From hidden gems in the bakery aisle to insider tips on the best day to shop for pillowy goodies,
savvy shoppers are mindful of a few hacks that make the most
of this cult favorite store and their devilly delicious bakery.
What do Thomas' Breads, English muffins, Entemann's snack cakes,
and Sara Lee sandwich bread have in common? Their producer is Bimbo Bakeries USA,
aka the largest producer of baked bread goods in the United States.
This bakery leads the statistics in the production of sliced bread,
English muffins, and hot dog buns. According to Bimbo, you most likely
have one of its products sitting on your kitchen shelf right now; the company states
that an estimated 80% of American households consume Bimbo products on a regular basis.
While it's never been fully confirmed, some rumors suggest the massive commercial bakery
is behind Aldi's private-label baked goods brand, L'oven Fresh. This is especially likely
since Aldi acknowledged Bimbo as its supplier in a 2015 recall notice. This probable truth isn't
necessarily bad — L'oven Fresh bread is wildly popular — but it's an interesting tidbit to
keep in mind for consumers who like to know more about the backend production of their groceries.
For most American Aldi stores, baked goods are sourced from regional bakeries across the
country. However, a lucky few locations are part of the growing subset of Aldi stores that have
a source of freshly-baked bread aromas within their own four walls. If your local Aldi has a
sign proclaiming "Oven Fresh Bake Shop" over a glass-doored wall of fresh bread, donuts,
scones, pretzels, and other baked delicacies, you're in luck — it boasts an in-house bakery.
These bakeries cropped up in certain Aldi locations across Maryland and the Midwest
as a test by the grocer to gauge shopper interest regarding the availability of freshly-made baked
goods. Unfortunately, this self-serve wall of carby goodness isn't a ubiquitous Aldi feature
just yet, but perhaps you're fortunate enough to be within reasonable commuting distance
to one of the locations on the unofficial Aldi in-house bakery list compiled by fans on Reddit.
The prices on most Aldi baked goods are already great, but if you want to shave
even more off of your grocery bill, you'll want to start paying attention to the expiration dates
of your local shop's stock. The grocery store is known to discount its baked goods by 50% in the
days before expiration. The exact cutoff day is unclear, as some sources state that this happens
five days before expiration while others suggest it's only two. Nevertheless, with a couple of
well-timed trips you should be able to figure out which system your nearest Aldi abides by.
In any case, if you spy a baked good you'd like to get but don't want to pay full price, check its
expiration date and plan to return closer to then and be on the lookout for a sticker. Keep in mind
that you run the risk of items being bought up by the time you're back. You could also nicely ask an
Aldi employee if a baked good that expires within the next few days could be prematurely discounted.
At most grocery stores, shoppers have the power. Don't like the price of a product at
one store? You can probably find better rates at another. One of your longtime favorites is
out of stock? Looks like the store across town has a whole shelf full. Unfortunately,
the same can't be said of Aldi since it stocks a large proportion of items from its own line.
For example, don't assume you can find L'oven Fresh's delicious Hawaiian bagels elsewhere
if you don't like the prices — that product, like 90% of the items in the store's bakery,
is exclusive according to the Aldi website. Unfortunately, this also means that if you
fall in love with an item from the Aldi bakery and the store stops carrying it,
you may never see it again. Whether it’ll come back or not? Well, that’s up to Aldi’s…
“This mistake is being corrected so, stock up quick! Go, go, go!”
Do you want the bagels, breads, and muffins from Aldi's Bake Shop to be
pillowy-soft and oven-fresh every time you bite into them? If so,
you'll want to flock to the grocery store on Wednesday mornings.
This is the best time to buy bread at Aldi because it's when the store
restocks fresh items in the bakery, produce, and seasonal sections. Plus,
you can simultaneously take stock of what will soon expire and be discounted.
Aldi's new weekly ad also drops on Wednesdays, so you will likely be able to find some steals across
the board in the bakery, produce, meat, and pantry sections. If you are able to,
make a point to rise early and be one of the doorbusters at your local Aldi to ensure you
can take advantage of the sales before stock runs out. Aka, don’t be this guy…
“What?!”
“Are you open?”
“Read the sign.”
“I’ll have a Krabby Patty Deluxe and a Double Chili Kelp Fries!”
If this is the first you're hearing about a 7UP cake, we know what you're probably thinking:
Why? It may come as a surprise that Aldi Bake Shop's 7UP cake isn't some hip,
trendy spin on a lemon pound cake. Still, tradition trumps novelty here,
as the practice of putting soda in cake recipes originated in the South since at least the 1950s.
Bubbly beverages replace leavening agents and can create totally new cake flavors. Popular
pops like Coca-Cola, 7UP, and root beer are among the most widely-known sodas to be included in
baking. Aldi's 7UP cake is moist, dense, and tastes just like a cold can of its namesake,
so it may be worth making a trip to the Bake Shop to get your fix!
You just can't leave the Aldi bakery aisle without snatching up a bag of scrumptious
brioche or French toast bagels. These unique bagels make a strong case for being the best
Aldi bakery finds you can get your hands on, but if you don't believe us, you could always
refer to the 2022 Product of the Year Awards. Both varieties won in the breakfast category,
and other baked products by Aldi like its French baguette have also received praise.
If you've never had the brioche bagels, you are missing out. Dense and buttery,
they are the perfect vessel for a thick layer of your favorite flavor of cream
cheese. The maple French toast bagels have a sweet taste that is an excellent contrast
to the salty savory combination of bacon and eggs in a bagel breakfast sandwich.
Who doesn't love King's Hawaiian sweet rolls? These soft and buttery-sweet
rolls make excellent buns for sliders or sides for dinners like a roast chicken or
pot roast. They're even good enough to shamelessly sneak right out of the bag
and enjoy solo. What you might not know is that a more affordable but equally
delicious alternative is right under your nose at Aldi — the L'oven Fresh Hawaiian sweet rolls.
Fans rated these rolls as "better than the name brand" in the Aldi Fan Favorites survey in 2020
according to PR Newswire, so you might just find them yummy enough to replace
King's Hawaiian on your bread shelf altogether. Plus, the price discrepancy can’t be overstated;
King's Hawaiian sweet rolls cost around $5 per pack of 12 at Target, while L'oven Fresh Hawaiian
sweet rolls are around $3 at Aldi. There's no wonder these buns are a beloved copycat!
“Okay! Who wants sweet rolls?”
“Ooo, I do.”
“I do!”
Gluten-sensitive and Gluten-intolerant shoppers won't feel left out in the Aldi Bake Shop aisle.
The grocery store carries an entire line of products dedicated to gluten-free eating,
including breaded chicken, rice crisps, pasta, bread,
and other baked goods. There are several varieties of bread, wraps, tortillas, and
bagels available in the liveGfree product family, although stock will vary individually by store.
LiveGfree products earn overwhelmingly positive marks in reviews across the web,
and even Fooducate praises LiveGfree bread for being high in fiber and rates the product a B,
meaning that it's better than average. That’s not all Aldi’s has to offer for
the health conscious shopper though! Keto dieters have rejoiced over the keto-friendly
bread offered by Aldi's private bakery label, L'oven Fresh, ever since it launched in 2019.
If you ever want a break from your own oven, you don't have to go to expensive
cafes for delicious fresh fall pastries — Aldi has you covered. Our favorite seasonal
scores are without a doubt the Bake Shop apple cider donuts and pumpkin sliced
loaf cake. It also wouldn't be autumn without one of Aldi Bake Shop's pies.
These ready-made pies have flaky, buttery crusts and taste like they're fresh from
the oven once you warm them up. Seasonal flavors typically include pumpkin, pecan,
traditional apple, and caramel apple. If you’re more of a breakfast eater,
Aldi’s warm, gooey cinnamon rolls don’t disappoint. They’re Bake Shop
cinnamon rolls are delightful as is, with a generous cinnamon filling and soft pastry.
If you’re feeling especially indulgent, head to the Aldi Bake Shop and pick up a loaf of
the Specially Selected sliced brioche loaf with chocolate chips. This delightful baked bread
makes the absolute best French toast, and Aldi fans on Reddit can't get enough of it.
A big platter of French toast made with chocolate chip brioche tastes
like warm chocolate chip cookies, as one Redditor describes. Meanwhile,
another adds that you can truly transform the dish by following Alton Brown's French toast recipe.
You won't want to pass up Aldi's 100% real maple syrup either,
which is usually priced very competitively compared with options from other stores,
as well as a pile of thick-cut bacon to round out the meal.
On another Aldi brunch post, a fan comments that the chocolate chip brioche is divine warmed up
and served with sliced strawberries and a bit of chocolate sauce. You could also toast a slice,
then add some butter and cinnamon sugar. Feeling particularly bold?
One redditor used the bread to switch up their peanut butter
and jelly sandwich and added nutella to the mix. Talk about chocolate overload!