12 Aldi Frozen Desserts, Ranked

Having all the kitchen staples and then some covered, Aldi is chock-full of frozen foods you should always buy, as well as some you should avoid. A large portion of its freezer section consists of sweet treats in particular, including a very variety of ice creams, gelatos, sorbets, and more, meaning there's an option to appease everyone's palate. But with this many choices to pick from, I had to test them out and see which were actually worth purchasing again in the future.

I tried out 12 desserts from the grocer's freezer section — most of which were unique in flavor, in addition to a couple of options that were the usual crowd favorites — and did a taste test to see what goodies reigned supreme. A surprising number of them were subpar and worse off than I expected, although the ones that came out on top are products I'd highly recommend and would keep stocked in my own home.

Of all the products I tried for this testing, none surprised me the way the Sundae Shoppe Mixed Berry Gelato did — and not in a good way. It had the taste of children's cough medicine. 

You truly can't judge a book by its cover, as this vanilla gelato comes topped with a beautiful assortment of red currants, blackberries, and blueberries, as well as streaks of berry-flavored syrup throughout the tub. It all came together to provide one of the most presentable-looking items on this list, but boy, did that syrup taste bitter and exactly like Robitussin. 

The berries atop the gelato did little to nothing to help; the blackberries and blueberries being frozen seemed to rid them of any flavor. And, though the currants were nicely tart, it was not enough to drown out that medicinal taste laced throughout the gelato's base. Also worth mentioning is that the texture of it is very light and airy, making you feel like you're eating straight-up whipped cream, whereas gelato should provide a much denser mouthfeel.

Stroopwafels, the Netherlands' most iconic treat, have found increasing popularity within the United States over the past couple of years. It was only about time that Aldi jumped on the bandwagon with its Sundae Shoppe Stroopwafel Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches, which feature a hefty filling of chocolate ice cream packed between two miniature waffle slices with thin layers of caramel.

This was mediocre at best. For starters, stroopwafels are actually best eaten warm so that the caramel slightly melts. Sundae Shoppe Stroopwafel Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches, on the other hand, require you to eat them straight out of the freezer, or else you run the risk of the ice cream filling melting. The stroopwafels did not hold up well to this, and they took on an unpleasantly grainy, crumbly texture that ruined the whole thing. To add insult to injury, the ratio of waffle to filling was way off, as the ice cream in the center was too thick compared to the almost paper-thin stroopwafels. You're better off buying a pack of stroopwafels, warming them up, and dipping them into a separately purchased container of ice cream, so you have better control of the proportions and texture.

I tried three different types of gelato from Aldi, and the Sundae Shoppe Caramel Cookie Crunch variety barely fared any better than the bottom-ranking Mixed Berry. Again, it has a vanilla base that, on its own, tastes like nothing (a particularly surprising criticism, considering there's science behind why gelato is perceived as more flavorful than ice cream). It only placed a tad higher on account of its abundance of Oreo-like cookie crumbles on top, which was plentiful enough that I'd say each bite could have its fair share of them.

There were also very small globs of caramel here and there within the tub. While the flavor was nicely sweet and added some much-needed contrast to the boring vanilla, you'd have to be able to look past its atrocious texture to enjoy it — a task I was ultimately unable to do. The caramel had a gelatinous mouthfeel that was extremely off-putting and — no exaggeration — sent a shiver down my spine. Thankfully, the caramel isn't used generously in this product.

There's nothing that gets me going more at a hibachi buffet than when the ice cream case contains Hershey's Chocolate Scooter Bars. Those are my absolute kryptonite, so I practically ransacked the freezer when I saw Aldi's alternative: the Sundae Shoppe Chocolate Crunch Bars. This is unfortunately not one of those Aldi dupes that taste just like the real thing, though. Looks are about as similar as these two get, as the taste of the name-brand version is much, much better.

The Sundae Shoppe Chocolate Crunch Bars aren't bad, per se. They still provide all the same elements as Hershey's, including a multi-layer makeup of chocolate ice cream at the center, a thin layer of vanilla ice cream surrounding it, and some cake bits on the outside. However, these components fall short, largely in terms of texture. The worst offender is that what Aldi advertises on the packaging as a "crunchy cake coating" is actually not all that crunchy and, therefore, is far less satisfying. It's safer to say it provides a very light crisp instead. This outer layer is supposed to be the product's claim to fame, though, and is likely the reason people are pulling it off the shelf, so I have to give a warning that it probably won't meet their standards. Also, the chocolate core just isn't rich enough for me.

On paper, the Sundae Shoppe Original Moose Tracks have all the basics down: a vanilla ice cream base, fudge streaking throughout it, and peanut butter cups scattered within the tub. You've got three fan-favorite flavors in one dessert, and yet, I still found it to be pretty average.

Firstly, I wouldn't even say it's a good quality vanilla ice cream. I know vanilla is, well ... vanilla, but when I tried and ranked Tillamook ice cream flavors, for example, it was so luxurious-tasting that it came out in second place. Here, though, it's plain and flat. I expected the chocolate tracks to help introduce some flavor, and they did, but it takes a good amount of digging to even find them in the container. No one wants to work to enjoy their sweet treat.

The peanut butter cups were like striking gold, though. They're around the size of a nickel and were surprisingly easier to spot than the fudge tracks. As I sampled this ice cream, I found myself wanting bites of just these cups. My verdict is to Skip the Original Moose Tracks and grab a bag of Aldi's Choceur Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups instead. They're the best and really the only redeeming part.

After trying three of the mochi-centric desserts Aldi offers and discovering that — spoiler alert — one of them was worthy of being placed toward the top of the list, the other two paled in comparison. That's not to say the Sundae Shoppe Mango Mochi Ice Cream was bad; it just fell short in a few ways the number one item did not.

The mochi is what's supposed to make this product so novel. Sadly, it doesn't play much of a role here, especially texturally. For context, mochi is glutinous rice that's been steamed and pounded in a way that should result in a chewy, slightly sticky, and stretchy texture. Sundae Shoppe's version doesn't live up to any of these qualities. Rather, there's absolutely no pull to the dough upon taking a bite. There's also not much flavor to it either. Even the mango ice cream contained within the mochi is lacking in it. To sum it up, everything about this frozen dessert is too subtle. It doesn't taste bad by any means, it just has so much more potential than where it's currently at.

For almost all the same reasons the Mango Mochi Ice Cream was docked points, the Sundae Shoppe Strawberry Mochi Ice Cream missed the mark, too. The glutinous rice, again, doesn't have the elasticity it should, and bites clean off.

But the strawberry variety has a bit of an edge over the mango taste-wise. While the entire product's flavor is still mild overall, there's a slight sweetness to the strawberry ice cream filling that at least actually makes it feel like you're eating a satisfying dessert. It's a very delicate taste that I'd recommend to those who don't want an overly indulgent or sickeningly saccharine post-meal treat. So, while I can name ways the Sundae Shoppe Strawberry Mochi Ice Cream could be improved, I could see myself reaching for it again from time to time in the future.

The Sundae Shoppe Cookies & Cream Ice Cream is one of the classic offerings Aldi has down pat. It's your standard, run-of-the-mill cookies and cream. One thing I do think is worth noting about its flavor, though, is how the "cream" aspect is really delivered on — i.e., this tastes a whole lot like a cup of milk with sugar sprinkled into it. That's not necessarily a criticism, however, as isn't that what cookies and cream basically is when it comes down to it?

As for the cookies, the entire container is dotted with little specks of what Aldi identifies as "chocolate sandwich cream cookies," aka the grocer's version of Oreos. There are also some bigger chunks of them here and there. The larger pieces managed to retain some crunch, offering a nice textural contrast.

I was ready to accept Aldi might've been batting zero with its gelato assortment, but the Sundae Shoppe Triple Chocolate Gelato fortunately saved the day. Whereas the Mixed Berry and Caramel Cookie Crunch varieties were riddled with odd flavors and textures, this option is a chocolate lover's dream, consisting of both a milk and dark chocolate base that's also topped off with plenty of white chocolate shavings. Between the mix of brown and white hues and the curly design of the shavings, this product is so aesthetically pleasing that I'd proudly bring it along to a potluck.

Moreover, the mix of all three types of chocolate makes for an indulgent experience, but it's not so rich that it's cloying. And the light and airy quality that ultimately hurt the Caramel Cookie Crunch Gelato actually helped here, ensuring this dessert didn't feel too sickeningly thick on top of its already sweet-leaning profile. The balanced flavor and delicate texture would likely work wonders atop a stack of pancakes or waffles. Better yet, I'd love to try a scoop of it in a steaming cup of hot cocoa.

If you're looking for a good store-bought ice cream sandwich, Aldi's got you covered with its Sundae Shoppe Vanilla Sandwiches. These are highly affordable, coming in at just under $3 for a generous pack of 12.

There's honestly nothing particularly special or unique about these, but they're a reliable, solid option for the crowd-pleasing dessert we've all likely tried at one point or another. They're a bit longer than the ice cream sandwiches I personally grew up eating, and Sundae Shoppe also seems to opt for a slightly thinner layer of vanilla in between than what I've become accustomed to as well. I appreciate this, though, as the ratio allows the soft, fudgey chocolate wafers to shine through more, rather than being completely drowned out by the ice cream.

Yet another ice cream sandwich Aldi does very well is the Sundae Shoppe Cinnamon Churro. Rather than your usual chocolate-flavored wafers, this dessert uses two cookies that are heavily seasoned with cinnamon and brown sugar, just as the traditional fried pastry they're inspired by is. The cinnamon is especially abundant here, lending a warm, sweet flavor through the wonderfully soft and crumbly vessels that are the cookies.

As for the filling, salted caramel ice cream replaces your standard vanilla. I have to admit, I didn't notice the swap; it still tasted very much like vanilla to me. I've learned through this entire taste test that Aldi doesn't have the best track record when it comes to its ice cream bases, which overall tend to lack flavor and complexity. It's often the toppings or accouterments that save the dessert, such as in this case. With this product, it became especially easy to overlook this issue because the cookies were so delicious and distinctly churro-like, living up to the product's name.

One taste is all you need to know that My/Mochi Raspberry Sorbet will be a dessert mainstay in your freezer. This brand does just about everything better than Aldi's Sundae Shoppe version, starting with the fact that the mochi itself finally has that perfectly stretchy, slightly chewy texture it's meant to have. Despite this dough still being a thin layer, the almost gummy-like, bouncy mouthfeel ensures it's prominent enough and isn't overwhelmed by the very bright taste of the filling.

The raspberry sorbet is packed densely within the mochi, and it's refreshing as can be, with the natural tartness from the fruit puree nicely balancing out the sweetness of the powdered sugar-dusted dough. Plus, each piece is only 70 calories, making it a suitable choice for those who might like to keep track of their intake. It also may be a good snack to reach for if you have a gluten intolerance, as the product is not certified gluten-free, but states that it isn't made with ingredients that contain gluten.

For this ranking of frozen delights, I chose to purchase products that were centered around ice cream, gelato, or sorbet, as these make up the majority of Aldi's dessert offerings. I ordered them from worst to best primarily based on flavor and how the individual ingredients within the product tasted and worked with one another. Texture was the next consideration; those with a more pleasant mouthfeel were ranked more favorably, while those that were off-putting, whether they were overly grainy or gloopy, placed lower. In a couple of cases, I also noted affordability and nutritional value.