Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes The Company is subject to U.S. federal, state and local taxes on its allocable portion of the income of Hostess Holdings, a partnership for U.S. federal and most applicable state and local taxes. As a partnership, Hostess Holdings is itself not subject to U.S. federal and certain state and local income taxes. The operations of Hostess Holdings include those of its C Corporation subsidiaries. The income tax expense in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations is based on an estimate of the Company’s annual effective income tax rate and adjusted for discrete items, if any. The Company’s estimated annual effective tax rate is 20.4% prior to taking into account any discrete items. During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recorded a discrete income tax benefit of $5.0 million related to a change in the Company’s estimated state tax rate and a discrete income tax expense of $1.6 million related to the buyout of the Tax Receivable Agreement entered into in connection with the Business Combination (the “Tax Receivable Agreement”). At December 31, 2017, the Company recorded provisional amounts for the impact of re-measurement on its deferred taxes related to Tax Reform as set forth under SAB No. 118 guidance. The Company finalized the accounting for Tax Reform as set forth under SAB No. 118 as of September 30, 2018. There were no adjustments made to the provisional amounts.

Income Taxes

The Company is subject to U.S. federal, state and local taxes on its allocable portion of the income of Hostess Holdings, a partnership for U.S. federal and most applicable state and local taxes. As a partnership, Hostess Holdings is itself not subject to U.S. federal and certain state and local income taxes. The operations of Hostess Holdings include those of its C Corporation subsidiaries.

The income tax expense in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations is based on an estimate of the Company’s annual effective income tax rate and adjusted for discrete items, if any. The Company’s estimated annual effective tax rate is 20.4% prior to taking into account any discrete items. During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recorded a discrete income tax benefit of $5.0 million related to a change in the Company’s estimated state tax rate and a discrete income tax expense of $1.6 million related to the buyout of the Tax Receivable Agreement entered into in connection with the Business Combination (the “Tax Receivable Agreement”).

At December 31, 2017, the Company recorded provisional amounts for the impact of re-measurement on its deferred taxes related to Tax Reform as set forth under SAB No. 118 guidance. The Company finalized the accounting for Tax Reform as set forth under SAB No. 118 as of September 30, 2018. There were no adjustments made to the provisional amounts.