7 Things To Be Aware Of When Buying Aldi's Bakery Items

Aldi is a discount grocery store that has seen a distinct rise in popularity lately. With popular grocery store foods costing more across the board, anything that can help consumers save their money is seen as desirable. Unlike other grocery stores, Aldi doesn't carry many of the name brands you've grown accustomed to. Instead, they focus most of their offerings on their own private label store brands like Bake Shoppe, Specially Selected, liveGfree, and others — and it's this business model that helps save people so much money. One place where the store has many offerings is their bakery department.

Aldi offers dozens of breads, fresh baked goods, and boxed baked goods to satisfy your sweet tooth. But, whether you've been shopping at Aldi for years or are about to make your first trip, there are a few things you may not know about their bakery items. From discounts to availability and beyond, here are seven things to be aware of when buying Aldi's bakery items.

Unlike other stores, Aldi bakery items aren't just the same thing you'll find at every other mainstream grocery chain. In fact, you can't find most of these items at any store besides Aldi because they're products of one of their private labels. According to the Aldi website, "more than 90 percent of the products in our stores are Aldi-exclusive brands... [this] allows us to provide the same high-quality product without passing on all the hidden costs associated with the national brands, such as marketing and advertising." While we're speaking specifically of Aldi's bakery items right now, this particular fact is true for all Aldi products.

Many of the fresh baked treats at Aldi will be under the Bake Shop label, which includes offerings like muffins, Danishes, cookies, donuts, cinnamon rolls, and more. But, if you're looking at the bread, you'll find everything from gluten-free artisanal bread under the liveGfree label to fresh croissants or Italian bread under the Specially Selected Label. Other offerings may include things like hot dog buns, hamburger buns, Hawaiian sweet rolls, brioche, potato rolls, wraps, tortillas, cakes, naan, and much more. The bakery aisle is truly extensive in its private label offerings!

If you're looking for steep discounts, you may be in luck. Aldi is known to discount their bakery products up to half off when they're nearing the sell-by date printed on the package — and, at most stores, the closer to that date a product is, the better the discount. The chances of finding discounted goods are highest late mornings on Wednesdays and Sundays, when most stores are trying to move out older products to make room for their restocks.

If you don't see any current discounts, you may still be able to ask for them in some situations. Look at the white label on the fresh baked goods to see when the sell-by date is. If you notice a product is within two or three days of that date, chances are high it's eligible for a discount. If you see the day of the sell-by date is now, the baked goods are almost definitely eligible for a discount. All you have to do is ask for one! The worst that can happen is the store says no.

The same day you can get steep discounts will also be the days to find the freshest baked goods. For most stores, this will be Wednesdays or Sundays, but your specific store may restock on a different day. If you're not sure, you can either pay attention to when you see new products being placed, or ask an associate about their restock days.

Although saving money is a boon, there are a few key benefits to receiving the freshest baked goods. The most significant benefit is that the products will last longer in your home, giving you more time to eat them without risk of spoilage. Plus, the products may taste a little better if they're consumed fresh.

Pay attention to the sell-by date to guarantee the freshest offerings from your local Aldi bakery section. The farther out the date is, the fresher the food is. This will be found on the white label on each container for fresh baked goods or breads, and printed directly on the box for shelf-stable baked goods.

If you shop at a standard grocery store, you know they stock the same products without fail time and again. And, while this business model is standard, it isn't the only option. At Aldi, they rotate their products so you're not guaranteed to find the exact same things each visit. It should be noted, however, that you'll likely find a similar item — while the chocolate chip cookies may not be available, the oatmeal raisin might be instead.

There are other things that affect which bakery items are in stock. For example, some products may only be available seasonally, such as pumpkin-flavored options during the fall or berry-inspired treats during the spring. Of course, like other stores, stock levels will always affect what's available when you show up to do your shopping. If you want to have the best chance of finding a specific product, try to show up early in the morning or right after your specific store does their restocking.

If you need to follow a gluten-free lifestyle for medical purposes or personal preference, there's good news. Aldi has a private label called liveGfree that focuses solely on gluten-free foods — and many of those foods can be found in the bakery aisle, including baked goods, breads, and boxed bakery treats. Some other brands may have a few gluten-free items as well.

A few examples of gluten-free products you might find in the bakery section include boxed mixes for pancakes or brownies, as well as varying types of gluten-free breads. Chocolates, candy bars, and specialty chocolate items are also generally gluten-free. At select stores, you'll also find English muffins, donuts, honey buns, and cinnamon buns.

Of course, not all gluten-free items will always be available. If you really like a specific item and find it in stock, consider purchasing extra and freezing it. Just be sure to wrap the items properly to prevent them from getting freezer burn.

Aldi offers many items that are the same basic product you'll find at other stores, but cheaper. For example, at the local Shoprite in Vineland, New Jersey, a small 8.8 ounce pack of gluten-free bread is $6.80. But, a full 20 ounce loaf of gluten-free bread at my local Aldi in Vineland, New Jersey, costs only $6.99. A six-pack of English muffins are $6.23 at Shoprite, but only $1.73 at Aldi. Six fresh donuts are $6.80 at Shoprite, but only $5.60 at Aldi.

What about boxed baked goods, you ask? A box of mini muffins is only $2.75 at Aldi, but costs $6.23 at Shoprite — that's an incredible price difference of $3.48! And, this is only a small sampling of the potential cost savings you'll experience by switching to Aldi for your baked goods. The one exception we've discovered is that fresh baked cookies are sometimes cheaper at Shoprite — although that doesn't mean they taste better than Aldi's cookies. In this category, the slightly higher price of Aldi's cookies might be worth it for the flavor.

There's a wide range of fresh bakery items available at Aldi, so it can be challenging determining which you want to try first. Thankfully, we recently ranked Aldi bakery items from worst to best, giving you an excellent idea of which products to choose first.

The strawberry and raspberry cheese Danishes were the highest-ranked products. According to our ranking, the first bite of the pastry "offered a soft, flaky texture and a taste that had been perfectly embodied by the smell... which was predominately sweet and starchy, laced with buttery notes, sweet cream, and a distinctly strawberry scent." That sounds delicious to us!

But, if Danishes aren't your thing, that's okay. The runner-ups in third, fourth, and fifth place run the gamut of diverse baked good items. Consider trying the Bake Shop Chocolate Chunk Gourmet Cookies, Bake Shop Chocolate Dipped Everyday Donuts, or the Bake Shop Blueberry Mini Muffins.