This $3.49 Aldi Product Is My Undisputed Favorite Fall Treat

I’m not going to lie—grocery shopping can 100% be a pain. When it’s late on a Sunday, and all I want to do is curl up on the couch, heading to the store can seem like a Herculean task. But the one thing that always forces me out the door is the promise of bringing home a little treat. Whether it’s a new find, or an old favorite that I limit myself to buying only once every few weeks, that indulgent something special is the highlight of my grocery run.

When fall rolls around, my treat hunt gets even more exciting. I’ve got eagle eyes out for anything cinnamon, apple, pumpkin, or spiced. My most recent find, Aldi’s Specialty Selected Pumpkin Spice Premium Cookie Dough, checked two of those boxes and easily won its way into my heart. I know, I know. Pumpkin for fall? Revolutionary. But hear me out: This may be the single best pumpkin product I’ve ever purchased. And yes, I’ve done the full seasonal Trader Joe’s haul too.

About Aldi Specialty Selected Cookie Dough

I should mention that I’m probably an every-other-week purchaser of Aldi’s Specialty Selected Cookie Dough. They come in several different flavors and are, in my opinion, better than Pilsbury, Tollhouse, or any other grocery store brand I’ve tried. I’m one of those people who loves a chocolate chip cookie, but prefers them light on the chips and heavy on the salt, so my usual purchase is Specialty Selected’s Sea Salt Caramel & Chocolate Chunk Cookie Dough. I also recently tried the brand’s Chocolate Chip with Almond Brittle flavor, and they were pretty great too. So, when I saw a new Pumpkin Spice variety appear on shelves this past weekend, I immediately threw a pack in the cart and set about my merry way. At just $3.49 for 12 pre-portioned cookies, it’s a much cheaper (and just as delicious) way to curb my sweet cravings than ordering Insomnia or making a run to Crumbl.

Why I Love This Pumpkin Spice Cookie Dough

I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect when I opened these cookies to bake later that night, but from the moment I took my first bite, they far exceeded my expectations. The package comes with 12 jumbo-sized cookies (about double the size of normal pre-portioned cookie dough squares), so I decided to bake just four (one for me, and three for my cookie-fiend husband), and save the rest for later. The first thing I noticed was that the dough was softer and more pliable than the other flavors of this brand I had baked before. I followed the package directions by rolling each square into a ball and baking at 400 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes.

Autumn Flavors & Aromas

About five minutes into baking, our kitchen was filled with that all-familar, wonderful spiced scent, and couldn’t wait for them to be ready. I ended up baking them for about 13 minutes, then letting them cool for a few minutes more before digging in. The flavor was perfect, and the texture was even better. To me, they give all the satisfying seasonal flavor of pumpkin pie without the often less-than-optimal, gelatinous texture. The cookies had a nice pumpkin flavor without being overly vegetal or verging on the edge of baby food. The warm notes of cinnamon and nutmeg were prominent and much appreciated, providing the perfect slightly-sweet complement to my hot cup of tea.

Crispy on Outside, Soft on Inside

Onto the texture, which is what really makes these cookies shine. The outside gets this perfect amount of crispness and almost a caramelized quality that gives way to a soft, luscious interior that’s supple without being doughy. I savored my one cookie for as long as humanly possible and was kicking myself for not making more by the time I took my final bite.

After my first bake, I can confidently say this is my favorite pumpkin treat to date, and quite possibly my new favorite dessert. Don’t believe me? Try them. I know I’ll be buying these weekly while they’re around. And Lord help me if my local Aldi starts stocking the seasonal Apple Cinnamon Cookie Dough too.