Bredele
BakeNov to Dec
Bredele suit anyone in Alsace in December who wants to taste what families bake at home, and the trade-off is that the best tins are made in kitchens and given away. In Strasbourg, buy them from the Bas-Rhin bakers at the Marché des délices.
Where to eat Bredele
- Strasbourg Christmas market, Marché des délicesStrasbourg
Bas-Rhin bakers sell traditional Bredle on the Palais Rohan terrace, and a pop-up bakehouse runs Bredle lessons on Wednesdays.
- Dresden AugustusmarktDresden
Dresden's tourism board lists Alsatian Weihnachtsbredele among the international stalls.
Bredele are the small Christmas biscuits of Alsace and Moselle, and the name changes with the valley: bredele or braedele in the Bas-Rhin, bredala in the Haut-Rhin and bredle in Strasbourg itself. Families often bake more than ten kinds from November, keep them in metal tins and hand them round with coffee or as small gifts. Recipes pass down by word of mouth, so French Wikipedia says there are about as many kinds as there are Alsatian families.
Nobody can say for sure how old they are. French Wikipedia points to the moulds, the oldest of which dates from the 14th century, and says Bredele spread more widely in the 18th century and grew common in the early 19th, when cutters came into use. The word only entered the Larousse dictionary in 2018 and Le Petit Robert in 2019.
Strasbourg's Christmas site sends you to the Marché des délices for them. On the Palais Rohan terrace, bakers from the Fédération Patronale de la Boulangerie du Bas-Rhin sell traditional Bredle beside Alsace wines, and the site lists Bredle-baking lessons in a pop-up bakehouse on Wednesdays, booked ahead by phone. Outside Alsace, Dresden's tourism board lists Alsatian Weihnachtsbredele on its Augustusmarkt.
Worth knowing
- Book the Wednesday Bredle lesson at Strasbourg's Marché des délices early if you're travelling with children who like to bake.
Quick answers about Bredele
What are Bredele?
Bredele are small Alsatian Christmas biscuits. Families bake many kinds from November, among them Anisbredele, Butterbredele, Schwowebredele and Zimtsterne, and keep them in tins through the season.
Where can I buy Bredele in Strasbourg?
Strasbourg's Christmas site points to the Marché des délices on the Palais Rohan terrace, where bakers from the Bas-Rhin bakers' federation sell traditional Bredle.
How do you order Bredele?
Buy a mixed bag so you can try several kinds, then ask for the ones you liked by name: Anisbredele, Butterbredele, Schwowebredele or Zimtsterne. In Strasbourg, the Bas-Rhin bakers' stalls at the Marché des délices sell the traditional ones.
When is Bredele in season?
Bredele: Families start baking in November, and the biscuits fill tins through the Christmas season. Strasbourg's market opens on Friday 27 November 2026.