There are a few things you need to know before your first trip to Aldi. But perhaps most important is that in addition to a variety of specialty and seasonal items, it offers a number of copycat products, generic versions of popular brands but offered at a discount. Case in point: Aldi’s Caramel Coconut Fudge Cookies by Benton’s have been hailed as a Girl Scout Cookie dupe, specifically, a copycat of Caramel deLites — or Samoas (as they’re called in some states).
As someone who’s sampled both brands, I can attest that the Aldi cookie is indeed very similar to the Girl Scout version. Visually, the cookies look almost identical — both ring-shaped with chocolate-dipped bottoms and coated with caramel, coconut shavings, and fudge stripes. The cookies have similar flavors as well — not identical, but close. The Girl Scout Cookie is a bit richer and has more coconut flavor, but Benton’s is still delicious. And the Aldi brand is roughly half the price at around $2.55 per 8.5-ounce container (depending on location) compared to $5 per box (about 7.5 ounces) for Girl Scout Cookies.
It’s worth noting that, as a Wisconsinite, the Girl Scout Cookies I’ve tasted are Caramel deLites, not Samoas. While very similar cookies, they’re made by different bakers, resulting in different tastes and textures. Caramel deLites have more cookie, less caramel, and less coconut and use milk (rather than dark) chocolate. That being said, Aldi’s caramel coconut fudge cookies have been compared to both Caramel deLites and Samoas in appearance and flavor.
Other Girl Scout copycats
Benton’s, one of Aldi’s many in-house brands, makes a variety of cookies that resemble popular brands. The Mini Bear Grahams look like Teddy Grahams, the Original Chocolate Sandwich Cookies are similar to Oreos, and the Chocolate Chip Cookies come close to Chips Ahoy. They also make other Girl Scout copycat cookies. A personal favorite is Benton’s Peanut Butter Fudge cookies, a Tagalongs/Peanut Butter Patties copycat, which shoppers can snag for $2.35 (depending on location). Several Redditors in the Aldi subreddit agree that these cookies are even better than the Girl Scout version and that they contain more chocolate.
You can also find Benton’s Peanut Butter Crème Cookies (copycat of Girl Scout’s Peanut Butter Sandwich), and at one point, the discount grocer sold a Thin Mint knockoff called Fudge Mints. They may no longer sell Fudge Mints, but they do have Mint Striped Fudge Cookies that taste quite similar.
That being said, you can still root for the Girl Scouts by donating if you’re so inclined. Or why not buy both versions and conduct your own blind taste test. While you have all those cookies, you can indulge in a surprisingly tasty snack — next-level Girl Scout Cookies courtesy of your air fryer.
