18 Holiday Foods And Drinks At Aldi, Ranked Worst To Best

When the holiday season officially kicks off, Aldi begins rolling out the red carpet of budget-friendly and tastebud-stimulating steals. The shelves are teeming with unique seasonal products that only come at this time of the year. 

If you're an Aldi regular, you know that you'd better act fast when an old favorite arrives back on the scene. What do you do when too many favorites arrive all at once? You do not get overwhelmed because you can start with this list of Aldi finds that rank the best holiday foods and drinks, from the worst (of the best) to the absolute must-buy. 

Here you'll find a sugar cookie hummus, sparkling cranberry-ginger cider, and even an eggnog Greek yogurt ... let the (reindeer) games begin! Just remember that part of Aldi's mystique is that revolving door of products, meaning that you can never be 100% guaranteed to find a particular item. The silver lining is that you might spot another one just as good in exchange. 

Truffles have become more common in food products, especially around holidays. According to Science of Cooking, the flavor of black truffles can be compared to Gorgonzola cheese, but with earthy cooked mushroom base notes, and obviously without the dairy notes. Truffles are ridiculously expensive, hard to find, and buried in tradition.  

The blend of cream cheese, ricotta, and Parmesan in the Park Street Deli Truffle Dip made for a decadent and deeply cheesy backdrop that everyone could get behind. Even without the truffle oil, it's texturally a smash hit and a feast for cheese lovers. For truffle and mushroom lovers, the flavor was tame. If you dislike truffles, you should avoid this dip, but if you're open-minded, you simply won't find one cheaper than at Aldi. We'd enjoy it with crudités because raw carrots and celery deserve a little truffle treatment. 

Traditional German cookies are now ridiculously accessible, thanks to Aldi. Winternacht Pfeffernüsse Iced Gingerbread Cookies are ready to be opened in the car on the way to your grandma's house or when coming home from a busy shopping session (we might have done this). The name means "pepper nuts," according to KPCC, and is a nod to the array of spices that often include ground cinnamon, star anise, clove, cardamom, ginger, and mace. 

We weren't exactly swept away since the cookie admittedly tasted like it came from a bag, and the spice was muted rather than peppery. But otherwise, they're a delightful choice. We loved the smooth sugary glaze contrasted against the soft, gingery dough. Try making them at home if you're feeling inspired, so take a break from sugar cookies and whip up a batch of homemade pfeffernüsse. 

Gluten-free gingerbread donuts in the frozen section? That was a unique discovery. Maybe you and your family are on a gluten-free diet but still want a fun treat that's different from the typical gluten-free cookies.

We're not saying these are all that impressive because the texture was a little dense and the flavor a little muddled, but even regular frozen donuts come with those caveats. Meanwhile, we agreed that the bold flavors of gingerbread masked the natural blandness that gluten-free products often bring to the table. Any cardboard undertones were only noticed by the most particular of our team. All in all, they're not great, but they're certainly not bad at all, and they might just be an excellent choice for gluten-free gingerbread lovers. 

French onion soup is basically a big pot of brothy caramelized onions, meaning that the onions are cooked long and slow in a fat. They are then transformed into a topping that improves nearly anything they touch. Which now, we see, includes cheese. We've seen French onions in cheddar before, but Roth Cheese chose havarti for an unexpected base that makes perfect sense. We had to try it.

The verdict: the creamy mildness of havarti means that the buttery, rich flavor and lacey texture of the onions really shines. Havarti melts well, too, so this choice would be perfect for grilled cheese, simple snacking, or sinking into a savory broth of French onion soup. We probably wouldn't go to the grocery store only to purchase this one cheese, but if we have any other excuse, we're tossing it into our cart. 

Dessert hummus isn't for everyone. Some of our team members think hummus needs to stay in its lane and that roasted garlic or red pepper is all it needs to self-improve. Others love the weird liminal space between "snack" and "treat" that dessert hummus occupies. That's why Aldi's Sugar Cookie Dessert Hummus is so brilliant. Before tasting it, we thought this was might be the strangest variety yet. After tasting it, we changed our tune. 

The flavor of plain hummus is simple yet immensely palatable. Meanwhile, its thick and creamy texture is a major part of the appeal. Aldi takes that plain hummus and adds a little vanilla and sweetness, and voila! It reminds us of a sugar cookie. Then, backed by the taste of a sugar cookie, the texture of hummus suddenly reminds us of ... cookie dough. Most of our anti-dessert hummus testers even admitted that this was a crowd-pleaser. 

Pumpkin spice everything in fall is expected. It even infiltrates cheese. When the seasons change again, and Christmas carols appear on the radio, the flavor innovations have to keep up. And isn't gingerbread just a bigger, bolder, and spicier version of pumpkin spice? So here comes Gingerbread Goat Cheese. There were mixed emotions among the tasting team, but the results were favorable.

Many of us thought that the savory spices that constitute traditional gingerbread — allspice, black pepper, and ginger — actually undercut and balanced the sweeter ones — cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves — (dare we say "naughty but nice"). Together, they do create a nicely complex overall flavor. It also added life to the sometimes bland taste of plain goat cheese, helping offset the nearly cheesecake-like creaminess. One or two people still said they wouldn't get it again, but most of us were pleasantly surprised. It would be a fun, festive addition to a blatantly holiday-inspired cheese board alongside hearty wheat crackers. 

Choceur Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries have landed! First of all, anything covered in dark chocolate is automatically a win (well, not always, but 99% of the time). Secondly, of the wide selection of fruits you can cover in the sweet stuff, cherries far surpass anything like blueberries or even mango. Plump, juicy, and bursting with both incredible sweetness and nuanced tartness, they are the ideal holiday fruit. Sealed with a layer of fine Choceur dark chocolate, Aldi delivers a snack that doubles as a light dessert. Have we convinced you yet?

You can only eat so many chocolate-covered espresso beans, and most chocolate-covered fruit seems like an indulgent attempt to sneak in a bit of fruit at the holiday dessert table. But we didn't taste any deprivation in these cherries. One tester immediately proclaimed she could easily eat the entire tub, snacking on them like an infinitely better version of Raisinets. 

According to Cheese.com, Stilton is a semi-soft blue cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk and hails from England. In fact, it can only be produced in the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Leicestershire, so Aldi imports its Crimson Cranberry White Stilton. Those of us who dislike blue cheese stand by our distaste of the moldiest of rinds but can tolerate this one due to its mild funk and milky yet tart finish. 

As in the truffle dip, the challenging notes are muted to an accessible level. The cranberries break up the fermented, ahem, fragrance of the Stilton with some fruitiness, their pungent tang going well with the similar pungency of blue cheese. We thought that this is a great gateway Stilton that comes with a dose of holiday spirit. It's an excellent cheese for a charcuterie board that provides intrigue next to creamier options like goat cheese or brie. Lastly, it's definitely one of the better inexpensive Stiltons we've ever tested. 

Holiday flavors, and the foods they're found in, tend to veer more into the heavier sides—literally, those hearty side dishes like mashed potatoes or buttery rolls. But hey, we're unabashedly planning to enjoy them merrily throughout the season. Still, when we saw this crimson jar of Berryhill Spiced Cranberry Spread tucked away on the Aldi shelves, we realized that lots of those very dishes would be improved by a tart, bright, acidic schmear. 

This isn't the cranberry sauce you have on Thanksgiving, which is thick, gelatinous, and commonly found in a can. This product is more of a jam. We tried some spread on basic crackers and were impressed by the piercing flavor of the bold cranberries, plus the warmth of sweet cinnamon. We plan to use this to balance richer flavors and textures with that perfect finishing touch. Spooning some of this spread, gently warmed, over any potato dish sounds inspired. 

If you're on the "let's hate eggnog" sleigh, feel free to skip this item. If you're even slightly on board, though, you may be as intrigued as we were when we saw it in almond milk form. How could vegan eggnog possibly work? 

In the negative column, it's nowhere near as thick and, well, eggy as regular eggnog. On the positive side, it's nowhere near as thick and eggy as traditional eggnog. So do with that what you will, but if you're like most of us, you can only drink one or two sips of eggnog before tapping out. We could actually enjoy a glass of this Friendly Farms Almond Nog — maybe not a full glass but at least a half glass — because it's so much lighter. It still offered lots of the nostalgic flavor that we experience on Christmas Eve, meaning plenty of nutmeg and a dash of cinnamon. So whether you're lactose-intolerant or just want to have more of a good thing, this is a clever alternative eggnog-style beverage that does the trick. 

The lovely little French macaron cookie is très chic, easy to eat, and also famously difficult to make at home. Besides, you're not going to get six different flavors if you make them yourself. Aldi offers three of each, for 18 total, in ubiquitous holiday flavors like chocolate-orange, chocolate-hazelnut, gingerbread, peppermint, pistachio, and vanilla. Peeking out from their box printed with red ribbon tie, they wouldn't let us leave without testing them. 

For a frozen baked treat, they are indeed very good. Each flavor delivers exactly what a macaron must: tender chew, flavorful filling, and delicate shell complete with "feet." While not quite up to par with bakery batches due to a flavor that hints at defrosting and a subtle lack of textural contrast, they make up for it in convenience and unique flavors. We particularly like the chocolate-hazelnut macaron. Having these in your freezer ensures you'll have a sophisticated holiday dessert on hand at all times. 

Some of us laughed when we spotted this decorated can tucked away in the dairy section. Who really needs gingerbread whipped cream — pardon us, "whipped dairy topping"? But on second thought, whipped cream is obviously light in texture and, honestly, light on flavor, designed to top rich desserts. Rather than giving the topping more richness, this one provides just the opposite: spice. 

We tried spraying a bit of the Friendly Farms Gingerbread Whipped Dairy Topping on some of the other desserts we were trying and found that it wasn't over the top in any way (even though you might feel over the top when purchasing it). With a subtly zesty aroma and playful taste, it was a good foil for the more decadent items. If you're someone who thinks no holiday sweet is complete without a dollop of whipped cream, and you love gingerbread, this will be a fun accent.  

Nature's Nectar's Sparkling Fresh Cranberry Ginger Cider is a mouthful to say, and it provides a mouthful of flavor. Nonalcoholic and 100% juice, we had to try this fun twist on cider designed for the holidays. Cider shouldn't stop in the fall or make its last appearance on your Thanksgiving table.

We received a full-bodied experience at first sip. Some of us were hit by the spicy ginger at first, others got the fresh apple, and one of us even tasted tart cranberry before anything else. Either way, the three flavors harmonize with success. We especially loved that it's sparkling, which adds pizzazz to the already very zesty flavors. For a palate cleanser with a big dinner, an excellent mocktail mix-in, or a nice complement to a cheese board, this four-pack has your back. The ginger is the secret weapon that really puts it over the top.

We chose to only buy two eggnog products to taste because of the incredibly polarizing nature of the original beverage. The almond nog stays as close as possible to the original source material, while this Friendly Farms Blended Greek Yogurt goes a step farther into uncharted territory. We considered it an absolute slam dunk, a total win, and a really welcome surprise. In fact, all of us who love eggnog considered the yogurt version an improvement upon a glass of the beverage!

Good Greek yogurt should be thick and creamy already. No one wants a runny, thin cup of yogurt. When you put fruit on top, it should not sink in and disappear. So, using an almost too-thick drink as the inspiration is, we believe, an inspired choice. It's unmistakably eggnog-flavored, flecked with lots of nutmeg, and has a custardy texture that's decadently dreamy. Many of us eat yogurt and granola for breakfast and will be fast to replace our usual options with this seasonal one. 

Benton's Candy Cane Chocolate Sandwich Cremes from Aldi are just as good as Oreos, peppermint, or otherwise. The texture is a perfect dupe (which means that as soon as the package is opened, you have to be really careful that they don't get stale and soggy). The cocoa flavor in the cookies was nothing too fantastic, but it isn't in Oreos, either. The magic in these is all in the filling.

The label declares that these contain a "double candy cane filling." We could taste a little bit of minty flavor in the cream itself, so that was a single instance. The second came through in those tiny specks of crushed peppermint sticks tucked inside. The bit of crunch was welcome, and the extra flavor boost came through. Since they're coming in at number four, they get the honorable mention among our Aldi finds. 

Among the massive amounts of holiday-themed products available at Aldi, the top three rose above and beyond all others. Winning the bronze medal is Emporium Selection Cranberry Cinnamon Goat Cheese (though yes, those red fruits on the log do look a lot like pomegranates). This cheese goes all out in the flavor infusion department. And my oh my, does this one work!

Cutting into this log was a joy. The knife sank into the pretty coating and revealed the snow-white treasure beneath, creating a round slice with a wreath of color. Naturally, the flavor combination is divine. We have salt, fat, acid, and even a touch of heat from the cinnamon! We're putting this on any carb source alongside that spiced cranberry spread for our perfect go-to holiday snack. But can Aldi carry it year-round, please?

May we introduce you to stollen? A bread traditionally made at Christmastime in Germany, it's stuffed with all sorts of holiday bits and baubles, including raisins, currants, dried cherries, almonds, and candied peels of citrus fruits. Stollen proudly leaves no holiday stone unturned in its quest for complete and utter indulgence. Fun fact: some of that indulgence is the reason why stollen needed the pope's approval to become an official Christmas treat. 

We knew stollen would be delicious, but we didn't expect this Aldi loaf would be so delicious. Whatever the secret, every single bit of this bread was fit for Christmas morning. The dough is buttery and soft but pleasantly satisfying, the fillings are toothsome and never dry, and there's just the right amount of sweetness throughout. One loaf goes a long way ... but that doesn't mean we aren't going to freeze some for our future selves. 

And here we are at number one with the Specialty Selected Cheese Pairing Spread Set. This four-part array includes fig and honey, pear and cinnamon, cherry and rosemary, and apricot and cumin spreads. They get more and more intriguing and unusual as you go through the list! Have you ever had a jam with cumin as the star of the show? We certainly had not, but now we can't get enough.

Each spread is chosen because it pairs beautifully with a genre of cheese. For example, the cherry and rosemary sings when slipped underneath a wedge of blue cheese, while the fig and honey lives to be served with goat cheese (maybe that gingerbread log could use a touch of reinforcement, too).

We thoroughly enjoyed the flavors of each spread we tried, though the cherry and rosemary pulled ahead in the final rankings. Our Aldi store was selling this set for a cool $8, which is an absolutely bonkers steal. Four delicious, creative, instructions-included jams for the price of one from a fancy brand? Christmas really did come early this year!