People planning a biscuit portion
If custard creams are an occasional snack, the labelled calories per biscuit help you decide how many to serve. Use calories per 100g as well when comparing biscuits of different sizes.
Who is this choice for?
People looking for dark chocolate
If the chocolate type matters more than the biscuit format, read the coating description. The ASDA and M&S coated custard creams discussed here are labelled milk chocolate, so they do not meet a dark-chocolate preference.
People checking ingredients or allergens
Check the ingredient and allergen declarations on the current pack of the exact product you intend to buy. Do not assume that a plain, coated or gluten-free custard cream meets any other dietary requirement.
What should you check before buying?
Start with the chocolate type if dark flavour is essential; otherwise compare portions and nutrition using the same basis.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion and energy | Read kcal per biscuit for the portion you plan to serve. Compare kcal per 100g when biscuit sizes differ; Sainsbury’s declares 474 kcal per 100g for its plain custard creams, M&S 502 for Extra Cream Custard Creams, and ASDA 513 for its milk-chocolate-coated version. | I want to decide how many biscuits to have without assuming that one biscuit from each pack represents the same amount of food. |
| Chocolate type | Read the product name and ingredients for the type of chocolate. Check a cocoa-solids figure only when it is stated for that particular product; a chocolate coating alone does not establish that it is dark chocolate. | If I want dark-chocolate flavour, a milk-chocolate-coated custard cream will not meet that preference. |
| Sugars and saturates | Compare sugars and saturates per serving and per 100g on the same basis. Sainsbury’s labels both as high per biscuit for its plain product; ASDA declares 13g sugars and 4g saturates per milk-chocolate-coated biscuit. | I want to read the figures for the portion I would actually eat, rather than judging it by its coating or pack design. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current pack’s ingredient list, allergen declaration and any cross-contact wording for the exact variant. | Where an ingredient matters to me, I need to check this pack rather than rely on the name of a biscuit range. |
What is easy to overlook?
-
Assuming a chocolate coating means dark chocolate
ASDA’s and M&S’s coated custard creams described here are labelled milk chocolate. The appearance of a coating does not identify its chocolate type.
Read the product name and ingredients. If dark chocolate is essential, do not substitute a biscuit labelled milk chocolate.
-
Comparing biscuits by count alone
Sainsbury’s declares 59 kcal per plain custard cream, while ASDA declares 139 kcal per milk-chocolate-coated biscuit. These are different products, so a one-biscuit comparison does not account for their size.
Check both kcal per biscuit and kcal per 100g, then decide the portion you intend to serve.
-
Assuming a familiar recipe meets an allergen requirement
Ingredients and allergen information can change, and a plain biscuit and a coated variant need not have the same declarations.
Use the current physical pack’s ingredient, allergen and cross-contact information as your purchase check.
Relevant brand and retailer references
Sainsbury’s
Its plain Custard Creams 200g provide a conventional biscuit point of comparison, not a dark-chocolate option.
- Sainsbury’s declares 59 kcal per biscuit and 474 kcal per 100g for this product.
- Its nutrition guide marks sugars and saturates as high per biscuit.
ASDA
Its Milk Chocolate Coated Custard Creams 162g offer a coated biscuit, but the coating is labelled milk chocolate.
- ASDA describes the product as 52% milk chocolate and declares 139 kcal per biscuit.
- The product declares 513 kcal per 100g, with 13g sugars and 4g saturates per biscuit; it is not labelled as a dark-chocolate biscuit.
M&S
M&S provides two different custard-cream formats for comparison: Extra Cream Custard Creams and a milk-chocolate-coated version.
- M&S declares 502 kcal per 100g for Extra Cream Custard Creams.
- Its milk-chocolate-coated custard cream declares 520 kcal, 43.2g sugars and 15.3g saturates per 100g. It is not a dark-chocolate option.
A plain custard cream option on Joybuy
This option is for someone who wants a plain custard cream in a gluten-free variant; it is not presented as a dark-chocolate biscuit.
No image available
Schar Gluten Free Custard Creams 125g
A plain custard cream to consider if you want the biscuit format rather than a chocolate coating. The product name specifies a gluten-free 125g variant; check the current pack for its serving figures and any other dietary or allergen requirements.
Common questions
Is a chocolate-coated custard cream necessarily dark chocolate?
No. The ASDA and M&S coated custard creams described here are labelled milk chocolate. Check the name and ingredients of the exact product rather than relying on the colour of its coating.
How can I compare custard creams of different sizes?
Use kcal per 100g for a like-for-like comparison of declared energy density, then read kcal per biscuit for the portion you plan to serve. Sainsbury’s declares 59 kcal per plain biscuit and ASDA 139 kcal per milk-chocolate-coated biscuit, but those individual biscuits are not equivalent portions.
What if I want dark chocolate rather than a custard cream?
Choose by the chocolate type stated on the product and decide your portion separately. A milk-chocolate-coated custard cream does not meet a dark-chocolate preference, and the chocolate type alone does not establish its calorie content.
Can I rely on a custard cream’s name for allergen information?
No. Check the current physical pack’s ingredients, allergen declaration and any cross-contact wording for the exact variant, particularly when comparing plain, coated and gluten-free products.