What it costs to make
What does it cost to make a croissant?
About 15¢–30¢ in ingredients per croissant bought delivered, at the current USDA butter price.
Croissant, one pieceEXAMPLE
| Butter (dough + roll-in)0.7-1.2 ozUSDA Dairy Products Sales Report (butter), Sep 26, 2026 | $0.06–$0.10 |
| Flour, milk, sugar, salt1.7-2.8 ozEXAMPLE reference price | $0.04–$0.07 |
| Market price total | $0.10–$0.17 |
| Bought deliveredEXAMPLE estimate: market price plus a typical delivered markup | $0.15–$0.30 |
| At a $4.25 menu price (EXAMPLE) | 4–7% |
Sources: USDA Dairy Products Sales Report (butter), Sep 26, 2026. Rows marked EXAMPLE use example reference prices. Ingredients only. Labor is the real cost of laminated dough.
What moves this number
- Butter grade. European-style butter costs more than the commodity price used here.
- Trim and misshapes. This example counts 6 to 10 percent make-up loss. Day-olds add more.
- Piece weight. The example assumes 2.7-3.9 oz dough per piece before baking.
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- Prefilled with the EXAMPLE above at market midpoints. Change any number.
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