Aldi Pfeffernüsse Cookies (Winternacht) Review
Author’s note: I have no affiliation with Aldi, and I was not compensated in any way for this review. Anise is delicious. I said what I said.
No, they don’t taste like unmentionables.
Before I tried these Pfeffernüsse cookies, I stumbled across a wide swath of Aldi fans on the internet complaining that these cookies tasted like…well, like rude, unmentionable things that I won’t repeat here. There was a deluge of fierce hatred directed at these innocent little baked goods. Naturally, I needed to investigate for myself!
I’m relieved to report the opposite. These cookies taste quite winsome. They do have a strong anise spice flavor, so if you don’t like anise (or licorice), you should probably steer clear.
Oddly, the package doesn’t mention anise or any specific spices, it just vaguely states “spices” on the label. There’s a picture of a cinnamon stick on the front of the bag, which probably mislead all the disgruntled Aldi fans.
It would probably be beneficial for the anise-hating crowd to know ahead of time what is in here. Just sayin.’
According to Wikipedia, Pfeffernüsse cookies historically were flavored with a mixture of spices including: “cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, black pepper, mace, and anise.” We can only postulate what is actually in these Aldi renditions.
Anyway. If you DO like anise, you will probably be delighted! The spicy flavor is absolutely the best part of these petite treats, in my opinion. The smell is pungent and intoxicating. Anise does something special to my brain neurons, I’m certain of it. Ha.
I was surprised to discover how soft these cookies are. I expected them to be hard and crunchy, as is a common tradition for Pfeffernüsse or “peppernuts.” The Aldi version look like hard domes in the product photo, but the cookies are actually super soft gingerbread inside.
The icing isn’t hard either, although it does form a smooth, thin crust on the exterior. These cookies are surprisingly tidy morsels and maintain an elegant, well-groomed look when plated. Potentially a great addition in a holiday charcuterie tray or dessert spread. (Keep reading for a party buffet tray idea.)
(Pssst. Do you also shop at Costco? Here’s an article I wrote with a summary of holiday desserts and treats available seasonally at Costco.)
I would describe the internal gingerbread texture as a fine crumb. It’s tightly packed, but smooth. I wouldn’t call it “dry,” but it is somewhat crumbly. This is probably from the potato starch. The cookies don’t have as much fluffiness or cake-like structure as the Aldi Soft Gingerbread Lebkuchen cookies (you can read my review of them here).
These are fairly sweet gingerbread nuggets. Not just the icing, but the actual gingerbread itself is quite sweet. Unlike other spiced Winternacht cookies (such as Spekulatius — check out my review here), sugar plays a much more prominent role here.
I prefer “less sweet” desserts, so it was sweeter than I needed. But still tasty. According to the label, the primary sweetener is glucose-fructose syrup. More about the ingredients later.
Ingredients in Aldi Pfeffernüsse Gingerbread Cookies
The pork gelatin was a bit of a surprise — I don’t typically check my cookies for pig products, but I have family members who don’t eat pork, so this is perhaps an important piece of information to know in advance.
Here are the ingredients, from the label:
- Unbleached Wheat Flour
- Glucose Fructose Syrup
- Sugar
- Potato Starch
- Spices
- Caramel
- Potassium Carbonate
- Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate
- Sodium Bicarbonate
- Ammonium Bicarbonate
- Sunflower Oil
- Gelatin (Pork)
- Lactic Acid
- Whey Protein Concentrate
These Pfeffernüsse cookies are imported from Germany.
Nutrition Facts in Pfeffernüsse Cookies from Aldi
There are 6 servings per package of three cookies. So, 18 cookies per bag. Each serving has 110 calories, 15 grams of sugar (14 grams are “added sugar”), and only a half gram of fat. There’s a tiny bit of protein, with 2 grams per serving. You also get a wobbly sniffle of iron, with 2% of your daily value. Popeye is disappointed.
Price and Servings
Since you only get six servings per 7.05 ounce package, these cookies don’t last very long. At $3 for the package, each serving costs 50 cents. These seem a bit pricy for the size of the bag — not much of a savings compared to cookies from other retailers, although probably a good value for authentic imported Pfeffernüsse.
Per ounce, these spicy nuggets cost about 43 cents.
Shelf Life
The sell-by date on my package only allows me about 6 months to eat these until they expire. This is a shorter shelf-life than I expected, but you could probably freeze the whole bag if you want aromatic Pfeffernüsse all year long.
And you totally do, don’t you? I knew it.
Aldi only stocks these seasonally around Christmas time. I found them in my local store in November.
Serving the Pfeffernüsse Cookies
I created a Christmas party tray of holiday treats from Aldi, and these Pfeffernüsse were a great shape and texture contrast to the other items. They look like fluffy mounds of snow. Partially melted snowballs? Snowman bellies? IDK. The bite-size and tidy, self-contained texture is perfect buffet finger food.
Pictured above is Aldi Spiced Spekulatius Cookies, and Aldi Cherry Stollen with Marzipan (you can read my full review of it here.)
Dramatic Conclusion
Although these Pfeffernüsse aren’t an eye-popping value compared to other Aldi products, I would buy them again. I adored the spiced flavor of these holiday cookies — especially the anise! But, these are not for everyone; there are a surprising number of folks who hate anise. Maybe give your guests fair warning. Unless you’re feeling a bit grinchy. In which case, carry on.
The End.
More Reviews of Seasonal Desserts You Might Like (or Hate)
Check out these other seasonal dessert reviews I’ve recently written:
