Most supermarkets have their own version of a custard cream – but which one is the best?
Katherine McPhillips and Nicola Roy Spare Time writer
10:20, 10 Apr 2026
‘I ate custard creams from 7 UK supermarkets from Aldi to M&S'(Image: Katherine McPhillips)
There’s nothing quite like dunking a custard cream into a steaming mug of tea, which is exactly why this very British biscuit is so popular. It’s a firm favourite on many people’s weekly shops, including The Express writer Katherine McPhillips.
After trying countless custard creams throughout the years, she has become quite the expert. So she decided to buy packets from various supermarkets to conduct a comparison.
She went to Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, M&S and even Waitrose to find out which one truly deserves recognition as Britain’s finest biscuit.
Tesco
Tesco’s custard creams were the priciest of all the biscuits at 65p, though customers receive a generous 400g packet. Each biscuit contained 59 calories and 3.4g of sugar.
The Tesco and Morrison biscuits were the most expensive but the worse quality in my opinion(Image: Katherine McPhillips)
Upon trying a Tesco custard cream, Katherine struggled to find much worth mentioning as it tasted quite bland, and the buttercream filling looked sparse compared to rival products.
She also conducted a dunking experiment with these biscuits, and they disintegrated within eight to 10 seconds, making them unsuitable for tea-time snacking.
Morrisons
Morrisons’ custard creams cost 60p, making them the second-priciest packet behind Tesco, though shoppers received 400g of biscuits. Each biscuit contained 58 calories and 3.4g of sugar.
Having tried the Morrison’s offering, Katherine found them equally uninspiring as the Tesco variety. They lacked any real flavour and crumbled quickly – disintegrating within roughly five seconds of dunking.
Sadly, these biscuits seemed to prioritise quantity over quality, and they were a lot more fragile than their competitors.
I really did not like the M&S biscuits and the Aldi ones were quite crumbly(Image: Katherine McPhillips)
M&S
The M&S custard creams are priced at 50p for a 165g packet. Each biscuit contains 71 calories and 5.7g of sugar.
Katherine said: “I think the M&S biscuits looked the best as they were the deepest golden colour and had the supermarket brand stamped on them. However, they were far too sweet and overpowering to the point I felt I could not finish the biscuit. It might be down to individual preference, but they were overly sugary for me, and I do not think I would buy them again.”
The M&S custard creams also were the soggiest of the bunch, collapsing immediately upon contact her tea.
Aldi
Aldi’s custard creams retail at 45p for a 300g packet. Each biscuit contains 64 calories and 3.3g of sugar.
Katherine said they had a pleasant sweetness without becoming cloying.
She said: “I really enjoyed them, but the only downside was that they were a little crumbly, and I ended up getting a lot of the biscuit down my clothes while trying to eat them.
“I would perhaps not recommend eating these biscuits without a napkin, but despite the crumbs, they passed the dunk test perfectly and stayed intact throughout an entire cup of tea.”
I really liked the Waitrose and Lidl custard creams(Image: Katherine McPhillips)
Lidl
Lidl’s custard creams cost 45p for a 300g pack. Each biscuit contained 65 calories and 3.4g of sugar.
While Katherine said these biscuits were pleasant enough, they simply didn’t measure up against the top two contenders, hence their third-place ranking.
Waitrose
Waitrose matched Aldi and Lidl’s 45p price point, though offered less value with just 150g per packet. Each biscuit had 62 calories and 3.9g of sugar.
Katherine said the standout feature of the Waitrose offering was the plentiful buttercream layer, giving them a luxurious quality. These biscuits were decadently rich and also survived the dunking test, keeping their structure perfectly alongside a cuppa.
Sainsbury’s
The overall winner was the Sainsbury ones as the biscuit was perfectly crunchy and buttery(Image: Katherine McPhillips)
Sainsbury’s custard creams were the cheapest at 40p, with 200g of biscuits per pack. Each biscuit contained 59 calories and 3.3g of sugar.
The Sainsbury’s biscuits won Katherine over with their satisfying crunch upon first bite. They had a lovely buttery flavour without excessive sweetness, and held together well when dunked in tea.
She said: “These custards stood out to me because they had the perfect snap, even after softening from the tea, and the right ratio of biscuit to filling.
“I would definitely go out of my way to buy them again, as no other custard cream on this list compares in terms of texture.”
Final verdict
Having purchased all these custard creams, Katherine was determined not to let them go to waste, so she brought them to my parents’ home during the Easter weekend, where they were quickly eaten by various relatives.
The Sainsbury’s packet disappeared first, with the Waitrose one close behind. This made Katherine even more sure that these supermarkets stock Britain’s finest custard creams while also being the most affordable option available.
She said: “Overall, I think Sainsbury’s was the clear winner because it has the perfect ratio of custard cream while having a really nice biscuit, but Waitrose is fantastic if you want something a little richer.”
