Ranking Aldi Brand Cereals from Worst to Best

There are lots of things to know before your first trip to Aldi. One of them is that you won’t find a lot of big name-brand products. Sure, you might find a few here and there, but for the most part, you’ll find yourself facing shelves upon shelves of Aldi dupes that taste just like the real thing. This is especially apparent in the store’s wide variety of cereals.

Avid Aldi shoppers are likely familiar with the chain’s store brands, such as Millville and Fit & Active. These names are stamped upon the grocer’s cereal boxes, most of which are cheaper-priced versions of fan-favorite products like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Special K Red Berries, Lucky Charms, and many more. A majority of these alternatives barely differ from the original cereals they’re based upon. However, there are some that just don’t quite measure up to the real thing, making the few extra dollars spent elsewhere worth it. So before stocking up for this week’s breakfast, it’d be useful to learn which of Aldi’s cereals will help make the most important meal of the day a tasty one.

At the very bottom of our list is the Blueberry Frosted Shredded Wheat. I wanted to like this one. I really did. The whole-grain aspect of foods, which in this case comes from wheat, offers essential nutrients like iron, magnesium, folate, and phosphorus. So how great would it be to get that all in first thing in the morning?

What boosts this cereal’s nutritional value, however, is also the cause of its downfall. There’s just no getting over the texture of that shredded wheat. Each bite felt like eating dry straw that even milk couldn’t help wash down. And maybe the atrocious mouthfeel could’ve been glossed over if the taste made up for it, but that was almost just as bad. There’s a bright blueberry flavor thanks to the frosting on each piece, but it only lasts for the very first bite and is quickly overpowered by a whole lot of nothing. It’s certainly a more acquired taste and texture, though I don’t think I’d eat it enough times to get used to it. If only blueberry frosting were completely safe for ducks to eat, this cereal would be going straight into the local pond.

My expectations going into the tasting for Millville’s Crispy Rice were admittedly already low. Having once tried the name-brand version, Rice Krispies, and not liking it in the slightest, it was deja vu when trying this dupe out, with ultimately no positive effect in getting me to change my mind. These light and airy grains of cereal have absolutely zero taste. That being said, it could be a decent option for kids with picky palates since they won’t be tasting anything at all.

Still, sorry to those who grew up on this type of stuff. The flavor tanks, and there’s not much to save it, but there’s still a fond, nostalgic warmth that comes with this cereal due to the sound it makes when liquid is poured onto it. A touch of milk activates a soft crackling that’s oddly soothing and could honestly keep someone in a distracted haze for a few minutes. That is until you take a bite, and all charm is lost.

Minus the fact that this cereal has 12 grams of sugar per serving, the Honey Nut Crispy Oats cereal is one of Aldi’s more health-conscious choices. It’s labeled a heart-healthy option, with each serving containing 26 grams of whole grains. Also per the packaging, this provides 20% of the daily value needed for zinc as well as 60% for thiamin and 30% for iron. These numbers are all good and well, especially in promoting a stronger immune system and better brain function.

The flavor, on the other hand, isn’t as impressive. It’s not bad, but you just don’t get any of that honey that’s mentioned in the cereal’s name. Rather, these inoffensive, crispy oat rings are what I’d suggest to someone who has an upset stomach and needs something bland so as not to make things any worse. Flavor-wise, it’s a step above the last cereal but still along the lines of mild foods like toast or rice.

The chain didn’t even try to alter this cereal’s name. Just like Kellogg’s, Aldi presents shoppers with Frosted Flakes. True to its title, this box is filled with corn cereal sweetened with a whole lot of sugar. In fact, it serves up a whopping 15 grams of sugar per serving. But hey, at least the serving sizes come in at well over a cup, which is pretty generous compared to some others.

While we can’t argue that the white flecks of sugar bring about a saccharine flavor, what’s less expected is the metallic taste that comes along with it. And that’s not the case with just a random bite or two, as this cereal was sampled multiple times to see if it was a fluke. No, every spoonful for some reason tasted like chewing on a sugared-up penny. I even thought for a moment that I may have accidentally licked my ring in the process of stuffing the flakes into my mouth. The coin-like taste never left, though (even after I took my jewelry off), which is an experience we’d assume no one wants to go through.

Similar to the Honey Nut Crispy Oats, Millville’s Honey Crunch ‘N Oats is very mild in that titular sweetener. Save for their difference in form, with this latter cereal consisting of flakes and small granola clusters, both cereals are less honey-forward than their packaging leads you to believe. They would both be better described as having honey undertones.

In the case of the Honey Crunch ‘N Oats, the flakes even come in two different shades of yellow, which isn’t how they’re shown on the box. Perhaps this suggests an uneven coating of the sweet condiment. We can also see how a case of taste fatigue could occur when eating this breakfast item. It could definitely benefit from being loaded up with additional toppings, such as blueberries or raisins, for more variety in both taste and texture. You could even use this cereal as a mix-in instead, throwing it into a parfait or some fro-yo.

If you were hoping to get a dessert-for-breakfast vibe out of this cereal, you won’t exactly get that. A box of Millville Kookies is stuffed with perfectly uniform, circular discs that, of course, resemble mini versions of the beloved baked goods they’re titled after. And while they do a bang-up job at mimicking the confectionary item’s appearance with their shiny, glazed brown color and chocolate chips, that’s where the similarities end.

They taste nothing like grandma’s homemade cookies. Nor do they even really taste like store-bought chocolate chip cookies. Instead, these airy pieces offer a very subtle sweetness unlike what you’d get from overtly sugary-tasting desserts like, say, a triple chocolate chunk Pizookie. That being said, if it’s not an intensely sweet sugar rush you’re looking for to get your morning going, this cereal is good for its cutesy looks and maybe, just maybe, tricking kids into thinking they’re being treated to dessert for their first meal of the day.

For those who absolutely love raisins, run (don’t walk) to Aldi and grab a box of Crunchy Granola Raisin Bran. As you may have noticed, that name is a mouthful -– the same way this cereal gives you a mouthful of sweet, chewy raisins with every spoonful. Just as advertised, this Millville snack has a very generous helping of the dried grapes, along with very large flakes, some of which are clumped together because of the sugar. It’s also said to contain granola, but there was hardly any at all in the bag to have made a difference.

While the granola may have gone unnoticed, the same cannot be said for the raisins. As mentioned, they’re plentiful. Their flavor is imparted onto the flakes as well, truly making each bite a raisin lover’s dream. So whether this cereal is best for you really just depends on if you’re into the dried fruit enough. I personally am just okay with raisins and am not always in the mood to be inundated by the distinct flavor, leaving this cereal in spot No. 9 in the ranking.

In the middle of our ranking falls Millville’s Marshmallows & Stars. It’s definitely not the healthiest of breakfasts, what with half the bowl being filled with the titular marshmallows. But everyone who enjoys Lucky Charms knows that’s exactly what someone buying this cereal could hope for. Compared to its name-brand version, the Aldi dupe carries a whole lot more of the crunchy confection, which comes in mostly indiscernible shapes (minus what appears to be a crystal ball).

The biggest difference, however, is that the Millville version comes in much more muted, less vivid colors. This isn’t a huge deal, as the pastels are still without a doubt pleasing to the eye, and the satisfyingly crisp texture is there, too. Its taste is decent as well, but the shapes just aren’t as fun to indulge in on their own. We know that’s not how this snack is meant to be eaten. Let’s face it, though: More often than not, people eating this kind of cereal are bound to pick out a few (or all) marshmallows and eat them straight up. And even when eaten in combination with the accompanying frosted oats, the marshmallows just lose their presence altogether, defeating the purpose.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch is a long-standing favorite for countless people, earning it a spot among some of the most popular cereals based on sales. So if you’re among the masses who have come to love this cereal for its heavy dusting of sugar and cinnamon, as well as its strong, sugary flavor to match, know that Aldi’s Cinnamon Crunch Squares don’t deliver the same effect.

The two variations share the same square shape and visible spices, but Millville’s is much, much milder in every way. Not every bite is consistently flavor-packed. It’s actually pretty inconsistent how much of the warm spice each piece gives off, and that’s evident in the cereal’s lighter hue in comparison to the more golden-brown color that Cinnamon Toast Crunch has. But if you haven’t already been exposed to the flavor bomb that is the name-brand version, there’s a chance this will satisfy your craving.

Millville’s Fruit Rounds are an eye-catching choice that’s bound to add some brightness to your morning routine (in comparison to the other brown and yellow-colored flakes and squares on this list, at least). Opening this item’s bag actually came as a bit of a surprise, as the rings are much more muted in color than what’s shown on the packaging. We’re given the pinks, purples, greens, and yellows we’re promised, but with much less vibrancy. That might seem neither here nor there, but something like that can make a difference to those who care about the aesthetic.

Still, this can also be taken as a positive, considering the pale hues are likely due to the food’s elimination of synthetic colors. So while this product certainly won’t make it onto a list of non-sugary breakfast cereals worth trying (it has 13 grams of added sugar per serving), at least the colors are all natural. And in terms of taste, it’s exactly as expected — fruity. What fruits exactly, my taste buds couldn’t tell. But it’s got that bright flavor people love with Kellogg’s Froot Loops.

There’s surprisingly a lot of overlap between the Millville Berry Kid’s Krunch cereal and the Fruit Rounds. For starters, just as the most notable aspect of the Fruit Rounds cereal was its muted color, it’s the same case for the Berry Kid’s Krunch. The latter is at least in alignment with what’s advertised on its packaging, coming with little blue, purple, red, and green balls that aren’t all too vibrant in color.

And similar to the bright notes provided by Fruit Rounds, the Berry Kid’s Krunch cereal has an equally bold and zesty taste (by a cereal’s standards, obviously). But, of course, it’s especially heavy on the clear berry element that Aldi is able to successfully provide without the use of any artificial flavors, and once again, colors, too. That’s pretty impressive for a cereal consisting of this many hues and such a vivid taste.

The only non-Millville grocery item to grace this list is the Fit & Active Vitality Cereal with Red Berries. Unlike Millville cereals’ packaging, which doesn’t directly mention the name-brand products they’re based on, this Fit & Active box transparently states, “Compare to Special K Red Berries.” And that’s exactly what I did.

Just like Special K, this cereal didn’t have nearly as many of the freeze-dried fruits as we would’ve wanted. These strawberry slices not only add a beautiful pop of color in an otherwise beige bowl, but they’re also what helps break up the singular taste that comes from the wheat flakes. It could’ve helped create a pleasant contrast if more of this ingredient was thrown into the bag.

It should be noted, however, that these strawberry pieces are very sour, especially when eaten on their own. That can be a good thing if you’re looking for a cereal to help wake you up in the early hours of the day, but regardless, this sharp taste doesn’t pose much of an issue since not many strawberries are included in the first place. Plus, eating the fruit in conjunction with the flakes (as is intended) helps create a balance in flavors. To add more substance and compensate for the lack of strawberries (or further offset their sourness), it could make a world of a difference to incorporate other fruits like bananas or raspberries.

That dessert-for-breakfast experience lacking with Millville’s Kookies? You can find it in the Chocolate Puffs instead. As someone with a strong sweet tooth who prefers to satisfy it via chocolate, I was excited to try this. In fact, I was prepared to look like the squirrel on the front of the packaging with cheeks stuffed full of cereal.

Disappointingly, after my first bite, my initial reaction was that my squirrel-like dream wouldn’t be fulfilled. Perhaps my expectations were too high, and I was imagining this cereal would quench my hankerings the way a fudgy brownie cake pop could. Instead, I was met with a flavor that wasn’t quite as rich in cocoa as I anticipated. But as I continued to eat it, the more that chocolate flavor seemed to build up. It was still subtle overall, but continuously eating big spoonfuls allowed me to better experience its deep cocoa flavor. Then, before I realized it, I had finished a whole bowl of this cereal. And that’s when I formed the educated conclusion that Millville’s Chocolate Puffs would do just fine satisfying a chocolate-loving person’s cravings in the morning.

Runner-up on this list is the Cocoa Peanut Butter Puffs. This product takes the subtlety of the Chocolate Puffs and adds a clear-as-day peanut butter flavor. Because that cocoa is so faint, naturally, the PB becomes the star of the show, completely overtaking its counterpart. This fortunately wasn’t a bad thing, as the dominant flavor was a delicious one that stayed strong with every bite.

Beyond the taste, the feel of these Cocoa Peanut Butter Puffs is unlike any other in this ranking. These light brown puffs were no doubt crunchy, but they were coated in some sort of soft, pillowy powder that lent to an overall unique texture. Perhaps this came from the cereal’s use of whole corn flour, cocoa powder, and barley malt flour. Whatever the source, the texture and taste of this product worked perfectly together, and if you can restrain yourself from snacking on it straight from the bag, you’ll find it’s upgraded even more when paired with milk.

Finally, Aldi gets the honey flavor right with this cereal. Where the Honey Nut Crispy Oats and Honey Crunch ‘N Oats faltered, Millville’s Honey Grahams excels. And that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bursting with the honey flavor we sought in other products, but rather, it has just the right amount to bring you back to the pleasantly nostalgic, comforting taste of crackers eaten around the campfire during the dog days of summer.

It tastes exactly like the sweet, delicately crisp honey graham crackers it’s inspired by and has the same shape and texture as Aldi’s Cinnamon Crunch Squares (and Cinnamon Toast Crunch). This elite combo would work well as a cereal, on-the-go snack, or even in a s’mores dip or a frozen mango float (Filipino icebox cake) recipe. Regardless of how you choose to use it, it’s delicious and deserves a spot in your breakfast or dessert rotation. No complaints concerning taste or texture here.

This ranking of Aldi-branded cereals was determined primarily based on a taste test. I sampled each product multiple times to get an understanding of how the cereal tasted overall and how its flavor compared to the name-brand version it was inspired by. Going hand in hand with taste, I also took note of texture.

Another important factor in forming this ranking was whether the product delivered on what was advertised on the packaging, whether that was in terms of its appearance or the ingredients it used. And though it didn’t have a huge impact on the list’s order, nutritional value was taken into consideration, too, especially in terms of sugar and nutrient content.