Who is this choice for?

Shoppers set on sugar-free

Check the sugars figure per 100 g rather than relying on a Free From label. If a custard cream does not meet the sugar criterion, a different biscuit style may be necessary.

Free-from custard cream shoppers

If avoiding gluten, milk or animal ingredients is the priority, a suitable Free From custard cream may retain the familiar format. Check the current pack for the specific dietary requirement; Free From does not mean sugar-free.

Small-basket top-up shoppers

For a quick decision, compare the sugars figure, ingredients and allergen statement on the pack. Neither a familiar brand nor a smaller pack tells you whether a biscuit is sugar-free.

What should you check first?

Keep the custard cream

Choose when: The sandwich-biscuit format or a particular gluten-free, milk-free or vegan option matters more than a sugar-free claim.

Trade-off: The checked Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda Free From custard creams each list substantially more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g.

Change biscuit type

Choose when: Sugar-free matters more than keeping the custard-cream format, and the alternative’s current label meets the sugar criterion.

Trade-off: Gullón Zero Digestive Original is a digestive, not a custard cream; its pack also carries a warning about excessive consumption.

Priority What to check Your needs
Sugars Read “of which sugars” per 100 g on the current pack. The sugar-free claim criterion published by legislation.gov.uk is no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g for food. If sugar-free is essential to my purchase, a Free From or vegan label alone does not answer that question.
Biscuit format Decide whether a custard cream is necessary or a digestive or other sandwich biscuit will do. Tesco Groceries, Sainsbury’s and ASDA Groceries list 25.2 g, 24.9 g and 25 g sugars per 100 g respectively for their checked Free From custard creams. I would keep the custard-cream format for its own sake, but change biscuit type if meeting the sugar criterion comes first.
Ingredients Check the current allergen statement, sweeteners and any pack warning. The ASDA Groceries listing for Gullón Zero Digestive Original warns that excessive consumption may produce a laxative effect. A different biscuit still needs to fit the ingredients I avoid and the way I plan to use the pack.

What can the label lead you to overlook?

  • Reading “Free From” as “sugar-free”

    Tesco Groceries, Sainsbury’s and ASDA Groceries list 25.2 g, 24.9 g and 25 g sugars per 100 g for their respective Free From custard creams. Their dietary-exclusion labels answer a different question from sugar content.

    When sugar-free is the deciding requirement, compare “of which sugars” per 100 g with the 0.5 g criterion published by legislation.gov.uk.

  • Assuming a standard custard cream will qualify

    Retail listings for standard custard creams from Tesco, Crawford’s, McVitie’s and M&S give sugars figures above the sugar-free criterion.

    If the custard-cream format is non-negotiable, check its label without describing the purchase as sugar-free. If the sugar criterion comes first, consider another biscuit type.

  • Stopping at the sugar-free claim

    A sugar-free label does not describe every ingredient or pack warning. The ASDA Groceries listing for Gullón Zero Digestive Original includes a warning about excessive consumption.

    Read the sweeteners, allergen statement and nutrition panel as well as the sugars figure before choosing a pack.

Which brands are relevant?

These brand references illustrate the difference between custard-cream formats and a sugar-free biscuit alternative; they are not a list of products available on Joybuy.

McVitie’s

Kitwave Retail lists McVitie’s Custard Creams as a conventional custard-cream option.

  • The listed sugars figure is above the sugar-free claim criterion; check the current physical pack before purchasing.

Crawford’s

Tesco Groceries lists Crawford’s Custard Creams as a conventional vanilla-cream sandwich biscuit.

  • Its listed sugars figure is above the sugar-free claim criterion.

Tesco

Tesco Groceries lists both standard and Free From custard creams.

  • The Free From listing identifies a vegan option for shoppers checking that dietary requirement.
  • Tesco Groceries lists 28.3 g sugars per 100 g for its standard custard creams and 25.2 g per 100 g for its Free From version.

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s lists a Free From custard cream described as gluten-free, milk-free and suitable for vegans.

  • Its listing gives 24.9 g sugars per 100 g, so those dietary descriptions should not be read as sugar-free.

Asda

ASDA Groceries lists a Free From custard cream for shoppers checking gluten and milk exclusions.

  • The listing gives 25 g sugars per 100 g; check the current pack for both sugars and dietary suitability.

M&S

Marks & Spencer lists Extra Cream Custard Creams as a conventional custard-cream option.

  • Its listed sugars figure is above the sugar-free claim criterion.

Gullón

Gullón Zero Digestive Original is an alternative for shoppers willing to leave the custard-cream format.

  • ASDA Groceries lists less than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g for this digestive biscuit.
  • It is not a custard cream, and the listing warns that excessive consumption may produce a laxative effect.

Joybuy biscuit options

These options are different biscuit styles for a top-up shop where a sugar-free claim matters more than keeping a custard cream. Check each current pack against your ingredient requirements and its sugars figure per 100 g.

Gullón Zero Sugar Free Original Digestives 400g

Gullón Zero Sugar Free Original Digestives 400g

A digestive biscuit rather than a custard cream for shoppers willing to change format. ASDA Groceries lists less than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g for Gullón Zero Digestive Original and warns that excessive consumption may produce a laxative effect; check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen statement.

View on Joybuy
Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies 97g

Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies 97g

A sandwich biscuit rather than a custard cream, in a 97g pack. Check the current pack’s “of which sugars” figure per 100 g, ingredients and allergen statement before relying on the Zero Sugar name for your purchase.

View on Joybuy

Questions about sugar-free biscuits

What sugars figure should I check for a sugar-free biscuit?

The sugar-free claim criterion in the annex published by legislation.gov.uk is no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g for food. Look for “of which sugars” per 100 g on the current pack rather than judging by front-of-pack wording alone.

Are Free From custard creams sugar-free?

The checked Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda Free From custard creams are not: their respective retailer listings give 25.2 g, 24.9 g and 25 g sugars per 100 g. Check free-from suitability and sugar content separately.

Can a sugar-free digestive replace a custard cream?

It can meet the sugar-focused part of the choice if you are happy to change biscuit style. ASDA Groceries lists less than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g for Gullón Zero Digestive Original, which is a digestive rather than a custard cream; its listing also warns about excessive consumption.

Does sugar-free tell me everything about a biscuit’s nutrition?

No. The claim concerns sugars, so read the rest of the nutrition panel and the ingredients as well. For example, the ASDA Groceries listing for Gullón Zero Digestive Original also carries a warning about excessive consumption.

How should I check allergens during a top-up shop?

Read the ingredient and allergen statements on the current physical pack, including any “may contain” wording, against the shopper’s specific requirements. Do not assume that Free From, vegan or sugar-free answers every allergen question.