Breads · Glycemic index

Do croissants spike blood sugar?

Moderately. Croissants have a medium GI of 56, and a 57 g serving (1 medium croissant) has a medium glycemic load of 14. The butter in a croissant slows digestion enough to keep its average GI in the medium band, but a medium croissant still carries nearly as much carbohydrate as two slices of white bread.

Key numbers

Glycemic index: 56; Medium GI
Glycemic load: 14; Medium GL
Available carbs: 25 g; 1.5 g fiber
Serving: 1 medium croissant; 57 g · baked

GI vs GL for croissants

The glycemic index (GI) compares how fast the carbohydrate in a food raises blood sugar against pure glucose (100), using a fixed amount of carbohydrate. The glycemic load (GL) adds the other half of the story — how much carbohydrate a normal serving actually contains: GI × available carbs ÷ 100. For croissants: 56 × 25 g ÷ 100 ≈ 14.

That figure is an average reported in the 2021 international GI tables (“Croissant, mean of two foods”). Only two ISO-standard tests exist, and they disagree: an Australian all-butter croissant tested 45 and a croissant from Oman tested 67.

Eating a different amount? Work out the glycemic load of your portion.

How to eat croissants with less of a spike

Pick a small croissant (about 42 g in USDA's portions) rather than a large one (about 67 g).
Fill it with egg, ham or cheese instead of jam or chocolate spread.
Skip the glass of juice alongside it; two fast-carbohydrate foods together add up.

Lower-GI swaps

Compare with

See all 67 foods in the glycemic index table

Frequently asked questions

What is the glycemic index of croissants?

Croissants have a glycemic index of 56, which is medium. That figure is an average reported in the 2021 international GI tables (“Croissant, mean of two foods”). A 57 g serving (1 medium croissant) contains about 25 g of available carbohydrate, giving a glycemic load of 14 (medium).

Is croissants good for prediabetes?

A croissant is best as an occasional treat rather than a daily breakfast. If you have one, pair it with protein such as eggs or yogurt instead of jam.

Why is a croissant's GI lower than white bread's?

Mostly because of its fat. Meals with fat are converted into blood sugar more slowly, so butter-rich pastry can test lower than plain bread. A lower GI here doesn't make it the healthier choice overall — it simply means the rise is slower.

Sources

GI values come from the international GI tables; carbohydrate and fiber per serving are calculated from USDA FoodData Central.

Data last checked September 30, 2026.