Families decorating ready-made biscuits
A plain custard cream provides a biscuit base; check the label of any chocolate, cocoa or icing sugar added if you want to make a specific Fairtrade ingredient claim.
Who is this for?
Bakers choosing Fairtrade ingredients
The Fairtrade Foundation distinguishes its classic product mark from the Fairtrade Sourced Ingredient mark, which identifies a named ingredient. That distinction matters when choosing chocolate for decoration.
Families checking gluten and milk ingredients
Standard and free-from custard creams have different ingredient declarations. Check the exact biscuit pack, then check each ingredient added to the bake.
What to check before buying
Decide whether you need a ready-made biscuit or want to make or decorate one, then check Fairtrade marks and dietary information on the packs you will use.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade claim | Look for the mark on the exact pack. According to the Fairtrade Foundation, the classic Fairtrade Mark covers all ingredients that can be Fairtrade certified; a Fairtrade Sourced Ingredient mark applies to the ingredient named beside it. | I want to know whether the biscuit itself, or a specific addition such as cocoa or icing sugar, carries the claim. |
| Gluten and milk | Read the current biscuit label and every decoration label. Tesco and Sainsbury's list separate 125g custard creams labelled gluten free and milk free; their standard versions declare wheat and milk ingredients. | If someone needs to avoid gluten or milk, I cannot choose by the biscuit's appearance or assume the toppings meet the same requirement. |
| Biscuit format | Choose a plain vanilla sandwich biscuit for a base you can crush or decorate. Check whether a coated biscuit's existing chocolate suits the recipe before adding more. | For simple decorating, I would rather choose the chocolate separately and check its own Fairtrade mark. |
| Baking from scratch | Check each ingredient pack and allow for preparation and oven use. Co-op's raspberry custard-cream recipe specifies Fairtrade icing sugar in both its biscuits and filling. | I want children to see which ingredient has the Fairtrade claim, and I can handle the oven work. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Assuming chocolate coating means Fairtrade cocoa
Chocolate content does not establish how its cocoa was sourced. The Fairtrade Foundation says a Fairtrade Sourced Ingredient mark identifies the ingredient to which it applies.
Check the exact pack for the relevant mark and, for a sourced-ingredient mark, confirm that it names cocoa.
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Using a standard biscuit for a free-from bake
Standard Tesco and Sainsbury's custard creams list wheat and milk ingredients; Crawford's also carries a possible sesame warning in its Tesco listing.
Where gluten or milk avoidance is needed, choose a product with the relevant explicit label and check its current packaging, along with any toppings.
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Buying coated biscuits for a plain biscuit base
Coating changes what is already in the biscuit. Tesco lists 12.8g sugars per chocolate-coated biscuit and 3.4g per biscuit in its plain 400g pack; those are per-biscuit figures, not per-100g comparisons.
If the recipe calls for crushed or decorated plain biscuits, choose the base first and check the pack of any chocolate added separately.
Relevant brand ranges
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists a 400g plain custard cream, a separate 125g gluten- and milk-free version, and a 162g chocolate-coated version.
- The plain pack offers a ready-made vanilla-flavour sandwich biscuit for decorating.
- The versions have different ingredients; check the exact pack for dietary information and any Fairtrade mark.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists a 200g standard custard cream and a separate 125g Free From version labelled gluten free and milk free.
- The Free From version gives shoppers a separately labelled biscuit option to assess.
- The standard version lists wheat and milk ingredients and warns that it is not suitable for customers with a barley allergy because of manufacturing methods.
Crawford's
Tesco Groceries lists Crawford's 300g custard creams as vanilla-flavour cream sandwich biscuits.
- A plain biscuit format can be used where a recipe calls for a ready-made base.
- The listing includes allergen declarations and says the biscuits may contain sesame; check the pack before use.
M&S
M&S lists a milk-chocolate-coated custard cream for recipes that call for a coated biscuit rather than a plain base.
- The coating is already part of the biscuit, so it can be considered when planning a chocolate-based recipe.
- M&S lists 43.2g sugars per 100g for this product. Check its pack for ingredients, allergens and any Fairtrade claim.
Joybuy product options
These options cover cocoa for baking or decorating and a ready-made gluten-free custard cream. Check each exact pack for the Fairtrade claim and dietary information you need.
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g&B Organic Cocoa 125g
Cocoa powder is an ingredient to consider for a chocolate-flavoured bake or decoration, rather than a ready-made custard cream. Check the exact pack for a Fairtrade mark or a Fairtrade Sourced Ingredient mark naming cocoa; the product information also flags that it may contain milk.
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Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
These ready-made custard creams offer a biscuit base when a gluten-free label is needed. The product name identifies a 125g gluten-free pack; check its current label separately for milk ingredients and any Fairtrade mark before choosing decorations.
Questions about baking with custard creams
How can I check whether chocolate contains Fairtrade cocoa?
Check the chocolate's exact pack for a Fairtrade mark. The Fairtrade Foundation says its Fairtrade Sourced Ingredient mark names the ingredient it covers, so look for cocoa beside that mark rather than relying on the presence of chocolate.
Can I make a Fairtrade-focused bake with ready-made custard creams?
Yes, by adding an ingredient whose own pack carries the relevant Fairtrade mark and describing the claim as applying to that ingredient. A marked decoration does not, by itself, establish that the ready-made biscuit is Fairtrade certified.
Are ordinary custard creams suitable when someone needs to avoid gluten or milk?
Do not assume they are: standard Tesco and Sainsbury's custard creams list wheat and milk ingredients. Both retailers also list separate biscuits labelled gluten free and milk free; check the current pack of the biscuit and every ingredient added to it.
When should I choose chocolate-coated custard creams?
Choose a coated biscuit when the recipe calls for chocolate as part of the biscuit itself. If you want to check the Fairtrade status of chocolate added during decorating, a plain biscuit and separately marked chocolate make those ingredients easier to identify.
What should adults check when children help with the bake?
Wash hands before preparing food and keep preparation surfaces clean. NHS guidance also says to cook food thoroughly and let it cool until lukewarm before giving it to a child; an adult should handle the oven work.