At the Allrecipes office, we're lucky enough to get to sample a lot of different products (I know—major brag). But when the holiday season rolls around each year, we seem to get one thing more than any other: cake. Between the different teams in the office, there seems to be a different rotating cake on the communal table at all times from November until January. And hey—I'm not complaining. But, of all the cakes, the one that impressed me the most so far this season was the one I least suspected. Why? Because it wasn't from a fancy bakery—no, it was a $6 find from none other than Aldi.
I Tried the Aldi Winternacht Traditional Panettone
If you're not an Aldi superfan like pretty much everyone on our team, you may not have known that Aldi is a European company, specifically a German one. That's why you are likely to find a lot of traditional Christmas desserts from Germany and other neighboring countries in Aldi stores this time of year, like Stollen and Lebkuchen. But one dessert stood out the most to me: the panettone.
The Aldi panettone is made by its in-house brand Winternacht (meaning winter night in German) and comes in two flavors: traditional or chocolate chip. The traditional is made with dried fruit—raisins and candied orange peel, in Aldi's case. And the Winternacht Panettone is made in Italy, so you know it's the real deal.
If I lost you at panettone—come back! You're going to want to try it if you've never had it. Panettone is a traditional sweet Italian bread that's typically served on holidays, especially Christmas and Easter. It's usually made with dried fruit but mix-ins can also include chocolate, sweet spreads like Nutella, nuts, and other citrus peel.
Now, before you set off to add panettone to your to-bake list this holiday season, you should know it's one of the most finicky and technically difficult things to bake. Just know that it is a multi-day process that involves a sourdough-like starter, an extremely long proof time, and requires skewering to cool it upside down once baked so it stays super fluffy. So yeah, it's a cake best left to the professionals (although Chef John has a simplified recipe if you're looking for a challenge!).
Aldi Winternacht Traditional Panettone Review
That painstaking process is why panettone will typically cost a pretty penny. However, the Aldi one costs just $5.99. Needless to say, I didn't know what to expect with a price tag that low. But I was very pleasantly surprised.
We have received many, many panettone this holiday season so far, with some costing as much as $60 and even $75 a cake. To say the $6 Aldi version stands up to those would be an understatement. It's plush and soft, with a light-as-air texture that melts in your mouth. The fruit inside is perfectly distributed and adds perfect pops of sweetness, especially the candied orange peel.
This would be ideal alongside a cup of coffee or a glass of Gluehwein (traditional German mulled wine), but I also can't stop thinking about how good it would be in bread pudding or made into French toast. When it comes to bang for your buck this holiday season, I don't think you'll find a better product than this.
But I was very pleasantly surprised. We have received many, many panettone this holiday season so far, with some costing as much as $60 and even $75 a cake. To say the $6 Aldi version stands up to those would be an understatement.
Understanding Aldi's Business Model. Aldi is a discount supermarket chain that offers high-quality products at low prices. The company operates more than 10,000 stores across 20 countries and is known for its no-frills approach to retail. Aldi's business model is built on simplicity, efficiency, and cost savings.
Do you accept manufacturer's coupons? No. ALDI-exclusive brands make up more than 90% of our product selection, and we guarantee the quality is as good as or better than name brands.
Within the United States, Aldi sources its products both domestically and from abroad. Aldi's products are made in China, the United Kingdom, and Germany, among others. However, it should be fairly easy to determine which products are made in the United States and which are imported internationally.
Panettone is made using high-quality ingredients, including butter, eggs, candied fruits, and sometimes premium ingredients like chocolate or dried fruits which can be costly.
The texture as light and moist and it was very boozy thanks to the cognac, rum, stout and brandy soaked glace cherries. It's also the cheapest pudding per 100g, and for the price, it's a great budget option.
With sometimes thousands of customers coming in daily, most grocery stores don't have the luxury of baking each cake from scratch. Many stores have premade cake layers and frosting shipped to them in bulk, which they then assemble on-site. This allows for cost-saving and a more streamlined process.
As Eat This, Not That explains, California-based Trader Joe's and its 557 U.S. stores (per ScrapeHero) are a subsidiary of German chain Aldi Nord, the sibling company of Aldi Süd, which Americans know simply as Aldi, the home of such fan-favorite house brands as Mama Cozzi's pizzas, Clancy's snacks, and Winking Owl ...
Zippia names Trader Joe's as a major competitor to Aldi, though they're both owned by the Albrecht family. While the two chains definitely evoke very different brand experiences, they actually have a whole lot in common, and even offer similar products.
Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd have been financially and legally separate since 1966. The individual groups were originally owned and managed jointly by the brothers.
Introduction: My name is The Hon. Margery Christiansen, I am a bright, adorable, precious, inexpensive, gorgeous, comfortable, happy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/AR-holiday-snowflake-Aldi-flame-5ba5558bf497413181b5d10da856fc74.jpg "This $6 Aldi Holiday Dessert Tastes Nearly Identical to Its $75 Competitor (1)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/ar-aldi-winternacht-panettone-228809d810ba4f399de5dcb5e502ef88.jpg "This $6 Aldi Holiday Dessert Tastes Nearly Identical to Its $75 Competitor (2)")
