Starbucks vs. Costco vs. homemade
Starbucks Butter Croissant: Calories and Price
How the Starbucks Butter Croissant compares with Costco’s Kirkland croissants and other store-bought options, how to keep any croissant flaky, and a classic French butter croissant recipe.
Quick answer. A butter croissant is a flaky French pastry made from yeast dough folded around layers of butter. The Starbucks Butter Croissant (62 g) has 250 calories and costs about $4.63. A Costco Kirkland Signature butter croissant is larger and is reported at about 300 calories. Homemade croissants take two days, mostly waiting, and taste best of all.
- Calories: 250
- Average US price: $4.63
Checked October 2026. Prices are average US prices and vary by store.
Starbucks vs. Costco: Butter Croissant Nutrition
| Per croissant | Starbucks Butter Croissant | Costco Kirkland Signature (reported) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 62 g | About 69 g |
| Calories | 250 | About 300 |
| Total fat | 14 g | About 17 g |
| Saturated fat | 8 g | About 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 26 g | About 30 g |
| Sugars | 4 g | Low |
| Protein | 5 g | About 6 g |
| Sodium | 300 mg | About 290–330 mg |
| How you buy it | Single, about $4.63 | Bakery pack of 12; check your warehouse for price |
The takeaway: Costco’s croissants are bigger and sold by the dozen, so each one has a little more of everything. The Starbucks croissant is smaller and warmed to order. Per gram, they are very close, since both are mostly flour and butter.
Inside the Starbucks Butter Croissant
Starbucks describes it as a classic butter croissant with soft, flaky layers and a golden-brown crust. Its ingredients, in order: enriched wheat flour, butter, water, sugar, eggs, whole milk powder, yeast, sea salt, a little sourdough for tang, and a dough conditioner. It is labeled vegetarian and contains egg, milk and wheat.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Chocolate Croissant | 300 cal · $5.06 |
| Ham & Swiss Croissant | 330 cal · $5.72 |
Ask the barista to warm it: the outside crisps and the butter layers soften. Compare it with the Cheese Danish and other pastries on the Starbucks food menu, or find it in the bakery section of the Starbucks menu.
Other Store-Bought Butter Croissants
- Costco Kirkland Signature butter croissants: sold fresh in the bakery by the dozen; Costco also carries mini croissants and croissant bread in some warehouses.
- Sam’s Club: bakeries also sell butter croissants and mini croissants in many clubs.
- Frozen croissants: grocery and warehouse stores sell frozen bake-at-home croissants that you proof overnight; these are the closest thing to fresh bakery croissants at home.
- Supermarket all-butter croissants (such as Walmart’s Marketside): check the label; “all butter” means no shortening or margarine.
Availability and sizes vary by store and region, so check the label for calories and ingredients.
What Makes a Great Butter Croissant
| Sign | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Shatters when you bite it | The outer layers are properly baked and crisp |
| Honeycomb inside | Clean lamination: separate layers of dough and butter |
| Deep golden color | Fully baked; pale croissants are doughy |
| Smells of butter, not oil | Made with real butter rather than shortening |
| Light for its size | Well proofed and airy, not dense |
Classic French Butter Croissant Recipe
Real croissants are made by lamination: folding a cold butter block into yeast dough again and again to build dozens of thin layers. When they bake, steam from the butter puffs each layer apart. Plan on two days, mostly hands-off.
Ingredients
- For the dough (détrempe):
- 4 cups (500 g) bread flour or all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (55 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons (11 g) fine salt
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (7 g, 1 packet) instant yeast
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon (140 ml) cold water
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon (140 ml) cold whole milk
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) unsalted butter, softened
- For the butter block:
- 1 ¼ cups (280 g) cold unsalted European-style butter (82% fat or higher)
- For the egg wash:
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Make the dough (day 1). Mix the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add the water, milk and soft butter and knead 5 minutes until smooth but not stretchy. Flatten into a 1-inch-thick rectangle, wrap and refrigerate overnight (8 to 12 hours).
- Make the butter block. Place the cold butter between sheets of parchment and pound and roll it into a 7-inch (18 cm) square. Chill until firm but still bendable, about 30 minutes.
- Lock in the butter. Roll the dough into a 10-inch (25 cm) square. Set the butter block on it like a diamond and fold the dough corners over to seal it in like an envelope.
- Fold 1. Roll the dough into an 8 x 20-inch (20 x 50 cm) rectangle. Fold it in thirds like a letter. Wrap and chill 30 minutes.
- Folds 2 and 3. Repeat the roll and letter-fold twice more, chilling 30 minutes between each. Chill 1 hour after the last fold.
- Shape. Roll the dough to 8 x 22 inches and about ¼ inch (5 mm) thick. Cut 12 long triangles about 3 ½ inches wide at the base. Cut a small notch in each base, stretch the triangle gently and roll it up from the base toward the tip. Place tip-side down on lined baking sheets.
- Proof. Cover loosely and let rise at a warm room temperature (75 to 78°F / 24 to 26°C, not hotter, or the butter melts) for 2 to 3 hours, until puffy and they jiggle when the pan is shaken.
- Bake. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Brush with egg wash. Bake 15 minutes, then lower to 375°F (190°C) and bake 10 to 12 minutes more, until deep golden brown. Cool 15 minutes before eating.
Tips for flaky croissants
- Use high-fat European butter (82% or more). It bends instead of cracking when cold and has less water.
- Dough and butter should feel equally firm. If the butter cracks, let it sit 5 minutes; if it feels soft or greasy, chill 15 minutes.
- Keep everything cold while laminating and work quickly. Butter that melts into the dough makes bread, not croissants.
- Do not over-proof in a hot spot. Above about 80°F the butter leaks out and the croissants bake flat.
- Bake until deep golden, not pale, for a crisp shell.
Quick croissant shortcut
Short on time? Use store-bought all-butter puff pastry: cut it into triangles, roll them up, brush with egg wash and bake at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes. They are flaky but not as bready as yeasted croissants.
Storage
| Where | How long | How to refresh |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 2 days | 350°F oven for 3–5 minutes |
| Freezer (baked) | Up to 2 months | From frozen, 350°F for 8–10 minutes |
| Freezer (shaped, unbaked) | Up to 1 month | Thaw and proof overnight in the fridge, then 1–2 hours at room temperature before baking |
How to Enjoy a Butter Croissant
- Honey butter: beat ¼ cup softened butter with 2 tablespoons honey and a pinch of salt, then spread it on a warm croissant.
- Breakfast sandwich: split and fill with scrambled egg, cheese and ham, like the Starbucks Ham & Swiss Croissant.
- With jam: the French way, with a café au lait or latte.
- Leftovers: stale croissants make excellent French toast and bread pudding.
Watch: Flaky Homemade Croissants
Butter Croissant FAQs
How many calories are in a butter croissant?
It depends on size. The Starbucks Butter Croissant (62 g) has 250 calories, 14 g of fat and 5 g of protein. A larger Costco Kirkland Signature butter croissant (about 69 g) is reported at about 300 calories.
How many calories are in a Costco croissant?
About 300 calories per croissant, with roughly 17 g of fat (about 11 g saturated), 30 g of carbohydrates and 6 g of protein, according to nutrition databases that list the Kirkland Signature butter croissant. Check the label on your package, since sizes can change.
How much is a croissant at Starbucks?
The Butter Croissant costs about $4.63 at average US prices. Prices vary by store.
Is the Starbucks croissant made with real butter?
Yes. Butter is the second ingredient after flour. Starbucks also adds a little sourdough for flavor, and labels the croissant vegetarian.
Can you freeze croissants from Costco?
Yes. Freeze them in a zip-top bag for up to 1 to 2 months. Thaw on the counter, then crisp at 350°F for 5 minutes.
How long do Costco croissants last?
About 2 to 3 days at room temperature in a closed bag or box. Refrigerating them makes them go stale faster, so freeze any you will not eat within a few days.
What butter is best for croissants?
A European-style unsalted butter with at least 82% butterfat. It is more pliable when cold and has less water, so it creates cleaner, flakier layers.
Starbucks nutrition and ingredients are from starbucks.com (checked October 2026). Costco figures are reported by nutrition databases and may differ from the current package label. The recipe is our own classic croissant recipe. Prices are average US prices and vary by store. starbukmenu.com is not affiliated with Starbucks Corporation or Costco.
