13 Aldi Dessert Dupes That Cost Less and Taste Better Than the Real Deal

Don't break the bank by adding a few sweets to your shopping cart. You can still satisfy your sweet tooth when you stretch your grocery budget at Aldi by grabbing lower-cost alternatives.

We scoured Aldi's aisles for the best deals on dessert dupes of beloved products. From nostalgic frozen treats to cookies that give major Girl Scouts vibes, our roundup features indulgent (and affordable) budget-friendly buys.

Many of these picks are part of Aldi's Regular Buys, so you can find them year-round instead of waiting for a seasonal shipment. Swapping in store-brand treats can trim a few dollars off every trip, and those savings add up if dessert is a regular part of your shopping list.

Editor's note: Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location.

Price: $3.59

You don't have to wait for dinner to eat dessert. This 14-ounce box of the Aldi store-brand breakfast goody is a steal for under $3.60. You can buy a smaller 11-ounce pack of Entenmann's Pop'ettes at Walmart, and it will cost you $4.47.

The box holds about 28 bite-sized donuts, which works out to roughly 13 cents each. Shoppers are divided on the flavor. Daily Meal found them very sweet and especially moist, but fans say that moistness is a sign of freshness. 

One Reddit user called them "1000% better" than Little Debbie or Hostess, and another shopper said their family goes through them so quickly that they buy two packs at a time.

Price: $3.45

Satisfy your sweet tooth and quench your crunch craving with one affordable dessert. Get 12 of these crispy rice and chocolate-coated vanilla ice cream bars for less than $4.

Aldi's price is even better than Dollar General's for the brand-name (Crunch) version. DG sells a six-pack of Nestle's frozen Crunch bars for $4.

These bars are a Regular Buy, so you'll find them in Aldi's frozen section year-round. Each one has about 140 calories, and the box lists milk and soy among its allergens. 

An Aldi reviewer called them "fairly good and, for twelve bars, pretty cheap," and noted that the crisped rice adds more crunch than flavor.

Price: $2.45

Creamy peanut butter, crunchy cookies, and a chocolatey coating are the hallmarks of one of the most popular seasonal cookies: the Girl Scouts' Tagalongs.

And while your $6 fee for the real deal goes to a good cause, Aldi's dupe is still less than half the price. So, if you need more than a few boxes, snag the copycat cookies too.

Each package holds 18 Girl Scout-size cookies, and unlike Tagalongs, they're sold year-round. They also happen to be vegan. Tasting Table ranked them first among the best vegan foods at Aldi and praised the fudge coating for balancing peanut butter and chocolate without being overly sweet.

Price: $4.29

Entenmann's enthusiasts will recognize this dupe's soft, almost creamy texture. But instead of paying $4.98 for the brand-name's lemon version at Walmart.com, you can score an equally tasty one from Aldi's Bake Shop brand for less. 

The loaf comes presliced into eight pieces, so it's easy to grab one for breakfast or pack one for lunch. It doesn't have icing, which lets the citrus flavor come through on its own. 

Mashed called it so light that it was tempting to eat several slices, and one shopper on Facebook described it as "beyond delicious." Enjoy it plain, or top a slice with berries and Greek yogurt for an easy upgrade.

Price: $2.75

Treat yourself to this chewy, chocolatey copycat and save over $1. Benton's 13-ounce pack of cookies costs $2.75. Chips Ahoy costs $3.99 at Target, and you get the same size pack.

Benton's version is a close imitation of Chewy Chips Ahoy, right down to the red packaging. Aldi Reviewer described the cookies as soft and full of real chocolate chips, and said they disappeared too fast to test how well they stay fresh. 

One difference to know: The Chips Ahoy bag has a resealable pull tab and Benton's doesn't, so keep a bag clip handy to stop your cookies from going stale.

Price: $1.25

No time to bake a cake from scratch? No problem. This 15.25-ounce boxed mix is an affordable option for $1.25. Compare this Aldi brand buy to $1.79 for a smaller 13.25-ounce box from Betty Crocker at Target.

Shoppers on Reddit call the yellow mix reliable, and one said it "tastes a lot like Duncan Hines." Fans use it for birthday cakes and cupcakes, and some dress it up with cherry pie filling or overripe bananas. 

If yellow cake isn't your favorite, Baker's Corner also makes chocolate, white, carrot, and angel food cake mixes, so you can stock up for any occasion without paying name-brand prices.

Price: $2.45

You not-so-patiently wait until the spring selling season to get your hands on a $6 box of Girl Scouts' Samoas. Now you don't have to. Benton's $2.45 copycat coconut, caramel, and chocolate cookie is available year-round.

The 8.5-ounce package holds about 18 cookies, each with a buttery base, gooey caramel, chewy coconut, and chocolate fudge stripes. Aldi Reviewer called them "practically identical" to Samoas and said most people couldn't tell the difference in a blind taste test. 

They're also kosher, but note that they contain wheat, milk, soy, and coconut and may contain peanuts. At well under half the price of a box of Samoas, they're an easy way to keep a sweet treat in the pantry.

Price: $6.35

Nestle's Drumsticks are pure nostalgia. Even though this brand-name buy was a bargain back in the day, you'll pay $8.49 for an eight-count pack at Target right now. Or, you could swap the original classic cone for Sundae Shoppe's delicious (and more affordable) dupe.

Aldi's eight-count box features vanilla cones with caramel and fudge and a crunchy topping. That works out to about 79 cents per cone, compared with just over $1 per cone for the name brand at Target. 

Keep an eye on the freezer case for other Sundae Shoppe cones, too. Aldi sometimes adds limited-time flavors as Aldi Finds, but those tend to sell out quickly.

Price: $1.65

Whip up ooey, gooey fudge brownies without going over budget. This generic 18.3-ounce box of mix makes a 13x9-inch pan of tasty treats for $1.65, while Betty Crocker's 16.3-ounce size costs $1.99 (from Target).

Chowhound ranked this mix the best boxed brownie mix it tested, saying its fudgy texture rivals pricier brands. Its one drawback was a slightly less intense chocolate flavor. 

For a richer batch, try stirring in chocolate chips, Dutch cocoa powder, or a crumbled dark chocolate bar, or swap the water for coffee. It even beat Aldi's own Specially Selected double chocolate mix, which costs about $1 more.

Price: $2.45

Pack your pantry with this classic chocolate and vanilla creme rolled cake for $2.45. Each box contains six two-packs, or 12 total rolls. A 12-count of Little Debbie Swiss Rolls sells for $3.18 at Walmart.

The individually wrapped twin packs make them easy to toss in a lunchbox or grab for an afternoon pick-me-up. 

In a side-by-side taste test, Chowhound found Aldi's rolls fudgier and richer than Little Debbie's, with sweet, soft icing, and admitted the two were hard to tell apart. If you love a dense, chocolatey snack cake, this dupe delivers for less. They're also SNAP EBT eligible.

Price: $2.55

Dupes of gourmet goodies make it easy to snack on a tight budget. At Aldi, a 7.05-ounce bar of European chocolate Choceur is around $2.55, while Lindt's smaller 4.4-ounce Classic Recipe Crunchy Caramel with Sea Salt costs $6.29 on the brand's website.

Choceur bars are made in Germany, and flavors include milk chocolate with crunchy caramel and sea salt. In a Daily Meal taste test, the Crunchy Caramel Sea Salt bar ranked first among Aldi's chocolate bars. 

One reviewer called it rich and creamy, "sweet, but not overly so," with toasty caramel notes. Choceur shares shelf space with Moser Roth, Aldi's other European chocolate brand, so there are plenty of options if you want to try something new.

Price: $3.25

Vanilla ice cream sandwiches are a classic frozen dessert that you can find in almost every grocery store.

A Klondike box with 6 ice cream sandwiches costs $4.66 at Walmart.

Aldi's Sundae Shoppe version comes in a box of 12, with vanilla ice cream layered between two chocolate-flavored wafers, so you get twice as many sandwiches for less money. 

An Aldi reviewer said they taste similar to most grocery store ice cream sandwiches and called them "pretty good and easier on your wallet." Name brands may taste slightly creamier, but the reviewer didn't think the difference was always worth the higher price.

Price: $3.15

These classic cookies are an affordable option. That is, if you choose the generic copycat. An 11-ounce box from Benton's brand is less than $4. The same size pack of Nilla Wafers sells for $4.79 at Target, so this is a great way to save money shopping. 

Benton's wafers are crispier and a bit less sweet than Nilla Wafers, and they're made without high fructose corn syrup. They're kosher and a Regular Buy, so you'll find them year-round. 

Snack on them straight from the box, or use them in the banana pudding recipe printed on the package. 

Cost-friendly copycats aren't the only Aldi buys that help you save money on groceries. We found deals on everything from prepared meals to produce.

Now you know you can crush your cravings with these dessert dupes and pass on pricey name-brand buys. Add your favorites to your shopping list and treat yourself.

Before you go, check Aldi's weekly ad for Aldi Finds, which change every Wednesday and bring in limited-time desserts and seasonal treats. Prices can vary by location, so compare a few favorites at your local store to see how much you'll save. If you shop online for delivery or pickup, keep in mind that online prices may differ from in-store prices.