Aldi's Worst Cookies Aren't Just Bland - They Might Hurt Your Teeth

Aldi is a top-rated discount grocer for good reason; it offers "dupes" for tons of name-brand snacks at much lower prices. Saving money is at the top of everyone's list these days, and when you can find a cheaper version of your favorite potato chips or almond milk, it's a win for sure. Aldi's in-store labels produce savory and sweet snacks, but one of the categories it does best is cookies. You can find Aldi-brand swaps for Oreos, Chips Ahoy, Keebler cookies, and more. We tried and ranked 20 varieties of cookies to see if they all stood up to the real things. While many of them are just as good or even better than other brands of the same cookie, Benton's Iced Oatmeal Cookies were a disappointment.

While you might be thrilled to see a similar product to the beloved Mother's Iced Oatmeal Cookies that were discontinued when the brand went bankrupt, these Aldi ones are sure to get your hopes up. The flavors of warm cinnamon and sweet icing come through slightly, but the texture of the cookies is what really tanks them. They are so hard to bite into and unpleasant to chew even once you do — one Redditor even likened the experience to "eating ceramic tiles." Luckily, you can find many other super tasty cookies under the Aldi brand that produces them. Try Benton's Peanut-Butter Creme Filled Cookies, the Speculoos, the Mint-Striped Fudge Cookies, or honestly, any others besides the Iced Oatmeal.

We're all for a crisp iced oatmeal cookie, but we expect that crisp to be balanced with a soft and chewy center. Benton's just doesn't succeed in the latter part, making for a cookie that tastes stale, even though you've just taken it out of the package. You're better off finding a different brand or making your own. To avoid the same problem in your homemade ones, find a recipe that uses both molasses and brown sugar; these two ingredients will make your iced oatmeal cookies softer. To perfect the icing technique for your oatmeal cookies, aim for a consistency that's thick but still pourable. Dip one side of each cookie into the icing and let them set for 30 minutes on a rack.

You can still head to Aldi to buy your favorite milk or ice cream for a screamin' deal, and both would be the perfect complement to your homemade cookies.