Shoppers seeking a sugar-free biscuit
A Free From label does not establish sugar content. Check the sugars figure per 100 g if the sugar-free claim is essential to your choice.
Who is choosing?
Shoppers avoiding gluten or milk
Free From bourbon creams may offer the cocoa sandwich format you want. Check the exact pack for the allergens you need to avoid, and assess its sugar content separately.
Shoppers comparing carbohydrate and portions
Look beyond the sugar-free wording to the carbohydrate information, sweeteners and serving size. Diabetes UK notes that polyols contain carbohydrate and calories.
What should you check?
Decide whether sugar-free status or the bourbon-cream format is essential, then compare the nutrition panel and ingredients for the exact biscuit.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free claim | Check sugars per 100 g, not just the product title or Free From shelf label. The sugar-free claim threshold published by legislation.gov.uk is no more than 0.5 g per 100 g for a solid food. | I need the sugar-free claim to be backed by the nutrition panel, even if that means choosing a biscuit other than a bourbon cream. |
| Bourbon format | Check for cocoa biscuits with a filling, then assess sugars separately. ASDA and Morrisons list 18 g sugars per 100 g for their checked Free From bourbons; Sainsbury's lists 24.3 g. | The familiar sandwich biscuit matters more to me than a sugar-free claim. I can choose between standard and Free From versions according to my ingredient requirements. |
| Allergens | Read the exact pack's ingredients and allergen information. A gluten-free or milk-free description addresses a different requirement from sugar-free status. | I want a bourbon-style biscuit while avoiding particular ingredients, so the exclusions on the final pack matter more than the aisle it came from. |
| Carbohydrate and portions | Compare carbohydrate, energy and serving information alongside sugars. Diabetes UK notes that polyol sweeteners still contain carbohydrate and calories. | A sugar-free label alone does not tell me what is in a serving or which sweeteners the biscuit uses. |
Common buying mistakes
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Treating Free From as another name for sugar-free
Free From bourbon creams can address gluten or milk requirements while still containing sugar. ASDA and Morrisons each list 18 g sugars per 100 g for the checked products, and Sainsbury's lists 24.3 g.
If sugar-free status is essential, compare the exact biscuit's per-100 g figure with the 0.5 g sugar-free claim threshold published by legislation.gov.uk.
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Assuming sugar-free means carbohydrate-free
Diabetes UK notes that polyols contain carbohydrate and calories, so the sugar figure does not describe the whole biscuit.
Read the carbohydrate, energy, sweetener and serving information together rather than relying on the front-of-pack claim alone.
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Relying only on a product-page description
A shelf label or product title cannot answer every question about sugars and allergens for the biscuit you receive.
Check availability before ordering and read the final pack's nutrition and allergen information before serving it.
Relevant brand references
These brand examples show why the type of bourbon biscuit matters; they do not imply that every product from a brand has the same ingredients or sugar content.
Tesco
Tesco lists both standard Bourbon Creams and a separate Free From version.
- Its standard Bourbon Creams have the wheat-biscuit sandwich format.
- Tesco lists 25.2 g sugars per 100 g and wheat in the standard product; do not treat the separate Free From line as sugar-free without checking its label.
Sainsbury's
Its Free From Bourbon Creams are listed as gluten-free, milk-free and suitable for vegans.
- An option to examine when gluten or milk exclusion matters and you want a bourbon-style biscuit.
- Sainsbury's lists 24.3 g sugars per 100 g, so this product does not meet the 0.5 g sugar-free claim threshold published by legislation.gov.uk.
ASDA
ASDA lists Free From Bourbon Biscuits described as free from milk and gluten and suitable for vegans.
- The listed exclusions may be relevant to shoppers choosing a bourbon-style biscuit for those ingredient requirements.
- ASDA lists 18 g sugars per 100 g; Free From does not make this a sugar-free biscuit.
Morrisons
Morrisons lists a Free From Bourbon Biscuits product described as free from gluten-containing cereals and milk.
- Its stated exclusions address a different buying need from sugar-free status.
- Joybuy's listing for Morrisons Free From Bourbon Biscuits gives 18 g sugars per 100 g, above the sugar-free claim threshold published by legislation.gov.uk.
Gullón
Gullón lists zero-sugar biscuit lines in formats other than bourbon creams.
- A brand to consider if changing biscuit format is acceptable.
- Check the sugars and ingredients for the exact product rather than assuming the range includes a sugar-free bourbon cream.
Joybuy biscuit options
These are alternative biscuit formats for shoppers prepared to move away from bourbon creams in pursuit of a sugar-free option. Check each pack's sugars per 100 g before relying on its name.
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Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies 97g
A sandwich cookie rather than a bourbon cream for shoppers willing to change format. Check the pack's per-100 g sugars, carbohydrate, sweeteners and allergens against your requirements.
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Gullon Zero Sugar Free Original Digestives 400g
A digestive rather than a filled cocoa sandwich biscuit. Confirm the per-100 g sugars figure and read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack.
Questions about sugar-free biscuits
Are Free From bourbon creams sugar-free?
Not necessarily. Free From can describe ingredient exclusions: ASDA and Morrisons each list 18 g sugars per 100 g for their checked bourbon biscuits, and Sainsbury's lists 24.3 g. All exceed the 0.5 g per 100 g sugar-free claim threshold published by legislation.gov.uk.
What should I check on a biscuit labelled sugar-free?
Start with sugars per 100 g on the nutrition panel. The sugar-free claim threshold published by legislation.gov.uk is no more than 0.5 g per 100 g for a solid food; also read the ingredients, carbohydrate information and serving size for the other aspects of your choice.
Does sugar-free also mean carbohydrate-free?
No. Diabetes UK notes that polyol sweeteners contain carbohydrate and calories. Compare the carbohydrate and serving information rather than using the sugar-free wording as a substitute for the full nutrition panel.
Is a retailer's ingredient list enough when avoiding an allergen?
Use the listing to narrow your choices, then read the label on the pack you receive before serving the biscuit. Check that the stated exclusions apply to that exact product and variant.