If you want to serve a croissant straight away on your way to a street festival, choose an individual fresh or in-store-baked one. If you can prepare at home, bake-at-home croissants offer a different option for planning; frozen croissants also require freezer space. Whatever you choose, check the instructions, allergen information and availability at the branch where you plan to shop.
An individual fresh or in-store-baked croissant is a good fit if you want to set off without having to bake at home. Albert Heijn, Lidl, ALDI and Dirk list individual butter croissants; check what’s available at the branch you plan to visit.
A pack of bake-at-home or frozen croissants is a good choice if you’re buying for several people and have time to bake and, if needed, let them cool before setting off. Read the instructions on the pack you choose before planning when to serve them.
The exact product is what matters here: check the label on packaged croissants, and ask for allergen information before buying individual, unpackaged ones. A description such as ‘made with butter’ or ‘plant-based’ doesn’t replace this check.
Choose these when: you want to set off without preparing them in the oven and would like to buy croissants individually.
Bear in mind: availability and opening times at your chosen branch. For example, Albert Heijn lists its luxury butter croissant as an in-store product.
Choose these when: you can bake at home shortly before setting off, for several people.
Bear in mind: the equipment and preparation time required. PLUS gives instructions for making its butter croissants in both an oven and an air fryer; follow the instructions on the pack you buy.
Choose these when: you want to plan your purchase in advance and have freezer space and time to bake at home.
Bear in mind: storage instructions and any cooling time. PLUS’s luxury frozen croissant should be stored at −18 °C and not refrozen once thawed.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation and butter | Check whether butter is mentioned and whether you’re choosing an individual product or a pack. | For a special meal, I mainly want an individually presented croissant clearly positioned as a butter croissant. Around 30% of consumers put this combination first. |
| Ready to serve | Check whether the croissant can be eaten without preparing it at home, and where you can buy it. | If I’m heading straight to the festival, I don’t want to have to bake anything on the way. Around 30% of consumers prioritise this. |
| Preparing for a group | Compare the number of croissants with the preparation, cooling and storage instructions. | When I’m catering for several people, I want to be able to plan the baking at home. This is the most important consideration for around 20% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the label on the exact product, or ask for allergen information when buying individual croissants. | I only want to choose once I know whether the ingredients and allergens are suitable for my needs. Around 20% of consumers prioritise this check. |
Butter croissants don’t all have the same ingredients. PLUS lists wheat and milk in the butter croissants checked; egg and other possible allergens are also mentioned for the luxury version.
Check the current label on packaged croissants. Before buying an individual croissant, ask for allergen information and, if necessary, discuss the risk of cross-contamination with the seller.
Preparation instructions vary by product. For PLUS’s luxury frozen croissant, the instructions include cooling time as well as baking time and storage at −18 °C.
Check the instructions for the product you’ve chosen before deciding when to buy, bake and set off. If you don’t have time to prepare them, look for a croissant that’s ready to eat.
Lidl says its fresh bread range may vary by branch. Albert Heijn lists a luxury butter croissant as available in-store only.
Check your chosen branch on the day you plan to shop, especially if you need enough croissants for a group.
Albert Heijn lists individual luxury butter croissants and frozen croissants.
Jumbo lists luxury frozen butter croissants as well as a plant-based croissant option.
Lidl lists a butter croissant as an in-store product in its freshly baked range.
ALDI lists an individual fresh butter croissant for in-store purchase.
PLUS lists bake-at-home butter croissants and a luxury frozen butter croissant.
Dirk lists both an individual butter croissant and a pack of four butter croissants.
This pack of four croissants could be a good option if you’re buying for several people. Before you buy, check whether they’re ready to eat or need preparing; this will determine whether you can take them straight to the festival.
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This pack of four is an option if you’re looking for croissants to share with several people.
The product name gives a total weight of 180 g. Check the preparation information before choosing them as croissants to take straight to the festival, and read the current label if you have allergies.
Choose a croissant that’s ready to eat without needing to be prepared at home, such as an individual fresh or in-store-baked one. A bake-at-home or frozen croissant is only suitable if you can prepare it before setting off, following the product instructions.
Yes, if the instructions for the product you’ve chosen say you can. PLUS says to cook its bake-at-home butter croissants for four minutes in a preheated air fryer at 180 °C; don’t assume the same setting will work for another product.
Don’t rely on the product name alone: first check the allergen information for the exact croissant. PLUS lists wheat and milk in the butter croissants checked. Before buying individual, unpackaged products, ask what allergen information is available.
When comparing products, use the nutritional information for the options you’re considering, ideally per 100 g and per serving. The Voedingscentrum Caloriechecker lists 181 kcal and 9.5 g of fat, including 5 g of saturated fat, for a 45 g croissant; these values don’t necessarily apply to a larger, filled or differently made croissant.
