Tim Tam Calories, Ingredients, and the infamous TimTamSlam
Tim Tams are incredibly popular so let’s take a look at their calories, ingredients, and consider what is to be done about the TimTamSlam. Why? Because with the possible exception of Anzacs, the Tim Tam is the most iconic biscuit in (or from) Australia. If you have biscuits in your pantry right now, there’s a better than even chance it’s a pack of Timmies. Let’s dive into Tim Tam nutrition!
Calories in Tim Tams
Like some other popular biscuits, all but one type of Tim Tams has less than 100 calories per serve. “Per serve” in this case means one biscuit. That’s right, one Tim Tam has less than 100 calories, so you can enjoy a guilt-free Tim Tam if you exercise good portion control, even when on a 1500 calorie diet. Here are the main Tim Tam options, arranged from lowest calories per bikkie to highest:
Choc Mint 92 Calories
Tim Tam Choc Mint is the lowest calorie Tim Tam, with 92 calories or 384 kilojoules per biscuit. If you like mint, then this is the option for you!
Tim Tam Dark 95 Calories
Made with a darker (more cocoa), less sweet chocolate coat, Tim Tam Dark is the second least calorific Tim Tam, with 95 calories (397kJ).
Original Tim Tam 95 Calories
The original Tim Tam was produced in 1963 by Arnotts, having been modelled on an English biscuit (named Penguin). Original Tim Tams have 95 calories (399kJ) per serve. That is just two kilojoules more than Tim Tam Dark!
Chewy Caramel 96 Calories
Next up with 96 calories or 400kJ, it is Tim Tam Chewy Caramel.
Tim Tam White 98 Calories
We’ve explained why white chocolate has more calories than the brown type before, so it should come as no surprise that Tim Tam White is the regular sized Tim Tam with the most calories. Each 18.3g Tim Tam White biscuit has 98 calories, or 412 kilojoules.
Tim Tam Double Coat 117 Calories
Tim Tam Double Coat breaks the 100 calorie barrier, thanks to its extra thick chocolate coating. The extra chocolate makes it heavier (22.2g compared to 18.3g) than the original Tim Tam, and pushes its single serve calorie count to 117 calories (488kJ). This is the one to steer clear of.
Tim Tam Ingredients
The ingredients in Tim Tams are largely what you would expect from a typical commercial biscuit. You’ve basically got three components: the chocolate coating, two thin biscuits, and the “cream” making the centre of the “sandwich”. In the case of Tim Tam Original, the ingredients are:
You can find out about the food additives in Tim Tam (for example, soy lecithin) by reading our post on emulsifiers.
The TimTamSlam and You
If you’ve ever eaten a Tim Tam then you have probably done a Tim Tam Slam, also known as the Tim Tam Suck, Tim Tam Explosion, Tim Tam Bomb, or Tim Tam Shotgun. It’s when you nibble off two opposite corners to expose the absorbent bikkie centre, then suck a hot drink through the Tim Tam. You feel the chocolate start to melt in your hand before you slam the whole sodding mess into your mouth for a blast of sweet chocolaty goo.
The problem with doing the TimTamSlam is that you get your one serve (about 100 calories) in basically one quick mouthful. If you can stop at one, no problem. However, if you usually tend to go for a second slam, we recommend that you eat your Timmie in a more restrained way. Small bites and long chews from one biscuit are ultimately more satisfying than two or three slams!
