There’s nothing like a fresh, buttery croissant to start off a lazy weekend or make a busy morning more bearable. But not everyone has a bakery on their doorstep or the time to hunt one down when a craving hits. Enter the humble grocery store croissant. Many U.S. supermarkets offer solid in-house options, often in convenient multi-packs that can last the week.
One bakery section that’s easy to overlook is Target’s. Though compact, it features a range of pastries from the store’s Favorite Day brand, including buns, muffins, donuts, and more. But while we’d love to tell you to steer your shopping cart right toward the croissants, the Favorite Day all-butter minis are one item better left on the shelf.
In a comprehensive taste test of 10 popular chain grocery store croissants, Tasting Table ranked Target’s Favorite Day all butter mini croissants last in terms of taste, texture, and freshness. Despite their enticing, golden-brown exterior, these tiny guys failed to deliver on the essential traits of a great croissant.
All butter, no substance
Sold in packs of 11, these bite-sized pastries would be ideal to bring to parties or feed to children, but their appeal, unfortunately, stops there. Our testers found them dry, dense, and disappointingly artificial in flavor. They tasted stale right from opening and lacked the rich, buttery taste you expect from a well-made croissant. Overall, the mini croissants were more reminiscent of a day-old canned crescent roll than a Parisian delight.
Shoppers might have a better experience with Target’s flavored options, like the Favorite Day chocolate petite croissants, but the all-butter version really misses the mark. Croissants should be flaky, buttery, and light — a delicate balance of crisp layers and soft, airy insides. If that’s what you’re after, Target’s mini croissants won’t cut it. Instead, we recommend trying Thyme Market, which earned our pick for the best grocery store croissant on offer, or going with the good old faithful at Costco. Warm either of these up in the oven, and you’ll be transported to Paris in no time.
