Choose a freshly baked croissant from the shop if you don’t want to bake at home, a bake-off croissant if you want to serve warm croissants just before Easter lunch, or chilled dough if you want to decide on the shape or filling yourself. Check the preparation instructions and current label for each product: a plant-based croissant isn’t automatically gluten-free, and a gluten-free croissant may contain other allergens.
If Easter lunch already involves plenty of work, it makes a difference whether you can serve the croissants straight away or need to bake them at home first. Choose according to the time and oven space you have available.
If any guests need to avoid gluten or certain ingredients, you’ll need to choose a suitable product. ‘Plant-based’ and ‘gluten-free’ don’t mean the same thing, so check the information on the specific pack.
Chilled croissant dough gives you the freedom to change the shape or filling. However, you’ll need to shape the dough and allow more time for preparation.
First decide whether you want to serve the croissants straight away, bake them briefly or shape them from scratch. Then check that the ingredients and allergen information are suitable for everyone at the table.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Serving quickly | Check whether the croissants are ready to serve or need to be baked first. For the butter bake-off croissants in question, Albert Heijn and PLUS both recommend 4–6 minutes in the oven at 200 °C. | If I’m short of time on the morning of Easter lunch, I want to be able to serve croissants without lengthy preparation. Around 42% of consumers prioritise serving quickly. |
| Dietary requirements and allergens | Read the ingredients, allergen information and any warnings about traces on the current packaging. If you’re buying loose croissants, ask about allergen information before you buy. | If someone at the table needs to avoid an ingredient, I want to be sure the croissant I choose is suitable. Around 33% of consumers give this check the highest priority. |
| Choosing the shape or filling yourself | Check the storage instructions, how many croissants you need to shape and the baking time. PLUS says its butter croissant dough can be cut into at least six triangles. | I want to decide how to shape or fill the croissants myself and can set aside extra time for preparation. This is the most important consideration for around 25% of consumers. |
According to the product information, Jumbo’s plant-based croissant contains wheat and gluten. It also carries a warning that it may contain milk. So ‘plant-based’ doesn’t tell you whether a product is gluten-free or free from all allergens.
If you need to avoid gluten, look for a product specifically labelled gluten-free and check the other ingredients and allergens on the packaging you choose, too.
For Consenza gluten-free croissants, Jumbo lists egg, milk and soya, as well as possible traces of lupin, nuts and sesame. ‘Gluten-free’ only tells you about the gluten information for that product.
Check the label separately for any other allergens that are relevant to your guests.
With chilled dough, you still need to shape and bake the croissants. PLUS gives a baking time of around 15–18 minutes for its butter croissant dough and says the dough must not be eaten raw.
Allow time to shape and bake the croissants before lunch. If that doesn’t fit your schedule, choose an option that’s ready to serve or only needs a quick bake.
According to the Voedingscentrum, bakers don’t always use baker’s salt. So you can’t tell which type of salt is used just from the fact that a product is a croissant.
If the type of salt matters to you, check the ingredients for the specific product.
These examples show the different types of products you may find from various retailers. Always check the information for the croissant you’re actually buying before you decide.
The online range includes fresh, bake-off and frozen croissants.
Jumbo offers standard and plant-based croissants, as well as a gluten-free option from Consenza.
PLUS lists butter bake-off croissants, croissant dough and a gluten-free Consenza option.
ALDI lists individual butter croissants in its in-store bakery range.
Lidl describes its butter croissant as an in-store-only product.
Dirk’s search results include individual butter croissants, multipacks and products from Danerolles and Délifrance.
These croissants suit different ways of serving Easter lunch: putting them straight on the table or baking them at home. Check the preparation instructions and allergens on each pack; the name alone doesn’t always tell you whether a croissant is ready to serve.
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An option if you want to serve croissants without baking them at home. Check the packaging to see which variety you’ll receive: the product description and ingredients suggest different flavour profiles. If you have allergies, check the information about gluten, egg and milk; if children will be eating them, also check the warning about E102 and E110.
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For anyone who wants to bake four croissants at home and has space in the oven. Check the baking time and temperature on the packaging before you buy. If you have allergies, also read the information about wheat and possible traces of sesame, lupin, milk and soya.
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A pack of four for Easter lunch. Before you buy, check whether these croissants are ready to serve or need to be baked first. If you have dietary requirements, read the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging.
Yes, check the current packaging of the croissants you buy. Albert Heijn points out that ingredients and allergen information may change; if you have an allergy, use the information on the packaging you’ve chosen to check whether it’s suitable.
Ask in store before you buy, or look for the product information on the shelf. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergen information must also be available before purchase for non-prepacked foods.
No, not automatically: according to the product information, Jumbo’s plant-based croissant contains wheat and gluten. If you need to avoid gluten, look for a product specifically labelled gluten-free and check for any other relevant allergens too.
No. According to the Voedingscentrum, bakers don’t always use baker’s salt. If the type of salt used matters to you, check the ingredients for the specific croissant.
