Do Croissants Contain Eggs? Exploring Ingredients in a French Classic

November 8, 2025 •

4 min read

While the traditional French recipe for croissants does not include eggs in the dough itself, many modern and commercial recipes incorporate eggs for a richer texture. This variation is a key point of difference for those with egg allergies or following a vegan diet.

Quick Summary

The inclusion of eggs in a croissant depends entirely on the recipe, with traditional versions typically excluding them from the main dough. Eggs are frequently used as a wash for shine or mixed into modern doughs to enrich the texture. Vegan options swap eggs and butter for plant-based ingredients.

Key Points

Traditional Recipe: Classic French croissants do not contain eggs in the dough, relying on flour, butter, water, milk, yeast, and salt for their signature flaky texture.
Modern Variations: Many contemporary and commercial recipes add eggs to the dough to produce a richer, more tender crumb and enhance the pastry's color.
Egg Wash: Even in egg-free doughs, an egg wash is often brushed on the exterior before baking to achieve a beautiful golden, shiny finish.
Vegan Options: For egg-free diets, excellent vegan croissants are available, using plant-based ingredients to mimic the traditional texture and flavor.
Check Before You Eat: The safest way to confirm if a croissant contains eggs is to check the ingredient label for packaged goods or to ask the bakery staff directly.
Difference from Puff Pastry: Croissant dough is distinguished by the inclusion of yeast, which gives it a softer, more bread-like interior compared to the crispier, non-yeasted puff pastry.

The Traditional Croissant: A Classic Without Eggs

In classic French baking, a croissant's signature light, flaky, and airy texture is achieved without eggs in the main dough. The essential ingredients for this iconic pastry are simple: flour, butter, water, milk, yeast, and salt. This combination creates a rich, yeasted, and laminated dough, where layers of butter are folded in to produce hundreds of delicate layers.

The process, known as laminating, is the heart of the traditional croissant's structure. As the dough bakes, the water in the butter turns to steam, pushing the layers apart and creating the signature honeycomb interior. The classic buttery flavor is the star, and an egg is often considered unnecessary for achieving the desired crumb and texture.

The Purpose of Eggs in Modern Croissant Recipes

While the classic recipe is eggless, many bakers introduce eggs for specific benefits. The use of eggs can be divided into two primary applications:

Egg in the Dough

Some contemporary or enriched dough recipes add whole eggs or egg yolks to the mix. The inclusion of egg serves several purposes:

Enrichment: Eggs add fat and lecithin, acting as an emulsifier to create a smoother, more delicate, and tender crumb.
Flavor and Color: The yolk enriches the flavor and gives the dough a yellowish tint, enhancing the golden color of the final product.
Structural Support: Egg whites contribute protein, which strengthens the dough and helps with expansion, leading to a higher rise.

Egg Wash for a Golden Finish

One of the most common uses of eggs in croissant production is as an egg wash. This is a mixture of beaten egg and a liquid, typically water or milk, brushed over the shaped dough right before baking. The wash gives the baked croissant its beautiful, deep golden-brown, and glossy finish. For those with allergies, it's a critical detail to inquire about, as even if the dough is egg-free, the wash may not be.

Common Egg Wash Combinations

Egg Yolk and Water: Provides a darker, more prominent color.
Whole Egg and Milk/Cream: Offers a rich, shiny, golden-brown finish.
Whole Egg and Water: Gives a slightly less vibrant but still shiny appearance.

The Difference Between Croissant Dough and Puff Pastry

Understanding the distinction between these two types of laminated dough is essential. While they both involve folding butter into dough, their ingredients and end results are different.


Feature	Croissant Dough	Puff Pastry Dough
Key Ingredients	Flour, butter, water, milk, yeast, salt	Flour, butter, water, salt
Leavening	Yeast-leavened	Steam-leavened; no yeast
Texture	Tender, soft, and bready interior	Light, crispy, and exceptionally flaky
Rise	Higher rise due to yeast and steam	Puffs up significantly due to steam alone
Flavor	Rich, buttery, and slightly sweeter	Milder, more neutral butter flavor

How to Know If a Croissant Contains Eggs

For those with dietary restrictions, confirming if a croissant has eggs requires a bit of detective work. When buying from a bakery or cafe, your best bet is to ask the staff directly about the ingredients used in their dough and if they apply an egg wash. Many artisanal bakeries are knowledgeable about their recipes.

Tips for Identifying Egg-Free Croissants:

Check Labels: For pre-packaged or store-bought croissants, always read the ingredients list. Eggs must be clearly declared due to allergen labeling laws.
Inquire About Egg Wash: A beautifully shiny, deep golden-brown crust is often a tell-tale sign of an egg wash. If the top appears more matte or pale, it may be egg-free.
Look for Vegan Options: Many bakeries and stores, including Whole Foods and specialty vegan bakeries like L'Artisane, now offer vegan croissants made without any animal products, including eggs and butter.

Vegan Croissants: Delicious Alternatives

The rise in plant-based diets has led to excellent vegan croissant recipes that perfectly replicate the traditional texture and flavor. Vegan versions replace dairy butter with plant-based margarine or vegan butter, and milk with non-dairy alternatives like soy or almond milk. For the iconic shiny finish, a vegan egg wash can be created using alternative glazes, such as:

A mix of maple syrup and non-dairy milk
Melted coconut oil
Soy milk glaze
Flaxseed meal and water

These substitutions allow for a delicious, flaky, and cruelty-free version of the classic pastry that is indistinguishable from its traditional counterpart for many people. To learn more about the science of baking with plant-based ingredients, resources like Lesaffre offer insights into how ingredients function in dough.

Conclusion: Do Croissants Contain Eggs? The Final Verdict

The question of whether croissants contain eggs has a nuanced answer: it depends on the recipe and baker's preference. While the original, most classic French recipe is egg-free, many modern variations use eggs in the dough for enrichment or as a wash for a perfect finish. For those avoiding eggs for health or dietary reasons, checking labels, asking bakers, or choosing from the growing number of high-quality vegan alternatives is the best approach to ensure a delicious and safe experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, not all croissants contain eggs. The traditional French recipe for the dough is eggless, but many modern variations and commercial products use eggs for enrichment or as a glaze.

An egg wash, a mixture of beaten egg and liquid like milk or water, is brushed on croissants before baking to create a glossy, golden-brown crust.

Your best bet is to ask the bakery staff directly about their specific recipe. For a packaged croissant, always check the ingredients list for allergens.

Yes, vegan croissants are a great alternative. They use plant-based ingredients like vegan butter and non-dairy milk to replicate the rich, flaky texture of traditional versions without any animal products.

The main difference is that croissant dough is yeast-leavened, which gives it a softer, more bread-like interior. Puff pastry, on the other hand, is not yeasted and relies on steam for a crispier, lighter texture.

Yes, an eggless croissant can be shiny. Bakers can use alternative glazes, such as a mix of maple syrup and a non-dairy milk or a simple soy milk glaze, to achieve a similar glossy finish.

Yes, adding eggs to the dough can alter the texture. It generally results in a richer, more tender, and delicate crumb due to the added fat and emulsifying properties of the egg yolk.

The choice to use eggs depends on the desired outcome. Classic recipes focus on pure butter flavor, while modern recipes may add eggs for a richer color, tenderness, and improved crumb structure.