12,000,000 Shares Class a Common Stock Morgan Stanley

Table of Contents The information in this preliminary prospectus supplement is not complete and may be changed. This preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are not an offer to sell these securities and are not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4) Registration No. 333-214603 Subject to completion. Dated August 13, 2019. PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT TO PROSPECTUS DATED NOVEMBER 28, 2016 12,000,000 Shares Class A Common Stock The selling stockholders of Hostess Brands, Inc. identified in this prospectus supplement are offering 12,000,000 shares of our Class A common stock. We are not selling any shares in this offering and will not receive any of the proceeds. We will bear all of the offering expenses other than the underwriting discounts and commissions. Our Class A common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “TWNK.” On August 12, 2019, the last reported sale price of our Class A common stock was $14.36 per share. The underwriter has agreed to purchase shares of Class A common stock from the selling stockholders at a price of $ per share, which will result in $ of aggregate proceeds to the selling stockholders. The underwriter may offer the Class A common stock from time to time for sale in one or more transactions on the NASDAQ Capital Market, in the over-the-counter market, through negotiated transactions or otherwise at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. We have agreed to reimburse the underwriter for certain FINRA-related expenses. See “Underwriting.” Investing in our Class A common stock involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement, as well as those contained in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, for a discussion of factors you should consider before buying shares of our common stock. Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. The underwriter expects to deliver the shares of Class A common stock against payment in New York, New York on or about , 2019. Morgan Stanley Prospectus Supplement dated , 2019 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT S-ii FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS S-ii TRADEMARKS AND TRADE NAMES S-iii EXPLANATORY NOTE ON BUSINESS COMBINATION AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT PRESENTATION S-iii PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY S-1 THE OFFERING S-3 SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION S-4 RISK FACTORS S-6 USE OF PROCEEDS S-7 CAPITALIZATION S-8 DIVIDEND POLICY S-9 SELLING STOCKHOLDERS S-10 UNDERWRITING S-11 LEGAL MATTERS S-17 EXPERTS S-17 DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE S-17 None of us, the selling stockholders, or the underwriter has authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. We, the selling stockholders and the underwriter take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus constitute an offer to sell only the shares of Class A common stock offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is current only as of its respective date. Persons who come into possession of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus in jurisdictions outside the United States are required to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions as to this offering and the distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus applicable to that jurisdiction. S-i Table of Contents ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT This document has two parts, a prospectus supplement and an accompanying prospectus dated November 28, 2016. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are part of a shelf registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Under the shelf registration process, the selling stockholders may offer and sell, from time to time, shares of our Class A common stock in one or more offerings. The accompanying prospectus provides you with a general description of the Class A common stock. This prospectus supplement contains specific information about the terms of this offering of shares of Class A common stock by the selling stockholders named in this prospectus supplement. This prospectus supplement may also add to, update or change information contained in the accompanying prospectus or in any documents that we have incorporated by reference into the accompanying prospectus and, accordingly, to the extent inconsistent, information in the accompanying prospectus is superseded by the information in this prospectus supplement. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. The registration statement filed with the SEC includes or incorporates by reference exhibits that provide more details about the matters discussed in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the related exhibits filed with the SEC, together with the additional information described herein and in the accompanying prospectus under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Documents Incorporated by Reference.” No offer of the Class A common stock will be made in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein contain statements reflecting our views about our future performance that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements contained other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, our business strategy and plans, and our objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. Statements that constitute forward-looking statements are generally identified through the inclusion of words such as “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “estimates,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “will,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” or similar language. Statements addressing our future operating performance and statements addressing events and developments that we expect or anticipate will occur are also considered as forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements included in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein are made only as of the date thereof. It is routine for our internal projections and expectations to change throughout the year, and any forward-looking statements based upon these projections or expectations may change prior to the end of the next quarter or year. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, our actual results or performance may be materially different from those expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties are identified and discussed in “Risk Factors.” All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these risk factors. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. S-ii Table of Contents TRADEMARKS AND TRADE NAMES This prospectus supplement includes our trademarks and service marks, including, among others, Hostess®, Twinkies®, Ding Dongs®, Ho Hos®, Donettes®, Zingers®, Sno Balls®, Suzy Q’s®, Dolly Madison®, Cloverhill® and Big Texas® which are protected under applicable intellectual property laws and are our property. This prospectus supplement may also contains trademarks, service marks, trade names and copyrights of other companies, which are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus supplement may appear without the ® or TM symbols. We do not intend our use or display of other parties’ trademarks, trade names or service marks to imply, and such use or display should not be construed to imply, a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, these other parties. EXPLANATORY NOTE ON BUSINESS COMBINATION AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT PRESENTATION Hostess Brands, Inc. (f/k/a Gores Holdings, Inc.) was originally incorporated in Delaware on June 1, 2015 as a special purpose acquisition company, or a SPAC, formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock

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