, where relevant, the number of portions. Listed examples range from 125g free-from packs to 400g standard biscuit packs; compare quantities within the format you need. | I want enough biscuits for the recipe or gathering, or a gift pack in the format I intended to buy. |
Purchasing pitfalls
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Confusing custard creams with a box of chocolates
A plain custard cream, a chocolate-coated biscuit and a chocolate gift are different products. A festive biscuit assortment may contain custard creams without being chocolate confectionery.
Check the product description and contents against what the recipe needs or what the recipient expects.
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Assuming all custard creams meet the same dietary requirements
Standard Sainsbury’s and Asda custard creams contain wheat and milk. Free-from products make more specific claims, which must match the guest’s requirements.
Read the current pack’s ingredients, emphasised allergens and any precautionary statement before serving it.
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Comparing unlike packs by quantity alone
Coated biscuits, plain biscuits and individually portioned free-from biscuits serve different purposes, even when their pack weights can be compared.
Settle on the required format and dietary claims before comparing pack sizes and unit prices.
Relevant brand and retailer ranges
Tesco
Tesco lists both a standard custard-cream biscuit pack and a separate milk-chocolate-coated version.
- The listings distinguish a 400g plain pack from a 162g coated pack.
- Check the exact coated product’s ingredients and allergens before choosing it for guests.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists a 200g standard custard-cream biscuit pack.
- Its product information identifies wheat flour and whey powder from cows’ milk.
- This standard pack is not a wheat- or milk-free choice; check the current label before serving.
Asda
Asda lists a standard 400g custard-cream pack and a separate 125g Free From product.
- The Free From product is labelled free from cereals containing gluten and milk, and suitable for vegans.
- The standard product contains wheat and milk and has additional may-contain statements; do not treat the two packs as interchangeable.
Schär
Schär offers a custard-cream alternative for shoppers seeking the dietary claims on that particular pack.
- Asda lists its 125g product as five 25g portions, labelled gluten-free, wheat-free, lactose-free and suitable for vegans.
- Check the exact label against the guest’s requirements; lactose-free and milk-free are not the same claim.
McVitie’s
McVitie’s describes its 2026 Family Circle festive selection as a biscuit assortment containing Custard Creams.
- The manufacturer lists Custard Creams among the selection’s biscuit varieties, making the contents relevant to a mixed-biscuit gift.
- A biscuit assortment is not a custard-cream-only pack or a box of chocolates; check the current pack and its contents before buying.
Joybuy product options
These options serve two different decisions: a Schär custard-cream biscuit pack for a stated dietary requirement, and Lindt chocolates for gifting. The chocolates are not substitutes when a baking recipe calls for biscuits; check the pack presentation if a box is important.
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Schär Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
A custard-cream biscuit option when the relevant dietary claims match a guest’s needs. Asda lists the 125g Schär product as five 25g portions and labels it gluten-free, wheat-free, lactose-free and suitable for vegans. Check the exact pack before serving; these are biscuits, not a chocolate gift.
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Lindt Lindor Assorted Cornet 200g
An assorted chocolate option when the intended gift is confectionery rather than custard-cream biscuits. The named pack is 200g; check its presentation and current allergen label for the recipient. It will not supply the biscuits required by a custard-cream recipe.
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Lindt Lindor Cornet Strawberries & Cream 200g
A strawberries-and-cream flavoured chocolate option for a confectionery gift, not a custard-cream biscuit ingredient. The named pack is 200g; check its presentation, ingredients and allergen label against the recipient’s needs.
Common questions
Are custard creams a box of chocolates?
No. Tesco lists plain and chocolate-coated custard creams as biscuit products, while McVitie’s describes Family Circle, which includes Custard Creams, as a biscuit selection. If the gift needs to be chocolate confectionery, check that the chosen product contains chocolates rather than biscuits.
Can standard custard creams be served to guests avoiding wheat or milk?
Do not assume so: the standard Sainsbury’s and Asda products list wheat and milk. Ask what the guest needs to avoid, then check the ingredients, allergens and any precautionary statement on the exact pack before serving.
Are gluten-free or vegan custard creams available?
The listed Schär custard creams are labelled gluten-free, wheat-free, lactose-free and suitable for vegans; Asda’s Free From custard creams are labelled free from cereals containing gluten and milk, and suitable for vegans. These are different claims, so choose according to the required restriction and check the current pack.
Where should I look for allergens on a packaged biscuit label?
The Food Standards Agency says the 14 regulated allergens must be emphasised in the ingredients list of pre-packed food or drink, for example in bold or italic type. Read that list and any precautionary allergen statement on the particular pack you plan to serve.