The Unexpected Aldi Cheese Customers Are Falling In Love With

Last night, my partner made Ina Garten’s mac & cheese recipe, and I was reminded once more how utterly glorious a thing cheese is. I mean, my god: It’s delicious. And it’s delicious on its own: While mac & cheese obviously has some other stuff going on in it, the whole point of the dish (in my view, anyway) is that it centers the creaminess, the complexity, the tang, the savoriness, and the punch of well-made cheddar, Gruyère, and/or whatever else you’re putting in there. I’m going to have another portion for lunch, and I’m excited. 

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At the moment, though, Aldi’s not thinking about that: It’s thinking about how to mix up its cheese game by combining it with other flavors. Last week I wrote about Aldi’s balsamic onion cheddar cheese, which has proved to be a hit with customers. Now, I come bearing news of a more bizarre cheese mash-up. And people love it just as much.

Aldi Emporium Selection Wensleydale Cookie Butter Cheese

In the last couple of weeks ALdi customers have been spotting, buying, and trying its new Emporium Selection Wensleydale Cookie Butter Cheese. This limited-time find isn’t on its website, so I’m going on vibes and customer descriptions for what it actually is – but it looks as though it’s a classic British Wensleydale studded with cookie-ish, slightly fudgy pieces. 

Before you go running for the hills, I should say that this flavor combo isn’t just some heinous mashup. Wensleydale is especially creamy and buttery, and has a sweet, almost sugary finish to it, which makes it perfect for mixing with other things. Cranberry-studded Wensleydale is, of course, very common, and here in the UK, our own Aldis periodically feature white chocolate-flavored Wensleydales, which play into the cheese’s inherent profile. And cookie butter and white chocolate…well, they’re similar. 

And…People Like It?

They do. Aldi customers who have picked up its cookie butter Wensleydale have both eaten their words, having initially written it off as just a weird novelty, and the cheese. Some people have said that it has almost a cheesecake flavor, albeit one that’s slightly more sophisticated and rich. It’s also super creamy and full-bodied — although you shouldn’t expect it to be as savory as other cheeses. This Wensleydale sits very much on the sweet side, and while it would go well with a tangy, sharp chutney, you probably won’t want to grate it onto pasta. Grab a block before it’s gone. Walk on the wild side. Try its pumpkin Wensleydale while you’re at it, too.