How many calories are in a croissant?

Croissant varieties compared

Why croissants are so calorie-dense

Croissants are made from laminated pastry dough — dough and butter are folded over each other in multiple layers, so a finished croissant is roughly 25 to 30 percent butter. Per the Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel (BLS) — Germany’s national food composition database — 100 grams of croissant deliver around 406 calories, putting it at the upper end of classic baked goods. That high fat content is exactly what creates the signature flaky layers.

A croissant breakfast

A typical café breakfast with a butter croissant, jam, a latte, and a glass of orange juice adds up to around 650 to 750 calories. Pick a chocolate croissant instead and you quickly pass 800 calories — with barely any protein to show for it. Per the USDA, croissants contain only around 8 grams of protein per 100 grams, which usually is not enough for a filling breakfast in a calorie deficit.

Croissants and muscle growth

For building muscle, a croissant on its own is a poor fit simply because of its macro split. At 240 calories per piece, it provides only around 5 grams of protein but 12 grams of fat. In its position stand on protein intake for athletes, the ISSN recommends 0.3 to 0.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per meal — a croissant does not come close to that threshold.