Late-night biscuit snackers comparing sugar
If you fancy a biscuit after dinner, the sugars per 100g and per biscuit help you compare packs and the portion you intend to eat.
Who is this choice for?
Shoppers who want a conventional custard cream
If the custard-cream flavour matters, compare standard packs on their labels rather than treating a creamier filling as a sugar-reduction feature.
Shoppers open to another cream biscuit
If cookies-and-cream flavour is acceptable, a sugar-free option is worth comparing separately. Check its sweeteners and current allergen statement as well as its nutrition panel.
What should you compare?
Start with sugars per 100g for a pack-to-pack comparison, then look at the number of biscuits you expect to eat. Check calories, saturated fat and ingredients separately; a sugar claim does not answer those questions.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars and portion | Compare total sugars per 100g, then sugars per biscuit and the number you plan to eat. Tesco lists 28.3g per 100g and 3.4g per biscuit; the NHS calls more than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g high. | I want a small biscuit snack, so I need to check my own portion rather than rely on the serving printed on the pack. |
| Calories and saturated fat | Read calories and saturates alongside sugars, using the same per-100g basis when comparing packs. Tesco lists 490kcal per 100g; Marks & Spencer lists 13.5g of saturates per 100g for M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams. | Lower sugars alone would not settle my choice; I want to see the other figures for the biscuits I am considering. |
| Biscuit type and sweeteners | Check whether the product is a custard cream or another cream biscuit, and read any sugar claim with the ingredients. Gullón labels Zero Cookies & Cream sugar-free and lists maltitol. | The familiar custard-cream flavour matters to me, or I am happy to consider a cookies-and-cream biscuit with a different formulation. |
| Allergens | Read the current pack’s ingredient and precautionary statements for the exact product. Tesco lists wheat and milk and says its custard creams may contain sesame seeds; M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams list wheat, milk and soya. | If an ingredient affects my choice, I need to check the packet I am buying rather than assume similar-looking biscuits have the same ingredients. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Assuming a standard custard cream is reduced sugar
Tesco lists 28.3g of sugars per 100g and Marks & Spencer lists 40.2g per 100g for its Extra Cream version. Both figures exceed the NHS high-sugars threshold of 22.5g per 100g.
Compare total sugars per 100g first, then check the figures for the number of biscuits you expect to eat.
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Letting a sugar-free label settle the whole decision
A sugar claim does not describe a biscuit’s calories, saturated fat or full ingredient list. Gullón’s Zero Cookies & Cream lists maltitol and is not a custard cream.
Read the complete nutrition panel and ingredients, and decide whether the different biscuit and sweetener suit what you are looking for.
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Assuming similar biscuits contain the same allergens
Tesco’s custard creams list wheat and milk and may contain sesame seeds; M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams list wheat, milk and soya.
Check the allergen and precautionary statements on the current packet of the exact product you buy.
Relevant brand references
These products illustrate different choices; they are not a ranking of all custard creams or a list of brands available on Joybuy.
Tesco
Tesco Custard Cream Biscuits are a conventional custard cream sold in a 400g pack.
- Tesco lists 28.3g of sugars and 490kcal per 100g, plus 3.4g of sugars per biscuit.
- The listed sugars per 100g exceed the NHS high-sugars threshold of 22.5g per 100g; this is not a reduced-sugar product claim.
M&S
Marks & Spencer describes its Extra Cream Custard Creams as having extra vanilla cream and real custard powder.
- The described filling distinguishes this conventional custard cream from the Tesco example.
- Marks & Spencer lists 40.2g of sugars and 13.5g of saturates per 100g for this product.
Gullón
Gullón’s Zero Cookies & Cream is a cream-biscuit alternative, not a custard cream.
- Gullón labels the product sugar-free and lists maltitol as a sweetener.
- Its cookies-and-cream flavour will not answer a preference for an exact custard cream; compare the full pack label before choosing it.
Cream-biscuit alternatives on Joybuy
These Joybuy options are cream-filled biscuits for shoppers willing to move beyond custard-cream flavour. Compare their own labels rather than assuming either is an equivalent custard cream.
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Gullon Zero No Added Sugar Cookies and Cream 210g
Consider this cream-biscuit alternative if custard-cream flavour is not essential. The 210g pack is labelled No Added Sugar; check its nutrition panel, sweetener ingredients and current allergen statement when choosing a portion.
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Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies 97g
This 97g Zero Sugar sandwich-cookie pack is another option if you do not need a custard cream. Check the pack for sugars, calories, saturated fat, sweeteners and allergens before comparing it with another biscuit.
Common questions
Are standard custard creams reduced sugar?
Do not assume so from the biscuit type. Tesco lists 28.3g of total sugars per 100g for its Custard Cream Biscuits, and Marks & Spencer lists 40.2g per 100g for M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams. Both exceed the NHS high-sugars threshold of 22.5g per 100g, so compare the label of the pack you are considering.
Should I compare sugars per biscuit or per 100g?
Use per 100g to compare packs on the same basis, then use the per-biscuit figure for the portion you intend to eat. Tesco lists 3.4g of sugars per biscuit; the NHS notes that a manufacturer’s stated portion may differ from yours.
Does sugar-free tell me everything I need to know about a cream biscuit?
No. Check calories, saturated fat and ingredients separately from any sugar claim. Gullón labels Zero Cookies & Cream sugar-free and lists maltitol, but it is a different biscuit from a custard cream.
Which allergens should I check in custard creams?
Check the current packet for the exact biscuit. Tesco lists wheat and milk and says its Custard Cream Biscuits may contain sesame seeds; M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams list wheat, milk and soya. Do not assume those statements apply to another product or recipe.