15 Aldi Breakfast Cereals, Ranked

A bowlful of cereal is one of life's simple pleasures. With so many colorful boxes to choose from, filled with sugary puffs, wholesome oats, or crunchy flakes, all begging to be paired with a glass of ice-cold milk, the breakfast is sweet morning time nostalgia. And what's the only thing better than that? Morning-time nostalgia at a discounted price. That's right. I'm talking about Aldi's cereal selection.

For a store known for its limited SKUs, the German grocer actually offers a surprisingly wide variety of cereals. You'll spot a few familiar faces, like Fruity Pebbles and Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but most of the lineup comes from Aldi's own private-label brand, Millville. These are essentially low-cost dupes of the classics. So, get ready for wildly familiar boxes and recipes just plastered with cheekily different names and bargain-bin mascots.

To get a true taste for these affordable lookalikes, I sampled many different Millville cereals. I looked for crunch factor, a naturally sweet taste that's not cavity-inducing, and, of course, I took into account how they compare to their name-brand twins. Ready to see if you could be paying less for that same box of tasty morning magic? Let's get to it.

A clever Cheerios dupe is never too far away. Typically, you can find them filed under some name ending in "O's." For example, at Trader Joe's (another great breakfast cereal spot), they're known as Joe's O's, and at Whole Foods Market, they go by Morning O's.

Aldi, on the other hand, goes the duller, descriptive route with its Crispy Oats. And I found is their taste is every bit as boring as the name. The size and shape are textbook O's; it's the texture and taste that take a turn for the worse. They're not as crispy as their inspiration cereal, taking on a softer texture similar to Gerber puffs (you know, the airy snack for babies?). If they don't disintegrate in the milk, they disintegrate on your tongue. Meanwhile, they're nearly flavorless, tasting more like cardboard than anything else. But, hey, at least they're heart-healthy. The fact that this cereal is made up of whole grains with low fat and no cholesterol just may be its only redeeming quality. Back to other O's I go.

My Aldi location did not have a simple Captain Crunch lookalike. But it did have this box of Berry Kid's Krunch that mimics the Captain's popular berry variation. You still have your classic pillow-shaped corn and oat pieces, your round berry pieces, and the nautical theme remains. On the box, you can even see cereal bits being blasted out of a ship's cannons one at a time.

As was the case with the Crispy Oats, the look is there, right down to the colors of the berry spheres, including red, green, blue, and purple. The flavor lags behind, though. It's extra sweet, and the generic fruit flavor is extra artificial. I also felt that the core crunch cereal was missing that familiar butteriness and caramelized taste of the name brand. And, without a better taste, it seems that all that scraping on the roof of your mouth really isn't worth it. I wouldn't necessarily make it walk the plank like the dull-as-driftwood Crispy Oats, but it doesn't make it far in the rankings.

The mascot on this Millville box is much creepier than the certified face of Cookie Crisp, Chip the Wolf. I think it has something to do with his buggy eyes and talon-like hands. But, mascot aside, I had issues with this cereal that ran deeper than the box art.

I expected these tiny and adorable cookies to taste like Chips Ahoy or something similar. Like a hard cookie that has some crisp but also maintains a bit of that denser cookie texture. These fly right past crispy into crunchy territory, with a lot of air pockets inside. The flavor is also muted. The little cookie saucers aren't overly sweet or chocolatey, but taste instead like they came from yesterday's batch — old and overcooked. When they get a chance to sit and absorb some milk, they have more appeal. This is why they land above the Crispy Oats and Berry Kids Krunch, even though they're far from a perfect copycat. We also have to do something about that mascot. Maybe get him some sunglasses? Anything to stop him from scaring off potential customers.

Even though I'm not a huge fan of raisins, I do happen to enjoy Raisin Bran cereal. I just don't think Millville's rendition is quite up to my standards.

For starters, it promises to be bursting with raisins, and it's simply not. Only six poured into my bowl when I went to give it a try. I also inspected the clear plastic bag and counted a middling amount of the shriveled morsels at best. The whole-grain and wheat-bran cereal is also crumblier than I would have liked. The large yet thin flakes have a very dull crunch to them that makes them seem stale.

When you do happen to get a raisin or two on your spoon, that chewy tartness masks some of these imperfections. Because of this, and the cereal's nutritional qualities, I did feel it was right to promote it above the two previous sugar bombs. Just like the Crispy Oats, this cereal is labeled as heart-healthy, with no artificial ingredients, low fat, and no cholesterol.

Usually, I breeze right by Kellogg's Corn Flakes in the cereal aisle, unless of course I'm seeking them out to sprinkle on top of a cheesy potato casserole. They're just simply not that intriguing, and I feel the same way about the Millville remake.

I appreciate the simple four-part ingredient list, including degermed yellow corn meal, sugar, salt, and barley malt extract. I would venture to guess that the Aldi brand also uses the same kind of field corn that Kellogg's does. Here, though, the flakes look even thinner and extra parched, like a baked Lay's potato chip. Despite their classic corn flavor, they're also minimally sweet and become soggy exceptionally fast. The milk won that battle real quick.

The fact that there's no mascot or semblance of a fun design on this box doesn't help its case. So, while these cornflakes do stand as a reliable staple — and one that's executed slightly better than the Raisin Bran — it's still not a cereal I can get excited about.

Did anyone else use to plop their mini-wheats into their bowl of milk one at a time to preserve as much frosting as possible? Sure, it wasn't the most efficient breakfast technique, but it also prevented sogginess, so there's that.

Like the Corn Flakes, this Aldi cereal boasts a very simple makeup of whole grain wheat, sugar, gelatin, and tocopherols (a.k.a. Vitamin E) to maintain freshness. They also taste like you're getting something wholesome out of it. I swear I could hear the layered shreds scream "fiberrrrr" as I crunched into them. The frosting, on the other hand, is painfully inconsistent. Some of the wheat logs look like they've just been through a snowstorm, while others have just a few white specks. Obviously, the former pieces are the yummiest with their sugar caps, and were the first ones to be cherry-picked out of my bowl.

Compared to Kellogg's Mini Wheats, these are pretty dang close. And beyond the frosting inconsistencies, I have no qualms with them. They're the first box I would be likely to reach for again.

Honey Wheat Puffs are the Aldi version of Honey Smacks. Did you also know that Kellogg's Honey Smacks (previously known as Sugar Smacks) actually came after a very similar puffed cereal from Post called Golden Crisp (also previously known as Sugar Crisp? There are plenty of online debates about which one is the best of the two. I won't speak to that showdown. But what I will say is that I think the Millville brand deserves a seat at that table.

Guarded by what looks to be a friendly dragon, these sweetened puffs are lightly crispy and coated in a thin layer of honey. They strike a great balance between sweet and toasty, and I honestly think it's one of the most underrated cereal types. The only drawback is that even after a short stint in milk, they start to rapidly lose their appeal. I think the delicate puff structure is to blame. If it weren't for this minor design flaw, they'd certainly make it higher than halfway through the rankings.

Instead of Fruit Loops presented by Toucan Sam, Aldi offers Fruit Rounds presented by Parrot Pete (I don't think he has a name, but that's what I'm calling him). The first thing I noticed about this low-cost option is that the colors are noticeably muted. I view this as a good thing because it's a clear sign that Aldi swapped out artificial food dyes like red 40 and blue 1 for more natural coloring from vegetable and fruit juice concentrates.

The next thing I noticed is that these rings are surprisingly large and distinctly crunchy. They have that same fruit medley flavor of Fruit Loops, though I think it may be even louder and more citrusy. I do get the tiniest bit of artificiality from these. I'm not sure how, since they're made up of more natural ingredients than the originals.

Overall, the Fruit Rounds are a solid choice as far as fruity cereals go. They're full of flavor, and the fact that they stay crisp for a long time even when submerged in milk helps them overtake the Honey Wheat Puffs.

Cinnamon Crunch Squares, for when you're craving those squares but you're also on a budget (or perhaps just an avid Aldi shopper). I'll admit, Cinnamon Toast Crunch is one of my favorite cereals. So I went into this one attempting not to be biased toward the flavor, and, at the same time, trying not to judge too harshly against the General Mills product. That said, I did notice a few less desirable deviations.

This cereal is still tasty, don't get me wrong. How could anything covered in cinnamon sugar not be? They stand above many others on the shelf thanks to their munchable texture and sweetness. They're just not as sweet and cinnamon-y as Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares. The spiced swirls are less pronounced, making for a less aesthetic bowl, and they're also finer and leveled out. They're just missing that certain cinnamon-blasted je ne sais quoi. I'd still drink the milk, though.

Aldi ditches Lucky the Leprechaun for a much older, more wizardly model. And this character does what Lucky has always refused to do: Add more marshmallows. There's nothing more disappointing than pouring a bowl of Lucky Charms just to find only a few dusty moons and a one-off rainbow. With Marshmallows & Stars, that's not a concern.

I'd guess this bag is filled with 70% mini marshmallows and 30% frosted cereal pieces. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but it may be too many. The marshmallows come in slightly different shapes, and like the Fruit Rounds, their colors are less vibrant, yet the taste is still the same as always. They're stiff at first but immediately squish down into tiny sugar bombs. However, as yummy as they are, I think you still need more of those corn and oat pieces to balance them out. Get this ratio of cereal to marshmallows to 50/50, and it's easily a top three choice.

I think Tony the Tiger would find these to be pretty "Grrreat," too. The Aldi Frosted Flakes only come in a giant family-sized box (at least that's the only way they come in my local store), so I was relieved that I enjoyed them. That would have been a lot of bowls I had to force my way through.

Like the Corn Flakes from earlier, these pieces are wafer-thin and brittle. However, they make up for it with a deliciously crunchy texture that holds up nicely. You get a hint of that natural corn flavor, though it's also accompanied by a wave of sugar. In fact, some bites felt even sweeter than Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, which could be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it (or how you view sugar count). I personally think it's a can't-go-wrong kind of choice, so it lands amongst my top picks — ice-skating polar bear and all.

I was afraid that instead of snap, crackle, pop, this Aldi cereal might crunch, fizzle, sog. But it surprised me in a big way. If I were given a bowl of Aldi's Crispy Rice and a bowl of Rice Krispies in a blind taste test, I don't think I would be able to tell the difference. They're nearly identical from their look to their sound.

As for the taste, that's also spot-on. The tiny crisps have a light, light flavor that lets the crunchiness speak for itself. They're hardly sweet at all, yet I miraculously didn't feel the need to reach for my sugar bowl. Sure, they may not be as sweet or exciting as other picks, but it's such a good imitation that I don't think you'll catch me ever paying full price for Rice Krispies again. On top of that, these are actually gluten-free, so now everyone can get in on those crispy rice treats.

Taking after Honey Bunches of Oats, this Aldi cereal is a bit of a jumble. It includes both corn and wheat flakes. So essentially, if you merged Corn Flakes and Wheaties into one bowl, it would be this cereal. Then, throw clusters of honey-flavored granola on top of that, and there you have it: Honey Crunch 'n Oats.

The various flakes end up complementing each other well. The wheat ones give a bit more crunch and sugary flavor, while the corn ones provide a more natural crisp and sweetness. But all that is really just background noise compared to the granola. I've had great experiences with Millville's granola in the past, and it shines here in this cereal. Every cluster is coated in a honeyed glaze and is satisfyingly snappy. When you take a hearty spoonful of all ingredients, you can even taste a hint of warm cinnamon.

Really, the only thing that prevented this cereal from being a top pick was a strange, unexplained coconut oil taste that also popped up throughout the mix. That, and I wish there had been more of the granola to go around. Fix those two problems, and this cereal is golden.

I can't be the only one who still has that Reese's Puffs commercial stuck in their head. You know, the one that goes, "Reese's Puffs! Reese's Puffs! Peanut butter chocolate flavaaaa"? Well, with Aldi's Cocoa Peanut Butter Puffs, you get essentially the same experience — all the chocolate and peanut butter goodness without the ear worm.

The cereal itself is equal parts chocolate pieces and peanut butter pieces. When you isolate a chocolate sphere, it's very reminiscent of a classic Cocoa Puff (a top-ranked chocolate breakfast cereal), though the peanut butter flavor tends to take over — which is perfectly fine by me. With a texture that is every bit as satisfying as the taste, I could happily eat these straight out of the bag as a snack, no milk required.

I honestly couldn't find any faults in this recipe. It's just that my last pick was just a hair more scrumptious and perhaps more universally appealing. Peanut butter can be a polarizing ingredient, after all.

I don't know what it is with Millville's cereal pieces all being super thin. It seems to be a recurring theme that I already clocked with countless other options from Corn Flakes to Raisin Bran, and it continues with these Honey Grahams. Luckily, they're still as snappy as ever, and the flattened stature doesn't affect their delicious taste.

I've always thought Golden Grahams (the name brand in this scenario) tasted more like those "Scooby Doo" graham cracker '90s snacks than traditional graham crackers. This box follows suit. Each square carries a rich honey, molasses, and brown sugar flavor that trumps the lighter cinnamon of the Cinnamon Crunch Squares. Dusted with just the right amount of sugar that ups the sweetness without being overbearing, it's a near-perfect cereal.

The Millville Honey Grahams hit all the main points I'm looking for. With a lasting crunch, balanced sweetness, and a hint of cozy nostalgia, they don't just hold their own against their brand-name buddy, they just might taste even better.

I tried all the Millville cereals back to back, pairing each with a few splashes of milk. Comparing to the original was always top of mind. I analyzed just how similar they were and what stood out as inferior. From there, it came down to two key factors: texture and taste. Crunchiness is the backbone of a good cereal. Some options, like Crispy Rice, are naturally less crunchy than something like Fruit Rounds, but they all needed that satisfying crisp. Being able to hold up to milk was also important. I hoped they would at least avoid becoming soggy until I'd made it through my first few spoonfuls.

For taste, I valued balanced sweetness. You don't want too big a sugar rush in the morning, so a lighter amount of sugar was appreciated as well as a natural sweetness (no synthetic tastes like the trap that the Berry Kid's Krunch fell into). The best Aldi cereals didn't overdo it with sugar coating, but brought in other sweet flavors that complemented their crunchy cereal base of choice.