The Limited-Time Aldi Dessert That I Wish They'd Make A Permanent Offering

As I can assume is true for most shoppers, I don't play into the protein hype. Sure, I love the Aldi protein pancake mix and buy it instead of Kodiak (because who wouldn't want to get extra protein into this classically carb-heavy breakfast?), but I draw the line at any product that sacrifices flavor and texture for extra macros. As such, I didn't think the Protein Pints I saw in Aldi's freezer bins would be noteworthy. But, I am a sucker for a chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, and since I did commit the big mistake of shopping while hungry, I just had to add a pint to my freezer — and promptly added three more to my cart a few days later.

These pints, which my Aldi only carried in one flavor, are, as of the date of publication, already out of stock. And I can see why. Not only does this pint contain 30 grams of protein per pint (you may only get 8 grams of protein from a standard ice cream), but it's also lower in sugar because it contains allulose. I expected to get an upset stomach from this pint, since GI discomfort can come with sugar substitutes, but it went down like normal ice cream (read: I ate the whole thing in one sitting). It didn't taste chalky like a bad protein powder, and while the cookie dough pieces were half the size and not nearly as numerous as something like Ben & Jerry's would offer, it's a decent high-protein pick — which made me all the more sad that it was a limited-time find. 

As I usually do when I strike Aldi gold, I had to check on social media to see what the consensus was about this ice cream. And as I suspected, it wasn't just getting positive press from protein-crazed shoppers, but also from folks looking for a cheaper substitute for Halo Top, which, I will admit, tastes awful, no matter which flavor you pick. 

Not only did other folks affirm that this ice cream was better than Halo Top, but they also praised it as being a sleeper way to get more protein in. "I bought this yesterday, and my husband and I demolished it! It was so creamy and delicious," said one Aldi shopper on a Facebook post about the product. "I was expecting to hate this," said an Instagram reviewer, who ended up rating it eight out of 10. While they noted that it tasted like ice cream, the drawback they pointed out was the cost. But for protein ice cream that tastes like normal ice cream, it's a price that I'm willing to pay.

There is no word yet as to whether this product will be making its way back into stores. But since the customer perception of it has been good, I do think that it stands a chance of becoming a must-buy freezer find from the grocer. I wouldn't be mad if Aldi cleared out some of its own ice creams (which are average at best) to make room for this name-brand find, either.