Tim Tams are sold in the United States, but only the Original and a couple of other flavors sit on mainstream shelves. For a single tray, Target is the most dependable chain; for anything beyond the core lineup, an import shop is the realistic route. Arnott’s, the Australian biscuit maker, has produced this chocolate biscuit since 1964, and the US versions are still made in Australia, so freshness and heat exposure decide whether the tray you open is crisp or waxy.
This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
What You Are Actually Buying, and Who Makes It
A Tim Tam is a sandwich of two malted biscuits around a chocolate cream filling, finished in an outer chocolate coating of milk chocolate on the Original. It went on sale in Australia on 10 September 1964. Ross Arnott named it after Tim Tam, the horse that won the 1958 Kentucky Derby, which he watched in person. The biscuit’s creator, Ian Norris, had come across the British Penguin biscuit on a trip that same year and set out to make a better one, according to the Tim Tam entry on Wikipedia.
Ownership matters if you are trying to understand why US distribution looks the way it does. Campbell Soup Company owned the Tim Tam maker until 2019, when it sold its international business, the biscuit company included, to the private equity firm KKR. KKR still owns it in 2026, and trade press reported in July 2026 that the firm was preparing a possible sale, with Mondelēz named as a likely bidder (Confectionery News). No sale had been announced when this page was updated. A new owner could change which flavors get exported, so treat the current US lineup as a snapshot.
Three groups shop for them here: expats restocking a pantry staple, Americans who tried one on a trip, and gift buyers who want a snack that is genuinely hard to find in a US cookie aisle.
Which Flavors Reach the US, and Which Stay Import-Only
The US range is narrow by design. When the company launched nationwide distribution in 2017, the American lineup was Original, Chewy Caramel, Classic Dark, and a Dark Mint flavor made only for the US market. Everything else in the home-market range has to come through importers.
This history explains a common mix-up. Pepperidge Farm, then a sister company under Campbell, began importing the biscuits into the US in 2008, using the slogan “Australia’s Favorite Cookie” on the packaging. Those biscuits were still made in Australia, not a separate American recipe, so an older wrapper from that era on a resale listing signals aged stock rather than a knockoff.
Import shops carry the wider Tim Tam range. Aussie Food Express, a direct importer, lists Tim Tam Double Coat (a second layer of chocolate), White, Decadent Triple Choc, Café Latte, and Salted Caramel Brownie alongside the Original. Net weights differ by flavour: the Original and Double Coat come in 200 gram sleeves, Chewy Caramel and the dessert-style flavours in 175 grams, and White in 165 grams. Compare price per ounce, not per sleeve, or a cheaper-looking sleeve can cost more per biscuit.
Where to Buy Tim Tams in the US
Target is the simplest shelf source for the Original, import shops win on flavor range, and Amazon sits in between with multi-sleeve bundles and variety boxes. The table below compares the channels US buyers actually use. Prices listed were shown on the retailer sites in October 2026; they change, so confirm at checkout.
| Channel | What you will find | Price seen (Oct 2026) | Main catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target | Original 7 oz tray | $4.99 online | Smaller stores may not stock it |
| World Market | Tim Tam products in its online catalog | Not verified | Selection varies by store |
| Walmart | Brand page with mixed sellers | Not verified | Marketplace sellers mixed in |
| Import shops | Widest range, limited editions | $8.97 per 200 g Original (Aussie Food Express) | Shipping time and summer heat |
| Amazon | Bundles and assortments | Varies by seller | Check seller and ship-from location |
Target
Target carries the Original 7-ounce tray as a regular grocery item, which surprises people who assume the brand is import-only. Its online listing showed $4.99 and in-stock status in October 2026. Larger grocery-format stores are the best bet. Check the product page for local availability before you drive over.
World Market, Walmart, and Costco
Cost Plus World Market returns Tim Tam products in its online catalog; check stock at your local store before visiting, since selection varies. Walmart runs a Tim Tam brand page; run a site search against your ZIP code and check whether each listing is sold by Walmart or a marketplace seller, since resellers price above shelf. Costco has listed an Original 7 oz 6-count through its Same-Day delivery service, which requires a membership, but treat it as a rotating item rather than a fixed warehouse stock number.
Import shops for flavors US stores skip
Dedicated importers such as Aussie Food Express, which says its stock comes from Sydney and lists an Ohio location, are the practical route to flavors that never reach US retail. Expect to pay close to double the Target price for an Original sleeve. Six-sleeve cases bring the unit cost down, but the sale cases listed in October 2026 carried September and October best-before dates, so read the date before you treat a discount as a deal. Independent Australian and British grocers in larger cities can be worth a call too.
Amazon and resellers
Assortments and multi-sleeve boxes dominate the Amazon results. Browse the current listings, sort by review count rather than price, and prefer sellers shipping from US warehouses, because a long international transit in summer is where heat damage happens. eBay resellers fill gaps when import channels run dry, but pricing swings hard; check feedback and shipping origin first. For gift pairings, see our guides to premium chocolate, dark chocolate, and candy bars.
Checking a Sleeve Before You Pay
Freshness beats flavor choice. An in-date sleeve snaps cleanly and tastes of malt; a tired one turns soft, and no flavor rescues it. Run through these checks on the shelf or the moment a delivery arrives.
- Best-before date. Every sleeve sold here crosses an ocean and then waits in a warehouse. A short remaining shelf life on an import shelf usually means the stock has already been sitting a while.
- Bloomed chocolate. Grey streaks or dull patches mean the chocolate got warm and resolidified. It is safe to eat, but the texture is gone, and on a delivered order that is fair grounds for a refund request.
- Crushed or unsealed packaging. A torn seal, or a box that rattles with crumbs, means broken biscuits and dried-out cream.
- Brand and origin. Genuine sleeves carry the Arnott’s name and say they are made in Australia. Listings that describe a product as “Tim Tam style” are selling something else.
- Net weight. A 165 gram White sleeve and a 200 gram Original sleeve at the same price are not the same deal.
At home, keep them in a cool pantry away from sun and never in a hot car. If the coating goes soft, a short chill in the refrigerator brings the snap back.
Five Picks, Matched to What You Want
These picks run from the everyday tray to an import-only flavour, chosen on flavor balance and how easy each is to get in the US.
First try: the Original 7 oz tray. Crisp malted biscuit, balanced milk chocolate, and the version every other flavor is judged against. Target’s $4.99 online price makes it the cheapest way to try one.
Stocking up: Tim Tam Original 6-Pack. Six sleeves in one shipment, the better per-biscuit route once you know you like them. Check current pricing on Amazon.
Trying the range: a Tim Tam variety box. A mixed box pairing Original with Chewy Caramel and Double Coat is the efficient way to find your favourite before committing to a case. See assortment packs on Amazon.
Caramel fans: Tim Tam Chewy Caramel. A soft caramel layer sits between the malted biscuits under the usual coating. It divides people, and it is the worst pick for dunking because the filling blocks the drink. Find it on Amazon.
Import-only treat: Decadent Triple Choc. One of the richer varieties that big-box US retail does not carry. Aussie Food Express listed a 175 gram sleeve at $9.97 in October 2026, before shipping.
When the Shelf Is Empty: Close Substitutes
Three biscuits get close enough to be worth a try while you wait for a restock.
- Arnott’s Mint Slice. Same baker, dark chocolate over a mint layer, and it travels through the same import shops.
- McVitie’s Penguin. The British chocolate biscuit bar that inspired the Australian original. It is the nearest relative in build, if not in malt.
- Bahlsen Choco Leibniz. A butter biscuit under a thick chocolate slab. No cream filling, so it is a texture trade rather than a copy.
Skip substitutes entirely for a gift to an Australian. The specific malted biscuit and the packaging are the point, and a near-miss reads as one.
Start with a single Original tray from Target to learn whether you like them. If you do, move to a 6-pack, and order limited editions from an import shop in cooler months, checking the best-before date on arrival. That sequence gets you fresh Tim Tams at the lowest cost, and it keeps a summer heat-damaged shipment from being your first impression.
Questions Buyers Ask
Can you get Tim Tams in the USA?
Yes. Target lists the Original tray as a regular item, and World Market, Walmart, Amazon, and import shops also sell them. Flavor choice is the real limit: US retail mostly carries the Original and a few core flavors, while the wider range from Australia comes through importers.
Do they sell Tim Tams at Costco?
Sometimes. Costco has listed an Original 7 oz 6-count through its Same-Day delivery service, but it behaves like a rotating item rather than a permanent warehouse product. Check the Same-Day listing for your own warehouse before driving out.
What do Americans call them?
Americans call them cookies rather than biscuits, and the US packaging leans into that with the line “Australia’s Favorite Cookie.” There is no direct domestic equivalent; fudge-covered sandwich cookies are the nearest comparison, but they lack the malted biscuit.
How do you do a Tim Tam Slam?
The Slam, also called a Tim Tam Shotgun, Bomb, Explosion, Bong, or Suck, uses the biscuit as a straw for a hot drink such as tea or a strong Stumptown coffee.
- Bite off two diagonally opposite corners of the biscuit.
- Dip one bitten corner into hot coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
- Draw the drink up through the biscuit like a straw until you taste it.
- Eat the whole thing immediately, before the softened coating gives way.
Original and Double Coat work best. Anything with a filling layer, such as Chewy Caramel, blocks the channel and the trick fails.
Was the Pepperidge Farm version a different product?
No. Pepperidge Farm, then a Campbell sister company, imported the biscuits into the US starting in 2008, and they were made in Australia. Today the US trays carry Arnott’s branding, so an old Pepperidge Farm wrapper mainly tells you the stock is not recent.