Choose a fresh in-store croissant or a packaged croissant labelled as ready to eat if you want to enjoy it during a quick shopping trip. For baking at home, part-baked, frozen or dough varieties are only suitable if you can plan for the preparation time, equipment and storage they require. Whichever you choose, check the ingredients and allergens for that exact product.
Choose a croissant sold as ready to eat if you don’t want to prepare anything at home during a quick shopping trip. ALDI and Lidl offer fresh in-store croissants; if you’re buying an individual croissant, check the allergen information in store.
Part-baked croissants, frozen croissants and croissant dough suit different ways of preparing ahead. PLUS’s product information shows that preparation and storage vary by type, so read the instructions before you choose.
Don’t rely on terms such as ‘plant-based’ or ‘butter’ alone. According to its product page, Jumbo’s plant-based croissant contains wheat and gluten and may contain milk. Read the allergen statement for the product you’re buying.
First, decide whether you want to eat the croissant straight away or take it home. Then compare how it needs to be prepared and stored, and always read the label on the variety you choose if you have dietary requirements or allergies.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Eating straight away | Check whether the croissant is ready to eat or needs to be prepared at home. | I want to eat straight away after a quick shopping trip. Around 33% of consumers prioritise being able to eat it straight away. |
| Storing and preparing at home | Read the instructions for baking time, equipment and chilled or frozen storage. | If I’m taking croissants home for breakfast later, the preparation needs to fit my plans. Around 27% of consumers prioritise storing and baking them at home. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients list and allergen statement for the exact variety. | If I have a dietary requirement or need to avoid an allergen, the product name doesn’t tell me enough. Around 20% of consumers consider ingredients and allergens first. |
| Flavour and portion size | Compare butter and other varieties, the number of croissants and the pack weight. | For one occasion, I want a suitable number of croissants; for breakfast with others, a multipack may be more convenient. Around 20% of consumers choose primarily by flavour or portion size. |
A fresh in-store croissant and one that still needs to go in the oven won’t meet the same need. PLUS gives a short baking time for one part-baked variety; according to the product information, a Délifrance frozen variety at PLUS takes longer to prepare.
Before buying, check whether the product is ready to eat, and follow the pack instructions for bake-at-home products.
Baking at home takes time and requires suitable equipment; you’ll also need freezer space for frozen croissants.
According to its product page, Jumbo’s plant-based croissant contains wheat and gluten and may contain milk. Allergen information also varies between other croissants.
Read the current ingredients list and allergen statement, even if the wording on the front seems to match what you’re looking for.
Terms such as butter, plant-based or multiseed don’t tell you what type of salt has been used in a particular croissant.
If you want to know whether a croissant contains iodised salt, check the ingredients list for that product.
Albert Heijn offers fresh in-store croissants alongside bake-at-home, frozen, mini and multiseed varieties.
Jumbo offers butter, frozen, mini and plant-based croissants, among other varieties.
PLUS offers part-baked butter croissants, frozen croissants and croissant dough.
Dirk offers individual butter croissants and multipacks, as well as bake-at-home products from various brands.
ALDI offers a fresh butter croissant as an individual in-store product.
Lidl offers a butter croissant that is only available in store.
This selection includes a variety for eating straight away and two four-piece packs for enjoying later. For the multipacks, check the preparation instructions on the packaging; don’t rely on a general baking time for croissants.
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A good choice if you want to take a croissant with you to eat straight away.
The croissant weighs 85 g. Check the ingredients and allergens before eating; the product information lists wheat, egg and milk, and warns that E102 and E110 may affect children’s activity and attention.
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A pack for anyone who wants to take four croissants home for later; bake them before eating.
Check the baking time, temperature and equipment needed on the packaging. The product information warns that it may contain traces of sesame, lupin, milk and soya.
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A four-piece pack for anyone buying croissants to enjoy later.
The pack contains 180 g. Before eating, check the packaging to see whether and how the croissants need to be prepared. The product information lists cereals containing gluten, milk, lupin, sesame and soya as allergens.
No. The term ‘multiseed’ doesn’t tell you how much wholemeal flour a croissant contains. Albert Heijn offers a multiseed croissant; check the ingredients list for the exact product if the types of grain matter to your choice.
Not necessarily. According to Jumbo, its Plant-Based Croissant contains wheat and gluten and may also contain milk. Always check the current allergen statement for the variety you’re buying.
Follow the instructions on the packaging you’ve chosen. The instructions for Délifrance butter croissants at PLUS say to bake them without defrosting first; according to the pack, defrosted croissants must not be frozen again.
You can’t tell from the product category. Check the ingredients list for the croissant you’ve chosen to see whether iodised salt is listed.
