10 Aldi Frozen Desserts To Buy, And 8 To Avoid

The first time I went into an Aldi, I left unimpressed, confused, and overwhelmed. Over time, though, I made an effort to get to know the store better. Any spare time I had, I would wander the aisles, learning the brand's unwritten rules and slowly understanding what all the hype was about. Now, I never skip Aldi's dark chocolate offerings, buy snack packs for school lunches, and — of course — grab a bottle of the chain's budget-friendly Winking Owl wine from time to time.

But there's one section I've really grown to love: frozen desserts. As a former restaurant pastry chef and bakery owner, I'm always scoping out the sweets section in any grocery store — and Aldi's frozen dessert aisle is particularly impressive — stocked with everything from cheesecakes and macarons to pecan pie and mochi.

I decided to help narrow down the choices by sampling several of the frozen desserts available at my local Aldi and sharing which ones you should buy and which ones you should avoid. I evaluated each frozen dessert based on its taste, sweetness, texture, appearance, and value. Take a read through the list to see what strikes your fancy so you know what to grab on your next Aldi trip.

Prices are as of the date of publication and may vary based on region.

I wasn't looking forward to trying these macarons. I've never really cared for macarons, but after trying Aldi's Specially Selected Assorted Macarons, I'm a convert.

The assortment includes four flavors — dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and mocha — for a total of 12 macarons. Each flavor was pronounced, so much so that I could easily identify it without looking. The almond flour shells were thin, delicate, and cracked pleasantly with each bite, while their interior was sweet, chewy, and full of delightful almond flavor. The generous filling between the cookies was well-balanced and flavor-packed. 

One pack was $4.99, or about $0.42 each. That's far cheaper than what you'd pay at a fancy macaron shop, where they can cost $3 to $4 a piece. Lastly, plan ahead, as the package recommends defrosting the macarons in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes before serving.

I was really looking forward to this pizza cookie. It looked great in the package, and I'm always on board for anything labeled "double chocolate." But alas, this cookie was a big disappointment.

As recommended on the packaging, I warmed the cookie — which was roughly 7 inches in diameter — in its tin in a preheated 425 F oven for three to four minutes, then let it sit for two to three minutes before slicing. It smelled incredible, like a freshly baked brownie, and it sliced cleanly and held together well. But that's where the positive attributes ended.

The cookie itself is very thin (about a ¼-inch), and the interior baked up dense, chewy, and gummy. The only part that baked properly was the outer edge. My first thought was that it tasted like a gluten-free cookie — and not in a good way. Sadly, this pizza cookie was a huge letdown and a big no-thank-you.

Making a small batch of cheesecake is a pain. Measuring out tiny amounts of cream cheese is tedious, and baking a few ramekins in a water bath for an hour is no fun. So, when I learned that Aldi offers two-pack cheesecake slices for about $1 per slice, I was stoked.

I followed the instructions and thawed the slices at room temperature for 20 to 40 minutes before serving. I went with 20 minutes, and they were ready to eat. The cheesecake featured a sweet, chewy graham cracker crust that held together nicely. It was filled with a plain cheesecake filling, layered with soft whipped topping, and swirled with strawberry puree. The strawberry flavor was bright and fruity, and I particularly loved the contrast between the denser cheesecake and the light, airy topping. The Belmont Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Twin Pack, priced at $1.99, is an excellent value — and a delicious option to have in the freezer when a cheesecake craving strikes.

As good as Belmont's Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake was, its take on Turtle Cheesecake was surprisingly lackluster. I assumed this one would be an easy win thanks to the rich, indulgent toppings like mini chocolate chips, caramel, and pecans. 

So, I rolled up my sleeves, loosened my belt, and got about figuring out what went wrong. I tasted each component on its own, and from what I could tell, the problem seemed to stem from a lack of quality ingredients. The chocolate chips tasted mediocre and didn't have the deep cocoa flavor that I'd expect. The caramel was overly sweet and one-note, while the pecans tasted stale.

That said, the chocolate crust was rich and flavorful, and it held together nicely. But overall, the flavor of this cheesecake was dull and underwhelming. If you're craving a turtle cheesecake, it's best to look elsewhere.

When it comes to classic desserts, it's hard to beat a good New York-style cheesecake, and Belmont does a good version of one. As instructed, I thawed the slices at room temperature for 20 minutes before tasting one, though you could easily thaw them overnight in the fridge, too.

The filling is creamy, smooth, and pleasantly tangy. It's slightly lighter than classic New York-style cheesecake, but is still quite rich and decadent. The sweet, chewy graham crust held its shape and was the perfect thickness to balance the cream cheese filling. It does lean a bit on the sweeter side for my taste, but I think many people would prefer it that way.

This two-pack is so convenient. You can share it with a friend or spouse, or eat one and keep the other in the freezer for a future craving. And, priced at $1.99, it's an affordable way to satisfy that sweet tooth.

Belmont offers tiny versions of its three cheesecake slices in its mini cheesecake bites assortment.Each 1¼-inch cube comes nestled in its own liner, with eight bites per flavor, for a total of 24 bites. They're very nicely presented and, for lack of a better word, downright cute. But don't be deceived by their charming appearance.

These cheesecake bites were underwhelming, largely forgettable, and lacked flavor. Even the Strawberry Swirl, which tasted phenomenal as a full slice, didn't work in mini form. The strawberry puree, which was heavily swirled in the cheesecake slice, was more like a drizzle. The New York-style tasted dull, and, well, the full-size Turtle Cheesecake slice was mediocre, so the mini version fared the same. At $0.28 per bite, the Belmont Mini Cheesecake Bites are a budget-friendly way to offer dessert at a party, but if you're hoping to impress guests or deliver a memorable treat, these mini bites fall short.

These The Village PieMaker Mini Pecan Pies come in a box of two, for about $3 per pie. The pies are fully baked, so if you want to eat them straight from the freezer, you certainly can. However, the package recommends warming them in an air fryer, oven, or microwave. I opted for the air fryer.

These pecan pies are delicious and rich. They boast a deep, rich brown sugar flavor and are loaded with chopped pecans. And the crust? Exceptional — like, so flaky and buttery. You could make these mini pies even more indulgent by topping them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but they don't need it.

One caveat: Make sure to serve these pies in their tins. The crust isn't firm enough to hold up if you eat it out of your hand (trust me, I tried, and it was a mess), so your best bet is to serve these as individual desserts in their pie tins.

These Sundae Shoppe Sundae Cones come in an eight-pack box and include two flavors: Vanilla Caramel and Vanilla Fudge. Each cone is individually wrapped and clearly labeled with its flavor. Both cones are nearly identical, with the only difference being the filling in the center. 

Each sugar cone is filled with vanilla ice cream and coated in thin chocolate sprinkled with roasted peanuts. There are plenty of nuts, and the cone is quite delicious. However, neither filling was all that tasty. The caramel had minimal flavor, and the fudge was really thick and overly sweet. Another downside was the ice cream: It was unusually soft straight out of the freezer — which made the cone very messy to eat. This may be because these cones are technically labeled as a frozen dairy dessert rather than true ice cream. At about $0.75 per cone for an average-sized portion, the price is hard to beat. Kids may enjoy these treats, but in my opinion, there are better-tasting options out there that are just as well-priced.

The FatBoy Cookies n' Cream Ice Cream Sandwiches come in a box of six individually wrapped sandwiches, and you'll pay about $0.90 per sandwich. I had never tasted a Fat Boy ice cream sandwich before — and I regret not doing so sooner. It's a spot-on version of the ice cream sandwich of my youth, and it's delicious.

Each sandwich features two soft, fudgy chocolate cookies filled with rich and smooth cookies n' cream ice cream. The ratio of cookie to ice cream is just right, creating a balanced bite that's better than many ice cream sandwiches I've tried. Even the chocolate cookies have a slightly sticky quality, leaving little bits of crumbs on your fingers, which is nostalgic and charming at the same time.

One thing to note is that the actual product doesn't totally match the picture on the packaging. The photo makes the ice cream look more chocolatey with larger bits of cookies. Nevertheless, the cookie part is delicious, the filling tastes just like your favorite cookies-and-cream ice cream, and the price is right, so I'm all in.

The Sundae Shoppe Mochi come in three flavors: strawberry, mango, and cookies and cream. At $4.45 per box, it works out to about $0.75 per mochi – almost half of what you'd pay for brand names like My/Mochi. As attractive as that price is, there are too many faults with Aldi's mochi for me to recommend it.

To start, there's a noticeable starchy coating on the outside of the mochi. It's so excessive that wiping off the powder before eating feels like a necessary step. The mochi skin is on the softer side, and the ice cream filling is also soft, which impacts the overall texture. The chew doesn't last as long as it does with classic homemade mochi. The rice flour wrapping also isn't perfect; the cookies and cream ones had small openings where the ice cream filling was visible. For these reasons, I can't recommend any of these mochi flavors.

The Specially Selected Mini Cream Puffs Dessert Pastries is sold in a plastic resealable container, making them easy to store and stack in the freezer. This dessert costs just $2.99, which works out to $0.07 per puff. Each cream puff is perfectly sized and can be eaten in one to two bites.

At first taste, I was blown away; I actually said, "wow," and then proceeded to eat two more. Each puff is generously filled with a ridiculously delicious cream that's luxuriously smooth and thick, with the perfect balance of sweetness. These cream puffs are, hands down, my family's favorite frozen dessert currently available at Aldi. I'd proudly serve them at a party — dressed up with a sprinkling of powdered sugar or a chocolate drizzle for an elegant touch.

Like the Mini Cream Puffs, Specially Selected's Mini Éclairs Dessert Pastries come in a plastic resealable container that's easy to store and stack in the freezer. Each package comes with 30 mini éclairs, each topped with a thin layer of chocolate. They're about 2 inches long and can be enjoyed in two or three bites.

After knowing how delicious the Mini Cream Puffs were, I had high hopes for these éclairs. Unfortunately, they were a letdown. The biggest disappointment was the Bavarian cream filling; it was bland, tasteless, and too runny for my liking. There also wasn't enough of it, but that ultimately didn't matter because the flavor wasn't good.

Another issue? There were lots of mismatched shapes, which I understand with a product like Aldi's Season's Choice Bananas Covered in Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter, but it feels less acceptable here. Needless to say, I was not impressed with this product. Despite costing just $2.99 ($0.10 per éclair), this frozen dessert is an easy pass.

The Specially Selected Caramel Apple Blossoms frozen dessert comes in a box of two pastries. Each blossom features sweet pastry filled with apples and is topped with rich caramel sauce. They're kind of a cross between a dumpling and a rustic pie. The packaging recommends baking them at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes. After baking mine for 15 minutes, the center still had a slight chill, so I'd suggest leaning closer to 20 minutes for better results.

The filling is generous and packed with apples, and the pastry itself is buttery and flaky. I particularly enjoyed the crunch of the crystallized sugar on top. The apples were perfectly cooked and had a soft bite, and their tart flavor balanced beautifully with the sweet, buttery caramel. I highly recommend giving them a try.

Each blossom costs about $1 — a steal in my book. They taste pastry chef-made and could easily cost $10 (or more) at a restaurant. I'm inspired to get back in the kitchen on my next free day to try to recreate them myself.

Like the Specially Selected Caramel Apple Blossoms frozen dessert, the Apple Berry Blossoms come in a box of two pastries and cost $1.99. Each blossom features sweet pastry filled with colorful layers of apples, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

I baked them at 350 F for 15 minutes, which worked out perfectly. The warm filling was bright and flavorful, and each fruit and berry layer was distinct. The combination of sweet apples and tart berries makes every bite lively and vibrant. The buttery pastry perfectly encases the generous filling, while the crystallized sugar on top adds a satisfying crunch and sparkle. These simple-to-bake Apple Berry Blossoms taste like a homemade treat that took hours to prepare. They're absolutely delicious and definitely worth buying.

I'm always on the lookout for more nutrient-dense treats with dark chocolate, and Season's Choice Bananas Covered in Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter fit the bill. The frozen banana slices, which are about ¼-inch thick, are coated in dark chocolate with a thin layer of peanut butter in between. The chocolate has a light snap and solid cocoa flavor, while the peanut butter adds a perfect hint of nuttiness without overpowering the fruit. These bites, which are meant to be eaten straight from the freezer, are cold, chewy, and satisfyingly sweet.

One thing to keep in mind is that the banana pieces come in all sorts of different shapes, which may matter if you plan to serve them to guests. My 5.3-ounce bag contained 11 pieces, which worked out to about $0.21 per piece. I'll be stocking up on these because I love that they require no prep. Sometimes after dinner, I just want a little bite of dark chocolate and something sweet; these hit the spot perfectly with little effort required.

If you're looking for a fun, more nutrient-dense snack, Season's Choice Strawberries Covered in Dark Chocolate is the answer. Each strawberry is coated in a layer of decadent dark chocolate. The strawberries inside are juicy and packed with naturally sweet flavor. They're dangerously snackable and easy to pop into your mouth. 

While the brand's frozen bananas are delicious eaten straight from the freezer, the frozen strawberries could benefit from a little prep. I'd recommend tempering them at room temperature for about five minutes before eating; otherwise, they can be a bit icy.

It's an affordable dessert option, at $2.29 for a 5.3-ounce bag. There were 16 pieces in my bag (yes, I counted), so that works out to about $0.14 per strawberry. Of course, making chocolate-covered frozen fruit can be cheaper than buying it from the store, but doing so requires time and effort. Do yourself a favor and grab this convenient, affordable frozen dessert instead.

I picked up all the Aldi frozen desserts I could find on the day I went and sampled them over the course of a few days. Rankings were, first and foremost, based on taste. I considered the sweetness and whether they tasted artificial or more natural. 

From there, factors like texture came into play. For instance, was the ice cream smooth or icy, or was the pastry flaky or dense? I also paid attention to appearance: Was the dessert visually appealing, and did it look like the image on the packaging? Lastly, I considered the value and whether the price matched the quality and portion size.