Shoppers comparing sugar claims
If you want a custard-cream-style biscuit with less sugar, check whether the claim applies to that specific recipe rather than judging it by the size of one biscuit.
Who is this for?
People packing a quick breakfast
A biscuit is easy to take along. Decide whether you want it as an addition to breakfast or are looking for a different food to serve as breakfast itself.
Shoppers checking allergens
Read the current pack before making a biscuit part of your routine. The Tesco and Asda custard cream listings reviewed for this article identify wheat and milk allergens.
What should you check?
Start with the sugar claim and a like-for-like nutrition comparison, then check your portion and the exact pack you intend to carry.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar claim | Read the claim on the exact pack. Compare sugars per 100g between similar biscuits; a smaller per-biscuit figure alone does not establish a reduced-sugar recipe. | I want a clear basis for choosing a biscuit with less sugar, not just a smaller biscuit. |
| Portion | Read both per-100g and per-biscuit values, then account for how many biscuits you expect to eat. Sainsbury’s lists 3.3g sugars per biscuit and 26.5g per 100g for its standard Custard Creams. | For a rushed morning, I need the figure for the amount I will actually take with me. |
| Breakfast role | Check the pack format and storage instructions. Kitwave Retail lists McVitie’s Custard Creams as an ambient product; that says nothing about whether they meet your wider breakfast needs. | Portability matters, but I may want the biscuit alongside another breakfast food rather than on its own. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen declaration, particularly after a substitution or packaging change. Asda’s listed Custard Creams contain wheat and milk. | I need to know whether this exact pack is suitable before putting it in my bag. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming a small biscuit is reduced sugar
A per-biscuit figure reflects the biscuit’s size as well as its recipe. Sainsbury’s labels the sugars in its standard Custard Creams as high in its quick nutrition guide.
Look for a claim on the specific pack and compare sugars per 100g with a similar custard cream.
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Reading only one nutrition figure
A front-of-pack label, a per-biscuit figure and a per-100g table answer different questions. Using only one can obscure the amount in your planned portion.
Read the available label information together, then work from the number of biscuits you intend to eat.
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Relying on an earlier allergen check
Retailers warn that ingredients and allergen information can change. The reviewed Tesco and Asda standard custard cream listings identify wheat and milk.
Check the current pack each time, including when a retailer substitutes a product.
Custard cream brand references
These named products provide points of comparison; a standard custard cream should not be treated as reduced sugar without a claim for that specific pack.
Tesco
Tesco Custard Cream Biscuits are listed in a 400g pack.
- Tesco advises shoppers to read the product label because food information can change.
- Check the pack’s nutrition panel before making a sugar comparison.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists its standard Custard Creams in a 200g pack.
- Its nutrition guide gives 3.3g sugars per biscuit and 26.5g per 100g.
- Sainsbury’s marks sugars as high in its per-biscuit guide; this is not a reduced-sugar claim.
Asda
Asda lists standard Custard Creams in a 400g pack.
- The listing identifies wheat and milk in its allergen advice.
- Read the current nutrition label before comparing its sugar content with another biscuit.
McVitie’s
McVitie’s Custard Creams are a vanilla-flavour cream sandwich biscuit listed in a 300g pack.
- Kitwave Retail’s product specification lists 30.7g sugars per 100g and ambient storage.
- That specification does not identify this pack as reduced sugar.
Crawford’s
Crawford’s Custard Creams are listed as vanilla-flavour cream sandwich biscuits in a 300g pack.
- Tesco identifies the biscuit style and filling in its listing.
- Check the exact pack’s nutrition and ingredients rather than assuming it is a reduced-sugar variant.
M&S
M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams are a 165g variant described by M&S as having extra vanilla cream and custard powder.
- The product name distinguishes the extra-cream variant from a standard custard cream.
- Extra cream does not tell you whether the product has less sugar; use the nutrition panel for that comparison.
Joybuy biscuit options
These are portable biscuits in other styles, including cream-filled cookies and digestives. None is a traditional custard cream; check each exact pack’s sugar wording, nutrition and allergens against your needs.
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Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies 97g
A cream-filled cookie to consider if you want a sandwich biscuit rather than a custard cream. Check the exact pack’s nutrition and ingredients; the product information flags wheat and soya, and notes maltitol as a sweetener.
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Gullon Zero No Added Sugar Cookies and Cream 210g
This cookies-and-cream biscuit offers a sandwich format, but not the flavour of a traditional custard cream. Check the pack’s sugar figures and allergen statement; the product information identifies wheat and soya and a possible presence of milk and mustard.
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Gullon Zero Sugar Free Original Digestives 400g
Choose this biscuit style only if a digestive, rather than a cream-filled biscuit, suits your plans. Read the current nutrition and ingredients; the product information identifies wheat and a possible presence of milk and soya.
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Gullon Zero Dark Chocolate Ginger Oaties 285g
This ginger oat biscuit is a different choice from a vanilla-cream sandwich biscuit. Check the pack’s sugar figures rather than relying on the range name; the product information identifies oats, wheat, milk and soya.
Frequently asked questions
Does less sugar per biscuit mean a custard cream is reduced sugar?
No. A smaller biscuit can have a smaller per-biscuit figure without a different recipe. Compare similar products per 100g, check the claim on the exact pack and then consider how many biscuits you will eat.
Can I take custard creams as a quick breakfast?
You can carry an ambient biscuit, but convenience alone does not make it a reduced-sugar choice or answer what else you want from breakfast. Check the portion and consider whether the biscuit is an addition to another food or whether a different breakfast food would suit you better.
What if I need to avoid wheat or milk?
Check the current label of the exact product before buying it. The reviewed standard Tesco and Asda custard cream listings identify wheat and milk allergens, and retailer product information can change.
What should I check on a pack labelled reduced sugar?
Check that the wording applies to the exact product, then read its comparison information, sugars per 100g, portion information and allergens. GOV.UK explains that nutrition claims are subject to rules; a lower-looking number for one biscuit is not itself a reduced-sugar claim.