The $6 Aldi Grocery I’m Stocking in My Freezer All Summer Long (Perfect for Parties)

Shopping at Aldi has been a part of my grocery routine for more than a decade. In that time, I’ve tasted hundreds of the store’s items, including refrigerated dips, bottled salad dressings, olive oil, and bags of pasta in all shapes and sizes. That’s significant because, unlike other grocery stores where name brands dominate, the majority of products on the shelves are made specifically for Aldi’s umbrella of store brands. 

Even though they don’t have the pull of well-known national brands, there are plenty of Aldi groceries I restock week after week. One of my go-to Aldi buys is a dessert that tastes as good as homemade (and that’s great, because even as a pro cook I’m not making these from scratch): Aldi’s Specially Selected Mini Cream Puffs. They’re so good that I keep a container in my freezer at all times. 

Cream puffs are one of my favorite pastries. They’re made by filling baked pâte à choux pastry with pastry cream. Pâte à choux pastry is pretty magical in the way that it puffs up when baked, but also because it freezes so well. That’s a huge advantage for those of us who love to keep these sweets on hand at all times in case of last-minute celebrations. 

While not a difficult dessert to make, making cream puffs from scratch can be time-consuming. That’s why it’s a dessert that I usually leave to the pros. 

Aldi’s Specially Selected Mini Cream Puffs can be found year-round in the freezer section of the store. These desserts may be overlooked in favor of the colorful ice cream cones and fancy French macarons. Those in-the-know (which now includes you), though, realize that this container of mini pastries is one of the best buys in the store.

The cream puffs are relatively small; they take just two bites to enjoy. They are individually frozen, so you can easily transfer as many as you want to serve or eat to the refrigerator for about an hour, or set out at room temperature for 30 minutes. The pastry cream inside thaws from an ice cream-like texture to a pudding consistency. The pastries are sold in a container of 50 for $5.49, or just $0.11 per puff.

Aldi’s Specially Selected Mini Cream Puffs are ready to eat once thawed. I also enjoy them when they are only partially thawed because the pastry cream has a tasty ice cream consistency. Add a dusting of powdered sugar or cocoa powder over the top for a fancy finish. 

Sweet sauces can also add an extra flourish of flavor. Try drizzing caramel sauce, raspberry sauce, or chocolate ganache over the thawed pastries. 

Buy: Aldi’s Specially Selected Mini Cream Puffs, $5.49 for 50 puffs

What’s your favorite Aldi dessert? Tell us about it in the comments below.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: The $6 Aldi Grocery I’m Stocking in My Freezer All Summer Long (Perfect for Parties)