If you want pretzels on the breakfast table with no preparation, a ready-made pretzel from the bakery counter is a good choice. Frozen pretzel dough pieces are an option for a warm breakfast at home, as long as you have an oven and allow time to prepare them. If you also want wholemeal, check the ingredients of the specific pretzel or add a bread clearly labelled as wholemeal: the pretzels considered here cannot be assumed to be a white-flour and wholemeal blend.
If you’re short on time in the morning, you can choose between a ready-to-eat pretzel from the bakery counter and frozen pretzel dough pieces. For the latter, you’ll need freezer space, an oven and time to prepare them.
If some people at the breakfast table prefer a familiar pretzel while others want wholemeal, you can choose two baked goods labelled accordingly. A pretzel should only be considered a wholemeal product if its name and ingredients confirm this.
If you need to compare ingredients or nutritional values, compare salt figures on the same basis and check the allergen information for the specific product. For unwrapped goods, the current information at the point of sale is what matters.
A good choice if: You want to eat the pretzel straight after buying it, without switching on the oven at home.
Things to consider: Availability depends on the branch and its opening hours. ALDI SÜD also notes that its pretzel’s nutritional values may vary because it uses different suppliers.
A good choice if: You’re planning a warm breakfast at home and have freezer space and an oven.
Things to consider: For REWE Beste Wahl’s dough pieces, REWE recommends defrosting for around ten minutes and baking for 15–16 minutes. You’ll also need to allow time to preheat the oven.
First, decide whether you need a pretzel that’s ready to eat straight away or one you can bake at home. Then check your preference for wholemeal, along with the salt information and allergens for the specific product.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Time and preparation | Is there a bakery counter nearby, or do you have time in the morning to use the oven and freezer? | I want breakfast before work without having to bake anything first. For around 33% of consumers, saving time is the main priority. |
| Pretzels and wholemeal | Check the product name and ingredients. Don’t rely on colour, seeds or the term ‘multigrain’ alone to identify a wholemeal product. | We want a familiar pretzel on the table, as well as a baked good clearly labelled as wholemeal. This is the main concern for around 25% of consumers. |
| Salt and ingredients | Compare salt per 100 g and check whether separately packaged pretzel salt is included in the nutritional information. | I want to know how much salt comes with the baked good I choose, especially when the salt is provided separately. Around 25% of consumers put this first. |
| Allergens and storage | Read the latest allergen information on the pack or at the bakery counter, and follow the storage instructions for any leftovers. | Before breakfast, I need to know which allergens matter to me and how to store any leftover baked goods. This comes first for around 17% of consumers. |
Colour or a seed topping doesn’t prove that a product contains wholemeal flour. The Ditsch, EDEKA and REWE pretzels considered here cannot be classified as a white-flour and wholemeal blend on that basis alone.
If wholemeal is important to you, check the product name and ingredients. A separate wholemeal loaf can complement or replace the pretzel.
A figure per 100 g isn’t the same as one per item. The nutritional values stated for REWE’s pretzel dough pieces also apply to the unbaked product without the separately packaged salt.
Compare figures that use the same basis, and check which preparation state and salt addition they refer to.
ALDI SÜD says that it may use different suppliers for its pretzels, which can mean variations in nutritional values. Allergen and ‘may contain’ information must also match the product actually on offer.
Ask at the relevant bakery counter for the latest ingredient and allergen information, rather than assuming details from another branch apply.
The consumer advice centre recommends storing bread and rolls at room temperature, somewhere dry and away from light.
Store ready-made pretzels accordingly, and follow the pack instructions for frozen dough pieces.
Ditsch offers pretzels both ready-baked and ready to heat, in different individual weights.
REWE Beste Wahl offers frozen pretzel dough pieces that you bake at home.
EDEKA GUT&GÜNSTIG offers pretzels to bake at home, with salt provided separately.
Under its MEINE BACKWELT range, ALDI SÜD describes a ready-baked pretzel sold at its in-store bakery counter.
Lidl Unser Brot is included here as a guide to separately available wholemeal and multigrain breads, not as proof that a wholemeal pretzel is available.
Not necessarily: there’s no evidence that the Ditsch, EDEKA and REWE pretzels considered here are a white-flour and wholemeal blend. If wholemeal is your key requirement, check the ingredients of the specific pretzel or choose a bread clearly labelled as wholemeal to go with it, or instead.
The products described by EDEKA and REWE come with pretzel salt separately, so you can use less or leave it off altogether. REWE’s nutritional information is for the unbaked dough pieces without this salt.
Read the allergen information provided or ask at the counter about the pretzel currently on offer. The consumer advice centre explains that in Germany, sellers must provide information about the 14 most common allergens in unwrapped goods too. Information for a different product or branch isn’t a substitute.
The consumer advice centre recommends storing ready-made baked goods at room temperature, somewhere dry and away from light. For frozen pretzel dough pieces, follow the storage instructions on the relevant pack.