Hosts needing a sugar-free biscuit
Choose by the sugar-free claim and the sugars value per 100 g. A cocoa-and-vanilla sandwich biscuit may meet that requirement without looking or tasting like a traditional custard cream.
Who is each option for?
Hosts catering for gluten- or milk-free guests
Free From custard creams can retain the familiar format while addressing the stated exclusions. Check each pack separately for sugars and for every ingredient a guest needs to avoid.
Hosts serving traditional custard creams
If guests do not require a sugar-free biscuit, conventional custard creams preserve the expected biscuit-and-vanilla-filling format. Check ingredients and allergens before putting them out for everyone to share.
What should you check before buying?
Start with the guest's actual requirement: sugar-free, an ingredient exclusion, or the traditional custard-cream flavour. Then check the current pack rather than treating those descriptions as interchangeable.
Sugar-free sandwich biscuit
Choose when: A sugar-free claim matters more than serving a traditional custard cream.
Trade-off: Diablo's qualifying example has a dark-cocoa biscuit with vanilla filling, so its flavour and appearance differ.
Free From custard cream
Choose when: The stated gluten- and milk-free properties match a guest's requirements.
Trade-off: The Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda examples contain more sugars than the sugar-free claim threshold.
Traditional custard cream
Choose when: Guests want the conventional biscuit and do not require a sugar-free option.
Trade-off: The conventional examples checked contain sugar; check their ingredients before serving guests with exclusions.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar-free claim | Look for the explicit claim and read sugars per 100 g. Legislation.gov.uk sets the UK claim condition at no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g for a biscuit. | I'm serving someone who specifically needs a product labelled sugar-free, not merely one described as Free From. |
| Ingredient exclusions | Read the current ingredient and allergen information. Check gluten-free, milk-free or vegan wording individually where relevant. | One guest needs an ingredient excluded; that matters separately from how much sugar the biscuit contains. |
| Flavour and format | Compare the biscuit and filling descriptions. Diablo describes its 44g option as a cocoa-flavoured sandwich biscuit with vanilla filling, not a custard cream. | I want guests to know whether the sugar-free choice will taste and look different from the custard creams on the table. |
| Serving information | Check the pack size, serving information and any sweetener warnings on the current pack. Diablo's nutrition panel lists 17 g polyols per 100 g. | Before setting biscuits out to share, I want to check the pack information and make the different options clear to guests. |
What could cause a mix-up?
-
Assuming Free From means sugar-free
Tesco Free From Custard Creams list 19.9 g sugars per 100 g; the Sainsbury's and Asda versions list 24.9 g and 25 g respectively. Their gluten- and milk-free descriptions answer a different question.
For a sugar-free guest, check both the claim and the sugars value per 100 g. Use Free From wording to check the particular dietary exclusion it names.
-
Presenting a cocoa cookie as a custard cream
Diablo describes its sugar-free option as a cocoa-flavoured sandwich biscuit with vanilla filling. That changes the flavour and appearance guests might expect from a custard cream.
Label the biscuit choices clearly at the table, especially if conventional and Free From custard creams are also being served.
-
Letting the sugar-free label stand in for an allergen check
A sugar-free claim describes sugar content, not suitability for every guest with an ingredient restriction.
Read the current ingredient, allergen and sweetener information on each pack before serving it.
Which brands offer relevant biscuits?
These brand examples show why the product's exact claim and nutrition panel matter more than the brand name alone.
Diablo Sugar Free
Its Extra Dark Sandwich Cookies with Vanilla Cream offer a sugar-free cocoa-and-vanilla sandwich biscuit rather than a traditional custard cream.
- Diablo's nutrition panel declares 0.4 g sugars and 17 g polyols per 100 g.
- The dark-cocoa biscuit changes the expected custard-cream flavour; check the current pack for allergens and warnings.
Tesco
Tesco lists both conventional and Free From custard creams, serving different party-table requirements.
- Tesco describes its Free From Custard Creams as gluten-free, milk-free and suitable for vegans.
- Tesco lists 19.9 g sugars per 100 g for Free From Custard Creams and 28.3 g per 100 g for its conventional custard creams; neither meets the sugar-free claim threshold.
Sainsbury's
Its Free From Custard Creams are described as gluten-free, milk-free and suitable for vegans.
- The stated exclusions may suit guests seeking that type of custard cream.
- Sainsbury's lists 24.9 g sugars per 100 g, so this is not a sugar-free choice.
Asda
Asda's Free From custard creams carry gluten-free, milk-free and Vegan Society information on the product page.
- The product page identifies the exclusions to check against guests' requirements.
- Asda lists 25 g sugars per 100 g, which does not meet the sugar-free claim threshold.
Crawford's
Crawford's 300g Custard Creams are a conventional option when sugar-free biscuits are not required.
- They retain the familiar custard-cream format.
- Tesco's listing declares 30.7 g sugars per 100 g and ingredients including wheat and milk.
M&S
M&S Extra Cream Custard Creams are a conventional custard-cream variant.
- M&S describes the biscuits as containing custard powder and extra vanilla cream.
- Its nutrition information lists 40.2 g sugars per 100 g, so it does not fit a sugar-free requirement.
McVitie's
McVitie's Tasties Custard Creams are another conventional biscuit rather than a sugar-free alternative.
- The product is presented as a traditional custard cream.
- The Joybuy listing declares 30.6 g sugars per 100 g and identifies milk and wheat as allergens.
Joybuy biscuit option
This Joybuy option is a zero-sugar-labelled sandwich cookie for an afternoon-tea table, not a traditional custard cream. Check the current nutrition and allergen information before deciding whether it meets a guest's requirements.
No image available
Oreo Zero Sugar Sandwich Cookies, 97g
The 97g Oreo Zero Sugar pack offers sandwich cookies rather than traditional custard creams. Check the current sugars-per-100 g declaration and allergen list before serving guests who need a sugar-free biscuit or must avoid particular ingredients.
Questions about serving the biscuits
How do I check a sugar-free claim on biscuits?
Look for an explicit sugar-free claim and check sugars per 100 g on the nutrition panel. The UK claim condition published on legislation.gov.uk is no more than 0.5 g sugars per 100 g for a biscuit.
Are Free From custard creams sugar-free?
Not necessarily. Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda list 19.9 g, 24.9 g and 25 g sugars per 100 g respectively for the Free From custard creams discussed here. Check their stated gluten- and milk-free properties separately from their sugars values.
Is Diablo's sugar-free cookie a traditional custard cream?
No. Diablo describes it as a cocoa-flavoured sandwich biscuit with vanilla filling. Its nutrition panel declares 0.4 g sugars per 100 g, but check the current pack's ingredients and allergens before offering it to guests.
Do HFSS retail rules mean custard creams are banned from school meals?
No general UK product conclusion follows from those retail rules. Department of Health and Social Care guidance concerns certain promotions and placement in retail settings in England; school-food requirements are a separate England-specific framework described by the Department for Education. The school-food guidance describes changes proposed for September 2027 as subject to Parliamentary approval, so the applicable nation, setting, current rules and exact product all matter.