We Tried Every New Aldi Fall Gelato

Fall flavors aren’t often celebrated in ice cream form. In most places, that’s usually just a matter of meteorology―by the time we start spicing our lattes and ghosting our Oreos (in the nice way), it’s too chilly to think about cold treats, no matter how fudge-swirled. Really, even if you live somewhere without seasonal “crispness” (and our hearts go out to you), by the time September hits, you’re probably not thinking about ice cream. Fall, after all, is more of a feeling than a Fahrenheit mark.

Videos by Sporked

But the good people at Aldi’s new Sundae Shoppe Gelato line are trying to change that―with mixed results. They recently came out with a trio of fall flavors: Apple Pie, Pumpkin Praline Pie, and Cinnamon Coffee Cake. To be fair to Aldi, the timing is kind of perfect: we’re thinking about sweater weather, but still kinda sweating. So of course we had to try all three flavors―and since gelato is lighter (and smoother) than ice cream, it was relatively easy to choose a favorite.

Pumpkin Praline Pie

Pros: The flavor is simple and sweet, delicately spicy, and milkier than pumpkin pie. The spices aren’t super assertive, but they also don’t get lost in the creaminess. The cream is elegantly, if a bit too modestly, interrupted by swirls of a darker caramel and smallish chunks of pecan. The pecans are delightfully chunky without being hard.

Cons: Gelato is made primarily with milk, so its texture is different from ice cream―silkier, rich-seeming without as much fat, and less air in the final product. Those are all fun facts, none of which account for the strange graininess of this gelato. Maybe it had something to do with the way the pecans were churned in? All I know is I went in for a few bites to make sure I wasn’t going crazy and/or it hadn’t just been a momentary side-effect of thawing, etc. But that graininess persisted. Sad face. 

The pecan flavor only asserts itself if and when you find a piece (they’re about the size of the a giant Nerd candy). The spices are fine, but yeah, the graininess, though subtle, was hella insistent. Despite all three words in its name being wonderful, this is not a first choice for a Thanksgiving dessert table. 

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Pros: This gelato was easily the tastiest and perfectly two-dimensional. There’s no arguing with the flavor, a perfect balance of sugar, creaminess, and cinnamony spice. The backdrop flavor is kind of a “birthday cake” proximate, which is a flavor Aldi has clearly succeeded at before. It’s not super autumnal, but a delight nevertheless.

Chunks of coffee cake are swirled in delicately and while they’re nice and chewy, it’s worth noting that they are a bit small. The overall impression of this gelato is like meeting a very pleasant couple (probably over coffee cake), admiring their bright smiles, and immediately forgetting their names when you leave. 

Cons: This was very technically balanced, but misplaced. It tasted more birthday cake than cinnamony, and even the coffee cake bits were few and far between. No compelling “autumnal” vibe here. You could serve this year-round, which makes it versatile if forgettable. In fact, I’d almost give it a 7 for that, but then I remember all the empty spaces where coffee cake pieces could have been… 

Apple Pie

Pros: First off, we like when people turn apple pie into other edible things. The texture of this (and the Cinnamon Coffee Cake) was much better than the Pumpkin Praline. There’s no graininess to speak of and this is a very silky, creamy, milky gelato with soft little tender bits of pie crust and swirls of a light caramel. More than half the first impression of that “apple” flavor is fresh―a bit tart, a bit sweet and fragrant, round and appley and easy to like.

Cons: Easy to like, that is, until it begins to taste artificial. This is the one I liked the best because that round, fleshy apple works well against the cool, smooth cream. But the apple gets a bit too fragrant and somehow, despite being made with natural ingredients, clings a bit artificially to the tongue. 

Even though it’s made with apple juice concentrate, the apple comes off oddly perfumey and candyish. Still, the creamy-apple bite does kind of remind you of getting that perfect bite of apple pie à la mode. If the good folks at the Sundae Shoppe dial down the apple concentrate, add some apple bits or just more pie pieces (never hurts anything), that’d skyrocket this pint right up to an 8.