Welcome to Trader Joe's 8 Mini Croissants review 2.0. It should actually be considered 3.0 as I never got a chance to try the original mini croissants. But since publishing this more than a year ago, some very passionate fans of the old product have come out to share their thoughts. And I'm happy to report this product is back and improved from the ones in a bag.
Review
If you are a fan of Trader Joe's Croissants, then you might have been disappointed by any change in the product and its formulation. For some reason, they've been tinkering with the mini croissants but not the almond or chocolate ones.
However, I felt the need to update this review because when I walked past the croissant section I noticed the bag was gone and there were croissants in different packaging. Usually, when there is updated packaging it means there has been a change.
Now, like the croissants in a bag, these do not require any overnight proofing. But what I can tell you is these are much improved over the ones in a bag. They are flakier and taste a lot less like Pillsbury crescent rolls and more like the much-loved croissants.
These cooked up with all the layers you could hope for. Now, again, I never tried the original Trader Joe's 8 Mini Croissants that were changed more than a year ago. However, that is what the comments section is for.
Overall
Would I buy this new box of Trader Joe's 8 Mini Croissants again? Yes, I would buy this box again. It seemed pretty solid this time around. But again, I didn't try the originals.
Product Photos
The box of Trader Joe's 8 Mini Croissants:
Calories and ingredients
Directions
Out of the box you get:
Out of the oven, you get:
Previous Review
All comments below refer to an earlier product prior to 11/19/19
The pros: Trader Joe's 8 Mini Croissants are new and replace the frozen ones you have to proof. Don't worry though, the Chocolate and Almond croissants are still in the frozen aisle.
The cons: If you imagined (like I did) that these would be about the size of say a crescent roll, then you will be surprised by how much they puff up. This bag is not resealable. They are made in Belgium.
The verdict:
I love a good croissant. So much so that a fellow friend and I decided to take a croissant-making class at Sur La Table a day or two before my wedding.
Yup, nothing says I don't need to fit into my clothes anymore, like learning to make buttery pastries.
So let's start off with a couple of things that are worth noting. This is a new product. Trader Joe's previously offered boxed variety with the same name that was just plain croissants. Those required time. Overnight + bake time. While the chocolate and almond croissants are still there, the plain ones have not been there the last few times I stopped into my local TJs.
Now, the chocolate ones are near perfection. The only downside is you can't just pop them in the oven. You have to wait for them to rise.
The almond ones are a close second, but they frequently leak their filling all over the cookie sheet. Also, they would be prettier if they mentioned the importance of an egg wash. In terms of taste, they are on point too.
These croissants are for those of us who fail to plan. I know I'll need to eat, but often I fail to plan. If you have about 25 minutes, then you might be pleasantly surprised by how good these are for something coming out of a bag.
Let's start off with the price. For $3.99 you are getting 8 not so mini but not full-sized pastries. Go into any French bakery and that might get you two if you are lucky.
Because of the ridiculously high heat here in NY, these were pretty much fully defrosted for me by the time I brought them home. So while I did not leave them out for 30 minutes, they did endure a shopping trip, a 25-minute car ride in 90-degree heat, plus putting the groceries away.
About 25-minute later I had golden brown pastries. I pushed it to the 30 minutes to ensure that they weren't quite as light as the ones on the picture on the bag.
You see, when it comes to croissants you want a bit of color. Without the color, it means you might be biting into mush. You want flaky layers. If I had let them stay in the oven a few more minutes I probably could have added to the layering.
But the outside was crisp and the inside light and tender.
For something that wasn't full-sized, it was pretty good. For something that does not require overnight proofing, they are pretty good.
Best of all these are less than half the calories of the chocolate or almond croissants and are a touch easier to make. It's like Trader Joe's understands just how lazy I am.
Don't get me wrong, those chocolate and almond ones are worth the time. But if you are looking for an upgrade to your Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, then you should give these a try.
Here is the visual rundown of what you get if you buy this product:
The bag of Trader Joe's 8 Mini Croissants:
The nutritional information:
The ingredients:
How to prepare:
How Trader Joe's describes these:
After being cooked you get:
Would I buy this again? Yes, I would buy Trader Joe's 8 Mini Croissants again. They were easy, peasy and tasted pretty good. Not French Bakery amazing, but darn good out of the bag.
Want to see more items I've reviewed from Trader Joe's? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
The Bottom Line
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Trader Joe's 8 Mini Croissants
Product Name: Trader Joe's 8 Mini Croissants
Product Description: Trader Joe's 8 Mini Croissants are the third variation in the last two years of this classic.
Price: $4.49
Summary
Trader Joe's 8 Mini Croissants are now the third variety of mini croissants we've seen and the second variety that requires no proofing
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Taste
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Value
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Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- These are an improvement over the previous ones in a bag
- The directions are on point
- They are light and airy tasting
Cons
- I still prefer the almond and chocolate croissants
- Proofing good bread is always worth the time for me
A Baker says
Unlike most of the other posters, I thought the old ones was a pain to proof from 8 hours and were just okay. To me, these are much better. They are especially good if you let them rise in a warm place for about an hour before baking.
becomebetty says
Hey A Baker! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on these. As you can see, this is a hotly debated item. When I bought them, it was so hot that they that they did in fact proof for about an hour by the time I got them in the oven. Thanks again for taking the time out of your day to share your thoughts!
LD says
The problem is they get stuck together when left in bag at room temp. To have to separate them wirh fork carefully they dont break. I proofed them for 45 mins brushed them with egg wash. Baked as directed they rise beautifully and golden brown 25 mins at 325 convection oven. Good taste, texture, flaky but a bit salty for my taste. I will certainly buy again. Quick easy 30-45 mins proofing is great !!
becomebetty says
Hey LD! Thanks for sharing this tip! There really isn't anything on them to prevent sticking, so you are absolutely right, taking them out of the bag is best.
DIANA HOWARD says
Well I gave these new croissants in the bag a four they’re not as good as the boxed ones so I will not be buying them again
becomebetty says
Hi Diana! Sorry to hear that, but thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts on this. I know this has been a hotly debated item!
Steve says
Tried these today and have to say I prefer the Pillsbury crescent rolls. I let them thaw for about 45 minutes before baking and went nearly 30 minutes to get a darker color than the bag and there was no buttery flavor and , whole flaky, the texture was too chewy. I miss the old ones. They were always buttery and flaky wit just the right texture. I don't mind pulling them out the night before or first thing in the morning when the flavor is far superior. I bought 2 bags, so I'll experiment with the second to see if more ”proofing" will help.
becomebetty says
Hey Steve! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on these! A lot of people have said they miss the old ones.
dagmara (@alllovealwaysda) says
I loved the former ones you posted
They had fewer trash additives and chemicals (better for you with better ingredients) and were still yummy and made in Belgium
These... although tasty, are made in🤔??? No one knows where as they are not labeled which usually means China as companies are ashamed to put that on their bags and have a litany of unpronounceable ingredients added to them... why do that to your body...
Jenna says
My partner and I stumbled upon the TJ croissants in the bag a few years ago and loved them. They had a nice balance of flavor, butter, and flakiness. The new (boxed) ones are very oily and overly buttery; a disappointing change. He will continue to eat them but I’ve decided to pass moving forward.
becomebetty says
Thanks for your opinions Jenna!
Kathleen says
Was madly in love with the bagged ones that stated "Made in Belgium"! They were always perfect and I told so many others about them! These boxed ones aren't even close! They have no taste and I don't know where they're made which is a really big red flag for me! Not buying them again sadly. I will miss this treat.
becomebetty says
Hey Kathleen! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. This product has been hotly debated and has my record for most comments. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. I'm sorry you didn't care for these.
Erinn says
The originals were absolutely the best! (Yes I know...hotly debated topic). They took longer to cook but I would take them out the night before and place them in the oven shortly the next morning for a fresh croissant that was home bakery delicious. The bag item just wasn’t as good and the newest version bottoms burns every time I bake them even on 300 because they are frying in all that oil. (No matter what I place them on/in) They are an improvement but for someone who loves croissants give us back the real ones and let the folks crying about time buy Pillsbury...
becomebetty says
Hey Erinn! Thanks for sharing. This product has a lot of opinions to it and all opinions are welcome here 🙂 I wish I had tried the original ones, I kept buying the chocolate and almond ones.
Holly says
I never tried the old version in the bag
But I fell upon the box ones about a month ago and I love them
To me they taste like croissant beurre that you get in a Parisian bakery. Super delicious! And really easy!
becomebetty says
Thanks for sharing Holly!
Sattva says
I agree with Kathleen- I never tried the original boxes ones but I loved the bagged ones Made in Belgium. I can’t eat American wheat due to the glyphosphate (thanks Monsanto) so I was happy to be able to find the European made croissants. The new boxed ones don’t say where they are made & I agree that’s a huge red flag. They also don’t taste good to me; the bagged ones always rose perfectly & smelled and tasted amazing.
becomebetty says
Thanks for sharing!