Who is this choice for?

Working from home with a short lunch break

You want to eat straight away, or only spend a short time baking. Before you buy, check whether you’re choosing a ready-to-eat croissant, a bake-off product or dough: each requires different preparation.

Someone who regularly buys the same lunch product

If croissants are often on the menu, you’ll want to compare portion sizes and nutritional values across products. Look at factors such as fibre, saturated fat and salt, and take the rest of your lunch into account too.

Someone who checks ingredients or allergens

Choosing a plant-based product and avoiding an allergen are two different things. Check the current ingredients and allergen information for the croissant you’ve chosen, even if it’s labelled vegan.

What should you look for when buying?

First decide whether you want a croissant or bread with a particular slice thickness. Then weigh up preparation time, nutritional information and ingredients.

What to consider What to check when buying Who it matters to
Product type Check whether you want a whole croissant or bread that’s actually sliced medium-thick. If I need slices of bread for lunch, a whole croissant won’t meet that requirement. The right product type comes first for around 31% of consumers.
Preparation time Check whether the product is ready to eat, needs baking or still needs to be shaped and baked. Follow the instructions on the pack you choose. During a short work break, I want to eat without waiting for an oven; on other days, I can make time to bake something. Preparation time is the top priority for around 25% of consumers.
Nutritional information Compare the portion and nutritional values per 100 g, paying attention to fibre, saturated fat and salt. Use the label for the specific product. If I eat the same lunch product regularly, I want to know how its portion and nutritional values fit with the rest of what I eat. These product details matter most to around 25% of consumers.
Ingredients and allergens For a packaged product, read the ingredients and the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements. For an unwrapped croissant, ask for allergen information. If I want to avoid an ingredient, a vegan label alone isn’t enough for me to choose the croissant. Around 19% of consumers check ingredients and allergens first.

A bake-off croissant doesn’t always take long to prepare, but instructions vary by product. PLUS says its butter croissants take 4–6 minutes in an oven at 200°C, or 4 minutes in a preheated air fryer at 180°C. Croissant dough that you shape yourself takes more preparation; Albert Heijn says its fresh original croissants need to bake for 12–15 minutes at 200°C.

Nutritional values also vary by product. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives 1.1 g of fibre, 5 g of saturated fat and 0.53 g of salt per croissant as reference values for a 45 g croissant. You can’t automatically apply these values to a different croissant or portion size. If sliced bread is the lunch base you’re after, compare bread products using their labels.

Common mistakes

  • Looking for ‘medium sliced’ croissants

    The croissant ranges shown include whole croissants, bake-off options and dough. A label indicating the thickness of bread slices won’t help you choose between these.

    If medium-thick slices are essential for your lunch, look in the sliced bread category. Only choose between croissant options if you actually want a croissant.

  • Treating a bake-off product as a ready-to-eat lunch

    A bake-off croissant or croissant dough needs to be prepared. That can be tricky if your break is short or you can’t use the oven or air fryer you need.

    Check the product type and preparation instructions before deciding whether baking fits into your working day.

  • Confusing vegan with allergen-free

    Albert Heijn’s croissant dough, which is labelled vegan, contains wheat and may contain milk and lactose. PLUS’s Schoof croissants, also labelled vegan, contain wheat and may contain milk.

    If you need to avoid an ingredient or allergen, always check the current information for the specific product, not just the label on the front.

  • Assuming every croissant contains iodised salt

    The ingredients list for PLUS’s Schoof croissants states that they contain iodised salt. This doesn’t tell you what type of salt is used in other croissants.

    If the type of salt used matters to you, check the ingredients list for the product you’re buying.

Relevant brands and shops

These shops offer croissants in different forms. The features listed apply to the products described, not to every croissant sold by a shop.

Albert Heijn

An option if you want to shape and bake croissant dough at home.

  • Albert Heijn labels its fresh original croissants as vegan; the pack contains six 40 g portions.
  • According to Albert Heijn, this particular dough needs to bake for 12–15 minutes at 200°C. It contains wheat and may contain milk and lactose.

Jumbo

Its croissant category includes butter, plant-based and frozen options, as well as branded varieties.

  • You can compare different product types and pack sizes side by side.
  • Check the preparation instructions and ingredients for each option; the category name alone doesn’t tell you enough.

PLUS

Its range includes butter bake-off croissants and Schoof croissants labelled vegan.

  • PLUS’s butter croissants come with instructions for both the oven and air fryer.
  • The butter variety contains milk and gluten. The Schoof variety may contain milk; check the information for the option you choose.

Dirk

Its range includes individual croissants as well as packaged own-brand and branded options.

  • The own-brand pack described contains four butter croissants weighing 180 g in total.
  • If you’re buying an individual croissant, ask for product information that isn’t displayed on a pack.

ALDI

Describes a fresh butter croissant sold individually in store.

  • An individual, ready-to-eat croissant doesn’t need baking at home.
  • When you buy it, check the ingredients, allergen and nutritional information for this in-store product.

Products on Joybuy

Related products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Are there croissants labelled ‘medium sliced’?

The Dutch croissant ranges described don’t list this slice thickness as a croissant specification. If you need medium-thick slices for lunch, look for sliced bread; if you want a croissant, choose one based on its product type and preparation.

Can you cook a bake-off croissant in an air fryer?

Yes, if the manufacturer provides air fryer instructions for the product. PLUS says its butter croissants take 4 minutes in a preheated air fryer at 180°C; for another variety, follow its own preparation instructions.

How can I tell whether a croissant contains iodised salt?

Check the ingredients list for the specific croissant. PLUS lists iodised salt in its Schoof croissants, but that product information tells you nothing about the ingredients in other varieties.

Where can I find allergen information for an individual croissant?

Ask before you buy if the information isn’t visible. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says allergen information for unpackaged food must be provided to consumers in a way other than on a label; for prepacked products, this information appears on the label.