Choose a conventional custard cream when its familiar flavour and format matter most; do not assume a Free From version has less sugar. Sainsbury’s and Asda list about 25g of sugars per 100g for their Free From custard creams, above the NHS high-sugar label threshold of 22.5g per 100g. If avoiding added sugar matters more than having an exact custard cream, a no-added-sugar cream sandwich biscuit offers a different route, but check its ingredients and portion size.
If you want biscuits to share during a film, compare total sugars per 100g and per biscuit. Then decide whether the custard-cream flavour and format matter more to you than choosing a different biscuit labelled no added sugar.
Check the exact pack for the dietary suitability you need, and assess sugar separately. Sainsbury’s and Asda describe their Free From custard creams as gluten-free, milk-free and suitable for vegans; both list 3.5g of sugars per biscuit.
If you are considering a no-added-sugar biscuit, read its ingredient list and pack warnings before choosing how much to serve. The NHS notes that some polyol sweeteners can have a laxative effect when consumed in large amounts.
Start with the biscuit format you want, then compare the nutrition and ingredient labels on the exact products you are considering.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Total sugars | Compare total sugars per 100g on like-for-like labels, then check sugars per biscuit for the amount you expect to serve. The NHS calls 22.5g or more per 100g high in sugar. | I want to compare biscuits of different sizes without mistaking a smaller biscuit for a lower-sugar recipe. |
| Biscuit format | Check whether the pack says custard creams, another cream sandwich biscuit or digestives. A no-added-sugar label does not establish that the biscuit tastes or looks like a custard cream. | The familiar custard-cream format may matter more to me than switching biscuits; otherwise, I can consider a different style. |
| Dietary suitability | Read the exact pack’s gluten, milk and vegan declarations. Free From describes dietary suitability, not sugar content: Sainsbury’s and Asda each list 3.5g of sugars per biscuit for their Free From custard creams. | If I need to avoid gluten or milk, I need the right declaration on the product I buy. I will consider its sugar content separately. |
| Sweeteners | Read the ingredients and any warning on a no-added-sugar biscuit. NHS guidance says polyol sweeteners can have a laxative effect in large amounts. | For a film-length snack, I want to know what is in the biscuits before deciding how many to put out. |
Free From claims address particular ingredients or dietary requirements. Sainsbury’s lists 24.9g of sugars per 100g for its Free From custard creams, while Asda lists 25g; both exceed the NHS high-sugar label threshold of 22.5g per 100g.
Use the dietary declaration for suitability, then compare the nutrition table if sugar is part of your decision.
Gullón Zero Cookies & Cream is a cream sandwich biscuit, but its Cookies & Cream identity does not make it an exact custard cream.
Decide whether the traditional custard-cream flavour and format are essential before changing biscuit styles.
“No added sugar” does not tell you which sweeteners a biscuit contains. According to the NHS, some polyols can have a laxative effect when consumed in large amounts.
Check the ingredients and pack warning, particularly when putting out biscuits to share over a film.
Different pack and biscuit sizes can obscure a comparison of total sugars.
Compare sugars per 100g first, then use the per-biscuit figure to consider the amount you plan to serve.
These brand examples help distinguish traditional custard creams from products made for particular dietary requirements; a brand’s presence here does not establish a reduced-sugar claim.
The McVitie’s Tasties Custard Creams Biscuits 300g listing describes cream filling between biscuits.
Crawford’s describes its custard creams as vanilla cream between embossed biscuit shells.
Tesco describes its Free From Custard Creams Biscuits 125g as rice-flour biscuits with vanilla-flavoured filling, suitable for vegans.
Sainsbury’s describes its Free From Custard Creams 125g as gluten-free, milk-free and suitable for vegans.
Asda describes its Free From Custard Creams 125g as gluten-free, milk-free and suitable for vegans.
M&S describes its Extra Cream Custard Creams as having vanilla cream filling and real custard powder.
These Joybuy options include cream sandwich biscuits labelled for sugar reduction, a gluten-free custard cream and a digestive. They are different biscuit styles, so check both the product identity and its label against what you want for movie night.
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Consider this Cookies and Cream biscuit if a different cream sandwich biscuit is acceptable in place of a custard cream. Its product name states “No Added Sugar”; check the nutrition table, ingredients and sweetener warning on the pack before deciding how much to serve.
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This is a sandwich cookie rather than a custard cream. If its Zero Sugar designation interests you, check the pack’s nutrition table and ingredients rather than assuming it has the same flavour or filling as a custard cream.
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This option retains the custard-cream format and is labelled gluten-free. Check the exact pack for any other dietary requirements, and read its sugars per 100g separately: gluten-free does not mean reduced sugar.
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These are digestives, not cream-filled biscuits, so choose them only if moving away from the custard-cream format suits the occasion. Check the nutrition table, sweeteners and any pack warning alongside the Sugar Free wording.
Not necessarily. Sainsbury’s lists 24.9g of sugars per 100g for its Free From custard creams, and Asda lists 25g per 100g; both list 3.5g per biscuit. Their gluten- and milk-free declarations address dietary suitability, while the NHS defines 22.5g or more of total sugars per 100g as high in sugar.
Consider a cream sandwich biscuit such as Gullón Zero Cookies & Cream if an exact custard cream is not essential. Gullón presents it as a no-added-sugar product, but its Cookies & Cream identity is different from a traditional custard cream; check the exact pack’s nutrition and ingredients.
No. A no-added-sugar claim does not describe the whole nutrition table or make the amount eaten irrelevant. Read the serving information, ingredients and any sweetener warning; the NHS notes that some polyols can have a laxative effect in large amounts.
Read the dietary and allergen declarations on the exact pack rather than relying on the words “custard cream”. Sainsbury’s and Asda state that their respective Free From custard creams are gluten-free and milk-free; check the product you intend to serve.
For total sugars, the NHS describes 22.5g or more per 100g as high and 5g or less per 100g as low. Use the per-100g figure to compare different biscuits, then check the per-biscuit figure when considering a serving.