Aldi Cranberry White Cheddar Cheese Review
Author’s Note: Not a paid review. These are my own cheesy opinions. I have no affiliation with Aldi.
Festive scrumptiousness.
So this is what everyone has been talking about. This cheese. I’ve been inundated with reports of its fervid scrumptiousness. I finally caved and bought some. Here are my thoughts:
It has a sharp cheddar flavor with a slightly crumbly-soft texture. The crumbliness does make it hard to cut neat slices, and they tend to self destruct faster than a James Bond mission recording. But the taste is delightful! It’s a rich twang that gave me “cheese sweats.”
(For another flavored cheese, check out my review of Aldi’s English Truffle Cheddar.)
The cranberries are GENEROUS. And moist. They are cut into small fragments, rather than unwieldly whole berries. This helps them hold together better inside the cheese. And the tender fragments sort of melt into the cheese body — they are not chewy or stiff. I love that these are natural cranberries without added flavorings, colors, or preservatives.
(Are you a cranberry fanatic? Check out my review of these Cranberry Jalapeno Chicken Meatballs.)
The cheddar-cranberry combination is subtly sweet without tasting “sugary.” A natural, fruity sweetness. There is added sugar, but not enough to taste like a jam. In fact, the label lists 0 grams sugar per serving. It’s just the right balance of salty-savory cheese and tangy-sweet fruit.
In my opinion, the cranberry taste is so gentle, even cranberry haters would probably still enjoy this. But, those wicked cranberry-haters don’t deserve to try this. Hmmph! Be gone, cruel haters!
(If you’re not an evil cranberry hater, perhaps you’d enjoy my review of Aldi’s Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies, which were much tastier than I expected.)
What did I do with my cranberry cheddar?
After removing the plastic wrapper, this bargain cheese looks much more sophisticated and expensive than it is. The garnet-red marbled pattern is festive. I loved the small, circular wheel shape, especially for an elegant charcuterie or party appetizer spread.
I paired mine with Aldi’s Rosemary Flatbread Crackers and Dewey’s Cranberry Orange Thin Cookies. On this board, there are also dried Smyrna figs, whole dried cranberries, Goya olives, and Jelina White Chocolate Yuzu Bark.
(The circular shape is also perfect for a not-so-elegant purpose. Sorry, I can’t help myself. I suffer from chronic goofiness. There is no cure for this ailment.)
Ingredients in Aldi Cranberry White Cheddar
Here are the ingredients, from the label:
- Cheddar Cheese (Pasteurized Milk, Cultures, Salt, Microbial Enzymes)
- Dried Cranberries (Cranberry, Sugar, Sunflower Oil)
The label doesn’t list a country of origin, so I am assuming it is domestic cheese.
More information from the label:
- Gluten Free
- Good source of Calcium
Nutrition Facts
A serving is 1 ounce of cheese and contains 110 calories. You get 8 grams of fat (5 grams of saturated fat) and 7 grams of protein. There are 2 grams total carbohydrates (0 grams sugar and 0 grams fiber). Plus 8% your daily value of sodium, and 15% your daily value of calcium.
Price and Servings
The 8 ounce wheel cost $2.99 at my local Aldi. Since there are 8 servings per block, the price per serving is 38 cents.
At my store, this is a seasonal item, which means it may be sporadically available.
Shelf Life
The “sell by” date on my package allowed approximately 4 months to consume, unopened.
I wrapped mine in parchment paper after opening, and stored in a ziplock bag. According to Healthline, cheddar-type cheeses can last up to 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator after opening. But, since this one contains extra moisture from the cranberries, I ate mine within 2 weeks, and checked it carefully for spoilage.
Dramatic Conclusion
I would definitely buy this Cranberry Cheddar again. This is scrummy cheese. I enjoyed the fruitiness without too much tart or sweet dominance. It makes a festive addition to a party grazing board, and the circular shape looks far better than a rectangular block for serving.
On my impeccably precise “Awesome-o-Meter,” this cheese scores an enthusiastic “Yaaas.”
The End.
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