The holidays are just around the corner, meaning it’s time to start stocking up on all your favorite seasonal goodies. But let’s be real: shopping for the right party and dinner staples is pretty darn hard, especially on top of hosting friends and family. Luckily, Aldi’s wide selection of holiday buys makes prepping for the upcoming festivities a walk in the park. And thanks to a handful of trusty shoppers on Reddit, finding the perfect buys also just got a whole lot easier!
Whether your heart desires something sweet, salty or a mix of both, Aldi’s has got you covered with its selection of seasonal offerings. From German pastries to a cheese advent calendar, here are the 6 best holiday entertaining buys from Aldi, according to Reddit.
This list adds to Salon’s growing library of supermarket guides. For additional inspiration, check out the 8 best festive snacks to snag at Aldi’s right now along with Aldi’s best Christmas food gifts that are all under $10.
01 Winternacht Spiced Spekulatius
These classic German Christmas cookies are the cousin of Dutch speculaas. Spekulatius are thin and crisp shortcrust biscuits that are traditionally made from butter, sugar, almond extract, milk and flour. They are flavored with a unique blend of warm spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, aniseed, white pepper, coriander, ginger, cardamom and mace.
On Reddit, Aldi’s Winternacht Spiced Spekulatius are a major hit — so much so that folks warned eager buyers to “be careful! They are dangerous.”
“They are the best! I took a package to work with the intention to share, but…..,” wrote user u/callmepowlus.
02 Benton's Maple Leaf Créme Cookies
Nothing screams holiday cheer like maple-flavored goodies. Per its packaging, the cookies have “a smooth and flavorful maple flavored creme filling” and are made with real maple syrup sourced right from Canada. The cookies are even shaped like individual maple leaves, making them both fun to eat and admire.
Enjoy these creme-filled cookies on their own or alongside a hot cup of coffee (or tea!). The cookies are a seasonal item and available for only a few months, so be sure to stock up on them pronto.
“They are the closest we’ve found to an old seasonal favorite we would get at a local store here that no longer has them, so we get several boxes of them every fall,” wrote user u/FrozenRose_816.
03 Winternacht Cherry Stollen
Not to be confused with fruit cake, stollen is a traditional German Christmas bread that consists of nuts, spices, marzipan and dried/candied fruit, coated with powdered sugar or icing sugar. Aldi consists of a variety of stollen flavors, including butter almond, marzipan and apple, but cherry seems to be the fan-favorite on Reddit.
“Another vote for the stollen,” wrote user u/starryvelvetsky. “Cherry variety is my favorite but they are all so, so good!”
04 Emporium Selection Cheese Advent Calendar
Calling all cheese enthusiasts! Aldi’s Emporium Selection Cheese Advent Calendar (which features 24 selections of mini cheese from Europe) is the perfect holiday gift to give to yourself or a special someone. The cheeses are best enjoyed alongside your favorite crackers and fruit pairings…but we also won’t judge if you simply want to eat them as is all in one sitting!
According to user u/I_spy78365, the specific varieties of cheese changes every year: “Last time I got one there wasn't any goat cheese or the apple flavor so it's a bit different this [year] but I'm heading to Aldi tomorrow to see if they have any left [because] they're so good.”
05 Belgian Cocoa Dusted Truffles
Aldi’s fans have been obsessed with its Specially Selected Belgian Cocoa Dusted Truffles, which are just $2.99 a pack. The craze took off early 2021, when Redditor u/reginageorges_mom took a photo of the truffles, hailing them as “lovely drops of heaven.” Soon enough, other fans shared their praises online:
“They are amazing. I ate the whole box in 2 days,” wrote u/widespreadpanic32. “My kids didn’t like the cocoa powder on the outside so I smashed the rest of them. Also had no idea they were mostly coconut butter.” In the same vein, u/poiulkjhmnbvbhj simply wrote, “Just FYI those are amazing with a good red wine. Like insane.”
06 Turkey Cranberry Ravioli
Described as “Thanksgiving in a bite,” Aldi’s seasonal ravioli are also a great staple for the holidays. The Turkey Cranberry Ravioli is essentially pasta pouches filled with slow-roasted turkey, stuffing, cheese, and cranberries.
According to those on Reddit, the pasta is pretty plain tasting when eaten alone. It pairs exceptionally well with a bit of butter, rosemary thyme and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Alternatively, it can be served alongside a light brown sugar butter sauce.
“Just picked them up tonight along with some fresh sage,” wrote u/blondeheartedgoddess. “I plan to do a brown butter and sage sauce to go over them. Gravy seems too heavy on top of the pasta.”
