I love Halloween and particularly enjoy a good excuse to curl up in front of a scary film with plenty of nostalgic snacks. Unfortunately, this can also prove to be a bit of a pricey time of year, especially if you have adorable yet persistent trick-or-treaters knocking at your door every five minutes.
Amid the ongoing cost of living crisis, many of us will be looking for ways to cut back while still enjoying all the fun of the spooky season. This may well involve searching for alternative options to your favourite sweet brands, whether you intend to pop them in a plastic cauldron by the front door or chomp them all down on the sofa in front of Hocus Pocus.
With this in mind, I decided to test out five classic sweets next to comparable Aldi dupes, to see if they measured up. I was left pretty blown away by some of the cheaper options.
Jelly Snakes
Natural Confectionary Co's Jelly Snakes: £1 from Tesco for a 160g bag
This felt like the natural Halloween sweet to start with, and the slithery shape will no doubt delight spooky-minded little ones. Satisfyingly chewy, this sweet has a soft, jelly-like texture, and a strong, fruity taste. I'd give these a 7/10.
Dominion Walter the Worm Chewy Fruit Gums: 99p from Aldi for a 170g bag
As much as I enjoyed the Jelly Snakes, Walter the Worm came up tops for me on this round. The wiggly shape gave it an added Halloween feel, while the firmer, gummier texture was really satisfying. The flavours were milder but very moreish. A solid 7.5/10.
Jelly Babies
Maynards Bassetts Jelly Babies: £1.50 at Tesco for a 190g bag
A fair bit bigger and more defined than their Aldi counterparts, Maynards Bassetts Jelly Babies were just as addictive as the ones I recalled from my childhood, with the distinctive, classic burst of flavour bringing a welcome rush of nostalgia. Sugary sweet and incomparably adorable, these deserve a strong 8.5/10
Dominion Jelly Babies: 55p at Aldi for a 230g bag
I was struck by the slightly smaller look, and the heavier dusting of icing sugar, but I soon found these kindred sweets had more similarities than differences. Although not quite as sweet as the original, they'd still please any Halloween party guest or trick-or-treater, as few people would notice the difference. I'm awarding these a 8.5/10.
Squashies
Swizzels Drumstick Squashies Rhubarb & Custard: 99p from Tesco for a 160g bag
A dreamy yet delicate marshmallowy taste with beautifully balanced flavours, I love how the sharpness of the rhubarb marries with the creamy, old-school custard flavour. Satisfying firm and very addictive, many follow-up tests were of course required to make absolutely sure I was confident in my ranking. I landed on a 9/10 for these OGs.
Dominion Twinnies Raspberry & Milk Flavour: 85p from Aldi for a 160g bag
With the original taking some beating, I was pleasantly surprised by how this dupe measured up, with the tart raspberry flavour and buttery milkiness reminding me of a very delicious beachside sorbet. Again, it had to be 9/10.
Malteasers
Malteasers: £1.35 from Tesco for a 102g bag
My personal Friday night box set snack of choice, Malteasers are pretty hard to improve upon. Heavenly light and airy, these chocolatey clouds never fail to give me a lift. I already knew I'd award classic Malteasers a 10/10 beforehand, but thought it was best to double-check, just in case.
Chocolate Malt Balls: 99p from Aldi for a 102g bag
A fair bit smaller and crunchier than my tried-and-tested favourite, I was surprised by just how different this dupe was. Aldi's Chocolate Malt Balls have a powerfully strong, almost Horlicks-like, malty taste, with a texture that's more akin to a Crunchie bar. Although still pleasant enough in their own nutty way, these fell a little short for me, as they only scored a 6/10.
Wine Gums
Maynards Bassetts Wine Gums: £1.50 from Tesco for a 190g bag
As scrumptious as ever, Wine Gums never fail to pack a punch with their rich, deep fruity flavours. I could happily eat a handful of these jammy little jewels in one sitting. Always a pleasure, I'd rate these a 9/10.
Dominion Midget Gems: 39p from Aldi for a 200g bag
Okay, I know these aren't a direct dupe of Wine Gums, but a friend of mine recommended Dominion Midget Gems to me as a way to sate my thirst for Wine Gums for a mere snip of the price. At just 39p for a sizeable bag, I was pleasantly surprised by these tangy little treats, with the luscious pear-flavoured yellow one proving to be particularly memorable. A solid 7.5/10.
The verdict
Although a mixed bag, if you'll pardon the pun, there were some real treasures in my trick-or-treat haul, and I was surprised by just how well the Aldi dupes fared.
Out of the five comparisons, two came neck and neck, with both versions of the Jelly Babies being near indistinguishable from one another. The Squashies were also equally delectable, with the Aldi dupe being my favourite of the bunch.
One Aldi dupe beat its name-brand counterpart, with Walter the Worm Chewy Fruit Gums wiggling ahead of Natural Confectionary Co's Jelly Snakes.
Dominion Midget Gems fell just one and a half marks behind its name-brand counterpart, and should really earn bonus points for its quality taste at such a low price.
Only one Aldi dupe didn't quite meet my expectations, with the heavy, chewy texture of Chocolate Malt Balls a far cry from the subtle, feathery-light spheres I love so dearly. More of a trick than a treat.
Overall, I'd be happy to have any of these sweets in my Halloween cauldron, with the results just showing you don't have to spend a fortune for a quality treat.
Do you have a money-saving hack to share? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com
