Custard Creams for Christmas Baking: Comparing Sugar

Who needs to check the biscuit label?

Christmas bakers comparing sugar

If custard creams will be crushed into a base or added to a dessert, their sugar figure matters alongside any icing, chocolate or other sweet ingredients in the recipe.

Shoppers comparing labels

Sugars per 100g allow a like-for-like comparison between similar biscuits. The per-biscuit figure and traffic-light label help put the amount used in a recipe into context.

Bakers checking allergens for guests

The conventional custard creams described by Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda, Crawfords and Morrisons contain wheat and milk. Some carry additional may-contain warnings, so check the exact pack before adding biscuits to a shared dessert.

What matters when choosing custard creams?

Start with the sugar figure on a consistent weight basis, then check any reduced-sugar claim, the quantity your recipe uses and the ingredients on the pack.

Priority	What to check	When it matters to me
Sugar comparison	Compare sugars per 100g between similar biscuits. Then check sugars per biscuit and the number your recipe uses; the two figures answer different questions.	I want to compare biscuits fairly before adding other sweet ingredients. In the Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland's 2024 survey of 611 Northern Ireland adults, 49% said they actively used traffic-light labels when shopping for food; that measures label use, not preference for lower-sugar biscuits.
Reduced-sugar claim	Look for an explicit claim on the current product label and read it alongside the nutrition declaration. A lower figure than another standard biscuit does not itself establish such a claim.	If I need to describe a Christmas bake as using reduced-sugar biscuits, I need to check what the chosen pack actually claims. In the same 2024 Northern Ireland survey, 35% identified nutritional claims on the back of packaging as their primary source of nutritional information; that is not a reduced-sugar purchase rate.
Recipe quantity	Check the per-biscuit figure when using whole biscuits. For a crushed base or topping, check how much of the packet the recipe calls for.	A few biscuits for decoration and a biscuit base use different amounts, so I want the sugar information to reflect the quantity going into my bake.
Ingredients and allergens	Read the exact pack's ingredient list and may-contain statements. The reviewed conventional products contain wheat and milk, with additional warnings on some packs.	When serving guests, I need to check the biscuit I actually use rather than assume that similar-looking custard creams have the same ingredients.

Mistakes to avoid in a Christmas bake

Calling the lowest figure in a small comparison “reduced sugar”

Sainsbury's lists 26.5g sugars per 100g, the lowest of the four compared standard products, yet its per-biscuit sugar indicator is marked high. A relative comparison does not establish a reduced-sugar claim.

Use “lower than” only with a named comparison. If a reduced-sugar product is required, check for an explicit claim on the current pack.
Comparing only the sugar in one biscuit

Biscuits can differ in weight, so per-biscuit figures alone are not a consistent way to compare products.

Compare sugars per 100g first. Use the per-biscuit figure to work out the contribution of whole biscuits added to the recipe.
Missing an allergen in a shared dessert

The reviewed conventional biscuits contain wheat and milk, and some have sesame or other cereal may-contain warnings. A biscuit added to a base or topping becomes an ingredient in the finished dessert.

Check the ingredient and allergen information on every pack used, including any substitute biscuit.
Assuming extra cream means less sugar

M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams lists 40.2g sugars per 100g, above the figures declared for the four compared standard products.

If reducing sugar is the priority, compare the nutrition declaration before choosing an extra-cream variation.

Brand and retailer references

These named biscuits provide label information for comparison; inclusion here does not establish that a product is reduced sugar or available at Joybuy.

Sainsbury's

Its standard 200g custard creams have a declared sugar figure of 26.5g per 100g.

At 3.3g sugars per biscuit, Sainsbury's lists the lowest per-100g figure among the four directly compared standard products.
The per-biscuit sugar indicator is marked high. The biscuits contain wheat and milk and are not suitable for customers with a barley allergy because of manufacturing methods.

Tesco

Tesco's standard 400g custard cream biscuits list 28.3g sugars per 100g.

The label also gives a per-biscuit figure of 3.4g sugars for planning a recipe using whole biscuits.
Sugars are marked high per biscuit. The product contains wheat and milk and may contain sesame.

Asda

Asda's standard 400g custard creams list 29g sugars per 100g.

The declaration also gives 3.4g sugars per biscuit.
Sugars are marked high per biscuit. The product contains wheat and milk and may contain rye, barley, oats and sesame.

Crawfords

Crawfords custard creams are a conventional 300g vanilla-cream sandwich biscuit.

The Tesco listing declares 30.7g sugars per 100g and 3.6g per 11.9g biscuit.
Those figures do not establish a reduced-sugar claim; the listing also says the product may contain sesame.

McVitie's

McVitie's Tasties Custard Creams are a conventional custard-flavoured sandwich biscuit.

The Morrisons listing identifies wheat and milk in its allergen information and describes the product as suitable for vegetarians.
It may contain sesame. Check the current nutrition declaration before comparing its sugar figure with another biscuit.

M&S

M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams are a 165g variation with extra vanilla cream.

The M&S declaration gives a per-100g sugar figure for comparison: 40.2g.
That is above the figures for the four compared standard products. The ingredients include wheat, milk and soya.

Custard creams to consider at Joybuy

This Joybuy option is a gluten-free custard cream for Christmas baking. Check its current sugar declaration and ingredient information if either affects your choice.

Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g

For a Christmas recipe using custard creams, compare the pack's sugars per 100g with other biscuits and check its ingredients for your guests. This is the 125g gluten-free variant; gluten-free does not itself establish a reduced-sugar claim.

View at Joybuy

Questions about sugar and baking

Which of the compared standard custard creams lists the least sugar?

Sainsbury's lists 26.5g sugars per 100g, below Tesco's 28.3g, Asda's 29g and Crawfords' 30.7g in their respective product declarations. This is a comparison of those four standard products, not evidence that Sainsbury's makes a reduced-sugar claim.

Should I compare sugar per biscuit or per 100g?

Use sugars per 100g to compare similar custard creams on the same weight basis. Then use the per-biscuit figure and the number going into your Christmas bake to assess the contribution of whole biscuits.

Can I use ordinary custard creams for a guest with a wheat or milk allergy?

Do not assume so: the conventional custard creams described by Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda, Crawfords and Morrisons list wheat and milk, while some have additional may-contain warnings. Check the exact pack and any substitute biscuit before preparing a shared dessert. GOV.UK says that listed allergens in prepacked food must be clearly labelled within the ingredients list.