9 Aldi Dips You Should Always Buy, And 8 You Should Avoid

I consider myself an Aldi superfan. The store carries practically everything, including an impressive selection of baked goods, snacks, cheeses, and pantry staples. For such a small grocery store, it has a pretty extensive lineup of dips under its in-house brands. These relatively inexpensive products take inspiration from all over the globe and run the gamut from Tex-Mex- and Mediterranean-inspired selections to dessert dips and fun plays on classic recipes. 

But like all Aldi products, some of its dips are better than others. In order to decide which dips are worth adding to your cart and which ones you're better off skipping, I took to tasting all of the ones I could find at my local store. As I tasted them, I assessed their overall flavor, consistency, and versatility. 

At first, I expected that this dessert was going to look a lot more appealing. When I opened the lid, I was shocked to see an Elmer's school glue-like dip with no visible caramel. It did smell a whole lot like caramel, though, and when I gave it a taste, I could tell that this dip was trying to get at caramel cheesecake. It has a cream cheese base with some sour cream undertones. I enjoyed this balance because it wasn't as sweet as some of the fruit dips I've had in the past. The caramel was subdued and didn't really offer as much sweetness as I expected it would. 

This is a great dip to add to your Aldi cart because it's versatile. I would like to try it with animal crackers, graham crackers, or sliced strawberries. Could the caramel flavor taste a little more authentic? Sure, but all in all, it's really not a bad dip. 

If I were making assumptions on this dip based on looks alone, I would have assumed it was savory. The flecks of pecans look more like onions than nuts. This dip was studded with little black pieces, which gave it more visual interest than the Salted Caramel Cheesecake dip. However, unlike that one, this is a Park Street Deli find I wouldn't recommend buying. 

Turtle is supposed to marry nuts, chocolate, and caramel together. It's great in theory, but it's really poorly executed. The chocolate flakes come off as more bitter than anything, and if I were a product engineer for Aldi, I definitely would have infused cocoa powder into the base. The nuts are also not large enough to bite into, so they come off as almost rubbery. I would have liked a little more crunch in this dip and to be able to taste more of the pecans and chocolate. 

My intent was to add the regular ol' Park Street Deli Tzatziki to my Aldi cart for this ranking, but in true Aldi fashion, my store didn't have any in stock. Instead, I got to try this spinach and artichoke dip — and I think I'm a convert now. This dip screams tzatziki, with the same creamy Greek yogurt base, lemon undertones, and light mouthfeel. But Aldi swapped the dill and cucumbers that normally dot this dip with spinach and artichokes. 

The spinach doesn't do anything, and I could have done without it. But the artichokes added a nice, crunchy mouthfeel to an otherwise creamy dip. I don't think I've traded all my loyalty for the Park Street Deli original tzatziki, but this is still a good selection if you're looking to switch up your routine and want something a little less herby. 

I've been intrigued by this Mexicali dip in the past, just never enough to add it to my cart. And I was kind of glad that I didn't after I tried it for this taste test. The dip is made from jalapeños, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, spices, sour cream, mayo, Monterey Jack cheese, and a creamy neufchâtel base. If this seems like a lot of things for a 10-ounce container, well, that's because it is. The dip is like a very, very thick sour cream and does not spread easily. When I smelled it, I got the impression that it was going to be like a creamy, store-bought chipotle sauce, and I was right. It was almost as if someone had dropped all of the ingredients for a seven-layer dip into a blender. 

I felt myself searching for the other veggies but was really only met by the jalapeño and the warming chipotle-cayenne combo. The Monterey Jack cheese was also cold, hard, and stuck out like a sore thumb. The dip, as a whole, has few redeeming qualities. 

Is it too soon to say I have a favorite dip? Going into this ranking, it was definitely the Park Street Deli limited-edition Garlic Feta Dip. But ever since Aldi decided to take it off its shelves, I've been looking for a new favorite — and I think I may have found it. 

Aldi's Park Street Deli Dill Dip is very simple but very delicious. If you don't like dill, you won't like it, as this container is absolutely loaded with the little herby flecks, set in a sea of rich sour cream. The dill cuts through the richness of the spread easily and makes it almost addictive. If you gave me a container of crunchy kettle chips and three containers of this dip, you wouldn't see me for days. I'm so glad that Aldi sells it in such a large container (14 ounces), though I'm afraid that as much as I try to resist it, I will have to add it to my cart every time I shop at the store.

I had an assumption that the Park Street Deli Roasted Chile and Pepper Jack dip wasn't going to be good. Cauliflower isn't all it's cracked up to be, and it was the final nail in the coffin for this dip. While the base was creamier than I expected, it still had the consistency of cauliflower "mash." There were some bites that were creamy, while others had little flecks of soft, discernible cauliflower. The texture isn't the only issue; I couldn't pay attention to the roasted chiles and pepper jack cheese because my palate was overwhelmed by the cruciferous veggie base. 

I think that the pepper jack and chile have the potential to be a really good pairing in a dip, as the smoky notes of the peppers would highlight the piquancy and creaminess of the cheese. But it's better suited for a creamy sour cream or cream cheese base than one with chunky cauliflower bits. 

You will never see me painstakingly cutting up peppers, onions, and tomatoes for a homemade pico de gallo, since I can just buy a container of it at the store, saving myself both the time and aggravation. This Park Street Deli Fresh Cut Mild Salsa is a great alternative to homemade pico. I found it in the top tier of the refrigerator aisle, and based on its texture, I don't think it was sitting there for long. The flavors of the tomatoes and onions were melded together just enough to be complex and flow into one another, but it was clear that it hadn't been sitting long enough that the veggies had liquefied. 

While some of Aldi's other Tex-Mex-inspired items didn't pass the spice check, this one definitely did. Though it's sold as a mild salsa, I would rate it a little closer to a mild-medium. It has a fresh kick to it, complete with notes of lime and cilantro. Use it in a burrito, or scoop it up with chips; there are just so many ways to use it. 

Roasted red pepper is never my pick of the litter. I love roasted red peppers on pizza and on some sandwiches, but I find that the flavor has a tendency to conflict with the subtleties of a good hummus. The problem is that Aldi's Park Street Deli Roasted Red Pepper Hummus isn't a good hummus. 

The consistency of the dip, aside from the peppers in the center, is a little too thick for my liking. If I were dipping into it with a flimsy piece of pita bread, I have no doubt that I would be unsuccessful with getting any into my mouth. The cold peppers in the center of the hummus don't do it any favors, and they're chopped up so small that they're almost gummy. I would have liked to see Aldi spend a little more time on its hummus recipe, potentially adding more olive oil and more lemon juice. But what do you expect from a hummus that costs less than $3? 

If we were doing a ranking of Aldi's tzatzikis, this spinach and Parmesan one would give the original a run for its money. Like the spinach and artichoke variation, this dip replaces the classic dill and cucumber bits with spinach and Parmesan cheese. The spinach itself is present, but its flavor is so mild that I could do without it. I guess it makes you feel better about eating your veggies, but it's unremarkable otherwise. 

However, the addition of Parmesan is what really elevated this dip on my list. Parmesan is naturally very salty and umami, and a Greek yogurt dip that's heavy and acidic could really use some lift from the savory cheese. The only complaint I have about this addition is that the cheese can feel a little bit mealy against the cold dip, but once you let this sit out at room temperature for a little bit, you won't notice it as much. Pair it with crunchy pita chips for a tasty spread, or use it to top your Mediterranean grain bowl or gyro. 

Should salsa con queso jiggle like Jell-O when you poke it with a spoon? Probably not. The jar didn't provide any instructions for heating up this queso, but I found 30 seconds enough to yield a much more texturally pleasant dip. Aldi's in-house brand, Casa Mamita, markets this product as a medium spice. But I think even "mild" would have been generous. While I could see some visible flecks of peppers floating in it, there was no spice present to elevate its flavor.

If you're looking for something to spoon on top of your nachos or stuff into a burrito, I think that this salsa con queso would suffice — but only because its lackluster flavor is being masked by other ingredients. It's not one I would recommend eating with tortilla chips, as it doesn't really have anything going for it in the flavor department. 

It's really hard not to like a molten, melty cheese dip. Clancy's, Aldi's in-house chip brand, serves up this tasty dip-condiment hybrid in a jar. The microwave instructions on the side are simple: Nuke for 30 seconds, and be wary because it comes out hot. This dip can be used for so many different things, including on baked potatoes, with tortilla chips, or even as a substitute for homemade cheese sauce on your mac and cheese (desperate times call for desperate measures). 

This sauce is very similar to the salsa con queso, which I filed into the "avoid" category. This one does not make any promises concerning heat level, so I wasn't as unimpressed by its flavor as I was with the Tex-Mex-inspired dip. I also like this one because there are not only many ways to use it, but also to zhuzh it up, like by adding chopped jalapeños or green chiles, black beans, or spices. 

Aldi can't hide behind bad hummus with copious amounts of toppings. I warily eyed the claims that this container was made "now with more topping," like a cheesy '90s advertisement. The center is indeed filled with a ton of garlic bits, though I don't really get the impression that this garlic was "roasted" (or just not well-roasted, at least). It didn't have the sweetness and subtle caramel flavor that I've come to expect with the roasted allium. It just tastes like Aldi scooped a whole lot of jarred or tubed minced garlic paste into the center. 

What's nice about this dip is that the garlic flavor infused into the surrounding hummus rather than just staying in the center. But the hummus itself was lacking. As was the case with the Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, its consistency was far too thick and almost mealy. The best hummus I've ever had has been silky smooth and makes you wonder if it has dairy in it; this one was far too thick and mashed potato-like to be passable. If you served it to me on a dip table, I might go for a bite, but I'm not going to go out of my way to buy it. 

I'll be honest with you about two things: I didn't like this spinach dip as much as the dill dip, and I felt inclined to push it into the avoid pile. But after a couple of bites, the flavor and the texture grew on me. Each container is made up of a mayonnaise and sour cream base with visible pieces of carrot parceled throughout. The spinach, as you can probably assume by now, is something I can take or leave. It doesn't do all too much for the dip itself, and I don't think it's needed here to be successful. The carrots, on the other hand, add color and a bit of texture to every bite. 

The main qualm I could see someone having with this dip is that it tastes too strongly of mayo. The flavor of the egg yolks is more apparent than the mayo-haters would like, but that just means there's more for the rest of us. It's creamy, though it is grounded in the flavors of the vegetables. I could see it being a crowd favorite at a tailgate, especially paired with chips or pretzels. 

For being such a small store, Aldi carries a pretty impressive selection of guacamoles. While it does have the classics, including chunky, regular, and spicy, it does carry a flavor that I'll admit I've never seen another grocery store carry: Pineapple Poblano. It was a great idea in theory; pineapple is sweet, poblanos are smoky and not super hot, and guacamole is so good. Why wouldn't it work? 

The main issue I had with this Park Street Deli dip was its texture. The pineapple was crushed, so when I cracked the container, I noticed that its texture was more akin to green baby food than guacamole. When I took a bite, I got the impression that the guacamole was neither smooth nor chunky — it was mealy. While the pineapple flavor was really well-balanced and refreshing in this guacamole, and I could feel the prickle of heat from the poblanos, I felt myself chewing a bit too hard for a guacamole. The concept would have worked better if Aldi had just stuck to pineapple juice rather than fleshy fruit. 

The one thing that I love about Aldi is that it not only offers classic dips, but also fun (yet still sensible) twists on the classics. This spinach and artichoke dip is grouped into the latter. It's best served cold and comes with a creamy base, ample pieces of spinach and artichoke, and, much to my surprise, a ton of Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheese. Parmesan cheese was something I could see, given that it is salty and umami, but the Monterey Jack was a little unexpected. Its creamy flavor and subtle nuttiness added a unique and fun twist to a classic dip. 

Even if you don't like artichokes, you can still get along with this dip. Enjoy it with sturdy potato chips from Aldi's snack aisle, or source some quality pita chips to let the natural saltiness of this dip shine. 

The Casa Mamita salsa didn't have to be anything extraordinary here. I've gone through the liberty of tasting many jarred salsa brands in my albeit short life, and I don't have high hopes for one that costs less than $2.30. This sizable jar, while not super inventive, fun, or otherwise different, is about as ol' reliable as it gets. It's budget-friendly and good enough for government work, and I would definitely add it to my cart again.

I appreciate a lot about this salsa, including its balance of sweetness and saltiness. The two counteract each other, seesawing back and forth on my palate until I went back in for another bite. Its consistency is also the perfect middle-of-the-road for a scooping salsa. It's not so watery that it would soak through a tortilla chip, nor is it so chunky that it's running into pico de gallo territory. It's a true mild salsa, but Aldi carries other spicier variations that may be worth trying. 

I sampled each of these dips on the same day by the spoon, with no chips or dipping vehicles involved. Since each dip is very different from one another, I considered the overall flavor, texture, and inventiveness of each one. The ones on my "buy" list were versatile, could be enjoyed with chips, pretzels, and more, and boasted an excellent flavor that would make me want to eat them if they were put out on a grazing table or charcuterie board with affordable ingredients.