Are These Aldi Brand Donuts Really Worth Your Money?

Donuts have been dazzling diners for hundreds of years, although they're enjoyed in many different ways around the world. They're full of sweet flavors and have a delightful soft interior while their exterior has a hint of crunch. While you can always head to a fancy bakery for some truly special donuts, there are plenty of supermarkets that also sell packets of the treat to stave off your cravings. Even among the most popular brands, however, not every donut hits the mark.

After taste-testing and ranking seven popular brands of store-bought donuts for texture and flavor, Daily Meal ranked Bake Shop mini powdered donuts from Aldi at the bottom of the bunch. Despite the popularity of Bake Shop donuts, thanks in large part to Aldi's famously low prices and the number of donuts you get in a package, our reviewer found that the price doesn't outweigh the texture and flavor issues with the mini powdered donuts; they don't have the right amount of fluffiness and they're overpoweringly sweet.

A 14-oz. package of Aldi's Bake Shop powdered mini donuts (approximately 28 donuts per package) retails for less than $3.50 before tax. This shakes out to a little over 12 cents per donut, which seems like a steal! Whether that's true depends on what you think of the flavor and texture, which Daily Meal found lacking.  

Part of what makes donuts so delicious is their fluffy interior when you bite into them. Daily Meal found Aldi's Bake Shop powdered mini donuts, however, are quite moist when you sink your teeth in, giving the impression of them being undercooked, even if that's not actually the case. Beyond the texture of the donuts, the flavor also left much to be desired. The powdered sugar led to the taste of them being overpoweringly sweet.

Of course, just because Daily Meal wasn't a fan, doesn't mean all shoppers turn their noses up at these donuts. Fans of the donuts on Facebook attribute their moist texture to being a result of freshness compared to other stores and brands. One shopper mentioned how quickly their family goes through the donuts, saying, "I have to buy two packs because the day I bring them home they are gone!!" Fans on Reddit agree, with one noting the Bake Shop powdered mini donuts are "1000% better Little Debbie or Hostess, as theirs have become tasting so artificial with all the chemicals and preservatives." While some shoppers agree that the sweetness can be cloying, others assert this is a fact of all powdered donuts. At the end of the day, you'll have to decide whether it's worth $3.50 to find out for yourself.