Free From custard creams are not a substitute for a sugar-free Easter biscuit: Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda list 24.9–25.2g sugars per 100g for their Free From versions. If sugar-free is essential, check the current label of a separately labelled biscuit; a digestive or sandwich biscuit offers a different format, while Free From custard creams address particular dietary requirements.
If a guest needs a biscuit labelled sugar-free, check its current claim and sugars value rather than relying on a Free From label. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda list around 25g sugars per 100g for their Free From custard creams.
A custard-cream-style biscuit may still be an option when the relevant pack states gluten-free or milk-free suitability. Check the exact product and its allergen information before serving it.
Keep sugar-free biscuits, Free From custard creams and ordinary custard creams distinct when choosing and serving them. Their labels address different requirements.
Start with the requirement that matters to the guest, then compare the claim, nutrition panel and ingredients on the particular pack.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Read the precise sugar claim and sugars per 100g; use the per-biscuit figure to understand a serving. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda list 24.9–25.2g sugars per 100g for their Free From custard creams. | I need a sugar-free biscuit, not simply one labelled Free From. I would check a separately labelled option before adding it to the Easter shop. |
| Dietary suitability | Check the specific gluten-free, milk-free or vegan statement alongside the current ingredients and allergen information. Sainsbury’s and Asda state gluten-free and milk-free suitability for their Free From custard creams. | For a guest avoiding gluten or milk, the relevant statement on the actual pack matters more to me than the biscuit’s familiar name. |
| Biscuit type | Distinguish a custard cream from a digestive, another sandwich biscuit or custard mix. Tesco’s No Added Sugar Instant Custard Mix is not a biscuit and lists 5.7g sugars per 100g when prepared. | I can offer a different biscuit if the sugar requirement takes priority, but I would not present it as a custard cream. |
| Pack details | Compare nutrition per 100g on the same basis, then check serving information, ingredients and the pack received. The Food Standards Agency says traffic-light labels can help compare sugar, fat and salt at a glance. | Before putting biscuits on a shared plate, I want to make sure the pack matches the dietary option I intend to serve. |
Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda list around 25g sugars per 100g for their Free From custard creams, despite the products’ other dietary claims.
Check sugar-free claims separately from gluten-free, milk-free and vegan statements, and read the sugars line before serving.
The two descriptions are not interchangeable. Tesco No Added Sugar Instant Custard Mix lists 5.7g sugars per 100g when prepared; it is also custard mix rather than a biscuit.
Use the nutrition panel to check the sugars value for the particular product and preparation.
Sainsbury’s standard Custard Creams list wheat flour and whey powder from cows’ milk in their ingredients.
Choose a product with the relevant stated suitability and check its current ingredients and allergen information, especially when serving someone with an allergy or coeliac disease.
The information used to choose a biscuit may differ from the details on the pack received.
Before serving, read that pack’s ingredients, nutrition panel, allergen statements and date marking.
Tesco lists Free From Custard Creams and a separate No Added Sugar Instant Custard Mix. The mix is custard, not a custard cream biscuit.
Sainsbury’s lists both standard and Free From Custard Creams, with different stated dietary suitability.
Asda’s Free From Custard Creams are a custard-cream-style option with stated gluten-free, milk-free and vegan suitability.
These labelled sugar-free digestive and sandwich biscuits are different options for an Easter biscuit plate, not custard creams. Check each current pack’s sugars value and allergen information against your guests’ requirements.
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A digestive biscuit labelled Sugar Free, rather than a cream-filled custard cream. For a strict sugar-free requirement, check the sugars value on the current pack; check its ingredients and allergen statements before serving.
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A sandwich biscuit labelled Zero Sugar, but not a custard cream. Check the current nutrition panel if the sugar claim is essential, and read the ingredients and allergen information for the guests being served.
No. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda list 25.2g, 24.9g and 25g sugars per 100g respectively for those Free From biscuits. Check their specific gluten-free, milk-free or vegan statements separately from any sugar requirement.
No. Tesco’s No Added Sugar Instant Custard Mix lists 5.7g sugars per 100g when prepared. It is a custard mix, not a custard cream biscuit, so check both the product type and its sugars value.
No. Read the current ingredients and allergen statements for the person being served. If they need a gluten-free or milk-free biscuit, check that specific suitability statement rather than relying on vegan wording alone.
Compare sugars per 100g first, then look at the per-biscuit or serving value and read the ingredients and dietary statements. The Food Standards Agency says traffic-light labels can help compare sugar, fat and salt at a glance; the precise requirement still needs checking on the product’s label.