Pick up a single croissant from a shop if you want to serve it straight away and only need one or a few. If you have a little more time at home, a bake-at-home option is ideal for serving warm; a frozen option takes more preparation and freezer space. Whatever you choose, check the packaging for preparation instructions, ingredients and allergens: ‘luxury’ or ‘made with butter’ doesn’t tell you the whole story.
You need a few more croissants for breakfast, brunch or a special meal. A product sold individually is handy if you want to serve it straight away; if you’re buying a packaged product, check first whether it needs preparing.
You can use the oven or air fryer and have time to follow the baking instructions. A bake-at-home product takes less planning than a frozen option, which also needs freezer space.
You want to know which grains, milk ingredients and any other allergens are in the exact option you’re buying. Check the nutritional information too, and look at the label to see whether iodised salt has been used.
Start with when you’ll be serving them: a croissant for eating straight away, one that needs a quick bake and one kept in the freezer each require different levels of planning.
Best when: you want to serve it straight away and only need one or a few.
Bear in mind: your choice may be limited to what’s in store; if needed, ask about the ingredients and allergens in an unpackaged product.
Best when: you have time for a quick bake at home. PLUS gives oven and air fryer instructions for its long-life butter croissants.
Bear in mind: follow the baking instructions on the packaging you choose; timings and equipment vary between products.
Best when: you can shop ahead and have freezer space at home.
Bear in mind: the preparation and storage instructions. According to PLUS, its large luxury frozen croissant needs 20–25 minutes in the oven, followed by 30 minutes to cool.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should consider this? |
|---|---|---|
| Ready to serve | Whether the croissant is ready to eat or needs baking first, and how many you’ll get. | If breakfast is about to start, I don’t want to have to turn the oven on first. Around 36% of consumers prioritise serving straight away. |
| Baking at home | The baking instructions, equipment required and listed ingredients; butter and margarine are not the same. | For a special meal, I want to warm the croissants just before serving and can set aside time to do so. Around 29% of consumers prioritise baking at home. |
| Quantity and storage | The number of croissants, storage conditions and, for frozen products, the defrosting instructions. | I only buy what we need, or deliberately buy extra for another time. For around 21% of consumers, planning is the main consideration. |
| Ingredients and nutritional information | The label on the option you choose for allergens, nutritional value, salt and whether iodised salt is used. | When ingredients are a deciding factor for me, I want to be able to check the exact packaging. This matters most to around 14% of consumers. |
Those words don’t tell you whether the croissant is ready to serve, needs baking or should be kept in the freezer.
First choose the preparation method that suits you, then check the ingredients for that specific product.
A pack containing several croissants may not be the best choice if you only need one or two.
Count how many croissants you’ll be serving and check how to store any that are left over.
A frozen pack also takes up space in the freezer.
Nutritional information for a croissant of a particular weight doesn’t automatically describe the product or portion you’re buying.
Compare the nutritional information on the packaging, ideally per 100 g and per portion if both are listed.
Whether iodised salt is used varies by product; you can’t tell from the product name.
Check the ingredients list. If you’re buying an unpackaged croissant, ask the shop about its ingredients.
Albert Heijn offers options including luxury butter croissants and a separate range of frozen croissants.
Jumbo’s croissant range includes butter, plant-based and frozen options.
Délifrance butter croissants are listed as a multipack at Jumbo and as a frozen multipack at Dirk.
PLUS lists both long-life bake-at-home butter croissants and a large luxury frozen croissant.
Lidl describes a butter croissant available in store.
ALDI describes a single butter croissant.
Dirk lists a single 65 g butter croissant and a Délifrance frozen pack of 6.
These packs of four croissants suit anyone shopping for several people or wanting to prepare at home. Check the preparation instructions before counting on them being ready to serve straight away; the Schoof option is designed to be baked and lists margarine rather than butter.
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A pack for anyone looking to pick up several croissants. Check the packaging to see whether and how they need to be prepared before serving.
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An option if you want to bake croissants at home; check the time and temperature on the packaging. Joybuy’s product information lists 30% margarine, wheat flour and iodised salt, and warns that traces of sesame, lupin, milk and soya may be present.
No: whether it’s suitable depends on when you’ll be eating it and how it needs to be prepared. Choose a single product if you want to serve it straight away, or check that you have enough time and the right equipment for a bake-at-home or frozen option.
Only if the instructions for your product say you can. PLUS says to cook its long-life butter croissants for 4 minutes in a preheated air fryer at 180 °C; don’t assume the same setting will work for another product.
Follow the packaging for the croissant you’ve chosen. PLUS says not to refreeze its large luxury frozen croissant after defrosting.
Don’t assume so: check the ingredients list for the specific croissant. The Voedingscentrum explains that bakers’ salt is not compulsory in bread; nor does the label ‘made with butter’ tell you what kind of salt has been used.
Read the packaging for the exact option you’re buying. Check the ingredients and allergens separately from the nutritional information per 100 g and, if listed, per portion; general information about croissants doesn’t automatically describe the product you’re buying.
