14 Aldi Imitations That Taste Indistinguishable from the Originals

For those in the know, Aldi is the go-to spot to snag budget-friendly deals and one-of-a-kind food and snack items (not to mention the random things that you didn’t know you needed all in the infamous Aldi Aisle of Shame). But if it’s your first trip to Aldi, you might be wondering why you’ve never heard of so many of the brands that you see on the shelves.

The answer is simple: Aldi carries mostly store-brand items, which is one way that it’s able to keep costs down for consumers. But a lot of the affordable store-brand options at Aldi are just as good (or better) than their name brand counterparts.

You can find dupes for everything from cosmetics to kitchen products, but for the purposes of this list, we stuck with groceries only. We scoured the aisles and tried to figure out which pricier name-brand food items could be swapped out without sacrificing quality. We tried a selection of snacks, breads, sauces, and other pantry staples to see how they compared to the name brands. Ultimately, we found that the 14 following Aldi dupes were about as close to the more expensive versions as you can get. 

Countryside Creamery’s stand-in for pricey (but delicious) Kerrygold is sure to become your new favorite butter. While it’s true that Kerrygold rises above other grocery store butter brands, the Aldi dupe is just as tasty. It has the rich, creamy flavor of the more expensive stuff at a much lower price. An 8-ounce of Countryside Creamery salted Irish butter costs around $3.75 while the same thing from Kerrygold is almost $6 for the same size. We put this butter on toast to get the full tasting experience. We’ve also used it in baking with fantastic results. 

Both are made with grass-fed cow’s milk, which is what gives it such a rich flavor and makes it so smooth. Now, it is worth noting that the spreadable version from Countryside Creamery incorporates canola oil to make the texture extra smooth, whereas Kerrygold’s softer butter has olive oil. Therefore, the flavors of the spreadable butters aren’t exactly alike. But as far as we’re concerned, the aforementioned standard salted Irish butter from Countryside Creamery is indistinguishable from the Aldi version. The main difference, of course, is the price tag.

If you love the prebiotic soda Poppi, you will want to run to grab the Aldi version, Popz. It has a similar fizz and unique flavor options, plus ingredients that help your gut function while still treating your taste buds to a refreshing drink. Prebiotic sodas are getting plenty of attention as an alternative to traditional sugar-laden soda. We tried the raspberry rose, which is our favorite type of Poppi, and had a hard time telling the difference. It doesn’t have as much sugar as “regular soda,” plus the prebiotics give it a distinctly floral taste. So if you’re comparing this beverage to a standard Coke or Pepsi, it’s a real apples to oranges situation. But for a Poppi dupe, this one is right on.

Aldi also carries Poppi for a lower price than we’ve seen it at other stores by around 50 cents. However, we’ll always go with Popz if we see it. The downside is that not all Aldi stores keep it in stock. If you want a different prebiotic soda, look for the VitaLife version in the deli section. While VitaLife’s flavor options don’t match the Poppi lineup, it’s still a more budget-friendly alternative to Poppi.

Aldi’s Berryhill hazelnut spread tastes just like Nutella but is a bit easier on the pocketbook. Nutella — which you can also find at Aldi — is more than $4 and the Berryhill version is $2.75 for the same amount. 

After trying both hazelnut spreads from Berryhill and Nutella, we can confidently say we cannot tell the difference between the two. Both are a bit thicker than peanut butter but super smooth. They have a similar balance of rich hazelnut flavor and sweet chocolate.

Nutella is a staple in our household, but the small containers can get expensive. We like to spread a little bit over toast in the morning, add it to our peanut butter sandwich at lunch, or even turn a grilled cheese into a dessert dish. It’s shelf stable and can be kept in the pantry to use anytime you’re feeling a little indulgent. Needless to say, we welcome the less expensive Aldi version with open arms.

If you love King’s Hawaiian rolls, the Aldi version is a great option. These rolls, sold under the brand L’oven, have the same flavor and texture for just over $2. At other stores, King’s Hawaiian rolls cost around $6.50 and are indistinguishable from the Aldi ones.

Like the name-brand version, they come in a pack of 12 rolls, which are protected from any squishing by a carton with upright sides taller than the rolls themselves. They have a nice buttery top and super soft interior, plus a hint of sweetness that sets them apart from the other bakery offerings from Aldi.

Unlike King’s Hawaiian, which now has other types of baked goods in addition to the classic sweet rolls, L’oven only comes in the basic roll variety. But since these are some of our favorites, it’s not a big deal for us. However, if you are looking for a dupe for the sliced bread, you won’t be able to find it at Aldi.

If you like kettle chips, you’ll love the Clancy’s dupe. They come in multiple flavors, but the original is a dead ringer. An 8-ounce bag only costs around $2, while the same thing from name brands like Kettle Brand (which isn’t carried at Aldi) is around $5.50 for a slightly smaller bag. 

These are super thick, just like good kettle chips should be. They come with a bit of salt sprinkled on. If you prefer something with a little more seasoning, you can always try the jalapeño, mesquite barbecue, or sea salt and vinegar versions. Aldi also carries a variety pack with smaller, individual-sized bags. 

Some of the name brands come in additional flavors that aren’t available in the Clancy’s line. So if you’re craving an option like parmesan garlic or Himalayan salt, you’ll have to stick with the pricier Kettle brand. But for original flavor kettle-style chips, save a few bucks by going with Clancy’s and the only way you’ll tell the difference is in the lower receipt total.

If your family happens to be a fan of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (which is also carried at Aldi), then maybe give the Millville version a shot. The Cinnamon Crunch Squares are basically exactly like General Mills’ classic cereal. The one thing that sets the two apart? The price.

The name brand costs just over $4.75 at Aldi while Millville makes an identical cereal that’s just over $3. It’s still super flavorful thanks to a cinnamon sugar blend on the outside of crispy cereal squares. We’ve been buying the less expensive option for months and even our pickiest kids can’t tell that we’ve switched. You can eat it as is, add milk for a tasty breakfast, or use it in baked goods. Crunch them up and sprinkle the pieces over the top of cinnamon rolls (read on to find our favorite Aldi dupe) for an extra sweet breakfast treat.

Grab the Specially Selected sauce from Aldi instead of Rao’s for tasty marinara. At less than $4 for a 24-ounce jar, it is a steal and has a similar flavor. Rao’s costs around $7.50 at Aldi and even more at other grocery stores. Both Specially Selected and Rao’s use Italian tomatoes, plus other high-quality ingredients. 

There is one big difference between the two: Specially Selected has a tiny bit of added sugar while Rao’s keeps everything as is without any additional sugar. The amount added in the Aldi store brand is relatively negligible compared to many other pasta sauce brands, so we’re still happy to use the budget-friendly version in place of Rao’s.

Aldi makes other store-brand pasta sauces, but the Specially Selected line is the one that we would confuse with Rao’s. The others are decent, but have more additives and a blander taste. Look for the black lid if you want the best Rao’s dupe.

Any of the Greek yogurt options at Aldi, which are sold under the Friendly Farms brand, are just as good as the pricier Chobani versions. We actually like them better, especially the flavored yogurts.

Stick with plain nonfat Greek yogurt, which just costs around $3.50 for a large 32-ounce container, for the most versatile yogurt. You can add your own flavors with jelly, fruit, nuts, and honey or use it in place of sour cream for a protein-rich alternative. Mixing in your own ingredients is a great way to sweeten plain Greek yogurt while keeping the added amount of sugar in check. While it may not be the healthiest version, adding a scoop of Aldi’s dupe for Nutella turns this yogurt into a fantastic dip for fruit.

The whole milk version is around 50 cents more expensive, but still less than you’d find name brands. Chobani plain Greek yogurt, on the other hand, is as much as $6.50 for the exact same size.

Taste, texture, and even the wedge shape in the Happy Farms cheese is the same as The Laughing Cow spreadable cheese. There are a few flavors, but the original is still the best dupe. The pepper jack has a hint of spice while the garlic and herb is a bit more savory.

At Aldi, the store-brand version is less than $2 for eight individually-packaged wedges. The Laughing Cow original version, which is the same 5.4-ounce size, is three times the price at $6. For the same overall cost, you could try all of the Happy Farms flavors to see which you like best. The Laughing Cow does have a few more flavor options, as well as a lower fat version. But if you like the classics, go with Happy Farms instead.

You can put them on crackers or with vegetables for a boost of protein at lunch or as a snack. We love that they’re already pre-portioned so it makes for easy meal prep during the week.

If you want a tasty weekend breakfast treat at home for less than a pricey cinnamon roll at a bakery, grab a container of the Bake House Creations version. These are just as good as Pillsbury’s canned cinnamon rolls, but less expensive. They come with icing that you can spread over the top.

The canister is already sectioned off into eight cinnamon rolls. Just put them in a baking dish and in the oven for around 15 minutes. The icing is at the end of the canister and can be spread over the top of the baked treats. It will melt right into them and you’ll be able to enjoy a delicious breakfast in around 20 minutes from start to finish.

The original cinnamon rolls from Pillsbury are around $5 for a canister of eight, while the Bake House Creations one is just over $2. Pillsbury does have more flavors, however, so if you want a special type of icing, the dupe might not cut it. But if you’re looking for a less expensive version of the classic original Pillsbury, you can get two tubes of Bake House Creations rolls for less than the cost of one name-brand tube.

If you’re a sandwich lover but also want to add more fiber, seeds, and protein to your lunch break, a bread rich in whole grains might be just the thing you need. But these can be quite pricey. Fortunately, Simply Nature Graintastic — Aldi’s version of Dave’s Killer Bread — is packed with nutrients and tastes great. Oh, and it costs a few dollars less than Dave’s. 

Simple Nature Graintastic comes in regular and thin-sliced versions. The regular loaf of Dave’s is around $7, while Aldi’s version is just $4.75. Both have tons of seeds and grains in the bread and on top to add nutrients and hearty crunch. In the Simply Nature bread, there are 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein in each serving. Dave’s has 5 grams of each, fiber and protein, which is just a bit more. But for the fantastic price, we can make up the fiber by adding fruits and vegetables to our lunch.

If your kids like Welch’s fruit snacks, they’ll be just as happy with the Lunch Buddies fruit snacks. They come in a giant box of 50 individual packs for less than $10, or a special Dino & Dragon version, which is less than $2.50 for 10 pouches. The Welch’s fruit snacks 10-pack costs more than $4 and even the value pack of 40 is $10 with our store discount card. For the same price, we’ll go with the larger Aldi box. 

This is a lunchtime favorite in our family. The kids love them because they’re tasty and come in fun shapes, either fruits or their favorite creatures. Frankly, we adults are happy that the Aldi dupe works with our budget and still has the same sweet flavor and gummy texture. Aldi’s store-brand items are also free of artificial dyes and flavors. All of the colors in these snacks come from natural sources like plants and they are also made with real fruit juice.

The Benton’s peanut butter crème cookies from Aldi are a dupe for Nutter Butters. These treats have a sweet peanut butter filling sandwiched between crispy peanut butter exterior cookies. They come in a protective plastic tray, which helps keep them from breaking. 

The most noticeable difference between the two is the circular shape of the Aldi version compared to the peanut shape of Nutter Butters. The taste is spot on, however. If you crushed them to use in baked goods or as a topping for ice cream, you probably wouldn’t be able to pick out which one was from Benton’s and which was from Nabisco.

Benton’s 16-ounce package costs around $3, while Nutter Butters can be as much as $6 for the same size. We’ve even paid close to $3 for a small individual package from a vending machine. Going with the Aldi store-brand version is good for budget and the taste buds.

Get your popcorn on with the white cheddar cheese flavor of popcorn from Clancy’s. This tasty snack works in place of Smartfood popcorn and costs just over $2 for a  6.75-ounce bag. Compare that to Smartfood’s price tag, over $5.75 for the same size, and it’s a no brainer to go with the Aldi dupe.

They are both around 65 or 70 calories per cup, which makes them a good option if you’re craving something salty but still want to keep your calorie intake on the lower end. But the real question is how the taste compares. We put the two side-by-side and couldn’t tell the difference in looks or when we actually ate each bowl. They have a similar texture and sharp cheesy taste, and both leave behind a bit of an oily residue that is to be expected with popcorn. What’s more, both versions are less greasy than super buttery popcorn snacks.