There’s not much that’s better than pumpkin spice season — except, perhaps, saving money on all the seasonal treats. Aldi and Trader Joe’s are both known for offering budget-friendly groceries, but Aldi often comes out on top. The German grocery chain’s deal on one fall-flavored spread is no exception, and it’s one of many Trader Joe’s fall dupes you can find at Aldi. In Pennsylvania, an 8-ounce tub of Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread will run you $2.79 at Trader Joe’s, but you can get the Happy Farms version at Aldi for $2.29.
Fans of the Aldi version on Reddit say they can’t get enough of the stuff, with one user specifically mentioning that it has “real pumpkin flavor without being too intense on the spice.” Another Redditor commented that they’ve “bought this stuff every year for the past … 10 years.”
We took a look at the first few ingredients in the two cream cheese spreads, and we can see why the taste is similar. Both list pasteurized milk and cream as their first ingredients. The Trader Joe’s version then lists pumpkin, brown sugar, and cheese cultures, while Aldi lists a pumpkin base made up of pumpkin, sugar, water, cinnamon, vanilla extract, lemon juice concentrate, and nutmeg. Both versions offer 5 grams of sugar per serving, so we’re guessing they offer a similar level of sweetness. Luckily, if you manage to snag some of the Aldi version, you’ve got quite a few in-store options to help you enjoy every bite.
Read more: 9 Store-Bought Canned Chili Brands Ranked Worst To Best
Upgrade your seasonal cream cheese with delicious Aldi pairings
atadbitcatobsessed / Reddit
You can make many delicious breakfasts (or snacks, or desserts, honestly) with your Happy Farms Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread. If you’d like to add some sweet crunchiness to the mix, toss some Specially Selected Candied Pecans into your cart next time you’re at Aldi. Crush up a few and either mix them with your cream cheese or sprinkle them on top of your bagel. You can also add a little extra sweetness — and maple flavor — by mixing in a bit of Berryhill Maple Pumpkin Spread. Of course, there are a ton of other decadent ways to use up cream cheese, from creating a tangy, pumpkin-flavored frosting to making a fall-flavored fruit dip.
To fully enjoy the warmth and autumn coziness that pumpkin spice flavors bring, you’ll also want to pick up a bag of L’oven Fresh Pumpkin Bagels to perfectly complement your cream cheese. If you’re in the mood for something more dessert-like, try slathering the good stuff on one of the Aldi fall desserts under $5 that you won’t want to leave the store without, like the Bake Shop Pumpkin Sliced Loaf Cake. No matter how you decide to enjoy your pumpkin cream cheese spread, you’ll be able to revel in the fact that you got something seriously delicious for a little bit less than you would have spent at Trader Joe’s.
Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we’re helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time. You can also follow us or add us as a preferred search source on Google.
Read the original article on Chowhound.