Starbucks Pain au Raisin: calories, sugar and salt

Starbucks Pain au Raisin contains 319 kcal per pastry — 16% of the adult 2,000 kcal daily reference intake, 21% for a child aged 7 to 10, and 25% for a child aged 4 to 6. It is one of the lower calorie pastry options in the Starbucks sweet range — below the Chocolate Twist at 320 kcal and significantly below the Almond Croissant at 425 kcal. The laminated pastry dough with raisin filling produces a lighter calorie count than pastries with dense fillings such as frangipane or cream cheese.

Per pastry: 319 kcal, 14g fat (8.5g saturated), 44g carbohydrate (17g sugar), 5.7g protein, 0.52g salt. The saturated fat at 8.5g is 43% of the adult daily guideline of 20g. The sugar at 17g is 57% of the adult daily free sugar limit of 30g. The salt at 0.52g is 9% of the adult daily limit of 6g.

Starbucks Pain au Raisin contains 17g of sugar per pastry — 4.3 teaspoons and 57% of the adult daily free sugar limit of 30g. For a child aged 4 to 6, this uses 89% of their daily free sugar limit. At 17g it is one of the lower sugar pastry options at Starbucks — below the Danish Apple and Cinnamon Swirl at 21g and the Cinnamon Bun at 28g. The sugar comes from the natural sugars in the raisins — raisins are approximately 60% sugar by weight due to the concentration effect of drying — the sugar in the pastry dough and any glaze on the top. 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 Pain au Raisin contains 0.52g of salt per pastry — 9% of the adult daily limit of 6g and 17% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6. The salt comes from the butter laminated into the pastry dough — salted butter is commonly used in croissant and Danish pastry production — and from the salt added to the dough to control yeast activity and develop gluten structure. It is low in salt relative to the savoury items on the Starbucks menu.

Starbucks Pain au Raisin contains 8.5g of saturated fat per pastry — 43% of the adult daily guideline of 20g and 53% for a child aged 4 to 6. The saturated fat comes from the butter used in the laminated pastry dough — Danish pastry is made by folding butter repeatedly into the dough to create multiple flaky layers. Each layer of butter between the dough sheets contributes to both the characteristic texture and the saturated fat content. At 8.5g it is similar to the plain croissants but higher than the Chocolate Twist at 9.1g.

Starbucks Pain au Raisin contains 5.7g of protein per pastry — 11% of the adult daily reference intake of 50g. The protein comes from the flour and eggs in the laminated pastry dough. The raisins contribute minimal protein. At 5.7g for 319 kcal the protein-to-calorie ratio is low and typical of butter-laminated pastry products where fat and carbohydrate dominate the energy profile.

Yes. NOVA 4, ultra-processed. The laminated pastry dough contains emulsifiers and dough conditioners to improve texture and extend shelf life beyond a freshly made Danish pastry. The custard or crème pâtissière filling — if present — contains modified starch as a thickener. Any glaze on the exterior contains glucose syrup. These industrial additives determine the NOVA 4 classification despite the core ingredients — butter, flour, eggs and raisins — being standard pastry-making components.

Starbucks Pain au Raisin contains wheat/gluten, milk and egg as declared allergens — just three, the simplest allergen profile of any sweet pastry at Starbucks. The wheat comes from the flour in the dough. The milk comes from the butter laminated into the pastry. The egg comes from the eggs in the dough and the egg wash on the exterior. Notably it does not contain soya — unlike most other sweet pastries and bakery items at Starbucks which declare soya from emulsifiers in the chocolate or dough. It does not contain peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, celery, mustard, sesame, lupin or molluscs. Always tell your barista if you have a severe allergy before ordering.

Yes. Starbucks Pain au Raisin is suitable for vegetarians. It contains no meat or fish. It is not suitable for vegans as it contains butter and eggs. With only three declared allergens — wheat, milk and egg — and no soya or tree nuts, it has the simplest allergen profile of any sweet pastry at Starbucks.

At 17g of sugar — 89% of the daily free sugar limit for a child aged 4 to 6 — the Pain au Raisin uses nearly their entire daily allowance from a single pastry. The 8.5g saturated fat uses 53% of their daily guideline. Salt at 0.52g uses 17% of their daily limit. Only three allergens — no soya, no tree nuts. Compared to most sweet pastries at Starbucks, the Pain au Raisin is one of the more moderate options for children on sugar and allergen grounds — but the sugar level still makes it unsuitable as a regular choice for younger children.

Starbucks Pain au Raisin is one of very few sweet pastries at Starbucks without a declared soya allergen. Most other sweet pastries — the Chocolate Twist, Pain au Chocolat, Cheese Twist, Cinnamon Bun and Danish Apple and Cinnamon Swirl — contain soya from soya lecithin used as an emulsifier in either the dough or the chocolate or glaze components. The Pain au Raisin recipe appears not to use chocolate or soya-containing emulsifiers in the dough, which removes the soya allergen. This makes it the most allergen-simple sweet pastry for those managing soya allergies alongside wheat and milk tolerance.

At 17g of sugar the Pain au Raisin leaves meaningful room for a drink. A plain Cappuccino or Flat White adds 9-12g from milk, bringing the total to 26-29g — just within the adult daily free sugar limit of 30g. A Caramel Macchiato adds 23g, bringing the total to 40g — over the adult limit. A Grande Caramel Frappuccino at 48g takes the total to 65g. An unsweetened Americano or herbal tea keeps the combined total well within the adult daily limit. The Pain au Raisin is one of the few sweet pastries at Starbucks where a plain milk coffee keeps the combined order within the adult daily free sugar limit.

The Pain au Raisin contains 319 kcal versus 297 kcal in the Pain au Chocolat — 22 more calories. Sugar is higher at 17g versus 11g — the raisins add significant natural sugar. Saturated fat is lower at 8.5g versus 9.5g. The Pain au Raisin has three allergens versus four in the Pain au Chocolat — no soya in the Raisin, soya from chocolate in the au Chocolat. For lower sugar and lower calories the Pain au Chocolat is the better choice. For simpler allergen profile without soya the Pain au Raisin is preferable. Both are lower sugar than the Danish Apple and Cinnamon Swirl, Cinnamon Bun and the Almond Croissant.

Starbucks Pain au Raisin has the simplest allergen profile of any sweet pastry at Starbucks — three allergens only, with no soya and no tree nuts. At 319 kcal and 17g sugar it is one of the more moderate sweet pastries on both calories and sugar. The 8.5g saturated fat from the laminated butter dough is moderate. It is suitable for vegetarians but not vegans. For those managing soya allergies alongside wheat and milk tolerance, the Pain au Raisin is the only sweet pastry at Starbucks without a soya declaration — a meaningful distinction in the pastry range.