Starbucks Ham and Cheese Croissant: calories, sugar and salt

Starbucks Ham and Cheese Croissant contains 385 kcal per croissant — 19% of the adult 2,000 kcal daily reference intake, 25% for a child aged 7 to 10, and 30% for a child aged 4 to 6. It sits between the Signature Breakfast Sandwich at 363 kcal and the Smoked Bacon Roll at 400 kcal in calorie terms. As a breakfast pastry with a meat filling it is a moderate calorie option, though the high saturated fat from the all-butter croissant pastry is the primary nutritional consideration.

Per croissant: 385 kcal, 20g fat (12g saturated), 36g carbohydrate (5.9g sugar), 15g protein, 1.3g salt. The saturated fat at 12g is 60% of the adult daily guideline of 20g — the highest saturated fat of any breakfast item at Starbucks outside the Traditional Sausage Sandwich at 10g. The sugar at 5.9g is 20% of the adult daily free sugar limit of 30g. The salt at 1.3g is 22% of the adult daily limit of 6g.

Starbucks Ham and Cheese Croissant contains 5.9g of sugar per croissant — 1.5 teaspoons and 20% of the adult daily free sugar limit of 30g. For a child aged 4 to 6, this uses 31% of their daily free sugar limit. The sugar comes from the croissant pastry — which contains sugar as an ingredient — and the dextrose in the reformed ham. At 5.9g it is moderate in sugar for a savoury breakfast pastry. The NHS free sugar limit is 30g per day for adults, 24g for children aged 7 to 10, and 19g for children aged 4 to 6.

Starbucks Ham and Cheese Croissant contains 1.3g of salt per croissant — 22% of the adult daily limit of 6g and 43% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6. This is one of the lower salt breakfast items at Starbucks despite containing cured reformed ham — the iodised salt in the croissant pastry and the cured ham are both contributors, but the portion size of the ham at 25% keeps the total lower than a bacon roll or sausage sandwich.

Starbucks Ham and Cheese Croissant contains 12g of saturated fat per croissant — 60% of the adult daily guideline of 20g and 75% for a child aged 4 to 6. This is the highest saturated fat of any breakfast item at Starbucks. The saturated fat comes almost entirely from the butter in the croissant pastry — croissants are made with a high proportion of butter laminated into the dough through repeated folding — alongside the mature cheddar cheese filling. The reformed ham at 25% is lean and contributes minimal saturated fat.

Starbucks Ham and Cheese Croissant contains 15g of protein per croissant — 30% of the adult daily reference intake of 50g. The protein comes from the reformed ham at 25% of the croissant, the mature cheddar at 12% and the egg and skimmed milk powder in the pastry. At 15g for 385 kcal the protein-to-calorie ratio is moderate for a breakfast pastry, though lower than the meat sandwich options.

Yes. Starbucks Ham and Cheese Croissant contains reformed ham with added water cured with both sodium nitrite and potassium nitrate — two different nitrite/nitrate preservatives in a single ingredient. The reformed ham also contains pentasodium triphosphate and pentapotassium triphosphate as stabilisers. The WHO classifies processed meat — including nitrite and nitrate-cured ham — as a Group 1 carcinogen based on evidence linking regular consumption to colorectal cancer. The Ham and Cheese Croissant is one of only two Starbucks breakfast items to contain both sodium nitrite and potassium nitrate — alongside the Smoked Bacon Roll.

Starbucks Ham and Cheese Croissant contains wheat/gluten, milk and egg as declared allergens. The wheat comes from the wheat flour and wheat gluten in the croissant pastry. The milk comes from the butter in the pastry, the skimmed milk powder and the mature cheddar filling. The egg comes from the pasteurised whole egg in the croissant dough and the egg wash on the exterior. It does not contain soya, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, celery, mustard, sesame, lupin, molluscs or sulphites. Starbucks prepares food in stores where all 14 major allergens are present. Cross-contamination cannot be guaranteed.

No. Starbucks Ham and Cheese Croissant contains reformed ham and is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans. For a vegetarian croissant option at Starbucks, the Butter Croissant or All Butter Croissant are the plain alternatives. For a savoury vegetarian breakfast option, the Egg White Bites, Classic Porridge or Signature Grilled Cheese Toastie are the appropriate choices.

The 12g of saturated fat — 75% of the daily guideline for a child aged 4 to 6 — is the primary nutritional concern for younger children. The sodium nitrite and potassium nitrate from the reformed ham are an additional consideration. The salt at 1.3g uses 43% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6, which is moderate. Three allergens are declared. For older children and teenagers the calorie count at 385 kcal and protein at 15g are moderate, but the very high saturated fat from the croissant butter makes it nutritionally one of the more demanding breakfast choices for any age group.

The ham in the Starbucks Ham and Cheese Croissant is specifically described as reformed ham with added water — meaning it is made from restructured pork pieces bound together rather than a single cut of meat. The recipe contains pentasodium triphosphate and pentapotassium triphosphate as stabilisers to bind the water into the meat and improve texture. It is additionally cured with both sodium nitrite and potassium nitrate as preservatives, and contains sodium ascorbate as an antioxidant and dextrose as a filler. This is a more industrially formulated ingredient than the smoked back bacon used in the Smoked Bacon Roll or the pork sausage in the Traditional Sausage Sandwich.

At 5.9g of sugar the Ham and Cheese Croissant leaves significant room for a drink. A plain Cappuccino or Flat White adds around 9-12g from milk, bringing the total to 14.9-17.9g — well within the adult daily limit. A Caramel Macchiato adds 23g, bringing the total to 28.9g — just within the adult daily limit of 30g. A Grande Caramel Frappuccino at 48g would take the total to 53.9g. Given the very high saturated fat at 12g already in the croissant, an unsweetened black coffee is the most appropriate pairing on overall nutritional grounds.

Yes. NOVA 4, ultra-processed. The reformed ham contains pentasodium triphosphate, pentapotassium triphosphate, sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate, sodium ascorbate and dextrose — six separate additives in the ham alone. The croissant pastry contains pea fibre, natural butter flavouring and yeast powder alongside the standard croissant ingredients. Industrial additives are present across both the filling and the pastry components.

Starbucks Ham and Cheese Croissant has the highest saturated fat of any breakfast item at Starbucks at 12g — 60% of the adult daily guideline from a single item. It is one of only two breakfast items to contain both sodium nitrite and potassium nitrate. The reformed ham uses six separate industrial additives, making it one of the most formulated filling ingredients in the Starbucks breakfast range. At 385 kcal, 1.3g salt and 5.9g sugar it is otherwise moderate. It is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans. For those specifically seeking a savoury croissant breakfast, it is the only filled croissant option at Starbucks — but the saturated fat content from the all-butter pastry is the dominant nutritional consideration.