How Many Calories Are in a Bourbon Biscuit

The bourbon biscuit is a British classic two rectangular chocolate-flavoured biscuits sandwiched around a chocolate cream filling. Popular with tea drinkers across the UK, it’s seen as a slightly more indulgent option compared to plain biscuits like rich tea or digestives. But how many calories are hiding in a single bourbon biscuit, and how does it fit into a healthy diet?

Calories Per Biscuit and Serving Size

A standard bourbon biscuit weighs around 12 to 15 grams and contains approximately 65 to 70 calories. The exact number can vary slightly depending on the brand and size. Supermarket own-label bourbons and branded versions such as Crawford’s or Fox’s tend to fall within that range.

If you eat two or three, which is common during a tea break, you're easily consuming 130 to over 200 calories, not including any milk or sugar in your drink. That’s a decent snack in terms of energy but offers little in terms of lasting fullness or nutritional benefit.

Mini bourbon biscuits or snack-sized packs are often marketed as convenient options but still contain around 120 to 150 calories per portion, depending on how many biscuits are inside.

Nutritional Breakdown

A typical bourbon biscuit contains:

• Calories: 65–70
• Fat: 2.5–3.5g
• Saturated Fat: 1.5g
• Carbohydrates: 10–11g
• Sugar: 4–5g
• Protein: ~0.5g
• Fibre: <1g
• Salt: 0.1–0.2g

The majority of the energy comes from refined carbohydrates and added fats, with sugar contributing significantly. Most of the fat content is saturated, particularly from vegetable oils or palm oil used in the cream filling.

Bourbon biscuits are low in protein and fibre, which means they’re not filling or particularly nourishing. They’re designed for taste and texture, not for nutrition.

Health Benefits

In truth, bourbon biscuits offer very little in terms of health benefits. They don’t provide significant vitamins or minerals, nor do they have much fibre, protein, or healthy fat. Their appeal is in their sweetness, crunch and creamy texture perfect for satisfying a craving but not for fuelling the body or supporting health.

That said, having a bourbon now and then as part of a balanced lifestyle won’t cause harm. They’re one of the more reasonably portioned chocolate biscuits, making it easier to fit them into a calorie-controlled diet compared to more indulgent options like cookies or chocolate bars.

Downsides of Bourbon Biscuits

The key downside is that bourbon biscuits are high in sugar and saturated fat relative to their size. Because they’re not very filling, it’s easy to overeat them especially when they’re part of a shared pack or a habitual tea-time routine. Regular consumption of high-sugar, low-fibre snacks can contribute to weight gain, poor dental health, and increased risk of type 2 diabetes when part of a broader unbalanced diet.

Another issue is the presence of palm oil in many brands, which raises concerns around both health and environmental sustainability. Some brands use minimal additives, while others may include emulsifiers or artificial flavourings.

Impact on Your Diet

From a dietary perspective, a bourbon biscuit is a high-calorie, low-nutrient snack. If you’re counting calories, it’s not difficult to work them in occasionally but they don’t provide lasting energy or nourishment. If you find yourself reaching for them every afternoon, those calories can accumulate quickly.

For example, eating three bourbons a day adds over 200 calories daily, which is more than 10% of a 2,000-calorie intake. If weight management or nutrition quality is a concern, it’s worth limiting consumption or seeking better snack alternatives.

Glycaemic Index and Blood Sugar

Bourbon biscuits are made with refined flour and added sugars, which gives them a moderate to high glycaemic index (GI). This means they raise blood sugar quickly after eating, particularly when consumed on an empty stomach.

Because of this, bourbons may not be ideal for people with insulin resistance, diabetes, or anyone trying to maintain steady energy levels. Pairing them with a source of protein—like a glass of milk or a handful of nuts can help slow absorption, but they remain a fast-digesting treat best enjoyed occasionally.

How Bourbon Biscuits Are Made

Bourbons are made by mixing wheat flour, vegetable oil or fat, sugar, cocoa, and raising agents to form the biscuit dough. This is rolled and cut into rectangles, baked, and then sandwiched around a chocolate-flavoured cream filling made with more fat, sugar and cocoa powder.

The cream filling is often soft and sweet, with a mild chocolate flavour, which contrasts with the drier biscuit texture. Once assembled, the biscuits are cooled, packed, and sealed to maintain crispness.

Ingredients in Bourbon Biscuits

While ingredients vary slightly by brand, most bourbon biscuits include, wheat flour, sugar, palm oil or vegetable fat, cocoa powder, glucose syrup, salt, raising agents, emulsifiers and flavourings

Some brands include milk derivatives, while others are vegan-friendly so checking the packaging is essential if you have dietary restrictions.

Healthy Alternatives

If you’re looking for a lighter alternative, plain rich tea or digestive biscuits are often lower in fat and sugar, though still processed. For more nutrition, you could opt for oatcakes, rice cakes with nut butter, or fruit and nuts, which offer more fibre, protein and sustained energy.

There are also reduced sugar biscuits or homemade treats using oats, bananas and dark chocolate that can satisfy sweet cravings with fewer processed ingredients.

Summary

A single bourbon biscuit contains around 65 to 70 calories, with most of that coming from sugar and saturated fat. While delicious and nostalgic, bourbons offer very little nutritional value and can quickly add up in calories if eaten in multiples. Enjoyed in moderation, they’re a manageable indulgence but for daily snacking, healthier alternatives with more fibre and protein are better for supporting energy and wellbeing.