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Tunnock's Tea Cake nutrition: sugar, calories, saturated fat, fibre and more
How much sugar is in Tunnock's Tea Cake? Each piece weighs 24g and contains 11.8g of free sugar. Two pieces deliver 23.6g of free sugar, 98% of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10.
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Sugar, calories and saturated fat by portion
The figures below show total sugar, calories and saturated fat for one to two pieces, and for the full pack.
Single piece
1 piece
1 piece (24g)
11.8g
sugar
107
kcal
4.2g
sat fat
11.8g free sugar. 49% of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10.
2 pieces
2 pieces
2 pieces (48g)
23.6g
sugar
214
kcal
8.4g
sat fat
23.6g free sugar. 98% of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10.
Full pack
Full pack (6 pieces)
144g entire pack
70.8g
sugar
642
kcal
25.2g
sat fat
70.8g free sugar in the full pack. 236% of the adult daily limit of 30g.
Sugar
Tunnock's Tunnock's Tea Cake contains 11.8g of free sugar per piece. Each piece weighs 24g. Two pieces deliver 23.6g of free sugar and 214 calories. The Tunnock's Tea Cake consists of a thin biscuit base topped with a dome of marshmallow and coated in milk chocolate. It has been made in Uddingston, Scotland, since 1956.
All added sugar in Tunnock's Tea Cake counts as free sugar under NHS guidelines. Sugar from jam, chocolate, caramel, fondant or iced toppings all counts in the same way as sugar added to the biscuit dough itself.
At 11.8g per piece, Tunnock's Tea Cake is among the higher-sugar options in this guide. Two pieces deliver 23.6g of free sugar, which is 124% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6 and 98% for a child aged 7 to 10.
Because each Tunnock's Tea Cake is a single 24g piece rather than a small biscuit, it is realistically eaten one or two at a time rather than three or four. The figures in this guide use two as the reference quantity for that reason.
Tunnock's Tea Cake is one of the higher-sugar items in this guide
Tunnock's Tunnock's Tea Cake contains 11.8g of free sugar per piece (24g). Two pieces deliver 23.6g of free sugar, 98% of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10 and 124% for a child aged 4 to 6. The Tunnock's Tea Cake consists of a thin biscuit base topped with a dome of marshmallow and coated in milk chocolate. It has been made in Uddingston, Scotland, since 1956.
NHS recommended daily free sugar limits
Age 4 to 6No more than 19g per day
Age 7 to 10No more than 24g per day
Age 11 and overNo more than 30g per day
Source: NHS. Free sugars include all added sugars and do not include sugars naturally present in whole fruit, vegetables, or milk.
The table below shows two pieces as a percentage of the daily free sugar limit for each age group.
Free sugar as % of daily NHS limit: 2 Tunnock's Tea Cake (23.6g sugar)
Age
Daily limit
2 biscuits
Age 4 to 6
19g
124%
Age 7 to 10
24g
98%
Age 11 and over
30g
79%
Adult
30g
79%
Source: NHS/SACN free sugar guidelines (2015). Red = High (over 75% of daily limit). Amber = Moderate (20 to 74%).
Calories
Each Tunnock's Tea Cake contains 107 calories. Two pieces deliver 214 calories. The full pack of 6 pieces contains 642 calories.
For a child aged 4 to 6, two pieces represent approximately 15% of their estimated daily calorie requirement. The calorie figure alone does not capture the full nutritional picture; the sugar and saturated fat content are equally important to consider.
Calories: Tunnock's Tea Cake by quantity
1 piece
107 kcal
2 pieces
214 kcal
107 kcal per piece.
Saturated fat
Tunnock's Tea Cake contains 4.2g of saturated fat per piece. Two pieces deliver 8.4g of saturated fat, 42% of the adult daily guideline of 20g.
This is a high saturated fat content for a biscuit. The saturated fat comes from the butter content, which is characteristic of shortbread and layered wafer products. High saturated fat intake is associated with raised LDL cholesterol, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Recommended daily maximum saturated fat intake
Age 4 to 6No more than 10g per day
Age 7 to 10No more than 13g per day
Age 11 to 17No more than 17g per day
AdultNo more than 20g per day
Source: NHS/SACN dietary fat guidelines. Saturated fat consumption is linked to raised LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular disease risk.
Fibre
Tunnock's Tea Cake contains 0.2g of fibre per piece. Two pieces provide 0.4g of fibre, a small contribution toward the adult daily target of 30g.
Most biscuits made from refined flour are low in fibre. If increasing fibre intake is a priority, oat-based or wholegrain biscuits typically offer more.
Protein
Tunnock's Tea Cake contains 1.2g of protein per piece. Two pieces provide 2.4g of protein. Biscuits are not a significant protein source; protein in a child's diet comes primarily from dairy, meat, fish, eggs and pulses.
Fibre and protein per piece
Fibre0.2g of 30g target
1%
Protein1.2g of 24g target
5%
Adult fibre target: 30g per day (SACN). Child protein target shown: 24g per day (guide for a 7 to 10 year old).
Whole grain and processing
Tunnock's Tea Cake is made from refined flour, and falls into NOVA group 4 under the food processing classification system used in nutrition research.
Whole grain
Tunnock's Tea Cake is made from refined flour rather than whole grain. This is typical of most biscuits and is reflected in the low fibre content of 0.2g per piece. The bran and germ layers of the grain that contain most of the naturally occurring fibre are removed during the refining process.
Processing (NOVA classification)
Tunnock's Tea Cake falls into NOVA group 4, ultra-processed foods. This reflects the combination of refined ingredients, added sugar, flavourings, and industrial processing methods used to produce the final product. The NOVA group 4 classification applies to the vast majority of packaged biscuits, regardless of whether they contain wholegrain ingredients.
Salt
Tunnock's Tea Cake contains 0.07g of salt per piece. Two pieces contain 0.1g of salt. Salt is not the primary nutritional concern for most biscuits; the sugar and saturated fat content are more significant.
Frequently asked questions
Each Tunnock's Tea Cake weighs 24g and contains 11.8g of free sugar. Two pieces deliver 23.6g of free sugar, 98% of the daily limit for a child aged 7 to 10.
Per piece: 11.8g sugar, 107 kcal, 4.2g saturated fat, 0.07g salt, 0.2g fibre, 1.2g protein. Per two pieces: 23.6g sugar, 214 kcal, 8.4g saturated fat.
Each Tunnock's Tea Cake contains 4.2g of saturated fat. Two pieces deliver 8.4g, 42% of the adult daily guideline. For a child aged 7 to 10 whose guideline is 13g, two pieces deliver 65%.
A child aged 4 to 6 (19g daily limit) would reach their limit at 2 pieces. A child aged 7 to 10 (24g limit) would reach their limit at 3 pieces.
No. Tunnock's Tea Cake is made from refined flour rather than whole grain. The fibre content is low at 0.2g per piece.
Yes. Under the NOVA classification system, Tunnock's Tea Cake falls into group 4, ultra-processed foods. This applies to the majority of packaged biscuits and reflects the combination of refined ingredients, added sugar and industrial processing involved in their manufacture.
At 11.8g per piece, Tunnock's Tea Cake is toward the higher end of UK biscuits. Plain biscuits like Rich Tea (1.5g) or Digestives (2.8g) contain considerably less sugar per biscuit.
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Nutrition data from UK product labels and manufacturer nutrition declarations. Daily limits: NHS/SACN free sugar guidelines (2015); SACN dietary fat guidelines; SACN fibre and protein Dietary Reference Values. For guidance only, not medical advice.
