The 10 Snacks You Should Pick Up During Every Aldi Trip

Did you know that 90-ish percent of the brands sold at Aldi are exclusive to the stores? It’s true! Aldi has a cool handful of its own private-label brands like Specially Selected, SimplyNature, liveGfree (a gluten-free line), and more. And many of these brands include snacks.

In fact, the snacks are so impressive that Kitchn recently ran a story talking about how Aldi snacks actually rival the ones at Trader Joe’s. (Before you comment, read this: The Biggest Thing You Get Wrong About Trader Joe’s and Aldi.)

As a frequent (read: weekly) Aldi shopper and an even more frequent snacker, I figure I’m perfectly qualified to talk about the best snacks at the discount grocery store.

1. Southern Grove Chili Lime Cashews, $5.50 for 10 ounces: I’ve written before about how my guests always think these came from Trader Joe’s. They’re spicy, citrus-y, and totally surprising. You know, for a bag of cashews.
2. liveGfree Rosemary & Olive Oil Multiseed Crackers, $2 for 4.25 ounces: I don’t keep a gluten-free pantry, nor do I have friends who eat gluten-free, but I still always buy these crackers from Aldi’s gluten-free line. I eat them on their own, or pile them up on a cheese board and they add a nice crunch that regular crackers don’t.
3. SimplyNature Organic White Cheddar Puffs, $2 for four ounces: If you like Pirate’s Booty, try these! They taste practically identical and cost way less.
4. Specially Selected Gouda Cheese Bites, $2 for five ounces: I don’t know how they make these “potato snacks with sweet and creamy cheese flavor,” but they taste almost like frico cheese crisps.
5. SimplyNature Exotic Vegetable Chips, $3 for 7.5 ounces: And these taste just like Terra chips, only they’re even crunchier.
6. Fit & Active 100-Calorie Chocolate Chip Snack Packs, $2.50 for six: I don’t normally buy 100-calorie packs, as I don’t count calories, but I legit like these. They’re good desk snacks for the afternoon and I like that I can mindlessly polish off a package.
7. Pueblo Lindo Premium Mango Ice Cream Bars, $3.50 for six: Pueblo Lindo is Aldi’s private-label brand of Hispanic favorites. (From “south of the border straight to your plate,” the website says.) These ice cream bars are a favorite among shoppers all around the country.
8. Specially Selected Aged Reserve White Cheddar, $3 for 10 ounces: This is the cheddar that won the gold medal at the 2013 United States Cheese Championship! Cube it up as soon as you get home and you’ll always have a snack ready and waiting in the fridge.
9. Appleton Farms Original Bite-Sized Dry Salami, $3.50 for eight ounces: Bite-sized salami! I love these cute little pieces on a cheese board or on their own as a little snack.
10. Specially Selected Dark Chocolate Covered Sea Salt Caramels, $3 for 10 ounces: People (including Kitchn editors!) rave about the chocolate at Aldi, and this decadent treat — rectangles of buttery caramels covered with dark chocolate and big chunks of sea salt — is no exception.

Got anything to add? What are the snacks you always pick up during a trip to Aldi?