Buyers checking sugars
If you want a custard cream but need a sugar-free product, compare the sugars declaration per 100 g. A free-from range name and a carbohydrate figure per biscuit answer different questions.
Who is this choice for?
Premium tea-time shoppers
An extra-filled biscuit may appeal for its stated recipe and presentation. Check its sugars declaration separately if that also affects your choice.
Free-from biscuit buyers
If you need a biscuit labelled gluten-free or milk-free, check the specific allergen information. That declaration does not tell you whether the biscuit is sugar-free.
What should you check?
Start with the requirement that matters most—sugars, an ingredient restriction or the biscuit style—then compare the relevant declarations on the same basis.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free claim | UK Trading Standards’ nutrition-claim guidance sets a maximum of 0.5 g sugars per 100 g for a sugar-free biscuit. Compare the pack’s per-100 g sugars figure; do not substitute a free-from or no-added-sugar description for it. | I need the biscuit itself to meet a sugar-free requirement, not just to belong to a dietary range. |
| Carbohydrate and portion | Read total carbohydrate as well as sugars, and check the stated portion size. Asda’s listing for Schär Gluten-Free Custard Creams gives 9.2 g carbohydrate per 12.5 g biscuit. | For the number of biscuits I expect to eat, I want to understand what one biscuit contributes. |
| Biscuit style | Read the filling and flavour description alongside sugars per 100 g. M&S describes an extra vanilla-cream filling for Extra Cream Custard Creams and lists 40.2 g sugars per 100 g. | Extra filling matters to me, but I do not want its premium presentation to stand in for a sugars comparison. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the named gluten-free or milk-free declaration, ingredients and allergen information for the particular product. Review the pack received as well as the online listing. | I need a biscuit that meets my ingredient requirements; its sugars content is a separate check. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Treating free-from as sugar-free
The listed free-from custard creams from Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda declare between 19.9 g and 25 g sugars per 100 g. Their dietary declarations concern ingredients, not a sugar-free claim.
Choose for the ingredient restriction you need, then check sugars per 100 g separately.
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Assuming extra filling means less sugar
M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams list 40.2 g sugars per 100 g. The filling description tells you about the intended biscuit style, not a nutritional advantage.
If sugars affect your choice, compare the declaration before deciding whether the extra-filled style appeals.
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Applying an older taste-test result to another pack
The Good Housekeeping Institute’s 2020 test named M&S Custard Creams; the M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams listing concerns a differently named product.
Do not treat the historical placing as a result for Extra Cream. Compare the product and recipe details of the pack you are considering.
Brand and product-line references
These examples show why a brand name or range description cannot replace the nutrition and ingredient details of a particular biscuit.
M&S
M&S describes its Extra Cream Custard Creams as having an extra vanilla-cream filling and a custard-powder recipe.
- A specified extra-filled style for shoppers seeking that type of custard cream.
- The Extra Cream listing gives 40.2 g sugars per 100 g; the style description is not a sugar-free claim.
Tesco
Tesco lists both a standard custard cream and a gluten- and milk-free version.
- The range names distinguish a conventional biscuit from one with stated ingredient exclusions.
- The standard listing gives 28.3 g sugars per 100 g and Tesco Free From gives 19.9 g; neither figure supports a sugar-free choice.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists standard and milk- and gluten-free custard creams.
- The Free From declaration identifies ingredient restrictions to check against your needs.
- The standard listing gives 26.5 g sugars per 100 g and Free From gives 24.9 g; neither is sugar-free.
Asda
Asda lists standard custard creams and a gluten- and milk-free version.
- The named free-from option gives shoppers a separate ingredient declaration to assess.
- The standard listing gives 29 g sugars per 100 g and the free-from listing gives 25 g; free-from does not mean sugar-free.
Schär
Schär Gluten-Free Custard Creams are listed in individual portions.
- Asda’s listing states a 12.5 g biscuit portion and gives carbohydrate for that portion.
- The same listing gives 23 g sugars per 100 g; portion packaging does not make the biscuit sugar-free.
Crawford’s
Tesco’s listing identifies Crawford’s Custard Creams as a conventional 300 g pack.
- That product listing gives 30.7 g sugars per 100 g, so it does not meet a sugar-free requirement.
McVitie’s
A Joybuy UK listing identifies McVitie’s Tasties Custard Creams as a 300 g pack.
- That listing gives 30.6 g sugars per 100 g; its taste descriptions do not establish a sugar-free option.
Joybuy biscuit options
These options include a gluten-free custard cream and other biscuits for shoppers comparing sandwich-cookie, no-added-sugar and custard-flavour descriptions. A custard-flavoured biscuit or sandwich cookie is not necessarily a traditional custard cream; check each pack against the requirement that brought you here.
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Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies 97g
For a sandwich cookie rather than a custard cream, check the pack’s sugars and total carbohydrate per 100 g against your requirements.
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Schär Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
For a gluten-free custard cream, check the current pack’s ingredients against your requirements. Asda’s listing for this 125 g product gives 23 g sugars per 100 g, so it is not a sugar-free substitute.
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Gullon Zero No Added Sugar Cookies and Cream 210g
If the no-added-sugar description interests you, check the sugars figure per 100 g before deciding whether this biscuit meets a sugar-free requirement.
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Elegant & English Baked Apple & Custard 140g
For a baked-apple-and-custard flavour rather than a custard-cream sandwich biscuit, compare the pack’s sugars declaration with the other biscuits you are considering.
Questions about labels and buying
Does ‘free from’ mean sugar-free?
No. Free-from wording identifies the stated ingredient exclusions, not a sugars level. Tesco Free From Custard Creams, for example, list 19.9 g sugars per 100 g.
What does a sugar-free claim mean for a biscuit?
UK Trading Standards’ nutrition-claim guidance sets a maximum of 0.5 g sugars per 100 g for a sugar-free biscuit. Check the per-100 g declaration on the particular pack rather than judging the claim from a per-biscuit figure alone.
Does sugar-free also mean carbohydrate-free?
No. Diabetes UK notes that polyols contain carbohydrate. If total carbohydrate matters to your choice, read that figure and the portion size separately from the sugars declaration.
What should I check for a milk or wheat allergy when ordering online?
Check the specific biscuit’s ingredients and allergen information before ordering, then check the pack you receive. A gluten-free or milk-free description addresses the named restriction; it does not establish the biscuit’s sugars content.
How should I store custard creams after opening?
Follow the instructions on the pack you buy. Tesco’s listing for its standard custard creams says to keep them cool and dry and use an airtight container once opened; instructions for another product may differ.