The Worst Aldi Baked Good Was Obnoxiously Sweet For Our Taste

Who doesn't love the wonderful world of Aldi's bakery aisle? It feels like it has every budget-friendly treat you could ever want, from pastries to cakes and cookies and everything in between. So when Chowhound set out to rank some of Aldi's baked goods, we had high expectations. But there's an aspect of flavor that often gets overlooked with sweet treats, and that is the role of sweetness itself. 

And it was in their sweetness that Aldi's Powdered Mini Donuts really fell short. It's tragic because there's nothing more delightfully snack-able than a good mini donut, but these little bites were dominated by the taste of sugar. Especially when compared to other items in the line up, which was composed of a whole variety of baked treats, the donuts came in pretty one-note, worse even than the danishes that were deemed too dry. Even in a sweet treat, sugar shouldn't be the only flavor that comes across.

Of course, as soon as you start observing things, patterns emerge. And this ranking was no exception. Looking across the lower ranking of the list, texture seemed to be the common issue — many were too dry, missing the airy flakiness you'd hope for — as opposed to having a flavor problem that pushed them down the list. But the Powdered Mini Donuts came in dead last because all they were was one dominant flavor. That flavor being sugar. Our reviewer went as far to say "they tasted like someone found a way to turn a spoonful of granulated sugar into a baked good." Yikes.

To their credit, perhaps their size (which is what should make them more-ish in the first place) worked against them. What we're all looking for in a good powdered donut is one that feels light when you bite into it. It should have a soft, airy center and just the right amount of powdered sugar so it's sweet and slightly mess but not overpowering. These mini donuts, however, hit the same note of sugar all the way through. This meant that instead of making you want to reach back for another, one is more than enough. From this review alone, it's safe to say they are one of the Aldi baked goods you're better off avoiding.