6 Aldi Finds That Beat Trader Joe's on Price and Quality This September
Fall is technically here, if you look at most grocery store and coffee chain menus and that’s true of Aldi’s incoming seasonal lineup. The supermarket’s latest arrivals include apple, pumpkin and maple flavored baked goods, pasta and many more comfort foods at affordable prices.
These prices are so affordable they’re edging out Trader Joe’s as to which grocery store has the best values. After reviewing a sneak peek at Aldi’s September arrivals, we compared incoming items to similar offerings at Trader Joe’s and discovered six are surprisingly better buys at Aldi.
See Next: 11 Aldi Finds That Are Actually Better Deals Than Name Brands Right Now
Act Now: Start Growing Your Net Worth With Smarter Tracking
Here’s what worth every penny at Aldi this September.
Keep Shopping: The Best Aldi Deals To Grab Now Before Summer Ends
Baker's Corner Pumpkin Quick Bread Mix
Aldi price: $2.49
Want to bake a loaf of pumpkin bread? Sure you do. Want to save $1 doing it? Absolutely.
Baker’s Corner pumpkin quick bread mix became available September 2 at Aldi and is tracking to cost less than what you’d pay at Trader Joe’s. Similar pumpkin bread and muffin mix cost $3.49 per box last year.
Specially Selected Fall Harvest Mac and Cheese
Aldi price: $2.99
A serious contender to Trader Joe’s beloved butternut squash mac and cheese arrived at Aldi on September 2: Specially Selected’s fall harvest mac and cheese.
Granted, this is a boxed mac and cheese. More steps will be involved in the cooking process than the TJ microwavable option. But it is going to be 78 cents cheaper, which is food for thought if your budget is tight.
Specially Selected Apple Cinnamon Brioche Ring
Aldi price: $5.49
Regular Trader Joe’s shoppers know the supermarket chain has been on a brioche kick all summer. Their bakery aisle has featured various flavors of brioche style liège waffles (priced anywhere from $3.99 to $4.99 per bag) in addition to loaves of sliced double chocolate brioche ($5.49).
It’s possible this brioche trend could continue into fall, but odds are good it means more seasonal flavors of liège waffles. The new Specially Selected apple cinnamon brioche ring is still worth trying out at Aldi on September 9, since the price rivals that of Trader Joe’s for an entirely unique baked good.
Deutsche Kuche Pumpernickel Bread
Aldi price: $2.69
To our knowledge, Trader Joe’s hasn’t had pumpernickel bread in quite a while. The dark pumpernickel Tuscan pan bread was last referenced in a Tasting Table article published in 2023. Other pumpernickel bread references date as far back as 2019 in a Reddit thread.
If nothing changes this fall, Aldi is positioned to come out ahead as a taste trendsetter with their new Deutsche Kuche pumpernickel bread. These loaves arrive at stores on September 23.
Clancy's Bats and Ghosts Crunchy Snacks
Aldi price: $2.39
We’re about 99.9% positive Trader Joe’s will roll out their ghost and bat-shaped crispy potato snacks yet again for fall 2026. What is less likely, however, is if these Halloween-themed potato chips will cost less than Clancy’s new dupe: bats and ghosts crunchy snacks.
The TJ pricing was $2.49 as of 2023 (via Instagram), so odds are good they’re shaping up to cost more than what you’d pay at Aldi. Save a little money and snag these snack bags when they appear on Aldi shelves beginning September 30.
Emporium Selection Halloween Cheese
Aldi price: $4.29
Nothing against TJ’s dairy department, but we’re extremely intrigued by Aldi’s Emporium Selection Halloween cheese lineup this year.
Starting September 30, shoppers can sink their teeth into four festive flavors. These include scary pumpkin spice (Wensleydale cheese with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg), death by garlic (black garlic cheddar cheese), bat knit crazy aged cheddar or freaky Franken sage derby (wild derby cheese with dried sage).
Could Trader Joe’s put out Halloween-themed cheese for 2026? Sure. But would they have this many varieties or creative packaging styles at these low prices? We really don’t think it’s in the cards.
Editor’s note: Prices and availability are subject to change.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
More From MoneyLion: