Choose a croissant with sourdough in the ingredients if you want to check for it; choose a fresh bakery croissant if you want to serve it without any preparation. A bake-at-home croissant is a good choice when you want to serve something warm shortly before coffee, while chilled dough takes more preparation. Sourdough on the label does not prove that a croissant was raised with sourdough alone: PLUS also lists yeast in its butter croissants.
If you want to know whether a croissant actually contains sourdough, check the ingredients for the exact variety. A sourdough listing does not rule out yeast as an additional ingredient; PLUS’s butter croissants are one example.
If you want warm croissants around coffee time without making the dough yourself, compare bake-at-home products by their cooking instructions. A fresh bakery croissant needs no preparation at home; chilled dough needs shaping and baking first.
If you need to avoid certain allergens or want to compare nutritional values, check the information for the exact croissant. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, prepacked products must show allergen information on the label; for non-prepacked products, it must be made available in another way.
First, decide whether you need to serve the croissant straight away or have time to bake it or shape the dough. Then compare the ingredients, quantity and nutritional information for the variety you want to buy.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Sourdough and flavour expectations | Look for sourdough in the ingredients list for the exact variety and check whether yeast is listed too. | If I specifically want to try a sourdough croissant, I want to be able to find that ingredient rather than rely on the product name alone. For around 33% of consumers, checking for sourdough comes first. |
| When you plan to serve it | Check the preparation method and baking time, and make sure you have the equipment you need. | When the coffee is nearly ready, I want to know whether I can serve the croissant straight away or still need to bake it. Being able to serve a warm croissant in time is the main priority for around 27% of consumers. |
| Quantity and keeping a supply | Compare the number of croissants and storage instructions with what you need for coffee time. | If I’m on my own, I don’t necessarily want to open a large pack; a product you can keep in stock may be just right when you have guests. The right quantity matters most to around 20% of consumers. |
| Allergens and nutritional information | Read the allergen information and compare nutritional values on the same basis, for example per 100 g and per serving. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients or want to compare nutritional values, the information must relate to the variety I’ve chosen. This is the top priority for around 20% of consumers. |
A sourdough listing doesn’t tell you what role sourdough played in the overall proving process. PLUS butter croissants list both sourdough and yeast in their ingredients.
Read the full ingredients list, and don’t treat a description such as ‘artisan’ as proof of a particular preparation method.
You won’t always have an individual label for an unwrapped bakery croissant. This makes the available allergen information important if you need to avoid an ingredient.
Check the information provided with the product or ask before you buy. For a packaged croissant, also check any ‘may contain’ warnings.
A fresh bakery croissant, a bake-at-home product and chilled dough don’t all need the same steps. If you shape the dough yourself, you’ll also need to bake it before serving.
First decide how much preparation suits your coffee occasion, then follow the storage and preparation instructions for the product you choose.
The average nutritional values for a croissant may not match those of a large, filled or differently made variety.
Compare the nutritional information for the exact products on the same basis, and also check the weight of each croissant.
These brands offer different types of croissants and ways to buy them. Always check the ingredients and preparation instructions for each product: a croissant being in the range doesn’t automatically mean it contains sourdough.
Albert Heijn’s croissant range includes petit, luxury, multiseed and pistachio varieties.
Jumbo offers butter, frozen and plant-based croissants, among other varieties.
Lidl provides information about its oven-fresh bread range and publishes an ingredients and allergen guide for it.
ALDI describes an individual fresh butter croissant as a crisp, flaky bakery option.
PLUS has butter croissants with sourdough in the ingredients list, as well as chilled butter croissant dough that you can shape yourself.
Dirk offers fresh croissants as well as a pack of four butter croissants.
This pack of four butter croissants is worth considering if you want to check the quantity and a listed sourdough ingredient for a coffee occasion. Check the pack for preparation instructions before counting on serving them warm.
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The pack of four could be a good fit for a coffee occasion with several people.
This variety lists wheat sourdough and yeast as separate ingredients, so the sourdough listing doesn’t prove that it was raised with sourdough alone. If you have allergies, check the current packaging, including information about cereals containing gluten, milk, lupin, sesame seeds and soya.
Check the preparation instructions before serving, and when comparing nutritional values, make sure the information is given per 100 g or per serving.
No, you can’t draw that conclusion from the sourdough listing alone. The ingredients list for PLUS butter croissants includes both sourdough and yeast; check the exact product information if the preparation method matters to your choice.
Follow the preparation instructions for the bake-at-home croissant you’ve chosen. Check the equipment you’ll need, the temperature and the baking time before deciding when to start; instructions for another variety or for chilled dough may be different.
Ask before buying if you need to avoid allergens. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information for non-prepacked food must be provided in a way other than on an individual product label.
You can’t tell from the word ‘croissant’ alone. PLUS lists iodised salt in its butter croissants; check the ingredients information for any other variety.
Compare the nutritional information for the exact varieties on the same basis, for example per 100 g, and also check the weight of each croissant. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives average values for a 45 g croissant, including 5 g of saturated fat and 0.53 g of salt; these averages aren’t product specifications for every croissant.
