For a warm bread basket at Christmas dinner, frozen organic pretzels that you bake at home are an option. For dips or a starter platter, shelf-stable organic snack pretzels are more convenient as they need no baking. The specific product labelling and your guests’ requirements matter too: organic or spelt does not mean gluten-free, and a pretzel without salt sprinkled on top may still contain salt.
If you want to serve warm pretzels with Christmas dinner, frozen, unbaked organic dough pieces are one option. You’ll need to allow for freezer space, oven time and preparation. Small snack pretzels serve a different purpose at the table.
Shelf-stable organic pretzels can be served with dips or arranged on a cold platter without any baking. Alnatura and REWE Bio, for example, offer wholegrain and spelt varieties. Choose according to the type of grain you want and the information on the pack.
If guests need to avoid gluten, wheat, sesame or other allergens, check the labelling of each individual product. Spelt is a type of wheat. Even pretzels labelled gluten-free should be checked for other ingredients and precautionary allergen information.
First decide whether you want to serve a warm accompaniment or pretzels for snacking. Then check the organic certification, ingredients and any information on the specific pack that matters to your guests.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Organic certification | The EU organic logo and organic control body code on the pack; when shopping online, check the information for the specific product. | If you’re looking for organic pretzels for the festive table, you’ll want to be able to verify the certification on the product. For around 36% of consumers, this would be the main purchasing criterion. |
| How they’re served | Unbaked frozen dough pieces or ready-to-eat snack pretzels; for bake-at-home products, also check the storage and preparation instructions. | If you want to serve warm pretzels with dinner, you’ll need to fit the baking into your schedule. For dips, a ready-to-eat option is all you need. Around 29% of consumers would put the serving style first. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Types of grain, an explicit gluten-free label, and the allergen and precautionary allergen information for the specific product. | If guests need to avoid certain ingredients, their specific requirements matter more than choosing between spelt and wholegrain. For around 21% of consumers, checking the ingredients and allergens would be the most important criterion. |
| Salt and flavour | The salt content per 100 g and whether the salt is sprinkled on top, included in the recipe or provided separately. | If you want to control how much salt is added when serving, you’ll need a different option from someone looking for a ready-salted snack pretzel. This flavour detail would be the main consideration for around 14% of consumers. |
According to the European Commission, the EU organic logo may only be used on products certified as organic by an approved control body. However, the logo doesn’t tell you whether a pretzel is gluten-free or which allergens it contains.
REWE identifies spelt as a type of wheat in its organic spelt pretzels. The gluten-free organic oat pretzels from Hammermühle sold by REWE are a different product; according to the product information, they may contain traces of soya.
If you need to choose a gluten-free product or avoid allergens, check the explicit labelling, ingredients and precautionary allergen information on the pack. Don’t rely on the words ‘organic’ or ‘spelt’ alone.
Shelf-stable snack pretzels can be served straight from the pack with dips. Bäcker Bachmeier’s frozen, unbaked organic pretzels, on the other hand, need to be cooked in the oven first.
Before you shop, decide whether the pretzels are for serving warm as an accompaniment or as part of a cold platter.
For bake-at-home pretzels, you’ll need freezer space and time in the oven before serving.
Alnatura’s organic mini pretzels without salt sprinkled on top still contain table salt in the recipe. A separate sachet of salt also doesn’t, by itself, tell you the total salt content of the finished pretzels.
Compare the salt content per 100 g, and distinguish between salt in the recipe and salt on the pretzel.
EDEKA notes that information on a product page may differ from what’s on the packaging. So, if you’re choosing pretzels for guests with specific requirements, the pack you actually buy is the one to check.
Before serving, check the ingredients, allergens, organic certification and, where relevant, preparation instructions on the pack.
The organic pretzels described by REWE are frozen, unbaked pretzel dough pieces, with 698 g in each pack, ready to bake at home.
The organic snack range includes wholegrain pretzels and mini pretzels without salt sprinkled on top, suitable for a cold platter or with dips.
The BrezelKinder Dinkel demeter and Prinzess Brezel ranges offer different organic snack pretzels for sharing bowls.
The salted organic spelt pretzels are a shelf-stable snack option for a starter platter.
These two Alnatura varieties are suitable with dips or for a cold starter platter: one is made with spelt and sesame, while the other is a salted wholegrain pretzel. If you want to serve warm pretzels with your main course, you’ll need a product that’s made for baking at home.
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A snack pretzel for a cold platter or dips, rather than a warm bread basket. The product name indicates that this variety contains spelt and sesame. If your guests have specific dietary requirements, check the ingredients and allergen information on the 125 g pack.
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A salted wholegrain snack pretzel for a starter platter, rather than a warm accompaniment. Each pack contains 125 g. If ingredients or allergens matter to your guests, check the labelling on the pack.
Look for the EU organic logo and the organic control body code on the specific product. According to the European Commission, the logo may only be used on products with the relevant certification. You’ll still need to check the ingredients and allergens separately.
No. ‘Organic’ or ‘spelt’ doesn’t mean gluten-free: spelt is a type of wheat. If you need gluten-free pretzels, look for an explicit gluten-free label and check the other ingredients and allergen information too.
Frozen, unbaked organic pretzels that are made for baking at home are suitable for a warm bread basket. For Bäcker Bachmeier’s organic pretzels, REWE recommends thawing for around ten minutes and baking for about 15–16 minutes. Follow the preparation instructions on the pack you buy.
You can’t tell from the lack of salt on top alone. According to the ingredients list, Alnatura’s organic mini pretzels without salt sprinkled on top still contain table salt. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g to help you choose.
Yes, especially if ingredients or allergens matter to your guests. EDEKA notes that online product information may differ from what’s on the packaging. For your choice, rely on the information on the product you’ve actually bought.