13 Snyder's Pretzels, Ranked Worst To Best

Is there any carb-y snack better than pretzels? Hear me out, kettle-cooked potato chip lovers: Since pretzels are baked, they're a bit lighter than their fried snack counterparts, meaning that you can eat more of them without feeling uncomfortable. Plus, they offer the basic combo of carbs and salt that's always going to taste good. And these days, you can even find flavored pretzels if you're the kind of person who doesn't necessarily like snacks that taste as plain and neutral as pretzels do.

If there's one brand that offers plenty of variety in its pretzel lineup, it's Snyder's. Basically, any kind of pretzel you can imagine, this brand offers. That's why I've taken a closer look (and taste) at 13 different Snyder's pretzel varieties and ranked them. I mostly organized this ranking according to texture and pretzel-to-salt ratio. However, I also considered flavor when it came to the flavored options that appear on this list.

I want to give you a better idea of what to expect whenever you buy a bag of these pretzels. After all, you don't want to waste your money on a snack you're not really going to enjoy that much in the first place. Time to indulge your pretzel cravings.

Something you should know about me immediately is the fact that I absolutely love salt. I remember dumping a mountain on top of a French fry when I was a very young child, thinking that because salt tasted so delicious to me, using even more could only make my food taste better. I've tempered my palate a bit now, but all that's to say I am vehemently against unsalted pretzels. Sure, they have some crunch to them, which is nice for a snack, but they taste almost flavorless. The whole point of pretzels is their saltiness, so when you take that away, I don't really see the point of eating them at all.

Watching the amount of salt in your diet? Then you may want to skip out on pretzels entirely instead of choosing these. Don't believe the unsalted pretzel propaganda and trick yourself into thinking they might taste good. Technically, it's possible to improve these with some sort of mustard dip, but they're still not going to taste as good as they should.

To make matters worse, the shape and thickness of these pretzels is also off. I don't like that they're relatively thick and chubby — I'd prefer thinner, more elegant pretzel pieces. This Snyder's product is absolutely a pass for me.

Anyone who's looking for hard pretzels that inexplicably look like soft pretzels should give Snyder's Old Tyme Pretzels a try. Actually, they're smaller than a typical soft pretzel, but they're quite a bit thicker than a standard hard pretzel of this shape, and each one is pretty big. According to Snyder's, they're also supposed to have a deeper, darker flavor to them, offering an ostensibly more intense experience than you'd get from any old average pretzel brand. Honestly, I didn't really notice much of a difference in flavor here apart from the fact that the pretzel-to-salt ratio is way off. If you're going to have such a thick, meaty pretzel, you need more salt than you find in this style. Other than that, these taste like any other hard pretzel I've ever had, but maybe I just don't have a very sophisticated pretzel palate.

I can see how some people might like this kind of pretzel. For example, if you're looking for the maximal amount of crunch, then it's a solid contender. Because each pretzel is so thick, you're getting a really loud, bold crunch when you first take a bite. But, again, I like a more elegant pretzel, and this one is anything but.

Honestly, I wasn't really expecting to enjoy the flavored pretzel pieces from Snyder's as much as I did, mostly because I thought they really didn't look like pretzels at all. That's still the truth, but the seasoning on most of them is pretty solid. The only exception is Snyder's Cheddar Cheese Pretzel Pieces. While this snack isn't terrible, it's definitely the least flavorful of all the flavored varieties I tried on this list. That dusting of cheddar cheese flavor isn't very cheddar-forward at all. Yes, I tasted a bit of creaminess, which is a nice (albeit subtle) touch. But based on the name of the product, I was expecting a much cheesier product.

The downfall of all of the pretzel pieces on this list is the fact that at the bottoms of the bags, you're mostly just getting crunchy dust. I'll allow that unfortunate fact to slide when it comes to some of the more delicious flavors on the list, but it's just not something I can accept when that seasoning isn't very good in the first place. Unless you're someone who specifically likes cheese-flavored snacks (looking at you, Cheez-It lovers), you can safely pass on this Snyder's flavor and seek out one of the tastier options on this list.

I have a soft spot in my heart for pretzel rods because I remember them as the snack my dad would always eat on road trips. He'd pass the bag to my brother and I in the backseat, and our whole family would munch on these salty pretzels as he drove down the road. In fact, there's probably a good chance that he was eating Snyder's Rods Pretzels, since it's a brand that seems pretty ubiquitous at grocery stores. Despite these fond memories, though, rods aren't really my favorite shape of pretzel. It all comes down to the same concept of the pretzel-to-salt ratio. Because rods tend to be a lot thicker than other types of pretzels, they need a lot of salt.

Compared to Snyder's Old Tyme pretzels, there's a lot more salt in the mix here, and I'm grateful for that. That being said, I still think a thinner pretzel base would taste better. To make matters worse, these pretzel rods are basically guaranteed to make a mess when you eat them — it's nearly impossible not to spill your crumbs everywhere. Unless you want to have to eat your pretzels over a plate, there are better options out there.

The texture of Snyder's Sourdough Nibblers is, frankly, great. You get these little nuggets of sourdough that look like they have a split top, giving them crunchy crevices that make for an enjoyable snacking experience. And because they're so small, you can eat handfuls of these things. (And as someone who loves to mindlessly snack from time to time, that's a huge plus.) Just because these pretzels have something going for them, though, doesn't mean that they're one of the best of the bunch.

This is where flavor comes in. Do I like the fact that these are made with sourdough? Sure. But, to be honest, I can't really pick out a strong sourdough flavor here. Therefore, like most pretzels, you're really just left with saltiness. Unfortunately, there's not enough of it here. I've already mentioned the importance of a good pretzel-to-salt ratio, and these nibblers just don't have enough of the latter. And unlike some of the other pretzel varieties listed here, these are so small that they're not even very well-designed for dipping. If you care more about structure and texture than you do about flavor, then these pretzels are worth checking out. Otherwise, though, I think you can get a better pretzel experience elsewhere.

This is another style of pretzel from Snyder's that wins points on the texture front. These pretzels are in a sort of lattice shape, so you get an interesting crunchy rectangle. Not only does this make for a nice crunch, but it also makes these pretzels quite sturdy. If that means fewer crumbs and broken pieces at the bottom of the bag, I'm here for it. Beyond texture, Snyder's Butter Snaps actually also do have a slight butteriness to them. Since "butter" is mentioned in the name, I was specifically looking out for this flavor, though. Honestly, I don't know if I would've noticed a difference between these pretzels and others on the flavor front if it weren't for that product name.

A lot of the other pretzels I tried that weren't salty enough were too thick and chunky, and that's why there wasn't enough salt in the mix. That's not the case here, since these Butter Snaps aren't that thick. Rather, there's just not enough salt in the mix. Maybe I just got a defective bag, or perhaps Snyder's wants you to focus on those buttery flavors more. Either way, I was disappointed that these pretzels ended up tasting a little bland.

Sour cream and onion isn't my favorite flavor combo out there (although there are some pretty solid sour cream and onion potato chips out there that I can get down with from time to time), so I wasn't especially looking forward to trying Snyder's Sour Cream and Caramelized Onion Pretzel Pieces. I was worried that the sour cream note would be too strong, and I figured that I wouldn't even taste caramelized onion at all. I mean, it's hard to even find a caramelized onion recipe that actually tastes like caramelized onion, so you should understand my concern.

However, I was surprised to find that this flavor combo was actually pretty great. The sour cream flavor provides a nice creaminess to the snack, and it's also there for a bright pop of acidity. It's those caramelized onion notes, though, that are really working overtime. Somehow, Snyder's has managed to capture their complexity quite well.

Like I've already mentioned, these pretzel pieces fall short when it comes to texture, so this product isn't getting any points from that perspective. But if you're trying to cut back on your potato chip intake but you're still craving that beloved sour cream and onion flavor, this might just be the snack for you.

Let's take a closer look at one of the simplest types of hard pretzels of all. Snyder's sticks are a really basic shape, but they're a classic for a reason. I love that these pieces are so thin and small — it makes it easy to grab a handful of them at a time, and you can eat a lot of them before you start to feel full. This thinner shape also makes for an ideal pretzel-to-salt ratio. The salt doesn't have much to compete with considering how small the pretzel sticks are, so that salty flavor really takes center stage here. Plus, you get a nice crisp when you bite into these, and it's fun to feel them break in your mouth.

The only reason why Snyder's pretzel sticks don't rank higher in this lineup is the fact that they're just kind of boring (although that might be a personal problem). I grew up predominantly eating this pretzel shape — when I wasn't on a road trip, at least — so they don't exactly feel novel to me. Some people enjoy indulging in a tried-and-true snack, though, and these pretzels probably fit into that category for a lot of us.

As a buffalo wing fanatic, I was so excited to try Snyder's Hot Buffalo Wing Pretzel Pieces. In fact, before I started trying all of these products, I kind of assumed that this would be my favorite one of them all. That being said, I was a little let down once I finally tried these. What I thought would be a bold, intense, and maybe even spicy flavor was a lot more muted, without the acidity I was looking for. Sure, these pretzel pieces taste like they've been dressed with a mild version of Frank's RedHot, but they're not bursting with buffalo flavor like I thought they would be. And, of course, I don't particularly like their texture.

However, this is still a really solid snack. You don't usually expect a lot of flavor in pretzels, so the fact that these have at least some flavor added at all is a nice touch. They're absolutely more flavorful than the cheddar cheese version of the snack, and I think a buffalo wing flavor just makes more sense for pretzels than sour cream and onion. Buffalo wing people, don't get your hopes too high, but these pretzels are worth a try. And if you're really disappointed with them, you can always try making these wing recipes instead.

It's true that I don't particularly like the shape of Snyder's Mini Pretzels. I do appreciate that you can get a good handful of them, but they're a bit thicker than I would prefer for my pretzels. With the unsalted variety, this was a big issue for me, since you don't have any saltiness to contend with all of that crunch. In this iteration of the snack, though, that problem is solved. These are one of the saltier Snyder's varieties I tried, so even despite that unfortunate thickness of the pretzels, you still get a solid pretzel experience. The salt complements the subtle flavor of the pretzel itself, making it taste less bland (but still really versatile if you want to dip it into the sauce of your choice).

As much as I like these pretzels, there's definitely still room for improvement. Obviously, I would prefer a thinner pretzel, but also compared to some of the more flavor-forward options in this lineup, these Mini Pretzels just feel kind of boring. Still, it's good to have them as an option for a classic standby. They may not be the most interesting pretzels around, but when you say that you're bringing a bag of pretzels to the party, this is what everyone's going to expect.

I'm not the world's biggest fan of honey mustard, even though I love a good sweet and savory situation (and even though there are a lot of great honey mustard brands out there). Therefore, I wasn't expecting Snyder's Honey Mustard and Onion Pretzel Pieces to be one of my favorite flavored varieties in this lineup. After taking that first bite, though, I realized that the sweetness here is nice and subtle. Some honey mustards have a really pronounced sugary quality to them, and that's not what you'll find here. Instead, there's a hint of sweetness, paired with a mustardy flavor that tastes like Dijon (or at least Dijon-adjacent).

I also wrongly assumed that these pretzel pieces wouldn't really taste that much like onion at all, but they really do. The flavor tastes closer to that of raw onion rather than cooked, which makes sense here — it's giving ham sandwich vibes and would probably be a delicious accompaniment to one if you don't mind a double-carb situation. They're not as strongly flavored as the highest-ranked pretzel pieces on this list, which is why they don't rank as highly as they could. And, of course, I don't particularly like the texture of these pretzel pieces, but the flavor is good enough here that I'm tolerating it.

There are a lot of jalapeño products out there that can be pretty hit or miss. Some don't really taste like real jalapeño at all but rather have a generic green, vegetal flavor that isn't actually that appetizing anyway. But Snyder's Jalapeño Pretzel Pieces deliver a really strong dose of jalapeño flavor, with an intensity that makes you want to keep snacking after you take that first bite ... as long as you're a jalapeño lover, of course. There are some other ingredients besides jalapeños in the mix, like onion and garlic powder, so you get an overall savory quality that's nice. But what really stands out is that strong pepper note. Unfortunately, though, I wouldn't really say that this snack is particularly spicy. I would've liked a bit more heat, but the lack thereof probably gives this snack a wider audience.

As I've mentioned with every pretzel pieces variety, the texture here is not ideal. To be fair, though, I actually found bigger pretzel pieces in this bag, although that's probably just a fluke — I wouldn't expect that to hold across different bags. If you love jalapeños as much as me, though, that texture is worth stomaching to get the flavor you crave.

Now, finally, we're onto the ideal pretzel, the pretzel that easily takes the top spot on this list: Snyder's Thins Pretzels. This is not your average twisted pretzel. It's perfectly thin and svelte, with a fragility that I'm honestly surprised survives transport as it's being shipped to the grocery store. It's perfectly elegant, with the subtlest but most satisfying crunch imaginable. And even though it may not appear to be especially salty, this is actually the variety that wins on the saltiness front. Since the pretzel part is so thin, only a small amount of salt is needed to balance things nicely, and that's just what you're getting here.

Sure, you're not getting quite as much flavor as you are with the flavored pretzels on this list, but I think that most people are looking for subtlety from a pretzel — not boldness. If you're going to try any of the pretzels on this list, this variety would be my first suggestion.

I selected these specific Snyder's varieties based on local availability. Although flavor was a factor in this ranking for the flavored pretzel products specifically, I mostly focused on texture and saltiness to determine where each item landed in this ranking. Generally speaking, thinner and saltier pretzels rose to the top of the list, while overly thick and less salty varieties ranked comparatively worse.