Ditch The Reese's Puffs, Aldi's Copycat Has You Covered For Less
When you go shopping at Aldi, you'll find the same foods and products you would at any other grocery store. 90 percent of them, however, will be generic, sold under Aldi's private label. Browse the cereal aisle, and you won't see Froot Loops or Rice Krispies, but rather Fruit Rounds and Crispy Rice. Instead of Reese's Puffs, you'll have to reach for Cocoa Peanut Butter Puffs. But unless you really care about the name printed on the box, that may not be a bad thing as customers have been discovering.
In terms of price, the Aldi version is significantly cheaper. At Target, for example, an 11.5-ounce box of Reese's Puffs costs $3.79. At Aldi on the other hand, you can get a slightly bigger 13-ounce box for $3.65. Sometimes you get what you pay for when it comes to off-brand products, but that doesn't seem to be the case with Aldi's Reese's Puffs knockoff. Shoppers say you can't even tell the difference between the two cereals.
Does Reese's Puffs share the same manufacturer as Aldi's cereal?
It's not uncommon for two products to share the same manufacturer, even if they are sold under different brand names. This is called white-labeling, and it happens at many stores, including Aldi. Spice brand McCormick is said to be the brand behind Aldi's spices, while Kraft Foods is supposedly responsible for Aldi's parmesan cheese. You might assume that the same can be said for the Cocoa Peanut Butter Puffs cereal, but despite its similarities with Reese's Puffs, they are not the same product.
One glance at the ingredients list on the back of the boxes of each product and it's easy to determine the recipes are different. Reese's Puffs are made up of a combination of whole grain corn and corn meal, while Aldi's version calls for whole corn flour, wheat bran, and barley malt flour. Both technically include sugar and peanut butter, but the peanut butter in Reese's cereal isn't pure peanut butter but rather a blend of other ingredients.
Reese's Puffs vs. Aldi Cocoa Peanut Butter Puffs
If you don't have a refined palate when it comes to Reese's Puffs, the difference compared to the Aldi version may be virtually undetectable. But upon closer inspection, there are certain distinctions between the flavors and appearance of the two. According to a cereal review by one Instagram user, Reese's Puffs are more spherical, while Cocoa Peanut Butter Puffs are slightly flatter. YouTuber Full Circle Review also pointed out that the Aldi version doesn't have as bold of a color, appears less frosted, and is not quite as crunchy.
As far as taste is concerned, both reviewers commented on the higher level of sweetness of Reese's Puffs, which Full Circle Review mentioned was more comparable to the candy. By contrast, the Aldi version has a stronger peanut butter flavor, so if you're a fan of the Peanut Butter Lovers version of Reese's Puffs, you may enjoy Aldi's recipe a bit more. Ultimately, your personal taste preferences will determine which one is better, but judging by the reviews and comments, it's at least worth paying less for the Aldi cereal.