Croissant
Buttery, flaky and above the low-sugar line, so shop-bought croissants wait until after age 4. Toast does the job meanwhile.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Wait until your child is at least 4 years old before offering croissant. Until then, offer the safer swaps below.
How to serve croissant by age
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6 months+
Not yet: soft toast strips instead
Croissants aren't a baby food. Butter croissants have about 11 g of sugars per 100 g, above the NHS 'low sugar' level of 5 g, and US and UK advice is to avoid added sugar up to age 4. They're also high in saturated fat, and their flaky layers are harder to manage than toast. Once wheat has been introduced on its own, offer lightly toasted bread strips instead.
- Size
- Strips about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
- Check before serving
- Press a toast strip between your thumb and finger. It should squash softly, not shatter into dry pieces.
US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.
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9 months+
Not yet: small pieces of soft bread instead
Still no croissant. For pincer-grasp practice, offer small pieces of lightly toasted bread or soft homemade pancake. Some pastries are glazed with honey: never give honey, or foods made with it, before 12 months (CDC).
- Size
- Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Each piece should squash easily between your thumb and finger.
Cutting photo goes here
12 months+
Not yet: toast or a soft roll instead
Shop-bought croissants still wait. Our line follows the NHS label guide: baked goods with more than 5 g of sugars per 100 g wait until after age 4, because US and UK advice is to avoid added sugar up to then. If your toddler wants what others are eating, offer toast, a soft roll or pita in narrow strips.
- Size
- Narrow strips, or bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Press a piece between your thumb and finger. It should be soft, not hard, crisp or doughy.
Cutting photo goes here
18 months+
Not yet: after age 4, a few soft pieces now and then
Croissants still wait until after age 4, including chocolate croissants at cafés and parties. After then, keep them occasional because of the saturated fat: tear a plain croissant open and offer pieces from the soft middle, leaving out the crisp outer flakes and hard tips. Almond croissants are topped with sliced or chopped almonds, which the CDC lists as a choking hazard: scrape the nuts off or skip almond croissants until at least age 5 (the NHS says no whole nuts under 5), and only once tree nuts have been introduced. Your child should sit down to eat.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or narrow strips your child bites from.
- Check before serving
- Check for crisp, flaky edges and nut pieces before serving. The piece should be soft all the way through.
Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.
How to prepare croissant
- 1
Until after age 4, offer toast strips, a soft roll or pita instead of a croissant.
- 2
After then, choose a plain croissant, not chocolate, almond or other sweet fillings.
- 3
Tear it open and take pieces from the soft middle. Leave out the crisp outer flakes and the hard tips.
- 4
Cut or tear it into narrow strips or small pieces, and serve it alongside fruit, vegetables or a protein food rather than on its own.
How much to offer
None before age 4: offer toast or soft bread instead. After that, a few small pieces now and then is plenty. Croissants have more than twice the NHS 'high' level of saturated fat, and they contain salt and sugar. Your child decides how much to eat from what you offer: stop when they turn away or close their mouth.
Common mistakes
Giving croissants before age 4
Butter croissants have about 11 g of sugars per 100 g, above the NHS 'low sugar' level of 5 g, and chocolate croissants about 20 g. The CDC says foods with added sugars aren't recommended for infants and young children, and US and UK advice is to avoid added sugar up to age 4. Offer toast or soft bread instead.
Making croissants an everyday breakfast
Butter croissants have about 11.7 g of saturated fat per 100 g; the NHS counts more than 5 g as high and says not to give children too many foods high in saturated fat. Keep them occasional, and use toast, oatmeal or pancakes on most days.
Serving the crisp, flaky outside
The CDC advises avoiding small, sticky or hard foods that are difficult to chew and swallow. Crisp outer layers break into dry flakes and hard tips are tough to chew. Offer pieces from the soft middle.
Almond or ham-and-cheese croissants
Almond croissants are topped with nut pieces, which the CDC lists as a choking hazard, and the NHS says no whole nuts before age 5. The NHS lists cured meats, such as ham, and cheese among foods to eat less often or in small amounts because of salt, and children aged 4 to 6 should have no more than 3 g of salt a day. Choose a plain croissant.
Where US and UK guidance differ on croissant
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
No US source we use names croissants. The CDC says foods with added sugars aren't recommended for infants and young children, and the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines say to avoid added sugar for children aged 4 and under and to avoid highly processed foods that are salty or sweet. Shop-bought croissants contain sugar, so we suggest waiting until after age 4.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS says to avoid food with sugar for children aged 4 and under, and not to give children too many foods high in saturated fat. UK early years guidance for nurseries goes further: children under 5 shouldn't be given foods high in saturated fat, such as biscuits, crisps and cakes. Croissants count as high (more than 5 g of saturated fat per 100 g on the NHS label guide). After age 4, keep them occasional and in small amounts.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can croissant be a choking hazard for babies?
Croissants have crisp, flaky outer layers that break into dry flakes, and hard tips that are tough to chew. The CDC advises avoiding small, sticky or hard foods that are difficult to chew and swallow, and lists whole or chopped nuts as a choking hazard (almond croissants). Offer narrow strips or small pieces from the soft middle, skip nut toppings, and have your child sit down to eat. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to croissant?
Croissants are made with wheat (with gluten) and butter, which comes from cows' milk. Some are also brushed with egg before baking, and fillings can add egg, nuts, sesame or soy, so check the label. Introduce each allergen on its own first, one at a time and in small amounts, so you can spot a reaction. Most reactions start within a few minutes to 2 hours, but cows' milk allergy can take up to 3 days to show.
Is croissant healthy for babies?
Butter croissants provide carbohydrate for energy and some protein. They have about 21 g of fat and 11.7 g of saturated fat per 100 g, above the NHS 'high' levels of 17.5 g and 5 g. They also have about 384 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 1 g of salt), under the NHS 'high salt' level of 1.5 g, and about 11 g of sugars per 100 g, above the NHS 'low sugar' level of 5 g. FoodData Central gives total sugars, not added sugars. Young children, especially under 2, do need energy from fat, the NHS says, and it names whole milk, full-fat yogurt, cheese and oily fish as important foods for that.
Can babies eat croissants?
Not shop-bought ones, until after age 4. Butter croissants have about 11 g of sugars per 100 g, above the NHS 'low sugar' level of 5 g. FoodData Central doesn't split out added sugar, but we treat baked goods above that line as sweet foods, because US and UK advice is to avoid added sugar up to age 4. Croissants are also high in saturated fat, and their flaky layers are harder to manage than soft toast strips, which do the same job. Some pastries are glazed with honey: never give honey, or foods made with it, before 12 months (CDC).
Are croissants healthy for children?
They're an occasional food, not an everyday one, and shop-bought ones wait until after age 4. Butter croissants have about 11.7 g of saturated fat per 100 g, more than twice the NHS 'high' level of 5 g, and about 1 g of salt per 100 g. Toast, oatmeal and homemade pancakes are better everyday breakfasts.
Can toddlers have chocolate croissants?
It's best to wait until after age 4. Chocolate croissants have about 20 g of sugars per 100 g, and the US Dietary Guidelines and the NHS both say to avoid added sugar for children aged 4 and under.
If your baby refuses croissant
- There's no need to keep offering croissants. They're an occasional food, and toast or soft bread does the same job.
- If your toddler wants what others are eating, offer toast, a soft roll or pita strips with fruit or yogurt.
- After age 4, offer a small piece from the soft middle, alongside a food they already like.
- Eat the same food yourself at the same meal. Toddlers copy what they see.
Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.
Buying and storing croissant
- Store croissants as the package or bakery says, and eat them by the date on the label.
- Day-old croissants turn harder and crisper. Warm them briefly and let them cool, and serve only the soft middle.
- Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).
When to talk to your doctor
Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:
- Your child has had any reaction to wheat or milk, even a mild one. Stop offering croissants until you've talked to your pediatrician.
- You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
- You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.
Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS: Food labels
- NHS: What to feed young children
- NHS: Salt in your diet
- Department for Education: Food safety (Help for early years providers)
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- CDC: Choking hazards
- CDC: Botulism prevention
- HHS: Fact sheet on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
- USDA FoodData Central: Croissants, butter
- USDA FoodData Central: Croissant, chocolate
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
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