Aldi Pfeffernüsse Cookies (Winternacht) Review
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 pungent smell wafts from the bag, with tantalizing promises of flavorsome pleasure. What did I just write?
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.
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 Winternacht Lebkuchen cookies.
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 the Spekulatius), 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.
Ingredients in Aldi Winternacht Soft 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:
- 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 Aldi Pfeffernüsse Gingerbread Cookies
There are 6 servings per package of three cookies. So, 18 cookies per bag. Each serving has 110 calories, 15 grams of sugar, and only a half gram of fat. There’s a tiny bit of protein, with 2 grams per serving.
Price and Shelf-life of Aldi Winternacht Pfeffernüsse Cookies
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.
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.
Aldi only stocks these seasonally around Christmas time. I found them in my local store in November.
More Reviews of Seasonal Desserts You Might Like (or Hate)
Check out these other seasonal dessert reviews I’ve recently written:
- The Fresh Market Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Costco Pumpkin Spice Loaf Cake
- Aldi Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cheesecake
- Costco Pumpkin Pie
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.
