Aldi's Pumpkin Spice Baked Goods, Ranked Worst To Best

Each autumn in America, there's simply no escaping the ubiquity of pumpkin spice. It's here once again, it is not going anywhere, despite the fact that it has become somewhat divisive over the years. In other words, while there are plenty of people who still love it, each pumpkin spice season that comes along also brings out the haters. (If you're a hater, though, what the heck are you doing here? This is an article about the greatness of pumpkin spice. Go read about other fall flavors or something.)

For anyone who is still here, then, let's get into the pumpkin party. Like any legitimate retailer with a significant presence in the United States, Aldi, of course, has its fair share of pumpkin spice products on offer every autumn. This range includes, of course, pumpkin spice coffee and creamer options, but also a variety of both savory and sweet choices that vary slightly year to year and store to store. This season, we decided to take a look at the varying baked goods on offer at Aldi with pumpkin or pumpkin spice as part of their flavor profile, all of which are available for a limited time during the fall season. With that purpose clearly established, then, let's get into the rankings. All prices listed are as of October 2026 and may vary by location.

There is simply no way to sugarcoat it: This pumpkin spice brioche from Specially Selected is terrible. As in, I don't think it is just my personal taste that's a mismatch here; rather I wonder how this recipe possibly made it through Aldi's quality control. It is, plainly, gross. I would describe it as a combination of artificial sweetener flavor (though I can't find any obvious culprits in the ingredients list) mixed with raw-tasting spices, especially nutmeg, which can be particularly overwhelming when used excessively.

Interestingly, when I ranked Aldi's Specially Selected bread options earlier this year, the store brand's plain brioche — a favorite for making French toast — performed quite well. As such, I was expecting similarly good things here, which is why it was so disappointing that this recipe is catastrophically bad. There's not a whole lot else to say other than that this brioche is the only option on this list that I would most definitely never eat again.

These were the most disappointing of any on the list for me because I expected to love them but most certainly did not. On the packaging for Bake Shop's pumpkin cake bites, Aldi writes that they have a "sweet pumpkin taste with cinnamon and baked streusel flavor," which, of course, sounds pretty great. Unfortunately, what's not mentioned is the cream cheese frosting that is also present, and that's where this item starts to break down.

Not that there's anything necessarily wrong with cream cheese frosting, but it just doesn't work in these particular cake bites. There's something off about the flavor of the cream cheese, specifically with regards to the way it is sweetened. Perhaps that just doesn't pair well with the cinnamon streusel and the lovely coffee cake base — the latter of which does not, by the way, contain any coffee — that's otherwise featured here. If these were offered without that cream cheese frosting, I would definitely eat them again, but as is, they are a pass.

These are Aldi's in-house alternative to the limited edition Pumpkin Spice Oreo (not to be confused with the Halloween-themed version that features orange-hued vanilla creme.) As with any Oreo flavors that don't include chocolate — such as Golden Oreos, for example — my main reaction is to wish there were chocolate included. And that's not just because I love chocolate; it's also because the bitterness of chocolate balances the inherent sweetness in a way that makes the cookies more harmonious.

Benton's pumpkin spice sandwich cookies definitely do suffer from that phenomenon, at least to some extent. The primary flavor is sugar, followed by vanilla. It's a tasty combination, of course, but it can get cloying relatively quickly. The other issue here is that these really don't taste at all like pumpkin spice. Yes, the filling is bright orange, but I don't get much cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg out of these, which would probably help give them more balance. In sum, if you put these in front of me, I'm probably going to eat a few, but I will probably regret it afterwards.

These are well slotted into the middle of the road (or, in our case, list) because they're fine. There's nothing particularly wrong with Bake Shop's pumpkin spice mini cupcakes, nor is there anything particularly great about them. What is interesting is that the cake itself is nicely pumpkin forward, with a noticeable but reasonably well-balanced spice component, featuring a spicy kick of nutmeg on the finish. The cake is also incredibly moist, which is never a guarantee with cupcakes.

That being said, when eating this cake with the frosting, the latter completely overwhelms the delicate balance of pumpkin and spice in the cake. On one hand, of course, these are cupcakes, and frosting is part of that dish, so it feels somewhat wrong to ding these because they feature prominent frosting. In an evaluation of pumpkin and pumpkin spice things, however, when the frosting overshadows the actual pumpkin and spice, that does end up being somewhat disappointing.

If you are thinking about evaluating Aldi's prepackaged bagels in the grand scheme of bagel culture — including New York and Montreal's finest, for example — you should just move down to the next item on the list already. In other words, these are not good bagels. It shouldn't be surprising that prepackaged grocery store bagels are bad, yet if we're evaluating L'oven pumpkin spice bagels specifically in the context of supermarket standards, they are decent. They're nothing special, but they're certainly edible, especially with a light toasting.

The one thing I would add, however, is that they don't taste particularly of pumpkin or pumpkin spice. They just seem like plain bagels. Sure, if you were determined to find the slightest hint of something pumpkiny, you probably could, but it hardly jumps out.

That being said, I also grabbed a container of Happy Farms pumpkin spice cream cheese spread, and that ingredient really amped up the autumnal vibe of this dish in a major way. In contrast to the bagels, the cream cheese is notably pumpkin-forward and also features background hints of both cinnamon and nutmeg. It is, however, worth understanding that this cream cheese is also quite sweet, so it does take what is typically a savory dish and turn it into a sweet (but tasty) one.

If I'm being perfectly honest, this one may be my new weakness. As in, I know Bake Shop's pumpkin Danish is an ultra-processed, factory-made pastry — the ingredients list, for example, is absurdly long for a bakery item — and far from what I might find at an artisanal bakery, but I still can't stop myself from enjoying it. In that way, it's a delicious indulgence.

One thing I would add, however — since we are, in fact, ranking pumpkin-flavored items — is that I don't think it is necessarily the pumpkin aspect that makes it appealing. Yes, there is a small amount of pumpkin cream cheese filling mixed into this Danish, but in this item's grand scheme, that seems to be a relatively minor ingredient. Instead, it is probably the combination of the brown sugar cinnamon swirl and vanilla frosting that gives this Danish its appeal. From that perspective, there may not be as much reason to rush out to grab the pumpkin version before it disappears, since the cinnamon, cheese, and Aldi's other Danish flavors are likely to be available year-round.

Warning: Attempting to eat Benton's pumpkin spice mini biscotti straight from the container will almost certainly lead to a dental visit. In other words, these things are like little boulders of granite, champing at the bit to chip a tooth or knock loose a filling on the way to their esophageal grave. (But wait! There's a reason these are ranked rather high on this list.)

Once, however, you give these aggressive little creatures a quick swim in a warm beverage like coffee or tea — or a longer swim in a cold beverage, to ensure ample saturation — their texture transforms into something else entirely. Gone is the imminent threat to dental structure, suddenly replaced instead by a surprisingly delicious, agreeably crumbly biscuit. Though perhaps a bit too sweet — another argument for pairing them with a slightly bitter beverage – the cinnamon-forward vibe here makes these a perfect treat for a chilly autumn afternoon or evening.

Bake Shop's pumpkin cookie sandwiches are also conceptually similar to Oreos, except that in this case they are much thicker — both the cookies themselves and the amount of frosting in between. In addition, the treats are quite soft and cakey, creating a very different texture than one gets from the notably crunchy Oreo-style cookie (see also Benton's pumpkin spice sandwich crèmes above).

As a whole, there's a pleasantly tender, giving texture here, as well as a lovely balance of sweetness-to-spice flavor, both in the cinnamon-forward, perfectly spiced cookies and the cinnamon cream cheese filling (the latter of which is more sweet than cinnamony). Like all of these Aldi pumpkin desserts, these are probably sweeter than they need to be — slightly less filling would probably help — but that is what it is. All together, however, these are delicious, and definitely one of the better options of Aldi's pumpkin spice fall menu. I would absolutely eat these again.

In this ranking, I have focused quite a bit on balance, and balance is absolutely the reason why Bake Shop's pumpkin loaf cake easily tops our list. Firstly, this cake is not overly sweet like so many of the other options here, which my palate not only appreciates after a week of sugar excess, but also helps the flavors of pumpkin and spice stand out more in the recipe. The cake itself is also wonderfully tender and moist.

And, in the end, isn't that pumpkin and spice flavor what we're here for? While there are certainly plenty of pumpkin-spiced lattes out there that are far more focused on being sugary than being pumpkin or spice-forward, that doesn't mean we should lose sight of the fact that the point of pumpkin spice is to highlight this seasonal squash and the spices that bring out the best of its flavor. And this loaf cake, it turns out, does exactly that.

To evaluate the pumpkin spice baked goods available at Aldi, I visited my local store — in suburban Philadelphia; prices may vary at other times or in other areas — during October 2026 and purchased as many pumpkin or pumpkin-spiced baked goods as I could find. (It should be noted that some potential options were out of stock, and therefore unavailable to review.)

Once I had all these items in hand, I tasted them with a focus on overall flavor and balance, as well as how well they lived up to the pumpkin or pumpkin spice promise of their packaging. I did also briefly consider the ingredients and healthiness of each item, though as most of these items are not generally considered nutritious, this was only a minor consideration.