Is Aldi's raspberry danish worth your time? Are their fresh garlic
knots a heavenly taste bud twist, or did they leave us bent out of shape?
Here's how Aldi's bakery offerings stack up, ranked from worst to best.
It's impossible to mistake packaged grocery store bagels for the real thing, but they're
convenient and cheap, so almost everyone has settled for the lesser bagel at some point.
"They're fluffy. You can't get that from a store bagel."
Although few Aldi locations carry them all, there are plenty of bagels to choose from,
whether you like plain or everything, cinnamon raisin or blueberry, seasonal flavors like
pumpkin spice, diet-friendly skinnies or keto bagels. We decided that everything
bagels might best resemble our favorite New York bagel shop. Spoiler alert: they did not.
The toppings are fine. The fault is in the dough. They lack the oomph and
chewiness of authentic bagels. They're heartier than toast, but barely. But
if you're looking for convenience, this bagel-shaped product is fine.
Vanilla cake donuts dipped in chocolate are a time-honored favorite. With no messy fillings or
powdered sugar, they're easy to eat on the go. So when we saw Chocolate Frosted Mini Donuts at Aldi,
we knew we were taking them home. Not only did they appeal to our appetites,
but they're so cute and tiny. What could go wrong?
While the cake was light and tasty, the chocolate was disappointing. It
had a greasy mouthfeel, not the creamy richness we expect from chocolate. Are
these donuts the worst thing you could ever eat? Hardly; kids would probably love them,
and the price is so low that we wouldn't take them off the table completely. But
if this kind of donut is your favorite treat, you might want to hold out for another brand.
Chocolate chip cookies are one of life's simple pleasures,
and using chunks of chocolate instead of chips only makes them better,
so we had to try these Bake Shop Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Unfortunately, while these
cookies contain hearty chunks of chocolate, they aren't well distributed throughout the cookie.
If you love soft, chewy cookies, these are terrific. We found them almost underbaked,
but different strokes and all that. And unlike many bakery cookies,
they weren't sickeningly sweet. Redditors point out that some people perceive a fishy
smell from the canola oil in the cookies, so if you're sensitive to that, steer clear.
"That's weird."
While we probably won't repurchase these cookies,
preferences differ. They may be the cookie of your dreams.
Aldi sells several small cakes; depending on your store, you can try lemon-lime 7 Up,
or the one we sampled: Triple Chocolate Crème Cake. These cakes aren't meant
for a crowd. According to the nutrition label, the cake serves seven, and yes,
we were stumped at the thought of cutting a Bundt cake into seven equal pieces,
too. Since the entire cake weighs just 20 ounces, that means tiny slices.
"Why not just a sliver? Or, okay, a slice or two."
Regardless, we enjoyed the soft, delicate crumb of this cake. Unlike many store-made cakes,
it wasn't overly sweet. It had just the right amount of chocolate glaze
studded with mini chocolate chips. If you're looking for a decadent dark chocolate cake,
you'll be disappointed, but if you're in the throes of a cake craving, this is a solid choice.
We were so excited to grab these Kitchen Sink cookies. Peanut butter with chunks of chocolate,
white chocolate, peanut butter chips, pretzels, and coconut sounds like the marriage of sweet and
salty everyone needs in their life. Redditors sing their praises, but we were pretty disappointed.
We had trouble distinguishing the flavors,
and completely missed the promised sweet and salty bite we were anticipating.
Don't misunderstand: these cookies taste good. The peanut butter and white and dark chocolate
flavors come through. But the coconut flavor was nowhere, and we mistook the
pretzels for nuts until we reread the label. Plus the salty afterbite never materialized,
which was surprising considering the number of pretzels in the cookie.
Croissants are the ultimate French pastry, a yeasted dough laminated with tons of butter that
produces a sublimely flaky, rich pastry. These Specially Selected All-Butter Croissants are
petite, a boon for anyone watching their diet. While they can't be considered good for you,
at 210 calories and 9 grams of fat, they have a third of the calories of traditional croissants.
If you sample these croissants right from the package,
you're likely to be disappointed by their bland breadiness. However,
our opinion changed dramatically once we warmed them in the toaster. Heating them changed their
texture and made them taste authentically French. Redditors declare these croissants
a winner whether you heat them in the toaster oven, microwave, or air fryer, and we're sold.
We love oatmeal cookies but often find store-bought oatmeal cookies
lacking. So before we tried these Bake Shop Oatmeal Cranberry cookies,
we weren't expecting much. But these could be the best oatmeal cookies we've ever found at
a grocery store. They're soft and chewy, so if you like a snappy oatmeal cookie,
this isn't the one for you, but fans of meltingly soft cookies will be in heaven.
There are lots of tart dried cranberries in these, but the texture of the oatmeal is unmistakable.
And the cinnamon makes these cookies taste just like grandma's. These are definitely a keeper.
Garlic knots are always yummy, whether you like them for mopping up extra pasta sauce, as a side
with soup, or as late-night snacks. As New Yorkers with easy access to authentic pizzeria knots,
we were skeptical of L'oven Fresh. The ingredient label is long and complex, listing margarine made
from soybean oil, soy lecithin, palm oil, and a blend of canola and cottonseed oil.
We steeled ourselves for the school cafeteria version of garlic knots. They were slimy coming
out of the bag, and all those oils left them with an unattractive white coating.
"Gross, gross, gross."
But, much to our delight, these knots are actually fabulous. They came out of
the oven crisp and browned, while the inside stayed meltingly soft.
In this case, food chemistry comes through for the win:
the combination of oils tastes rich and buttery, and the blend of salt,
dehydrated garlic, and parsley imparts all the flavor of the neighborhood pizza joint. These
are a terrific, convenient option with any meal. Pro-tip: buy two bags. You'll eat them.
We first tried the Bake Shop Raspberry Danish right from the package. It tasted a bit dry,
with the sweetness overpowering the raspberry. But a few minutes in the toaster oven
transformed this pastry into a showstopper. The pastry seemed flakier and more delicate,
like something you'd buy at a chic city bakery rather than a grocery store. Once warmed,
the raspberry flavor cut the sweetness, and the fruit harmonized with the pastry's slight crunch.
This danish would elevate any breakfast or brunch table and is a bargain at
under four dollars. We'll pick this treat up again and again.
Aldi's Lemon Loaf Cake has a bright citrus flavor with a
spectacularly delicate crumb. Fans of Starbucks lemon loaf will love this,
especially since the entire package of 8 slices costs less than one slice at the coffee giant.
This cake is so delicious and light that we were tempted to eat several portions.
"More, please."
While its light, spongy texture is divine, the pieces are small, and you're looking at an empty
plate in no time. Try topping it with ice cream, berries, and whipped cream, or use it to make a
show-stopping trifle. Unfortunately, as with many Aldi products, this tiny cake is in too big of a
package. A wrapped tin loaf pan would save space and assure customers they were getting an entire
loaf cake, rather than leaving them wondering if they're getting less cake than advertised.
Naan is a mouthwatering flatbread from India that's beloved worldwide for its
savory versatility. Whether you use it to scoop up curries, as a pizza base,
for sandwich wraps, or to dip in hummus, naan makes everything better.
For this review, we tried the large size and made a Mexican pizza with salsa,
chunks of chicken breast, spinach, peppers, and cheddar. It was soft and
pillowy inside but hearty enough to hold all the toppings and eat with our hands.
"There's a naan and a half each."
While this naan tastes amazing,
we missed the extra flavor from the slightly charred spots you'll see on authentic naan,
whether fried in a skillet or baked in a tandoor. This is a minor complaint,
though, and it won't stop us from making this naan a regular item on our Aldi shopping list.
While making your own cinnamon bread isn't complicated, Aldi's house brand,
L'oven Fresh, makes cinnamon swirl bread with or without raisins that
brings your favorite toast to your plate faster and easier.
We love this bread. It's excellent toasted with butter and makes delectable French toast. If
you're a sweet and savory connoisseur, try it as a bacon and egg sandwich. Depending on our mood,
it needs more cinnamon flavor, but a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar does the job without a fuss.
The slices are on the small side, so use caution to avoid blackened toast. But you
can't go wrong with this cinnamon-raisin treat, whether you eat it with your morning coffee,
as a snowy day snack with hot chocolate, or when late-night munchies hit.
Brioche is a classic bread from France, enriched with butter and eggs. Its shiny,
domed crust makes it instantly recognizable. Although almost everyone loves it, many bakers
avoid this complicated baking project. That's where Aldi's bakery aisle comes in handy.
The Sliced Brioche Loaf is an outstanding all-purpose bread. The slices are thick
with a buttery softness that's a pleasure to eat. It lends itself to toast, sandwiches,
or homemade stuffing and croutons. Reddit users love it for French toast,
and it holds up well to hearty preserves.
Of course, since a healthy diet requires plenty of whole grains,
this loaf probably shouldn't be your everyday bread. But if you're planning a celebratory meal
or want to impress your family, the Sliced Brioche Loaf will make any meal memorable.
Aldi's house brand Bake Shop comes through with their Cinnamon Rolls.
These treats look less than impressive in the package; they lack the gorgeous round shape
we expect and are completely coated in white frosting. We were prepared to be underwhelmed,
but after a few minutes in the toaster oven, we couldn't have cared less about the shape.
They're soft with an exquisite cinnamon sweetness, and the frosting makes them delightfully gooey.
Plus they're reasonable for those watching their diets, with only 240 calories and 6 fat grams per
roll. We'd keep these on our shopping list because they taste homemade without hours in the kitchen.
Aldi offers brioche rolls, bread, and sliced loaves, but the chocolate chip brioche feels
special. We were prepared for it to be excellent, but the softness and light, airy texture went
above and beyond expectations. This bread is studded with chocolate chips for a decadent
chocolate experience. While making French toast with this brioche was our first thought – after
devouring it straight from the package – one Reddit user shared that it makes the perfect
substitute for a warm chocolate chip cookie when toasted and topped with butter and cinnamon sugar.
It tastes as good as one you'd make in your own kitchen but without all
the work. We'll be trolling the bakery every single shopping trip for this bread.
You don't need to count macros to know that certain carbs can wreak havoc on your blood
sugar and your waistline, but sometimes it can be tough to find swaps for products we
love that are packed with white flour. L'oven Fresh Low Carb Tortillas taste
exactly like flour tortillas with only 60 calories, 15 grams of fiber, and 4
grams of protein. They're perfect for wraps, quesadillas, burritos, and even pizzas.
And the L'oven Fresh Whole Wheat Tortillas are just as tasty as the original variety,
though oddly, they contain one less gram of fiber. We recommend warming these tortillas
no matter how you use them; it makes them pliable and gives them an authentic flavor. They heat up
beautifully in the oven, microwave, or charred directly over the flame if you have a gas stove.