Commuters short on time
If you’re heading straight out, you’ll want a croissant you can take with you and eat straight away. A bake-at-home or frozen option needs preparing first, so check the product type rather than relying on its name alone.
Which croissant is practical for you?
Shoppers checking ingredients or allergens
Looking for a plant-based or gluten-free croissant, or do you need to avoid certain allergens? Check the current packaging. A gluten-free label, for example, doesn’t mean a product is also free from egg or milk.
Breakfast eaters who check nutritional content
If you want to take fibre and salt into account, compare the nutritional information for each product. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists wholegrain products and fruit among the components of a breakfast; these are also options to consider alongside a croissant.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, decide whether you want to eat the croissant straight away or can prepare it at home. Then check whether the ingredients and nutritional information suit what matters to you.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Ready to eat or bake at home | Check whether the croissant is ready to eat or needs to go in the oven or air fryer first. | If I need to leave straight away, I don’t want to switch on the oven or wait for a frozen product to be ready. For around 33% of consumers, being able to eat it straight away is the top priority. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients list, allergen information and any warnings on the packaging. | If I’m choosing a plant-based or gluten-free product, I need to know what other ingredients and allergens it contains. Around 27% of consumers give this check top priority. |
| Butter, product type and portion | Compare the product description and the number of items or weight per pack. | I’m specifically looking for a butter croissant, or I want to know whether I’m buying one or several croissants. This is the top priority for around 20% of consumers. |
| Nutritional information | Compare fibre and salt per 100 g, and per portion where stated. | I want to judge how the croissant fits in with the rest of my usual breakfast. Around 20% of consumers make the overall nutritional content of their breakfast their top priority. |
Common mistakes
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Buying a bake-at-home croissant when you need to leave straight away
A bake-at-home or frozen croissant isn’t ready to eat like a croissant sold ready to eat in a shop. PLUS says its butter croissants take 4–6 minutes in the oven at 200 °C or 4 minutes in the air fryer at 180 °C; Albert Heijn’s croissant dough needs 12–15 minutes in the oven at 200 °C.
Check the preparation instructions before you buy, and choose a product that’s ready to eat if you need something for the journey.
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Assuming plant-based or gluten-free tells you everything about the ingredients
A plant-based label doesn’t tell you how much fibre or salt a croissant contains. A gluten-free croissant may also contain other allergens: the Schär option listed by Jumbo contains egg and milk.
Check the current packaging for the full ingredients list, allergens and nutritional values that matter to you.
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Judging the croissant on its own, rather than the whole breakfast
If fibre matters to you, the product name alone won’t tell you much. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists wholegrain cereals and fruit as breakfast options and sources of fibre.
Compare the croissant’s nutritional information and decide what else you’d like to eat with it, or choose a different main breakfast item.
Brands and shops to help you choose
These examples show why the product type and how it’s sold matter. Check the details of the specific croissant you’re buying.
Albert Heijn
The croissant dough reviewed is intended for baking at home.
- Albert Heijn lists six portions of 40 g and a baking time of 12–15 minutes at 200 °C.
- This dough isn’t suitable for a breakfast you want to take with you without preparing it first. Check the current packaging for ingredients and allergens.
Jumbo
The examples reviewed include a pre-baked plant-based croissant and a frozen Schär option labelled gluten-free.
- Jumbo’s plant-based croissant is sold in a pack of four.
- Jumbo lists 1.7 g of fibre and 1.38 g of salt per 100 g for this plant-based option. The gluten-free Schär option also contains egg and milk; check the packaging for all allergens.
Lidl
Lidl describes a butter croissant sold in store.
- According to Lidl, this croissant is made with butter and is only available in store.
- Check the current ingredients and nutritional information in store if they’re important to your choice.
ALDI
ALDI describes a fresh butter croissant sold individually for breakfast or as a snack.
- Buying one on its own suits anyone who wants to take a single croissant with them straight away.
- Check the product-specific ingredients and nutritional information if you want to compare allergens or nutritional values.
PLUS
The products reviewed include PLUS butter croissants for baking at home and frozen croissants from Délifrance.
- PLUS says its bake-at-home croissants take 4–6 minutes in the oven at 200 °C or 4 minutes in the air fryer at 180 °C.
- Both product types need preparing. The Délifrance frozen option described contains wheat, egg and milk; check the rest of the allergen information too.
Dirk
Dirk describes butter croissants for baking at home under the 1 de Beste brand.
- The pack mentioned contains four croissants with a total weight of 180 g.
- Check the preparation and storage instructions on the packaging before buying them for a morning when you won’t have time to prepare anything.
Croissants for on the go at Joybuy
If you want to take a croissant with you without preparing it at home, here’s an individually wrapped option that’s ready to eat.
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Bakery Village Danish Croissant 85 g
The product description says this croissant is ready to eat and individually wrapped, so there’s no need to bake it at home.
Size: 85 g. The product information lists wheat (gluten), egg and milk. Also check the packaging for the warning about the colourings E102 and E110: these may adversely affect children’s activity and attention.
Frequently asked questions
Which croissant can I take with me if I need to leave straight away?
Choose a croissant that’s ready to eat. A bake-at-home product needs preparing first: PLUS says its butter croissants take 4–6 minutes in the oven or 4 minutes in the air fryer, while the Albert Heijn croissant dough reviewed needs 12–15 minutes in the oven.
Does plant-based also mean less salt or more fibre?
No, you can’t tell those nutritional values from the plant-based label. Jumbo lists 1.38 g of salt and 1.7 g of fibre per 100 g for the plant-based croissant reviewed; compare the nutritional information for the product you’re planning to buy.
Is a gluten-free croissant also free from egg and milk?
Not necessarily. The gluten-free Schär croissant reviewed at Jumbo contains egg and milk, and may contain other allergens. Read the current ingredients list and allergen warnings on the packaging.
What should I look for if I’m having a croissant for breakfast?
Compare the croissant’s nutritional information and think about what else you’d like to eat with it. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists wholegrain products and fruit among breakfast options; if fibre matters to you, you can consider these alongside or instead of a croissant.