Pain au chocolat, chocolatine or chocolate croissant?
Starbucks Chocolate Croissant and Pain au Chocolat
One pastry, three names. We sort out pain au chocolat, chocolatine and chocolate croissant, break down the Starbucks Chocolate Croissant, and show you two ways to make them at home: a 45-minute puff pastry version and a 20-minute crescent shortcut.
Quick answer. A chocolate croissant is buttery, flaky croissant dough rolled around sticks of chocolate, the pastry the French call pain au chocolat. At Starbucks, the Chocolate Croissant has 300 calories, 11 g of sugar and 5 g of protein and costs about $5.06. Ask for it warmed.
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 11 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Average US price: $5.06
Checked October 2026. Prices are average US prices and vary by store.
Pain au Chocolat, Chocolatine or Chocolate Croissant?
| Name | Where you hear it | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Pain au chocolat | Paris and most of France | “Chocolate bread”: croissant dough rolled around 1 or 2 chocolate sticks into a rectangle |
| Chocolatine | Southwest France and Quebec | The same pastry; the name is a friendly regional debate in France |
| Chocolate croissant | US and UK cafés, including Starbucks | Usually the same rectangular pastry; some bakeries make a chocolate-filled crescent |
So “pain au chocolat vs. chocolate croissant” is mostly a naming difference. The dough is the same laminated, yeasted croissant dough; only the shape and the chocolate change.
The Starbucks Chocolate Croissant
Starbucks makes it from butter croissant dough with a touch of sourdough, wrapped around semisweet chocolate. It is vegetarian and contains wheat, milk, egg and soy.
| Chocolate Croissant (1 pastry, 80 g) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 300 |
| Total fat | 18 g (10 g saturated) |
| Carbohydrates | 34 g (2 g fiber) |
| Sugar | 11 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Sodium | 300 mg |
| Average price | $5.06 |
Starbucks croissants compared
| Croissant | Calories | Sugar | Protein | Avg. price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butter Croissant | 250 | 4 g | 5 g | $4.63 |
| Cookie Croissant Swirl | 270 | 13 g | 4 g | — |
| Chocolate Croissant | 300 | 11 g | 5 g | $5.06 |
| Ham & Swiss Croissant | 330 | 6 g | 14 g | $5.72 |
The chocolate version adds about 50 calories and 7 g of sugar over the plain one. For the plain pastry, see the butter croissant page; for another filled pastry, our cheese danish article. The whole bakery case is on the Starbucks food menu. It pairs well with a caffè latte or cappuccino.
Store-bought alternatives
Grocery and warehouse stores sell frozen and ready-made chocolate croissants, including Trader Joe’s frozen proof-and-bake version and Costco bakery packs. They differ in size, butter content and nutrition, so check each label. Frozen proof-and-bake croissants usually need to rise overnight at room temperature before baking; follow the package directions.
Easy Pain au Chocolat With Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 1 package (about 17 oz / 490 g, 2 sheets) frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed in the fridge
- 16 chocolate batons (bâtons boulangers), or 4 oz (115 g) semisweet chocolate bar cut into 16 sticks
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk (egg wash)
- Optional: 1 tablespoon powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Cut the pastry. Roll each pastry sheet lightly to about 10 x 10 inches on a floured surface and cut into 4 rectangles (8 total).
- Add the first stick. Lay a chocolate stick across one short end of a rectangle, about ½ inch from the edge, and fold the pastry over it.
- Add the second stick and roll. Place a second stick on the seam and keep rolling to the end. Set seam side down on the sheet.
- Chill and brush. Chill the shaped pastries 10 minutes, then brush the tops with egg wash (avoid the cut edges so they rise).
- Bake. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until puffed and deep golden brown. Cool 10 minutes; the chocolate is very hot.
Which dough should you use?
| Dough | Result | Time |
|---|---|---|
| All-butter puff pastry (above) | Very flaky and crisp, no yeasty flavor | About 45 min |
| Crescent roll dough | Soft, bready, quick | About 20 min |
| Store-bought croissant dough | Closest to a bakery pain au chocolat | About 1 hour with proofing |
| Laminated croissant dough from scratch | The real thing: yeasty, layered, buttery | 1 to 2 days with resting |
Tips, variations and storage
- Keep the pastry cold. Warm butter leaks and the layers will not puff.
- Do not brush the cut edges with egg wash; it glues the layers together.
- Chocolate almond croissant: add 1 teaspoon almond paste with the chocolate and top with sliced almonds.
- Hazelnut: spread 1 teaspoon chocolate-hazelnut spread on the pastry before rolling.
- Dubai chocolate-style: add 1 teaspoon pistachio cream with the chocolate.
- Leftover croissants: turn day-old ones into chocolate croissant bread pudding.
- Storage: best the same day. Keep in a paper bag at room temperature up to 2 days, or freeze baked pastries up to 1 month. Reheat at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes.
Watch: Puff Pastry Chocolate Croissants
Chocolate Croissant FAQs
Is a chocolate croissant the same as pain au chocolat?
Very close. Pain au chocolat (also called chocolatine in southwest France) is made from croissant dough rolled around chocolate sticks into a rectangle. In the US, “chocolate croissant” usually means the same pastry, though some bakeries shape it like a crescent.
What is in the Starbucks Chocolate Croissant?
Butter croissant dough (with a little sourdough) wrapped around semisweet chocolate. Starbucks marks it vegetarian; it contains wheat, milk, egg and soy.
How many calories are in a Starbucks Chocolate Croissant?
300 calories, with 18 g of fat (10 g saturated), 34 g of carbohydrates, 11 g of sugar and 5 g of protein in an 80 g pastry.
How much is a chocolate croissant at Starbucks?
About $5.06 at average US prices; prices vary by store.
Should I ask for it warmed?
Yes. Starbucks will warm it, which softens the chocolate and crisps the layers.
What chocolate is used in pain au chocolat?
Bakers use chocolate batons (bâtons boulangers), thin bake-stable sticks that hold their shape. A good semisweet bar cut into sticks works at home.
Can I use crescent roll dough?
Yes, for a quick, softer version. Roll one 8 oz can into triangles, add 1 tablespoon chopped chocolate at the wide end, roll and bake at 375°F for 11 to 13 minutes.
How do I store chocolate croissants?
Keep at room temperature in a paper bag for up to 2 days, or freeze up to 1 month. Reheat at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes to re-crisp.
Starbucks nutrition and ingredients are from starbucks.com (October 2026). Prices are average US prices and vary by store. Homemade nutrition will vary. starbukmenu.com is not affiliated with Starbucks Corporation.
