Choosing a pretzel for weekend breakfast starts with knowing which ingredient you need to avoid. If you need to avoid gluten, only products explicitly labelled gluten-free are suitable—not the conventional wheat-based pretzels considered here. If you need to avoid milk, egg, soya or sesame, check the ingredients, may-contain information and toppings separately; “gluten-free” doesn’t answer those questions. The gluten-free products considered here are small pretzel snacks, not large pretzels to bake at home.
For weekend breakfast, you’ll need a pretzel alternative explicitly labelled gluten-free. The German Nutrition Society recommends a strictly gluten-free diet for coeliac disease, while the traditional pretzels considered here contain wheat.
Whether a pretzel meets your dietary needs depends on more than the “gluten-free” label. Check the ingredients, allergen and may-contain information, and any butter, spreads or other toppings separately.
If you don’t need to avoid gluten, a pretzel you can bake at home may be a better fit for your planned breakfast than a small snack. Even so, check the allergen information for each option.
A good choice if: An explicit gluten-free label is essential to your choice.
Bear in mind: The Schär Salinis considered here contain soya lecithin and may contain traces of sesame. Hammermühle notes that its gluten-free oat product may not be tolerated by everyone with coeliac disease. Both products are small snacks rather than large, warm pretzels.
A good choice if: You want a warm pretzel and don’t need to avoid the listed ingredients.
Bear in mind: The EDEKA and Ditsch products considered here contain wheat or other gluten-containing ingredients, so they’re not gluten-free alternatives.
A good choice if: You can check the information for the specific pretzel and its toppings against your dietary needs before buying.
Bear in mind: Legally required allergen information for loose products is not the same as a gluten-free label.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten | Look for an explicit “gluten-free” statement and check the ingredients of the specific product. If it contains oats, consider your personal tolerance too. | If you need to avoid gluten strictly, a product that simply seems to be wheat-free—or a traditional pretzel—won’t be enough. This is the main priority for around 42% of consumers. |
| Other allergens and lactose | Check the ingredients, allergen and may-contain information against the substance you need to avoid; check the topping separately. | For example, if you want to avoid milk, egg, soya or sesame, you’ll need to know whether that specific ingredient is present in your breakfast pretzel. This is the main reason for choosing a product for around 33% of consumers. |
| Shape and preparation | Check whether you’re buying a small pretzel snack or a pretzel to bake at home; follow the preparation instructions for bake-at-home products. | If you want a warm pretzel on the breakfast table that you can add toppings to, the shape matters more to you than a snack with a long shelf life. For around 25% of consumers, this is the main priority when choosing—provided they don’t need to avoid the listed ingredients. |
According to the product information, the gluten-free Schär Salinis contain soya lecithin and may contain traces of sesame.
Work out which substance you need to avoid, then check the ingredients, allergen information and may-contain statements against it.
The EDEKA and Ditsch pretzels considered here contain wheat or other gluten-containing ingredients.
If you need to follow a gluten-free diet, look for an explicit gluten-free label on the specific product.
The Schär and Hammermühle products considered here are small pretzel snacks. They won’t satisfy the same craving as a large, warm pretzel you can add toppings to.
Decide which shape suits your breakfast before you buy, then check its ingredients and labelling.
A butter pretzel may contain milk. Allergen information is also required for loose products, but the details must relate to the variety you choose.
Ask about the specific pretzel and check butter, cheese, spreads or dips individually.
Salinis are small, packaged salted pretzels to consider if you’re looking for a gluten-free snack.
The Bio Hafer Brezeln considered here are small pretzel snacks labelled gluten-free and made with gluten-free oat flour.
The frozen pretzels considered here are designed to be baked at home for a warm breakfast.
The products considered here include a pretzel and an XL butter pretzel.
The product pages for Schär Salinis and Hammermühle Bio Hafer Brezeln provide information on two different gluten-free pretzel snacks.
Not necessarily. According to their product information, the EDEKA and Ditsch pretzels considered here contain wheat or other gluten-containing ingredients. If you need to avoid gluten, check that the specific product you choose is explicitly labelled gluten-free.
The German Nutrition Society gives a maximum limit of 20 mg of gluten per kg of food for products labelled “gluten-free”. Check the labelling of the specific product. Allergen information for loose baked goods is not the same as an explicit gluten-free label.
According to Schär and REWE, Salinis contain no added milk or egg and are lactose-free. However, they contain soya lecithin and may contain traces of sesame. If you need to avoid a particular substance, “no added” doesn’t mean you can skip checking all the information on the pack.
Not necessarily. The Hammermühle Bio Hafer Brezeln considered here are labelled gluten-free, but the product information also explains that people with coeliac disease may tolerate gluten-free oats differently and recommends seeking medical advice before eating them.
Yes. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Home Affairs explains that allergen information is also required for unpackaged products. Ask about the pretzel variety you’ve chosen and check any toppings separately.