Choose a chocolate-coated custard cream if you want chocolate around the biscuit as well as its vanilla-flavour filling: Tesco and M&S list milk-chocolate versions, while M&S also lists a white-chocolate version. If you would rather have the biscuit and filling without a coating, consider a plain custard cream. For a late-night snack, compare the portion you intend to eat and check the current pack for ingredients and allergens.
If the coating is the reason for choosing the biscuit, look for a description of chocolate on the outside of the custard-cream sandwich. Then choose between milk and white chocolate rather than relying on a mention of chocolate flavour alone.
If you are opening a pack for one evening, check the stated serving weight and decide how many biscuits you intend to eat. A per-biscuit figure and a per-100g figure answer different questions.
If an ingredient or allergen affects your choice, read the current pack rather than relying on the product name. The listed coated biscuits contain milk, wheat and soya ingredients.
Start with the coating you actually want, then compare portions on the same basis and read the pack before choosing.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Coating | Check that chocolate coats the outside and that the filling is described separately. Tesco and M&S list milk-chocolate-coated biscuits; Ocado also lists an M&S white-chocolate-coated version. A plain custard cream has no chocolate coating. | I want chocolate around a vanilla-flavour sandwich biscuit, rather than just a flavoured filling. If I prefer the biscuit without chocolate, I can choose plain instead. |
| Portion | Tesco lists one 27g coated biscuit at 139kcal and 12.8g total sugars; Sainsbury's lists one plain biscuit at 59kcal and 3.3g total sugars. Their per-biscuit figures do not compare equal weights. Use per-100g figures for a weight-matched comparison, then check your intended number of biscuits. | For a late-night treat, the amount I eat matters more to me than a serving figure viewed on its own. South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust advises avoiding sugary foods just before bedtime. |
| Ingredients | Read the supplied pack's ingredients and allergen warnings. The Tesco and M&S coated listings include milk, wheat and soya ingredients; Sainsbury's plain custard creams carry a separate barley-allergy warning. | If an ingredient is a concern for me, changing the chocolate coating does not replace checking the exact biscuit I plan to eat. |
| Pack size | Tesco lists a 162g coated pack. Ocado lists the M&S milk- and white-chocolate versions as six-biscuit, 191g packs. Check the pack's storage directions once opened. | Am I buying biscuits for one evening or keeping the rest? The pack size helps me plan what I will open and store. |
A plain custard cream can still have a vanilla-flavour filling. The McVitie's and Sainsbury's plain biscuits are not the same product type as the Tesco and M&S chocolate-coated biscuits.
Read the description for the outside coating and the filling separately.
Tesco's stated coated-biscuit serving weighs 27g, while a per-biscuit figure for a different product need not represent the same weight.
Compare nutrition per 100g when assessing equal weights, then use each pack's serving information to work out the portion you intend to eat.
The listed coated biscuits contain milk, wheat and soya ingredients. An online listing should not replace the information on the pack you receive when an allergen matters.
Check that pack's current ingredients and any precautionary warnings before eating.
These product listings help distinguish coated biscuits from plain alternatives; a brand's inclusion here does not mean every one of its custard creams is coated.
Tesco lists a 162g pack of vanilla-flavour sandwich biscuits coated with milk chocolate.
Ocado lists M&S milk- and white-chocolate-coated custard creams, each in a six-biscuit, 191g pack.
Sainsbury's lists a 200g pack of plain custard creams as an alternative without chocolate coating.
Morrisons describes McVitie's Tasties Custard Creams as sandwich biscuits with a vanilla-flavour cream filling.
This Joybuy option is a plain custard cream for shoppers considering a biscuit without chocolate coating.
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Consider this plain custard cream if you want the biscuit without a chocolate coating. The pack is 125g and is named Gluten Free; check its current ingredients and allergen information if these affect your choice.
No. Look for chocolate coating on the outside in the product description, as well as a separate description of the filling. The Tesco and M&S coated listings specify both; the plain Sainsbury's and McVitie's products do not describe a chocolate coating.
Use per-100g nutrition for a comparison at equal weight, then check the figures for the portion you intend to eat. Tesco states 139kcal and 12.8g total sugars for one 27g coated biscuit; Sainsbury's states 59kcal and 3.3g total sugars for one of its plain biscuits, but those per-biscuit figures do not establish an equal-weight comparison.
Follow the directions on your pack. The Tesco coated-biscuit listing says to store it somewhere cool and dry and use an airtight container once opened; the M&S coated listings also specify cool, dry storage and an airtight container after opening.
Check the current pack's ingredients and warnings for the exact product you will eat. The listed coated biscuits include milk, wheat and soya ingredients, while the Sainsbury's plain biscuit listing also carries a barley-allergy warning.
Consider the timing and the portion rather than assuming a chocolate-coated biscuit suits every late-night snack. South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust advises avoiding sugary foods just before bedtime; if you want a sweet biscuit, having it earlier is an option.