Chestnut Prices in Switzerland: Raw, Peeled or Roasted

Raw chestnuts are the cheapest way to enjoy Marroni this autumn. In Swiss supermarkets they cost CHF 7.00 to 12.50 per kilo. Peeled Marroni cost CHF 13.30 to 18.00, and small ready-to-eat packs CHF 24.50 to 39.50 per kilo.

The season is just starting. Ticino's central chestnut collection runs from 23 September to 3 November 2026 (Corriere del Ticino, 17 September 2026). Below you find the prices, the Swiss chestnut regions and a safe way to roast chestnuts in the oven or a pan.

What chestnuts cost in Swiss supermarkets

Regular prices from Eini's price data, collected on 23 September 2026 (Coop, Denner) and 24 September 2026 (Migros). Prices change; promotions and regional offers can differ. Product names appear in German, as in our data.

For these dates, our data holds no chestnut products from Aldi or Lidl. That does not mean their branches have none. Shelves also carry Marroni yoghurt and chestnut bread. They are not chestnuts as such, so they are not in the table.

Raw, peeled or roasted: where your money goes

• Raw is cheapest per kilo. Denner's 500 g bag works out at CHF 7.00 per kg, Coop's chestnuts at CHF 12.50. The raw weight includes the shell, which you throw away.
• Frozen peeled Marroni cost only a little more. At CHF 13.30 (Migros M-Classic) and CHF 13.90 (Coop) per kg, they cost CHF 0.80 to 1.40 more than Coop's raw chestnuts. You pay for no shell and skip the peeling. Our frozen vs fresh comparison looks at this trade-off.
• Cooked and ready-roasted cost about the same. Coop's cooked Marroni come to CHF 17.38 per kg. The roasted Marroni in their shell at Migros come to CHF 17.67.
• Snack packs are the expensive option. The 100 g packs cost CHF 24.50 to 39.50 per kg. That is 3.5 to 5.6 times the cheapest raw price.

Roasting also costs weight. Ticino's chestnut roasters count on a weight loss of around 30% (Intangible Search, 2017). So 1 kg of Denner chestnuts for CHF 7.00 gives about 700 g roasted. That is roughly CHF 10 per roasted kilo, plus the electricity for the oven. With Coop's raw chestnuts you land at almost CHF 18, about the same as the ready-roasted pack.

The Migros chestnuts in caramel sauce (CHF 17.07 and 18.97 per kg) are glazed, so part of what you pay for is sugar. For Vermicelles, purée costs CHF 11.14 to 11.36 per kg at all three stores. This classic is chestnut purée pressed into thin strands and served with whipped cream or meringue (Culinary Heritage of Switzerland). Planning game this autumn? Our game season guide covers the rest of the plate.

Marroni or Kastanien: what is the difference?

Every Marroni is a chestnut, but not every chestnut is a Marroni. Kastanien is the umbrella term for many varieties, and Marroni are one of them. They usually taste a little sweeter and more intense (SRF, 7 November 2022).

In 1999, the Wädenswil research station, now Agroscope, described Marroni as large fruits. A kilo holds fewer than 80 to 85, and a burr never more than three. Their inner skin comes off easily without damaging the flesh (Agroscope, 1999).

Swiss production covers only a very small part of what the country eats (Culinary Heritage of Switzerland). Large retailers and Marroni stands mostly sell Marroni from big plantations in Italy, southern France, Spain and Turkey. SRF reported this, citing the WSL research institute (SRF, 2022). If Swiss origin matters to you, check the label or the shelf sign. Horse chestnuts from the park are not related and not edible (SRF).

Swiss chestnut regions and the season

Most Swiss chestnut groves are in the south. Of 26'000 hectares, 92% lie in Ticino and in the valleys of Graubünden (Culinary Heritage of Switzerland). For centuries, the sweet chestnut was the food Ticino relied on most. In October, castagnate (chestnut festivals) take place all over Ticino (Switzerland Tourism).

North of the Alps, chestnuts grow in Valais from Fully to St-Gingolph and near Villeneuve. Others grow on Lake Lucerne and at Murg on Lake Walen (Culinary Heritage of Switzerland). In Valais, the brisolée of roasted chestnuts with local products and wine is usually held in October and November. On the slopes of the Rigi, between Lake Lucerne and Lake Zug, chestnuts were harvested until the early 1950s. The IG Pro Kastanie Zentralschweiz, founded in 2000 in Greppen, works to bring these groves back (IG Pro Kastanie Zentralschweiz).

Want to gather your own? Check the rules first. In Valais, for example, some communal groves are open to anyone for private use. Maintained private groves are off limits to walkers (Culinary Heritage of Switzerland).

Depending on variety and region, chestnuts ripen between mid-September and early November (Agroscope, 1999). In Ticino, the organisers of the collection hope to repeat last year's 70 to 75 tonnes (Corriere del Ticino, 17 September 2026). At Marroni stands, prices vary from vendor to vendor and from town to town, so we do not list them here.

How to roast chestnuts at home

The method follows SRF's kitchen tip and the German Federal Centre for Nutrition (BZfE).

1. Choose and soak. Pick shiny chestnuts with firm shells. Soak them in cold water for about an hour; any that float may be worm-eaten (SRF Trick 77, 13 October 2018).
2. Score every chestnut. Cut a cross into the rounded side, through the hard shell and the inner skin, but barely into the nut. This stops the chestnuts from bursting in the oven (BZfE, 3 December 2025).
3. Oven. Lay them cut side up on the tray, with a cup of boiling water next to them. Roast at 220°C for about 40 minutes (SRF). BZfE gives 20 to 30 minutes at 175 to 200°C, also with a bowl of water.
4. Pan. For small amounts, use a cast-iron pan without oil and keep the lid closed. They are ready when the cuts open and the shell darkens (BZfE).
5. Peel while warm. The bitter inner skin comes off more easily while the chestnuts are still warm (BZfE).

Raw Marroni keep for about a month in the fridge in a perforated plastic bag. To freeze them, score them, blanch for about four minutes and peel. Frozen, they keep for twelve months (Swissmilk).

Where Eini fits

The table shows regular prices. Eini's Groceries module works with promotions instead. It builds a weekly meal plan for lunch and dinner around the week's real promotions at Coop, Migros, Lidl, Aldi, Denner and Aligro. It also creates your shopping list, grouped by store, category or recipe. See how it works on the meal planner page; your first 3 meal plans are free.