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The best supermarket custard creams
Whose custard cream should be your snack-time hero? Find out who does it best.
The classic custard cream biscuit has been around since 1908. Famous for its Victorian design and creamy, custardy middle, it is the perfect pack to break into when elevenses strike.
With anything popular there’s always the temptation to shake things up and give it a new twist.
As such, the powers that be (or rather the biscuit-makers) have seen fit to give its flavour a make-over, replacing its much-loved centre with coconut cream, rhubarb, strawberry and even coffee.
Trendy yes, but there’s something irresistibly comforting about the traditional flavour of a custard cream.
Here at the GHI we like ours golden, and plentifully filled with rich vanilla custard filling. Firm but not too hard, the biscuit should crumble in the mouth for a satisfying bite but be robust enough to stand up to some serious dunking.
As always, our standards were set high when looking for a biccie that fit the bill.
How we test we:
Acquiring a selection of biscuits from brands and supermarket own labels we tried and tested 10 custard creams, assessing each product on appearance, aroma, taste and texture.
WINNER M&S Custard Creams
Overall score 86/100
A biscuit that ticked all the boxes. Testers loved the silky, smooth custard centre, sandwiched between two crunchy biscuits for a mouth-pleasing bite.
The biscuit has a sweet, vanilla-bean-like aroma and an enjoyably lightly baked scent.
Available in stores only, £0.35 for 200g
RUNNER-UP Essential Waitrose Custard Creams
Overall score 80/100
Our panel loved the strong, vanilla custard aroma of this biscuit with its milky notes reminding testers of melted ice cream.
We could forgive the slightly powdery taste thanks the deep, vanilla flavour which had just the right level of sweetness and a moreish buttery, custardy taste.
The soft crunch of the biscuit gives way to a smooth filling for a light eat.
BUY NOW £0.35 for 150g
Aldi Belmont Custard Creams
Overall score 77/100
This biscuit enticed testers with its deep vanilla scent from the filling and savoury notes of the biscuit.
It has a lovely well-baked flavour and a strong pleasing wheat-y taste.
The filling is wonderfully smooth against the soft crunch of the biscuit but though present, we craved a more pronounced vanilla custard flavour.
Available in stores only, £0.28 for 300g
ASDA Custard Creams
Overall score 74/100
The notes of vanilla custard from the smooth filling gave this biscuit a sweetness that works well against the salty, well-baked taste of the biscuit.
It has an enticing, sweet, caramel aroma and a fantastic crunch but some felt the filling wasn’t plentiful enough.
BUY NOW £0.44 for 400g
Co-op Custard Creams
Overall score 71/100
The strong custardy smell from the filling was our favourite part of this biscuit.
While testers loved the snap of the biscuit and the smooth custard middle - with its gentle creamy, vanilla flavour - many agreed the overall taste was too subtle.
Available in stores only, £0.65 for 300g
Crawford’s Custard creams
Overall score 71/100
Most synonymous with custard creams the Crawford’s biscuits brand has been around since 1856.
The sweet, vanilla aroma of their custard creams is intoxicating, reminding some testers of cake batter.
We loved its well-baked, almost shortbread-like flavour and complimentary custardy filling which had delicious, milky notes.
Many found each mouthful satisfyingly crunch but felt the smooth filling was a touch cloying and the overall biscuit a little too sweet.
BUY NOW Iceland £0.50 for 300g
Sainsbury’s Custard Creams
Overall score 66/100
A strong vanilla aroma with gentle notes of caramel hints at a flavoursome bite.
However, while the biscuit has a subtle sweetness from the filling and a wheat-y taste many found the flavour bland overall.
Despite its enjoyably smooth-textured filling and lovely crunch this biscuits crumbles far too much.
BUY NOW £0.45 for 200g
Tesco Custard Creams
Overall score 74/100
This crunchy, smooth biscuit went down well with our panel. Its sweet, vanilla aroma was well received and the slightly artificial scent did not transfer to the flavour.
We loved the rich and savoury taste of the wheat-y biscuit as much as we enjoyed the sweet, milky flavour of the vanilla custard filling.
Our only complaint was that we wished there was more filling with a bit more intensity to its already delicious flavour.
BUY NOW £0.37 for 400g
Janet Leigh is the acting food testing manager at the GHI. From Easter in January to Christmas in July (and all that falls in-between), she leads the taste test team as they munch their way through sample after sample trying to find you the best products on the market. Whether it’s the latest trending foods or your cupboard staples, she covers it all. She now writes for Digital Spy
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