I Tried And Ranked 10 Aldi Barissimo Coffee Creamers

What would a cup of coffee be without an unapologetic splash of creamer? I know there are people out there who prefer their java black — just a straight coffee or a quick shot of espresso where the only color comes from a quickly dissipating crown of crema on top. I honestly applaud these people, because they're stronger than I could ever be. For the rest of us though, creamer allows us to add some color back into our morning. It gives us a little flavor to look forward to before the day's shenanigans lurch into overdrive.

Personally, I'm not too picky about my creamer. I'll get into phases where I zero in on one particular brand and then next thing you know I'm distracted by another shiny bottle. I'll try oat or almond, hazelnut or vanilla, low sugar or organic. I do tend to draw the line at powdered creamer, though. We don't get along.

In other words, my attention in this department can be bought, and Aldi knew just how to do it. The store's creamer collection from its own private label brand Barissimo isn't quite overflowing, but it was stout and diverse enough to turn my head. With a solid range of flavors and options, all at a respectable Aldi price, I was prompted to pick up 10 of these creamers for myself. Turning my kitchen into a temporary testing laboratory, I tried each one and ranked based on its ingredients, flavor, and coffee-enhancing (plus morning-enhancing) abilities.

Why have a cinnamon roll with a cup of Joe when you can have the taste of a cinnamon roll infused right into your morning coffee? It's a smart idea in theory, and one of those flavors that immediately catches your attention as you reach into the store's cooler door. I mean, the picture of that icing-draped cinnamon roll on the front of the bottle was enough to make me throw it in my cart. Unfortunately, though, the execution here isn't what I was hoping for.

It acted more like an oil slick in my coffee than a creamer, and after looking at the ingredient list, it's no wonder. There's no real cream or milk in the recipe, but rather it's made up of a milk derivative, water, sugar, oils, and a myriad of other hard-to-pronounce components. That adds up to a lack of creaminess, and this problem pops up multiple times in the Barissimo lineup. This rendition was my least favorite of the bunch, though, because in addition to the less-than-ideal consistency, the flavor is rather artificial. The warm taste of cinnamon is there, but it's more like a cinnamon-scented candle than an edible product. If anything, I could see this as an autumn specialty pick. But one that I'd grab once at the very start of the season and likely not return to.

When you think caramel macchiato, you think sweet. The dessert-like beverage is a far cry from a traditional Italian macchiato, which relies on just espresso and a splash of steamed milk or foam to achieve its flavor. The caramel version instead layers in sweet syrups to turn it into more of a sugary indulgence.

As such, I was fully anticipating the sweetness here, and it more than lived up to its reputation. It doesn't reach a cloying level, but it comes pretty close — especially when you commit to a full-sized coffee. Beyond this, the main issue is that the more syrupy sweetness paired with a more diluted, oilier base (the same kind as the previous cinnamon roll flavor) didn't make for a great combination. The mouthfeel is off compared to the smooth and silky finish you would expect, and to make matters worse, I thought it tasted more like vanilla with hints of butterscotch rather than caramel. It turns into a muddled mess that barely made it past the artificial-tasting cinnamon roll flavor in the rankings.

I know it's a coffeehouse go-to, but caramel is not my first choice when it comes to coffee creamers anyway. I just happen to think other flavors like vanilla go better with coffee's natural notes, and this bottle certainly doesn't help to build caramel's case.

I'm usually a fan of the vanilla and light almond-y flavor of Italian sweet cream. In today's diverse world of coffee creamers, it's definitely a safer, more neutralized pick — perhaps just a sweet step up from half and half. But when done right, it transforms a cup of coffee.

Aldi's version of this gem leads with promises of a cannoli cream kind of experience – at least, that's what I gathered from the bottle. And the flavor itself isn't bad. It has that powdered sugar-based frosting taste to it that feels more authentic than the cinnamon roll or caramel macchiato flavors. It's not as rich or nutty as other Italian sweet cream creamers I've tried, but it does its job.

The disappointing consistency is once again what holds it back. Since it's thinner and more oily than other creamers on the market, the flavor gets washed out by the coffee and doesn't fully incorporate. It even left a hint of a greasy film on top. Just another reminder of the palm and soybean oil swimming inside the bottle that, much to my dismay, takes the place of real cream. Honestly, a sweet cream creamer without any cream should be a crime.

Things get a little bit better with the coconut creme. I've been on a coconut kick lately, which may explain some of the attraction. At some point, I guess my taste buds transitioned from thinking anything flavored as the tropical fruit tasted like sunscreen to not being able to get enough of it. So I've been adding coconut milk to recipes, indulging in coconut clusters, and even rediscovering pina coladas.

My daily dose of coffee hasn't been exempt from the recent obsession, and the Toasted Coconut Vanilla Chobani creamer has actually become one of my favorites. This Aldi bottle isn't quite on that same level. How could it be with a lack of real milk and real cream? But it outperforms several of Barissimo's other classic flavors.

Even though coconut isn't explicitly listed among the ingredients (perhaps it's buried under "Natural and Artificial Flavors"), it was front and center on the palate as I took a sip from my mug. It's lightly sweet with notes of nuttiness throughout. It doesn't become lost in the medium roast coffee as much as the Italian sweet cream. But it still leans more toward coconut oil than it does coconut milk or coconut cream. It's too bad, because with a fuller texture, it could be really good.

The best of the lesser-quality Barissimo creamers. The Hazelnut flavor is still made up of the same kind of ingredients as all the bottles that came before it. This includes oils (including palm and soybean), water, sugar, artificial flavors, and the milk derivative caseinate rather than true milk and cream. But it somehow manages to come off far more sippable than any of the previous options.

I think it has a lot to do with the strength of the hazelnut flavoring. The roasted, buttery taste of the nuts is as prominent as ever, and it helps to mask some of the shortcomings in the creamer itself. It seems less greasy than others, almost tricking you into thinking there's some actual creaminess behind it.

I'm not even a big hazelnut gal (unless we're talking about Nutella), and I would still place this miles above some of Barissimo's other offerings. It adds something to the coffee instead of fighting against it or overwhelming it with a synthetic sweetness. I could have even seen myself buying it again in the future had the upcoming creamers not been so much better. Seriously, the quality gap in this taste test is significant, and you'll see why.

The difference between the standard hazelnut and this Delightfully Pure bottle is like night and day. This line within the larger Barissimio collection puts more of an emphasis on simpler, higher-quality ingredients, and that means that milk and cream are part of the equation — finally! These two core components are joined by just sugar, salt, and natural flavor.

As soon as I poured it into my coffee, I knew it was going to be better. Instead of watering down my cup, it gave my brew a noticeably lighter, creamier appearance. The taste then sold it even more. It's so much smoother going down, proving that you can't fake the taste of real cream, and there's a level amount of sweetness behind it. Verifiably delightful and pure. These white bottles do cost a bit more (we're talking about $1.30), but it's 100% worth every penny.

What surprised me was that the powerful hazelnut flavor from the previous bottle didn't carry over. They are like two entirely different tastes. This one decided to go extremely light on the nuttiness, similar to a blend of hazelnut and vanilla. This is the only reason it sits lower in the rankings. But hey, I guess if you're not a big fan of hazelnut creamer, you can still enjoy it. A silver lining.

This is the only Barissimo bottle I tried that is truly listed as a non-dairy creamer. It's almond-based instead, and there is additionally a vanilla version, though it was out of stock at my local Aldi (I've also seen oat-based creamers before, but not on this specific trip).

I usually find almond milk creamer to be hit or miss, largely because of the consistency. It tends to be more diluted just by nature, so it doesn't always stand up as well to a bold coffee. I was pleasantly surprised by this Aldi offering, however. It's a step above the store's standard "dairy" creamers (if you can call them that). It blended nicely into the cup, rather than feeling like it was thinning it out, and the taste is solid as well. It seems to blend light notes of caramel with the buttery flavor of almonds, creating something more unique, similar to an almond extract you would use for baking. It pops more than the hazelnut in the Delightfully Pure bottle, so it was an easy decision to place it higher.

The only thing I don't love is some of the ingredients. Alongside almond milk, this creamer also relies heavily on vegetable oils (some hodgepodge of sunflower oil, canola oil, and/or palm oil), pea protein, and other add-ins. So, if you're looking for something cleaner and more ingredient-conscious, this isn't it.

I've already mentioned Chobani once, so now might be a good time to admit that the brand's line of coffee creamers is one of my current hyperfixations. There's just something about those colorful cartons that has me hooked.

So naturally, I was excited to see this specific creamer stocked at my local Aldi. It looks almost exactly like a Chobani product. In fact, it mimics the name brand's Cinnamon Coffee Cake creamer almost to a tee, with the same name, same color container, similar imagery — everything. It also copies Chobani's "real-food" philosophy with just five ingredients: whole milk, cream, sugar, natural flavors, and lactase. It doesn't have Barissimo's "Delightfully Pure" labeling, but it could fit into that category as well. As for the taste, that's pretty dang close to the original as well. I don't know how, but it pushes past just a standard cinnamon flavor and gives you glimpses of real coffee cake. Notes of buttery vanilla and brown sugar supplement the spice, so it feels more well-rounded and bakery-inspired. Just as advertised.

Creamy and plenty flavorful, it's a good one to grab if you want to save a bit of money compared to the name brand. It lands behind just two other creamers, mainly because those are flavors I could see myself reaching for more often. That's still high praise, though. And more than anything, I hope this installment is a sign that more Chobani lookalikes are on their way to Aldi.

I was surprised that Barissimo's oil-based creamers don't come in a vanilla variation (at least, not one that I could find). The flavor is a given in this category, thanks to its ability to soften the bitterness of coffee and to create a cohesively indulgent combination of flavors. Stirred into a fresh cup of Joe, vanilla is anything but humdrum.

It feels like an oversight on Aldi's part not to include it in its standard lineup. But it does offer this Delightfully Pure bottle of vanilla, and that's all you really need. It's made up of just four key ingredients, including nonfat milk, cream, sugar, and natural flavor. It's as straightforward and real as it gets, and that makes all the difference. Just like the Delightfully Pure Hazelnut, it has a fuller body, making for a richer experience. It feels creamy rather than oily, which is a major plus that immediately catapults it above others.

In terms of flavor, it's sweet and warm, just like a marshmallow or a bowlful of melted ice cream. If anything, it does lean sweeter than I would typically prefer. That's really the only reason it lands here rather than my first-place spot. Otherwise, this is a great, dependable coffee creamer.

The kind of coffee creamer that everyone can agree on. Is it awfully similar to the Delightfully Pure vanilla? Yes, the two are nearly identical, down to the exact same list of ingredients. But the taste of the sweet cream (whatever is hiding underneath that ambiguous mention of "natural flavors") gives it the smallest of advantages.

In this bottle, the warm and aromatic taste of vanilla is stripped out, leaving behind only the more subtle taste of full-dairy cream. It doesn't just fall flat, though. It still has that same creamy consistency that defines all the Delightfully Pure creamers, and it ends in a sweet, buttery finish that reminds me of homemade whipped cream. It elevates a cup of coffee without overwhelming it.

This is exactly what I was hoping for from the Italian sweet cream bottle before it let me down. Trust me, just splurge for the Delightfully Pure bottles, you won't regret it. And if you're waffling about which flavor to pick, just go with the sweet cream. It's an everyday kind of coffee creamer that you can't go wrong with. Simple. Quality. Tasty.

I ran to my local Aldi here in Columbus, Ohio, and snatched up every kind of Barissimo coffee creamer I could find — the liquid versions stocked in the refrigerated section, not the shelf-stable powdered varieties. Once I got everything home, I brewed a large pot of coffee so I could try a splash of each creamer in its natural habitat. Did I also take quick tastes straight from each bottle or carton? Yes, and I'm not ashamed of it. Sometimes that's the only way to get an accurate read on a creamer.

Each sip came with new sensations, and it quickly became apparent which creamers reigned supreme and which ones fell behind. A great deal of that had to do with the ingredients. Many of these Barissimo bottles are built on some amalgamation of oils and other questionable ingredients, and that was obvious right away. They felt oily and didn't incorporate into the coffee the way you would want them to. Out of those bottles, I tried to identify the flavors that at least somewhat masked the inferior quality and consistency before moving on to the more satisfying creamers — aka, the ones that actually used real milk and cream.

These are clearly the way to go at Aldi, and I would happily purchase any of the creamers in the top half of this ranking again. From there, the final placements came down to finding a great flavor to match the texture and deciding whether I could realistically see myself — and other coffee drinkers — adopting each one as an everyday creamer.