These Aldi Desserts Have Been Missing From Your Life
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Are you an Aldi fan? Do you like dessert? Do you breathe oxygen? Ha ha, yes, it's Ask a Silly Question Day! But if you answered yes to the first two (well, actually all three, because if you're a zombie, you probably prefer brains on toast), you undoubtedly enjoy the wide selection of decadent deliciousness available at your favorite grocer.
If you haven't been able to shop at Aldi lately, well, we feel for you. Not to cause you any further FOMO, but you may have been curious about all the new products the store has come out with since your last visit, most specifically in everybody's favorite section. Also, it's possible you've been wondering whether all of your old favorites are still available. While we can't cover the entire dessert line, these are a few of our favorite sweet treats that should be on the shelves (or in the freezer case) at your local Aldi.
Belmont New York Cheesecake
Most cheesecakes seem to come with some type of topping or add-on — brownie mocha swirl, strawberry kiwi crumble, salted caramel macadamia crunch. While these may be yummy, true cheesecake fans know that sometimes the plainest is the best. While Aldi's Belmont New York Cheesecake doesn't exactly compare to Lindy's, it's a pretty good approximation for a grocery store cheesecake, and at $2.19 for two slices (via Instacart), it's ... well, probably a whole heck of a lot cheaper than Lindy's used to be. Not to mention, in order to find out, you'd need a time machine, since the New York Post says this iconic NYC eatery closed up shop a few years ago.
If New York style's not your thing, though, Aldi does offer flavored cheesecake, as well. You can even get a sampler featuring four different varieties: triple chocolate, strawberry swirl, and chocolate caramel turtle, in addition to the classic New York style.
Belmont Thank You Cherry Much Premium Ice Cream
In addition to frozen desserts, Belmont also makes a line of Aldi house-branded ice creams, including several premium pints that are comparable to a certain high-end brand that rhymes with Men and Cherries. Of Belmont's three premium flavors, our favorite is Thank You Cherry Much, which is, okay, a fairly obvious knockoff of Cherry Garcia with its cherry-flavored ice cream, cherries, and chocolate chunks. But at $2.55 per pint (via Instacart), it's maybe only about half the price of its more famous tastesake.
If you're not into cherries, Aldi also offers two more whimsically-named ice cream flavors: Make Fudge, Not War (chocolate with brownie chunks) and Brookie Dough (chocolate and vanilla ice creams with cookie dough and brownie chunks). Maybe if we keep buying them, Aldi will get the hint and come up with an expanded flavor line a la B&J: a banana-chocolate-walnut Monkey Business, perhaps, or maybe a chocolate-caramel-marshmallow Gone Phishing?
Moser Roth Luxurious European Chocolate Truffles
Aldi's Moser Roth Luxurious European Chocolate Truffles are priced at just $4.39 on Instacart, but these exact chocolates are priced at about $12 on Amazon for the same seven-ounce box. What's more, people seem to be buying them at this price, too, and they've got a four-star rating with comments like "scrumptious," "highly addictive," and "absolutely delicious." The only negative comments were in regards to the shipping (evidently they tend to melt if mailed, as chocolate will do), which is not a problem you'll face should you buy them in-store or via Instacart.
In each box (which is itself pretty fancy-looking, as befitting a much more high-end brand), you get 16 truffles in eight different flavors: vanilla, sea salt caramel, strawberry rhubarb, hazelnut, white vanilla, mousse au chocolat, caramel chocolate, and tuxedo, this last being a dark-and-white chocolate combo. These truffles are the kind of thing that would make a great host/ess gift, since anyone unfamiliar with Aldi would think you spent a lot more than $4, that's for sure. Even if your host is an Aldi fan, though, they'll undoubtedly appreciate your shared good taste.
Specially Selected Macarons
This one is for those who love macarons, but hate the high price tag. And well, who doesn't? They are so pretty, so yummy, but so darn pricey, and are also not the kind of thing you can easily whip up at home, since they're pretty labor-intensive. But we've got some good news: Aldi sells frozen macarons for under $5 a dozen, so they're one indulgence that you can actually afford without feeling too much financial guilt.
The Specially Selected Macarons are technically not French, but Belgian, but that's a minor quibble. Another teeny-tiny one is that they take some time to defrost (at least half an hour), although the fact that they're frozen means they won't go stale if you want to stock up. They come in six different flavors (you get two of each): chocolate, lemon, pistachio, raspberry, salted caramel, and vanilla. The Aldi Reviewer says there's not a bad flavor in the box, though the writer admits that she and her daughters fight over who gets the coveted raspberry ones.
Specially Selected Dark Pizzelle Cookies
Another Specially Selected-brand cookie has yet to become a trendy mega-hit in the U.S. with a mega-price to match, although the pizzelle is just as deserving of notice as the more famous macaron. If you're familiar with these Italian treats, they are kind of like thin, crunchy little waffles. And Aldi's version comes in three varieties: vanilla, chocolate, and anise (which is kind of licorice-y, and is a popular flavor in Italy).
While Aldi's pizzelles can definitely stand on their own, some Aldi innovators like to dress them up a bit. One Redditor makes sandwiches using pizzelles and Cool Whip and pops them in the freezer, though this would work just as well with whipped cream or even ice cream. (Although the latter would have a higher calorie count, the Cool Whip version reportedly has only 84.5 calories per sandwich.) If calories are not a concern, you could also take a tip from the Rockin' Mama blog and heat each pizzelle in the microwave before gently bending it into a taco shape, and then filling it with ice cream and toppings for dessert tacos.