Who is choosing?

Revisers looking for a sugar-free biscuit

A cream-filled biscuit appeals for a study break, but the sugar-free claim matters more than matching the custard-cream flavour. Compare sugars per 100 g and check the rest of the nutrition label too.

Custard-cream loyalists

The familiar biscuit is the priority, even though the checked conventional custard creams declare substantially more sugar than the sugar-free claim limit.

Revisers avoiding gluten or milk

Named free-from declarations matter when selecting a pack. They do not, by themselves, tell you whether a custard cream is sugar-free.

What should you check?

Decide whether the sugar-free claim, custard-cream flavour or a particular allergen declaration is the condition you cannot compromise on. Then compare the exact packs, using the per 100 g figures rather than relying on front-of-pack wording alone.

Priority What to check Your needs
Sugar claim Compare declared sugars per 100 g with the 0.5 g per 100 g sugar-free claim limit set out on legislation.gov.uk. Check the exact claim: no added sugar and gluten- or milk-free mean different things. I want a biscuit that meets a sugar-free requirement, not one that is free from an unrelated ingredient.
Flavour and portion Read the biscuit and filling description: Diablo describes a vanilla biscuit with cocoa cream, not a custard cream. Compare the pack’s stated serving with the number of biscuits you plan to take to a revision session. The familiar custard-cream flavour may matter more to me than changing to a different cream-filled biscuit.
Other nutrition Compare carbohydrate and energy as well as sugars. Diablo’s manufacturer declares 66 g carbohydrate, 459 kcal and 17 g polyols per 100 g for its vanilla sandwich biscuit; check the pack for any polyol warning. If I am comparing more than sugar, I need the other nutrition figures for the biscuit I will actually eat.
Allergens Check the current pack’s named free-from declarations and full ingredient list. Diablo’s manufacturer lists wheat, milk and soya in its vanilla sandwich biscuit. I need the particular pack to match the ingredients I avoid, whether I choose a custard cream or switch biscuits.

Common label mix-ups

  • Assuming ‘free from’ means sugar-free

    Tesco’s checked gluten- and milk-free custard creams declare 19.9 g sugars per 100 g; Sainsbury’s checked free-from version declares 24.9 g per 100 g. Those figures describe a different requirement from avoiding gluten or milk.

    Identify what the biscuit is free from, then read its sugars per 100 g if sugar-free status matters.

  • Equating ‘no added sugar’ with sugar-free

    Joybuy’s listing for Gullón Zero Cookies & Cream declares 2.4 g sugars per 100 g, while Gullón’s UK webpage also uses sugar-free wording. Do not treat the broader wording as confirmation that this product meets the 0.5 g per 100 g claim limit.

    For a strict sugar-free choice, check the nutrition declaration on the exact pack rather than relying on a product-line name.

  • Looking only at the sugar figure

    Diablo’s manufacturer declares 0.4 g sugars per 100 g for its vanilla sandwich biscuit, alongside 66 g carbohydrate, 459 kcal and 17 g polyols per 100 g. It also lists wheat, milk and soya.

    Read the wider nutrition panel, ingredients, allergen declaration and any pack warning before deciding whether this different biscuit meets your needs.

Relevant brand references

These examples show why a cream filling, a free-from label and a sugar-free claim should be checked separately; each figure applies to the named product, not every biscuit from its brand.

Diablo

A vanilla sandwich biscuit with cocoa cream rather than a custard cream.

  • Diablo’s label for the 176 g pack declares 0.4 g sugars per 100 g.
  • The same label declares 17 g polyols per 100 g and lists wheat, milk and soya.

Gullón

Zero Cookies & Cream is a cocoa-based, no-added-sugar cream biscuit, not a custard cream.

  • The biscuit offers a different cream-filled format for shoppers considering no-added-sugar options.
  • Joybuy’s listing declares 2.4 g sugars per 100 g, despite sugar-free wording on Gullón’s UK webpage. Do not assume it meets the sugar-free claim limit.

Tesco

The checked range includes conventional custard creams and a gluten- and milk-free version.

  • The free-from pack addresses the named gluten and milk requirements.
  • Tesco declares 28.3 g sugars per 100 g for its checked conventional 400 g pack and 19.9 g per 100 g for its checked free-from 125 g pack; neither figure meets the sugar-free claim limit.

Crawford's

The checked 300 g pack is a conventional vanilla-cream custard biscuit.

  • It retains the custard-cream biscuit style rather than changing to cocoa filling.
  • Tesco’s listing declares 30.7 g sugars per 100 g for this pack, so it is not a sugar-free alternative.

Sainsbury's

The checked free-from custard creams are labelled milk- and gluten-free.

  • The named free-from declarations address those particular ingredient requirements.
  • Sainsbury’s declares 24.9 g sugars per 100 g for the checked pack; free-from does not mean sugar-free.

Asda

The checked own-label products include conventional and gluten- and milk-free custard creams.

  • The free-from pack names gluten and milk as the relevant exclusions.
  • Asda declares 29 g sugars per 100 g for the checked conventional pack and 25 g per 100 g for the checked free-from pack. Neither figure meets the sugar-free claim limit.

Joybuy biscuit options

This Joybuy option is a sandwich cookie to consider if you are willing to move away from custard-cream flavour. Check the exact pack’s sugars per 100 g and ingredients against your requirements before choosing it.

Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies, 97 g pack

Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies, 97 g

A sandwich cookie rather than a custard cream, so the biscuit style changes if custard-cream flavour is your priority. Check the pack’s sugars per 100 g, ingredients and allergens for your particular requirements.

View on Joybuy

Questions about choosing and storing biscuits

Does a sugar-free biscuit have no carbohydrate?

No. Diablo’s manufacturer declares 0.4 g sugars but 66 g carbohydrate per 100 g for its vanilla sandwich biscuit. Compare both figures and the portion you intend to eat if carbohydrate matters to your choice.

Are sugar-free cream biscuits necessarily gluten- or milk-free?

No. Diablo’s checked vanilla sandwich biscuit lists wheat and milk. Tesco’s checked free-from custard creams are labelled gluten- and milk-free, but declare 19.9 g sugars per 100 g; read the current pack for the requirement that matters to you.

Do packaged custard creams need preparing for a revision break?

No preparation is needed for the checked packaged biscuits. Follow the storage directions on your pack: Tesco says to keep its conventional custard creams cool and dry and, once opened, in an airtight container.