I tried 17 of Aldi's most popular snacks, and there are 8 I would totally eat again
- Aldi is a German supermarket chain that's become popular in the United States for its great deals and products.
- I tried several of the chain's popular snack foods, and many of them were delicious.
- I wouldn't buy either of the ice creams I tried, but I enjoyed the string cheese and vanilla-cream brioche bread.
- The toasted-coconut Cookie Thins were my favorite snack and they tasted homemade.
The German-based supermarket chain Aldi has made a name for itself in the United States for its inexpensive and tasty foods. And, like many grocery stores, Aldi has plenty of iconic snacks.
As a writer for Insider, I was sent 17 popular snacks to review from Aldi. Although the snacks were free for review purposes, they typically cost under $6 each. I reviewed each item and decided whether I'd want to buy them or not.
Read on to learn which of these snacks I would buy again, and which was my overall favorite.
I was wary about the flaxseed in the multi-grain tortilla chips from Aldi's Simply Nature line
I decided to review these first because I planned to use them for all of the dips. They were quite good — if you're into multigrain things. Personally, I still prefer an old-fashioned corn chip.
The amount of salt on each chip was a pleasant surprise, and the flaxseed didn't really overpower it at all. I didn't get any of the sunflower-seed taste promised on the bag, but in general, these were delicious and fairly binge-able. That's all you can really ask for.
Verdict: I wouldn't seek these out or buy them, but I also wouldn't be disappointed if we crossed paths again
These gluten-free rosemary and olive oil multi-seed snack crackers didn't have much flavor
If you woke me up in the middle of the night and stuffed one of these crackers in my mouth without showing me the bag, I wouldn't have guessed they were flavored with rosemary and olive oil.
They had a small hint of those flavors, but they weren't as pronounced as the brown sugar or onion and garlic powder on the chip.
These are pretty solid, and I think those who love flaxseed would like these. Personally, I think the flaxseed somehow negates the taste of other, better ingredients, even though it's pretty much flavorless. That's the only reason these lose points.
Verdict: These hover on the edge of the would-buy category. I wasn't the biggest fan of these, but I could see myself buying them again if the mood struck me. They're also a decent option for those who avoid gluten since they're part of Aldi's gluten-free line, LiveGFree.
These black-sesame brown-rice crisps are also from Aldi's gluten-free line
These look like everything I don't want in a cracker — filled with seeds and made from brown rice — but I remained open-minded.
My main issue was that these didn't have enough salt and ended up tasting like bland corn chips.
These aren't bad if you pair them with dips, but that's only because the flavorlessness of the crisp kind of helps the dip stand out more.
Verdict: I wouldn't buy these, but if you're really looking to change up your dip game and start eating more seeds, I'd suggest giving these a try.
The medium, fresh-cut salsa had a pleasant kick
Store-bought salsa is rarely spicy enough for me, but this one was actually spicier than I expected. When store-bought salsa calls itself medium, it usually means "slightly less mild than mild," but not here.
This salsa actually tasted like it had jalapeno seeds in it, which was terrific. I also found this salsa to be a bit watery, which wasn't surprising because water is listed as an ingredient.
Overall, this was a great product. It had a genuinely pleasing kick and a true medium spice level, which is hard to come by.
Verdict: I would buy this.
The chunky, restaurant-style guacamole was tasty
It turns out "restaurant-style" does not mean authentic guac like you'd get at a great restaurant, but it's good
Putting tomato in the guacamole, which is less common for store-bought dips than you'd think, showed a lot of thought, even though it didn't add a robust flavor. The lime and jalapeno in the dip were flavorful, but I could've used a bit more onion and cilantro.
This was a fine guacamole and seemed like the kind you would get at a decent Mexican-American restaurant. If you split it with a group of friends, it would be gone in under 10 minutes.
Verdict: I would totally buy this. It didn't blow me away, but this is a very solid thing to put out at a party.
Another item from the Simply Nature collection, the organic, red-pepper hummus was simple, but not bad
I usually dip red bell pepper in hummus, so I was curious to see what it's like to have that flavor already in the mix. Would I end up just using a spoon?
Rosemary and olive oil was the first scooping chip I tried, and it overpowered the hummus. Surprisingly, the bland brown-rice one turned out to be the best control chip.
Great hummus is hard to come by, but this was pretty good even though it tasted sort of generic. There was a little red pepper in this, but it didn't blow me away.
Verdict: I don't know if I'd buy this, but I'd eat this if it was at somebody else's house.
The spinach-parmesan tzatziki with Greek yogurt was incredible
This had "midnight snack" written all over it. It tasted like cold spanakopita (a spinach-filled Greek pastry) filling, which is to say: delicious.
If this showed up at my Superbowl party, I'd be stoked. I can see myself blowing through 3/4ths of this at around midnight, and then deciding I might as well finish it 20 minutes later.
Verdict: I would absolutely buy this and eat it again.
The vanilla-cream brioche looked and smelled like something I'd be proud to bring to someone's house
Whenever I look at a pastry, I think, "Could I bring this to my aunt's house on Christmas?" In this instance, the answer is yes. The loaf was fluffy and it smelled delicious.
This was one of the most delicious pastries I've laid eyes on.
The taste reminded me of a gourmet, challah-bread Twinkie, which was incredible. The bread itself was dense, but not heavy, and the touch of vanilla was just enough.
Verdict: If I had house guests over, I would hide this loaf from them so I could eat it all myself.
The original beef biltong is a dream for those who love meat
Biltong is a form of cured, dried meat with Southern African roots and it tends to be thicker and more slowly created than jerky.
This snack definitely seemed like a thing my jacked friends would carry around in their backpack between workouts.
It didn't taste like jerky — and I feel like a jerk for thinking it would. The biltong was somewhat tougher and it didn't taste like it has the same preservatives.
Biltong is a meat lovers' paradise. If you don't like beef, you will likely not enjoy this and its slight hint of spice. The snack largely has what I can only describe as "meat flavor," which is sharp and gets more pronounced as you chew.
Verdict: I'd buy this again, but only because I really like beef.
I couldn't put down the Simply Nature organic, white-cheddar puffs
I'm no cheddar hound, but these were extremely snackable.
This tasted more like corn than, shall we say, macaroni in a pot, as I was hoping. I saw some pepper sprinkled on top, but couldn't taste it.
I went back and forth on my verdict for these since being snackable doesn't always equal greatness. I can eat a lot of these, but I can't see myself craving them.
Verdict: I'd eat the heck out of these in a friend's basement but probably wouldn't buy them for myself.
These cheddar-flavored cauliflower crackers are vegan
Cauliflower is a really unique vegetable, and I think it can be great in snacks if used correctly, like here. These had a slight cauliflower taste at the end, which wasn't bad. Plus there was an excellent cheddar flavor before that.
The bottom line is, I think you'd have a decent chance to trick a kid with these cheesy snacks. The conversation would go something like this: "Yeah, they're pretty cheesy, right? Yeah, good. Oh, you can't stop eating them? Cool that I let you eat junk food, huh? Psych! You just ate a vegetable!"
Verdict: I would totally buy these.
Benton's toasted-coconut Cookie Thins smelled and tasted like they were fresh from a bakery
These smelled so good. The downside is the whole bag fit into that tiny bowl, so they aren't suitable for a party, but that's probably for the best.
These are some of the best cookies I've ever had. I gave an audible "mmm" as I ate these because they were so delicious. They broke down in my mouth really easily and I was left with a lovely coconut flavor.
Verdict: I would buy a few bags of these and hide them from my guests so I could have them all.
Benton's coconut macaroons in the chocolatey flavor were pretty good, too
I love a good coconut macaroon. The chocolate in these was excellent, but there was just something missing with the coconut. It almost got buried here, not highlighted.
These were delicious but not as good as the toasted-coconut Cookie Thins.
Though this dessert had deficiencies, it seems like a good option for a chocolate lover who wants something sweet.
Verdict: I wouldn't buy these, but I'd eat them at a friend's house.
The Moser Roth dark sea-salt caramel bar felt fancy
This chocolate bar was as sophisticated as its name. It's the kind of snack would be served with a small glass of port, whatever that is, after a dinner party.
There was just the right amount of salt, and the chocolate was smooth and dark, like a novel by Henry James. The caramel was a little too understated for my unrefined palate, even though I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
This is certainly something for a chocolate lover to savor; I just prefer to devour.
Verdict: I wouldn't complain if this was given to me, even though I probably wouldn't buy it for myself.
The Happy Farms light string cheese was tasty and convenient
First off, it's wild that it's acceptable to eat a string of cheese, but people look at me funny when I carry a block of mozzarella around in my pocket and bite into it like an apple.
Anyway, this was delicious. Few things are better than a slightly rubbery string cheese. There was a slight bounce when I chewed.
Though I generally prefer a wet mozzarella, this was quite good and possessed a nice milky flavor.
Verdict: I'd absolutely buy this.
The Sundae Shoppe sea-salt caramel ice cream disappointed me a bit
This ice cream is advertised as "a good source of protein," but 20 grams of protein in one pint isn't actually that much. I looked up pints of Ben and Jerry's and realized some of their standard flavors, like Berry Sweet Marscapone, have the same amount of protein per pint.
Still, this Sundae Shoppe offering has way fewer calories than a usual pint of ice cream.
This was delicious, but it weirdly tasted like toffee, not the smooth caramel that I'm used to or wanted.
It contains milk protein concentrate — not an ingredient in standard ice cream — and I could taste it. This felt more like a frozen caramel protein shake than ice cream.
Verdict: I'm sure this is a great option for those who are following some tight dietary restrictions or who want some low-calorie, protein-heavy sweets, but I wouldn't buy this.
Sundae Shoppe's mini ice-cream cookie sandwiches seemed like a genius idea
The cookie itself was a bit soggy, even though I took it straight out of the freezer. Sogginess aside, the lack of vanilla flavor was the real issue. It got lost in the cookie shuffle.
I wanted a strong vanilla flavor to balance out the chocolate, but this just tasted like a cookie filled with whipped cream. In this case, the concept was better than the execution.
Verdict: I would not buy these. They're tasty, but there are better options in the freezer aisle.
Overall, the best snack in this group has to be the toasted-coconut Cookie Thins
There were a lot of great choices — and a lot of snacks I'd buy in the future — but I just can't stay away from the toasted-coconut Cookie Thins.
They had just the right amount of sweetness, which was offset by the perfect amount of butteriness.
The cookies were so delicious and so easy to eat that I felt like I was missing something when I was done. It's the same feeling I get watching someone solve a Rubik's Cube really quickly: so satisfying, but once it's over, I'm sitting there thinking, "That's it?"
Read More:
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