Arnott's Tim Tam Original: How to Do the Tim Tam Slam

Arnott's Tim Tam Original: how to do the Tim Tam Slam

Arnott's created the Tim Tam in 1964 and named it after the horse that won the 1958 Kentucky Derby, and the Original is still the bar to learn the Slam with.

Published 26 Sep 2026 Curator-written, not crowdsourced

Arnott's Tim Tam Original: how to do the Tim Tam Slam, in summary: Nine wheat-based Tim Tam bars in a 163g pack, and the one to learn the Slam on. Bite off opposite corners, draw hot black tea or coffee through, count to three, then eat it in one go.

Last reviewed by the teas.co.uk team in September 2026.

Arnott's created the Tim Tam in 1964 and named it after the horse that won the 1958 Kentucky Derby, and the Original is still the bar to learn the Slam with. Its wheat bake holds together for longer in a hot drink than the gluten-free version, which gives a beginner a fair chance.

What is inside a Tim Tam

A Tim Tam is a sandwich rather than a single biscuit. Two crisp baked layers hold a soft filling between them, and the whole assembly is then coated in chocolate on every side, not dipped on one face. Britain tends to shelve it beside the wafer bars, but those layers are proper biscuit, which is why one bar feels like a real stop rather than a mouthful of air.

The published ingredient list starts with sugar, then fortified wheat flour and palm oil, followed by whole milk powder, cocoa butter and cocoa mass. It contains wheat, milk, soya and sulphites, so it is not the one for a gluten-free guest; Arnott's makes a separate gluten-free Original for that, and we stock both. Nine bars share the 163g, about 18g each.

The Tim Tam Slam, step by step

Start with a hot drink, ideally black tea or black coffee, because milk makes the liquid move less freely through the biscuit. Bite a small piece off one corner of the bar, then off the corner diagonally opposite. Put one bitten end into the cup and suck gently on the other, as if the bar were a straw, until you feel the warm drink reach your lips.

Stop there and eat the whole bar at once. By that point the drink has melted the filling from the inside and the biscuit is moments from collapse; with the Original's wheat bake you have roughly three or four seconds of sucking to play with. Linger longer and you will be spooning the soggy middle out of the mug, which everyone does at least once.

Cold bars and strong cups

Keeping the packet in the fridge is common in Australian homes, and it makes good sense. Chilled, each bar breaks with a clean snap and the chocolate keeps its shape, whereas a bar from a warm cupboard in high summer turns soft and leaves its coating on your fingers. A chilled bar also gives you a touch more time during the Slam, since the filling starts further away from melting.

Dry, the Original makes no secret of its sweetness, and the answer is a cup with some grip. We would brew a strong breakfast blend in the pot, let it stand a good four minutes and add milk sparingly. Coffee drinkers are better off taking it black, whether a mugful of instant or a short espresso. Pour before you open the packet, so the bars stay cold until the moment they meet the cup.

The packs we stock

Arnott's Tim Tam 9 x Original Chocolatey Biscuit Bars, 163g (barcode 9310072034607)

What the label says

The published ingredient list for Arnott's Tim Tam 9 x Original Chocolatey Biscuit Bars, 163g (barcode 9310072034607) says it contains wheat (gluten), milk, soya and sulphites. Check the current UK pack before purchase; formulations and allergen advice can change.

Ingredients, as published: Sugar, Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Palm Oil (Contains Soy), Whole Milk Powder, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Partially Inverted Refiners Syrup, Colours (Ammonia Caramel, Beetroot Red, Cochineal), Vegetable Fats (Shea and/or Sal), Starch (Wheat), Milk Fat, Raising Agents (Ammonium Bicarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Cocoa Powder (0.3%), Emulsifiers (Soy Lecithins, E476), Salt, Flavouring, Flour Treatment Agent (E223 (Sulphites)).

Typical values per 100g	Per 100g
Energy	525 kcal
Fat	26.9g
of which saturates	15g
Carbohydrate	65.7g
of which sugars	45.5g
Fibre	1.6g
Protein	4.2g
Salt	0.3g

Ingredient and nutrition data for this barcode: Open Food Facts (openfoodfacts.org), ODbL. The pack in your hands is the final word.

What to drink with it

Yorkshire Tea Original Loose Leaf Tea, 250g: brewed strong and taken black, this is the tea we would use to learn the Slam.
Yorkshire Tea Caramelised Biscuit Brew, 40 Tea Bags 112g: a flavoured breakfast brew for a Tim Tam eaten dry, adding a caramel note the Original does not have.
Kenco Smooth Instant Coffee Paper Refill, 150g: a quick black instant for the Slam, since coffee without milk travels up through the bar cleanly.
L'Or Espresso Ristretto Coffee Pods, 10 Pods 52g: ristretto pods for a very short, strong cup beside a chilled bar eaten dry.

Elsewhere in the Arnott's range

The full range is on the Arnott's brand page.

FAQ

What is a Tim Tam Slam? An Australian way of eating a Tim Tam: bite off opposite corners, use the bar as a straw for a hot drink, then eat it whole the moment the drink comes through.

Why is it called a Tim Tam? Arnott's named it after the horse that won the 1958 Kentucky Derby. The biscuit itself dates from 1964.

Is tea or coffee better for the Slam? Either works, as long as it is hot and black. Milk slows the drink on its way through the biscuit.

Does the Tim Tam Original contain gluten? Yes. The published ingredient list includes fortified wheat flour and wheat starch. Arnott's makes a separate gluten-free Original, which we also stock.

How many bars are in a pack? Nine, in a 163g pack, which is about 18g a bar.

Curator's note: Black tea, two corners off, count to three and commit. Keep the packet in the fridge and nobody ends up with chocolate on their sleeve. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: Arnott's Tim Tam Original: how to do the Tim Tam Slam

Field	Detail
Brand	Arnott's
Packs we stock	163g
Category	Chocolate Biscuits
Allergens (as published)	It contains wheat (gluten), milk, soya and sulphites.
Tim Tam Slam	Yes, three or four seconds of drawing
Serve	Chilled from the fridge
Best with	A strong black tea or black coffee