The $2 Aldi Snack I’ve Been Buying for 20 Years (Every Single Week)
I was a student searching for affordable snacks long before I was a food writer covering the Aldi beat. My first foray into the now-popular discount grocer was an impulse stop on a road trip during break between grueling graduate school semesters.
Most grocery stores don’t leave a memorable mark from the moment you step through the sliding doors, but Aldi is not like most grocery stores. The bare-bones decor, unfamiliar store brands, and shockingly low prices were so disorienting I felt as if I had stepped into Oz.
I was a long way from campus, so my first Aldi shopping spree was focused more on snacking than sustenance. That haul was more than 20 years ago, and it was also when I picked up a bag of Clancy’s Mini Twists Pretzels. It’s become a staple in my kitchen (and car) ever since.
What’s So Great About Clancy’s Mini Twists Pretzels?
Pretzels are one of the most satisfying snacks to exist. They are slightly salty, have just the right amount of crunch, and leave no greasy fingers behind. Though Aldi sells both pretzel sticks and mini twists, I always reach for the knotted shape.
What has kept me coming back year after year (ahem, decade after decade) is the price tag. Aldi sells a 1-pound bag of these mini twist pretzels for just $1.99 (or a few cents more, if you’re shopping online). At the grocery store near my home in Tampa, Florida, the same size bag from a national name brand is $5.31. For that price, I could buy two bags of Aldi’s pretzels and still have some change left over. That’s why I make sure to buy a bag every single week.
What’s the Best Way to Use Clancy’s Mini Twists Pretzels?
The first way I enjoyed Clancy’s Mini Twists Pretzels was straight from the bag as I logged highway miles, and that’s still my go-to. The pretzels make excellent dippers for garlicky hummus or warm queso dips.
They’re also essential to the savory homemade Chex mix that I prepare regularly, especially around the holidays. (Try mixing them into the sweet white chocolate-coated Christmas Chex mix.) Everyone loves that recipe, so I make a big batch to share with neighbors and friends. I also dip the twists in chocolate for an easy sweet and salty treat.
When I’m left with the broken pretzel bits at the bottom of the bag, I know it’s time to make crispy, pretzel-crusted chicken. I prep chicken tenders, and swap crushed pretzels for breadcrumbs.
Buy: Clancy’s Mini Twists Pretzels, $1.99 for 16 ounces
What Aldi grocery have you been buying for years and years? Tell us about it in the comments below.