Do you remember those huge soft pretzels that you could grab in long sticks at amusement parks or maybe those fun Mickey faces in Disney World? They are a distant but very fond memory for me as these were always my favorite snack when we went on vacation or a day trip. A little bit of salt topped with a little yellow mustard and I was good to go to enjoy the deliciousness of the doughy snack. With all of that chewiness though came a whole lot of gluten which meant one very sick girl.
So, when I went gluten free, like many gluten filled eats and treats, soft pretzels too got the heave-ho and have been missing from my diet for a number of years. I’ve always kept my fingers crossed that I might one day see them in a grocery store next to the Super Pretzels or maybe even at an amusement park, very optimistic I know. I honestly never thought that finding a gluten free, soft and chewy pretzel would be as tough as it actually has been; I mean it literally has been like searching for a unicorn. Until now that is! I finally caught wind of Tonya’s Gluten Free Kitchen who makes three kinds of gluten free soft pretzels including original regular size, original pretzel bites, and cinnamon sugar! I was so excited when they offered to send me a few samples and after just one bite I immediately headed to my local grocery stores to scout out where these might be available. I’m lucky enough to be able to snag these at a small allergy free shop by me but also at Wegmans, I’m still hoping that my Shop Rite 5 minutes away will catch on one of these days too. But no worries, if you can’t find these at a local store you won’t miss out because you can buy them here on Tonya’s website. And by the way, these are that good that I immediately stocked up on a few boxes to enjoy in the months to come.
Okay, so now onto the actual pretzel itself in all of its gluten free glory. Not sure if you remember these but I used to enjoy Super Pretzels frozen soft pretzels at home from time to time. Tonya’s Gluten Free Kitchen match these in every way. After using water to add some salt or leaving them plain, all you do is microwave for under 1 minute and voila you have a soft, gluten free pretzel to enjoy. The size of these beauties is exactly how big a regular frozen pretzel would be, good news especially since everything gluten free seems to be miniature in size but big in price. And texture and taste wise, Tonya’s gluten free pretzels are a perfect, chewy pretzel that have that amazing doughy texture after just a short microwave. You can top them with the salt that’s provided or leave them plain if you prefer. And feel free to be creative with your dipping sauces on the side. I’m a plain girl when it comes to pretzels, I like to just dip them in a little bit of yellow mustard, but with or without the mustard these are perfection. I for one am so glad that Tonya’s has added these back into my life, now if only Disney World could come out with a Mickey shaped gluten free pretzel, then we would be good to go. A girl can dream can’t she?!?!
So for the last piece of the gluten free soft pretzel puzzle, the cost. These aren’t the cheapest of snacks to enjoy but to be fair not many gluten free premade snacks are. I usually can get these for about $8.99 a box, regardless of the variety, and in a box you get 6 original size pretzels or the number of pretzel bites that’s equivalent to that. Do I wish the price was a tad bit cheaper than about $1.50 a pretzel? Sure, but as with everything in our world, gluten free items are by nature more expensive and the more special and unique an item is the more pricey it can be. Tonya’s Gluten Free Kitchen is a strictly gluten free business who is single handedly spearheading the addition of gluten free pretzels into our world. With growing support, their popularity will hopefully grow too, adding them into more and more mainstream grocery stores eventually making their products more affordable. Until then, this hard working, gluten free mommy will continue to treat herself to these gluten free delicacies while also supporting the pioneers of our gluten free community
Congratulations Tonya’s Gluten Free Kitchen! You’ve done a fabulous job and I for one am so grateful for your hard work and tasty product!
Sincerely,
Lindsay