Stellar Snacks Caps Its Biggest Year Yet with the Launch of Baked with Olive Oil Pretzel Braids

The fastest-growing pretzel brand debuts a six-flavor olive oil line, exclusively at Sprouts nationwide as the brand nears 18,000 retail doors.

CARSON CITY, Nev., Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Stellar Snacks, the mother-daughter-founded pretzel company, debuts Stellar Pretzel Braids – Baked with Olive Oil, a new six-flavor line, available at Sprouts Farmers Market nationwide. The olive oil collection gives snackers more ways to enjoy its signature braids and joins Stellar's original Pretzel Braids, available at retailers like Target, Kroger, and select Costco stores nationwide.

The Baked with Olive Oil Pretzel Braids flavors range from sweet to savory, including two that are entirely brand-new:

• Maui Monk: Loaded with the savory taste of Maui onion and finished with a hint of sweetness.
• Bold & Herby: Bursting with the bold flavors of roasted garlic and onion
• Cinnamon Dolce: An exquisite blend of cinnamon sweetness with notes of brown sugar
• French Dijon: Bold and tangy kick of Dijon mustard followed by subtle sweetness.
• NEW - Elote Loco: Zesty Mexican Street Corn Style Seasoning
• NEW - Spicy Flame: Habanero & Paprika Style Seasoning

The new line offers a seed-oil-free option for snackers. All Stellar products are baked from scratch daily with the same handpicked seasonings and artisanal flavors fans know and love.

The launch caps a record year for Stellar. The company ended 2025 with approximately 12,000 retail doors and is on track to reach roughly 18,000 by the end of 2026, a 50% increase and its biggest expansion year yet. The growth rolled out in phases. Kroger, Albertsons/Safeway and Publix added the brand nationwide earlier in the year. This summer brought a nationwide Target expansion, along with a new multipack for the club channel.

Stellar's growth comes as the broader pretzel category continues to expand. Much of that growth has come from flavor innovation, as brands across the category roll out new sweet and savory varieties for more adventurous snackers.

Within that expanding category, Stellar is outpacing the field. According to SPINS, Stellar remains the fastest-growing nationally distributed pretzel brand in its category in the U.S. food market. Over the last 52 weeks, Stellar's MULO sales grew 205% versus the prior year, and the brand's average ACV distribution in MULO reached 20%, up 14.3 points. In the Total U.S. Grocery channel, Stellar contributed 27% of all pretzel category growth in the four weeks ending 10/4.

"It's an exciting time to be in the pretzel space," said Andy Yee, Stellar's Senior Brand Manager. " Snackers are looking for fun moments in their day-to-day life, and they want choices that fit the way they eat. Our Olive Oil Pretzel Braids give people more options. They're the same authentically baked braids and bold flavors our fans love, now with a new way to enjoy them, plus two brand-new flavors in Elote Loco and Spicy Flame."

Many consumers already know Stellar Snacks from Southwest Airlines flights, where its pretzels reach hundreds of millions of passengers each year. That airline partnership is central to the brand's origin story. Founder Elisabeth Galvin moved to the U.S. from France in the 1990s and began selling snacks to airlines. She and her daughter, Gina Galvin, built Stellar Snacks from there.

"Gina and I began Stellar with a simple dream: to share our love of wholesome food and spark a renaissance of the pretzel in America by offering something simple, buttery, fluffy and delicious," said Elisabeth. "Today, expanded national distribution is sending us soaring like a rocket, but our customers and fans are the ones who gave us wings: embracing Stellar, sharing our story and carrying us farther and faster than we ever imagined. It truly takes a village, and with our dedicated employees and incredible community beside us, we believe we are only beginning to see what Stellar can become."

Founded in 2019, Stellar Snacks bakes every pretzel from scratch each day, using handpicked seasonings and sustainably harvested flours. Every variety is vegan, non-GMO and kosher, and free of artificial flavors and top allergens, including peanuts and soy. The company is one of only a handful of pretzel manufacturers in the U.S., and the only one that is women-owned.

In addition to retail expansion, Main Post Partners made a strategic investment in Stellar Snacks earlier this year to fuel this next phase of growth.

"Our thoughtful and disciplined approach to building Stellar over the last five years has created a foundation for accelerated growth with product, flavor and pack size innovation to meet the needs of our shoppers and retailers," said Aidan McAuley, Senior Executive Vice President of Sales. "The shift towards "better for you snacking" will also contribute to sustained market share growth among the major segments of the Salty Snack category.  We couldn't be more excited about what lies ahead."

Stellar's "Baked with Olive Oil" Pretzel Braids will begin rolling out on retail shelves in October and will be available on Sprouts shelves in late October. Follow along @stellar_snacks.

About Stellar Snacks
Stellar Snacks is a mother-daughter-owned pretzel company founded by Elisabeth and Gina Galvin in 2019. Baked fresh daily in the U.S., Stellar's artisanal pretzels feature culinary-inspired flavors like Maui Monk, French Dijon, Cinnamon Dolce and more, made with high-quality natural ingredients. Stellar Pretzel Braids are available in their original recipe and baked in olive oil. All varieties are vegan, non-GMO and free of top allergens. The brand's signature Artist Program showcases emerging artists on packaging, embodying Stellar's mission to transform everyday snacking into purpose-filled moments. Stellar Snacks are served on major airlines and sold in thousands of retailers nationwide.

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SOURCE Stellar Snacks