If you need a gluten-free biscuit before a 5k, choose a bourbon-style product explicitly labelled gluten free and try a small portion during training before relying on it on run day. A biscuit can be an optional snack if the portion and timing suit you, but it does not replace a meal beforehand or food containing carbohydrate and protein afterwards.
If you avoid gluten and want a familiar sweet snack before a 5k, look for an explicit gluten-free claim. A standard bourbon cream may contain wheat even when it looks much like a Free From version.
If a full breakfast does not suit your schedule, a biscuit may be an option to try during training. The portion and time between eating and running matter more than following someone else’s routine.
A bourbon cream is not a stand-alone recovery meal. The UK Sports Institute advises including carbohydrate and protein after running, so consider what else you will eat after the 5k.
Start with the gluten-free claim, then decide whether the portion, timing and other dietary details work for you.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free labelling | Look for an explicit gluten-free claim. Check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen information rather than judging by the biscuit’s name or appearance. | I want a clearly labelled biscuit I can check for my gluten-free requirement. In a report published in January 2026, Coeliac UK said 74.7% of the 3,785 members responding to its shopping survey trusted its Crossed Grain Trademark more than a gluten-free statement. |
| Portion and timing | Tesco Groceries lists 9.9g carbohydrate and 2.6g fat per 14g Free From Bourbon Cream; ASDA Groceries lists 10g carbohydrate and 3.1g fat per Free From biscuit. Try your chosen portion and timing during training; the UK Sports Institute says many athletes eat one to three hours before running. | A small snack might fit before my run, but I want to know how that particular biscuit feels when I run after eating it. |
| Food after the run | Tesco Groceries lists 0.6g protein per Free From Bourbon Cream and ASDA Groceries lists 0.7g per Free From biscuit. The UK Sports Institute advises eating food containing carbohydrate and protein after a run. | If I eat biscuits after a 5k, I still want to plan a meal or other food rather than rely on the biscuits alone. |
| Other dietary needs | Check each variant’s current pack for any milk-free or vegan claim you need. Tesco Groceries lists its Free From Bourbon Creams as milk free and suitable for vegans; ASDA Groceries lists its Free From bourbon biscuits as milk free with vegan information. | I may need the biscuit to meet another dietary requirement as well as being gluten free. |
The standard bourbon biscuits listed by ASDA Groceries and the Essential bourbon creams listed by Waitrose both contain wheat.
Choose a product explicitly labelled gluten free and check the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you buy.
Carbohydrate content alone cannot tell you whether a portion will feel comfortable when you run. The UK Sports Institute notes that eating times vary and that many athletes eat one to three hours before running.
Try the biscuit, portion and timing on an ordinary training run first.
Tesco’s and ASDA’s listed Free From bourbon biscuits each contain less than 1g protein per biscuit. The UK Sports Institute advises eating carbohydrate and protein after a run.
Treat a biscuit as an optional snack, and plan other food for a meal before or after running.
The ASDA Groceries listing displays both 150g and 160g pack-size references, which makes a comparison based on that display uncertain.
Check the weight on the shelf or delivered pack before comparing it with another product.
These ranges include different types of biscuit; a gluten-free biscuit from a brand is not necessarily a bourbon cream.
Tesco Groceries lists a 150g Free From Bourbon Creams product for shoppers seeking a gluten-free, milk-free bourbon-style biscuit.
ASDA Groceries lists a gluten-free, milk-free bourbon-style biscuit with vegan information.
Sainsbury’s describes its 150g Free From Bourbon Creams as milk- and gluten-free biscuits made with cocoa powder, rice flour and maize flour.
Tesco Groceries lists McVitie’s Gluten Free Original Hobnobs as an oaty biscuit, not a bourbon cream.
M&S lists gluten-free biscuits in its Made Without range, while its separately listed Extra Cream Bourbon Creams contain wheat flour.
These are gluten-free biscuits and a macaroon to consider if you are willing to move away from bourbon creams. Check each pack and try any intended pre-run snack during training; none of these products is a bourbon-style biscuit.
No image available
A gluten-free Digestive biscuit to consider as a small, familiar snack before a 5k if you have tried the portion and timing in training. It is not a bourbon cream.
No image available
A gluten-free vanilla wafer for someone considering a different sweet biscuit before a run. It is not a chocolate bourbon cream; try your chosen portion during training.
No image available
An oat biscuit with dark chocolate and coconut for someone who wants a gluten-free option rather than a bourbon cream. If oats are a concern for you, check the ingredients before choosing it; try the portion before using it on run day.
No image available
A gluten-free oat biscuit if you would rather have a Hobnob than a bourbon cream. Tesco Groceries lists gluten-free rolled oats and wholegrain oat flour for this product; check the pack if oats matter to your choice.
No image available
A gluten-free chocolate coconut macaroon rather than a bourbon biscuit. Its larger, chewy format is a different sort of snack, so try the portion and timing during training if you intend to eat one before running.
Do not assume they are. ASDA Groceries lists wheat in its standard Bourbon Biscuits, and Waitrose lists wheat in its Essential Bourbon Creams. If you need to avoid gluten, choose a biscuit explicitly labelled gluten free and check its current pack.
Look for an explicit gluten-free claim and read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you buy. Coeliac UK advises checking the highlighted cereals containing gluten in prepacked food ingredient lists rather than relying on a product name.
Try the portion and timing in training before making it part of a 5k routine. The UK Sports Institute says eating times vary between people and that many athletes eat one to three hours before running; that is not a guarantee that a biscuit will suit you close to the start.
Do not rely on them alone for a post-run meal. Tesco Groceries lists 0.6g protein per Free From Bourbon Cream and ASDA Groceries lists 0.7g per Free From biscuit; the UK Sports Institute advises eating food containing carbohydrate and protein after running.
Yes. Check the current pack’s gluten-free claim, ingredients and allergen information, especially when buying a product for the first time or after a recipe change.