Choose a fresh butter croissant if you want to serve them without baking at home, frozen croissants if you want to bake them just before lunch, or chilled croissant dough if you want to choose the size and filling yourself. Whichever you choose, check the cooking instructions, storage guidance and allergens on the packaging. If you’re planning to shop on Easter Sunday, check the opening hours of your chosen store.
The main difference is what you want to do before Easter lunch: serve them straight away, bake them at the last minute or shape the croissants yourself.
A fresh, individual croissant is a good choice for lunch without any baking at home, as long as you can buy it in time. Albert Heijn and Dirk list individual croissants in their ranges; check availability at your chosen store before visiting.
Frozen croissants let you time the baking to fit your lunch. Make sure you have enough oven space and follow the storage and cooking instructions for the product you choose, such as the options from Jumbo and Délifrance.
Chilled croissant dough takes more preparation, but lets you cut out triangles and shape the croissants yourself. PLUS describes its butter croissant dough as suitable for sweet and savoury fillings.
First decide whether you want to serve your croissants straight away, bake them or shape them yourself. Then check the packaging and cooking instructions for the specific product: a ready-made croissant, frozen croissants and a roll of dough each call for different planning.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Serving straight away | Check whether the croissant is ready to serve and whether you can buy it at your chosen store before lunch. | If I want to serve them without using the oven, I need to fit the purchase into my lunch plans. Around 36% of consumers prioritise serving them straight away. |
| Baking just before lunch | Check the baking time, oven temperature and defrosting and storage instructions on the packaging. | If lunch is at a set time, I want to be able to bake the croissants shortly before serving, but I’ll need to leave enough room in the oven. Around 29% of consumers prioritise serving them fresh from the oven. |
| Shaping and filling them yourself | Check how much dough you can divide and how long shaping and baking will take. | I want to make different sizes or sweet and savoury fillings, and I’m happy to put in the extra preparation. Around 21% of consumers prioritise having that freedom to shape them. |
| Ingredients and storage | Read the current ingredients and allergen information, and follow the storage instructions for the exact product you buy. | If guests need to avoid certain ingredients, I want to check the label before serving anything. Around 14% of consumers give this check top priority. |
The name doesn’t tell you whether you’re buying an individual croissant that’s ready to serve, a frozen product or dough. The butter percentage alone also doesn’t provide a general ranking of taste or quality.
First compare products in the same form, then check the ingredients, portions and preparation method. For example, Albert Heijn lists 25% butter for its Luxe butter croissant, while Jumbo lists 23% for its frozen luxury butter croissants. These figures relate to different products.
According to the Dutch Government, Sunday opening hours vary by municipality. If you can only buy a croissant in store, you’ll need a shopping plan that works for your local branch.
Check your chosen store’s bank holiday opening hours before you shop. Albert Heijn says it updates store information with opening hours around public holidays.
A name that includes ‘butter’ doesn’t give you the full picture of the ingredients. The product information for AH Luxe butter croissant and Jumbo frozen luxury butter croissants lists egg and wheat as well as milk.
Ask guests about any relevant allergies and check the allergen information on the current packaging of the product you buy.
Jumbo says its frozen luxury butter croissants must not be refrozen after defrosting. Délifrance gives the same warning for the frozen croissants sold by PLUS.
Plan how many croissants you’ll need to prepare in advance, and follow the specific storage and cooking instructions for the rest of the pack.
These examples show the different types of product you can compare; a brand name alone doesn’t tell you how a particular croissant should be prepared.
An individual fresh croissant to serve straight away, or croissant bread to share at the table.
Including frozen luxury butter croissants that you bake at home.
A choice of croissant dough to shape yourself or Délifrance frozen croissants.
A butter croissant for anyone looking for an individual product from the in-store range.
A fresh butter croissant from the in-store bakery.
An individual croissant alongside packaged bake-at-home and frozen varieties.
These g'woon butter croissants are options if you want to serve several croissants or a mini version. Check the packaging for preparation instructions before buying: the product name alone doesn’t make it clear whether they’re ready to serve or need baking.
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A pack of four croissants for a lunch where you want to serve several.
Check the current packaging to see whether they need to be baked, and read the ingredients and allergen information, particularly if your guests need to avoid certain ingredients.
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The mini size could work well for a lunch where you want to offer a selection of croissants.
Check the weight, number of croissants, preparation method and ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging.
Don’t assume a store will be open without checking its hours. According to the Dutch Government, Sunday opening hours vary by municipality, so check the bank holiday opening hours of the store you plan to visit shortly before Easter lunch.
Frozen croissants that you bake at home are a good choice if you have oven space just before lunch. PLUS says its Délifrance variety can be baked without defrosting; follow the time and temperature on the packaging you buy.
Don’t assume they are based on the product name. The product information for AH Luxe butter croissant and Jumbo frozen luxury butter croissants lists milk, egg and wheat. Always check the current allergen information for the specific product for any guest with an allergy.
You can’t tell from the product name whether a particular croissant contains iodine. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says using baker’s salt in baking isn’t compulsory; check the label to see whether it’s listed as an ingredient in the croissant you choose.
Not if the packaging says you can’t. Jumbo says its frozen luxury butter croissants must not be refrozen after defrosting; PLUS gives the same warning for the Délifrance frozen croissants. Always follow the instructions for the product you’re using.
