The Best (And Worst) Bread You Can Buy At Aldi

Aldi may not have operational bakeries in its stores, but the selection of breads on hand is enough to make fans of carbohydrates go a little gaga every time they walk past the bread aisle. I've sampled the goods enough to know that the basic bread selections are quite a deal, but I haven't ventured too far off the beaten path to see what some of the other specialty loaves are like. Turning my telescope to the vast array from the Aldi-only labels, I found a trove of yeasted creations. Whether you're looking for lower-calorie bread items, or you're fine with the full-force dietary impact of the regular formula, there's something for everyone.

Even though the catalog is deep and the prices are more than attractive, not every option is bound to be a winner. Figuring out which breads are a toast-worthy buy and which aren't worth the crumbs you'd pay sounded like a project I could literally sink my teeth into. I hit my nearby Aldi, chose a sizable lot of bagged loaves (plus a few rolls and a flatbread or two) and gave them the once-over to determine the best and the worst of the collection. It was one of the most mouthwatering tasks ever. But after sampling some of the lesser loaves, I have a clearer understanding of how variety may draw a range of shoppers, but it doesn't always add up to tasty success in every instance.

This loaf may rival the chocolate chip bagel for top spot among the non-pastry chocolate based breads. The chips lend just enough sweetness to the buttery base of the brioche to make themselves known without overpowering the slice. 

Lightly toasted with a schmear of peanut butter or cream cheese, this premium bread becomes a dessert that doesn't require baking knowledge. It's flexible enough to be a treat all on its own, yet ambitious enough to serve as the starting point for something more magnificent; think chocolate chip French toast, PB&J roll-ups, impromptu biscotti fresh from the toaster ... the possibilities go on and on, unlike this loaf, which isn't likely to last for long with sweet bread fans. I'll be eating my way slowly through the rest of the loaf to make it last, but it's bound to be a deliciously difficult struggle.

This one tastes just like full-calorie multigrain bread, which means maybe I don't pay enough attention to how many calories are in wheat bread. Knowing I can trim my intake a little might entice me into buying this loaf again. But there's nothing overly thrilling about the experience of eating it, which means I'm more likely to grab the cheaper loaf and take a chance on the calories than I am to hunt down a reduced calorie wheat loaf if they're both in the same bread aisle.

More mindful shoppers may have a hit on their hands, but all things considered, these slices are a collective dud. A major red flag for this bread purchase is the idea of buying a specialty item that costs more but promises less, even if the reduction is in calories. My advice: split slices from your regular multigrain loaf in half to break up the caloric intake and enjoy the experience a whole lot more. You can make your money go further without taking a chance on your overall enjoyment. 

Tangy and chewy and just the right size for snacking, Specially Selected puts up a flavorful package of flatbreads that are half the size of the original naan, but lose nothing for the shrinkage. In fact, the reduced surface may actually serve the flatbread by allowing for more flavor packed into a smaller area. They could easily be spread with hummus or mayo and turned into an open face sandwich or split in half for traditional two-slice creations featuring your favorite fillings. 

But they're flavorful enough with nothing else added to make a fun snack all on their own. And you get six for the $5.25 or so price, which makes them less than a buck a piece; even as one of the pricier Aldi breads, they're a spend worth savoring. I'd have no issue keeping a few packages in the freezer for spur-of-the-moment naan opportunities (yes, that's a thing).

It may say artisanal style bread on the label, but this L'Oven Fresh misfire doesn't feel like artisanal bread; it feels more like white bread-plus. The consistency is a little more dense, but the flavor offers nothing beyond the usual white bread loaf, other than an elevated price. I was really looking forward to tasting something fresher or more creative in the recipe. Instead, it was indistinguishable from ground-level bread.

The dusting of flower on top, the added crinkles in the upper crust, the fluffy-looking interior of each slice ... it sounded like an intoxicating blend that I put too much stock in for my bread enjoyment. Maybe it's wrong to describe a bread as being "intoxicating," and it's most likely not cool to be sad about how bread tastes, but that's the feeling this selection gave me. It turns out I'm pretty emotion-driven when it comes to bread.

A challenger to King's Hawaiian rolls, Aldi puts its L'Oven Fresh to the test with these sweetened dinner biscuits. They come through with flying colors, reproducing the ultra-soft, eggy, buttery, sugary qualities that make the original such a fun treat. 

At less than $3 for a dozen rolls, shoppers have an excellent dinner bun or slider holder that eliminates the need for a slab of butter or a smear of anything sweet to deliver fun flavor. In fact, these little nuggets are pretty perfect straight out of the bag. It also provides a starter pack for testing out the King's Hawaiian rolls donut recipes that have started bouncing around the internet, a solid excuse for tossing a pack or two in your rented grocery cart. Just be careful separating them; their super-light texture means they tend to cling to one another as you pull them apart.

Crustier bread items are always a hit-or-miss. What one palate considers chewy may be perceived by another as overbaked, or worse yet, stale and inedible, even when it's freshly baked. Specially Selected Ciabatta Sandwich Rolls are of the latter category. While I could easily see their crusty nature peeking out through the plastic, I hoped they'd break open to show off a softer center. But they turned out to just be tough and dry instead, which may not sound like a huge surprise for a ciabatta roll. I was anticipating something more would be waiting in the bag, especially with the almost $4 price tag lifting this bag to the higher end of the pricing spectrum.

If you're a fan of hard, crusty bread that doesn't give when you chew it, these may be the rolls for you. As for me, I'll spend my bread money on more forgiving forms of flour and water, thank you very much.

If you're in the market for a simple sandwich bread with more personality than the usual loaf of white-flour slices, look no further. This loaf is a delightful upgrade from the basic bread you're used to, even the whole wheat options. The honey in the recipe lends an earthy sweetness that makes the sandwich holder as tasty as the fillings inside. 

This is one of those slices I could eat as a snack without anything else required for sheer enjoyment. The prospect of adding nut butters or using it to create an extra-decadent breakfast strata make it more than worthwhile to have a bag or two on hand. Now that I know this sweet little loaf is available, I'll be keeping it in mind whenever I'm in the market for a low-cost wheat bread that brings big flavor into my sandwich habit. What a find!

How does a bread taste sour and stale even when it's fresh out of the bag? It's a question for this keto-friendly loaf, which lives up to its potential texture-wise but has a lot to learn about flavor. I was enchanted with the vegan and no sugar added claims listed across the label, but it was a little shocking to find out how different the flavor was from traditional white bread. 

I searched the ingredient list to determine what might be skewing the flavor profile in such an unpleasant direction. Vinegar and chicory fiber stood out as possible culprits, which may have accentuated the lack of sugar, resulting in a less-than-tasteful creation. I'm not overly familiar with keto-centric foods. Maybe tartness is part of the equation and it's something keto diet followers get used to over time. As for me, I'm subtracting this needless variable from my bread-shopping algorithm.

If a loaf of grocery store bread is going to be interesting enough to hold your attention, it needs plenty of bits and bobs. The tops of these slices are a rich mix that resembles well-distributed bird seed, but in the best possible way. Taste and texture are plentiful, and the sturdy consistency makes it perfect for toasting with a swath of peanut butter on top. 

The blend of nutty and seasoning-forward flavors that plays among the seeds adds nice depth to the organic whole-grain base. Fans of bread with eclectic personality that doesn't take your sandwich or toast time too far afield should have a blast biting into this one. Be careful with your dental work, though; the many-sized seeds definitely require a dance with dental floss after you enjoy this loaf.

Ordinarily, I'm a huge fan of commercial soft pretzel-style breads; I adore the tough outer skin that gives way to a tender core. But in this instance, I have to demur and say Aldi does a whole lot better in the pretzel sphere than in pretzel breads. Despite the charming hot cross bun appearance and the delightful deep brown shade of the exterior, the top is entirely salt-free, and there's no packet included in the bag to help replicate the oversized crystals that come on an actual pretzel.

It's beyond disappointing to find out that a bread maker wouldn't even include the option as part of the purchase, leaving me to dig out my own oversized coarse salt crystals as a dipping seasoning. That may sound like champagne problems, but when a product defies expectations so glaringly, it's a misstep that's about as backward as a pretzel bread can be, roll or not.

This could be the pinnacle of Aldi bread, especially if you're over the whole homemade sourdough moment. The oversized bulbous loaf that gives plenty of flavor and a light yet durable texture is one of the chain's premium bread purchases. It may not be fresh out of the oven, but a little time spent in the toaster or the oven adds warmth that makes the tanginess shine even brighter. 

It's your best bet for grilled cheese sandwiches and French toast, but make sure you have space on your griddle for the extra-wide slices at the center of the loaf. I sampled everything from the ends to the center to the parts in between, and there's no false start in the whole loaf. Not that there would be, but I wanted to make sure I was giving it a proper sampling ... and also, I really like sourdough bread. I have no regrets.

It's a "nah" for this naan, which looks super enticing through the cellophane, what with its irregular hand formed oval shape and dark patches of oven fired promise. It turns out the experience of eating it is nothing special overall, and the size is a bit overwhelming, seeming more like multiple slices of bread in one large slab. 

The label does suggest using it as pizza crust, which explains why there seems to be more than a single serving in each piece. But when compared to the smaller mini naan available, this package just seems to be trying too hard to be impressive. I'd feel far better buying the smaller versions of Specially Selected naan, now that I've tried the larger versions. Sure, I could add my own seasoning if I wanted to, but when there's a version that's already raring to go that's sized for a single serving, this larger, less enticing naan is a non-starter.

The only sprouted grain bread I've ever tasted was one of the most heinous grocery store purchases I've ever made. Fortunately, this Aldi loaf comes through with a flavorful version that ramps up the health factor without dialing back the enjoyment factor. It's sweetened with honey that adds flavor to the wheat base and balances out the slice in a very bakery forward manner.

This results in only a single gram of sugar per slice, which is bound to make healthful bread fans happy, as will the 13 grams of whole grains found in every serving. Even with its decidedly whole-grain personality, it feels like a multipurpose loaf that can cover all your bread needs. Now that I know how tasty sprouted grain bread can be, I'll definitely be on the lookout for another opportunity to sail through Aldi for a second loaf.

White bread is white bread is white bread, and there is nothing remarkable or even noteworthy about this loaf of white bread. In fact, it turned out to be so flavorless I practically forgot what I was eating while I was in the middle of chewing it. It was a little sturdier than the usual mushy Wonder Bread impersonators on the market, but even at less than $1.50, it takes a lot more than that to impress a crusty bread shopper like me.

If 12 grain bread in its usual size is great, then wide 12 grain bread should be a knockout. That theory holds in the Aldi bread aisle, thanks to these oversized slices of savory bliss. A single slice can easily be cut in half for a satisfying sandwich or kept whole and used as a denser base for wheat French toast. 

The whole-grain goodness is more than just a bonus; it's the heart and soul of an Aldi bread that's more than worth the money you'll drop. The larger-sized slices let you make a bigger sandwich too, which is never a bad thing.

I love an expansive piece of whole wheat bread, so I was disappointed to discover that these pan-size pieces are no great shakes. Sure, they do the trick of holding the cheese while it grills or locking the peanut butter and jelly in place so you don't get it all over your hands. But the rich color suggested that there would be something brown-sugary and molasses-based in the tasting notes, or at least that was the impression I picked up. Maybe I expected too much from my store with its bread products, but when the visual doesn't match the actual experience, I have to strike an item from my Aldi shopping list.

I love the denseness and earthy flavor of these round flatbreads, even when there's nothing adorning them. Their thinness makes them difficult to toast without burning, but the al dente texture is chewy enough that toasting isn't required. They're also the perfect size for a few slices of sandwich fillings and some veggie toppings, a low-calorie substitute for traditional bread that will make you love sandwiches even more. It's a great stand-in for the standard English muffin too, with divots that take the place of nooks and crannies and a more bite-friendly thickness that doesn't require you breaking breakfast etiquette to enjoy them.

I started my comparison by choosing what I thought was a representative selection of Aldi bread items. Since the bread section of the chain includes a slew of bread-based products, I limited myself to loaves, flatbreads, and rolls. Then I picked a group that covered a few different selections from each category to get a smattering of everything available.

My taste testing was the simplest approach possible: grab a slice from the center of the loaf and give it a try. This allowed me to experience the taste and texture without any alteration, identifying the purest qualities of each product. While it may not be advisable to eat 18 slices of bread in a single sitting, I spaced my sampling out over the course of several days to moderate my carb intake. The items that called for a second slice were the ones deemed "best," while the remaining items that were a regrettable first-try were those deemed "worst."