Aldi's Uncrustables Copycat Makes The Name Brand Look Overpriced

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Aldi is known for offering quality, copycat items at budget prices. Indeed, shoppers have declared many Aldi brand products better than the originals. Case in point: For a quick, kid-friendly lunch item, Aldi's private-label crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a great value and Mashed's pick for one of the best Aldi frozen foods under $5. 

Pre-made, crustless sandwiches are typically considered a luxury many shoppers can't afford. Just four, 2-ounce Smucker's Uncrustables Frozen Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches costs $4.49 at Target, about $1.10 per sandwich. Considering you can buy a whole loaf of bread for under $2 and jars of peanut butter and jelly cost only $2 to $3, Uncrustables are definitely a convenience that will cost you a pretty penny. 

However, for busy parents who pack lunches daily, that convenience might be worth it, at least once in a while. It's also not just kids that love these frozen PB&J sandwiches — they make a great snack or lunch item for adults, too. Aldi's Lunch Buddies Crustless Sandwich is a bit more reasonably priced for many shoppers, making it easier to justify buying a pre-packaged lunch food that saves you time, but not money. 

Aldi's Lunch Buddies Crustless Peanut Butter and Grape Jelly Sandwiches cost $3.29 for four, 2.2-ounce sandwiches. That's about 82 cents for a single sandwich that is slightly larger than the Smucker's version (2.2 ounces vs. 2 ounces). Another notable difference is that while Smucker's Uncrustables are round, Aldi's Crustless sandwiches are square. Moreover, Aldi's have slightly higher protein, 8 grams instead of 6 grams. For another price comparison on crustless PB&J's, shoppers may want to check out Uncrustables vs Walmart's No Crust Sandwiches.

Like Smucker's Uncrustables, Aldi's crustless sandwiches are meant to be kept frozen and thawed before eaten. They should be thawed at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes (the instructions advise, do NOT microwave) and should be eaten within 10 hours, making it easy to toss them in your lunch bag in the morning and enjoy them in the afternoon. 

Redditors in the Aldi subreddit generally find the Lunch Buddies Crustless Sandwiches to be a good value and comparable in taste to Uncrustables, if not better tasting. Although some still question whether the price is worth the convenience. For instance, one person stated, "Oh man. The convenience for my child is a real motivator, but the $0.90 per sandwich seems steep. Definitely getting a box or two," to which another responded, "Honestly, compared to the price of name brand, it's a good option!"