Fans Love Aldi Cheese—We Ranked Our Top 15

Best Aldi cheeses

We're taking another trip to everyone's favorite discount grocery store. This time, the focus of our Aldi haul is going to be one of my favorite areas of the fan-favorite market—the cheese section.

I've been shopping at Aldi for more than a decade, which means that I was a fan of their immense cheese selection before it was social media cool. I can find gourmet-style cheeses for an impressive charcuterie board and cheese staples for my everyday cooking without spending extra money.

As Aldi continues to grow in popularity (Did you see they announced 800 new stores coming to the midwest?!) they have stepped up their cheese game even more, with new varieties and flavors almost weekly it seems.

Putting all of my first-hand taste testing over the years to good use, I've created this list of the best Aldi cheeses, ranked. Spoiler alert: I can't say "worst to best" because there isn't a bad one on the list!

Related: 18 Best March Aldi Finds

What brands of cheese does Aldi sell?

When you start to browse Aldi's cheese selection, you need to remember one thing. Aldi is known for their in-house brands, so don't be shocked if you only see a couple of name-brand cheeses, or sometimes, none at all.

The two most common brands of cheese found at Aldi are their Happy Farms and Emporium Selection labels. I like to think of them this way. Happy Farms is more of the everyday cheese: shredded, slices, blocks. Emporium Selection is the "fancy"  premium cheeses you want for those grazing boards and entertaining.

There are a few others you might run across as well. Clancy's is the shelf-sustainable cheese (think Velveeta), Simply Nature will be your organic cheese and they have even started to carry a vegan cheese under the Earth Grown name.

Related: 10 Best Aldi Chocolate Bars, Ranked

What kind of cheese can I buy at Aldi?

If you can dream of a cheese, Aldi probably carries it. Seriously. I can't think of one I have ever gone looking for I wasn't able to grab. I have even found ones I couldn't easily find at other stores, like shredded Swiss and sliced provolone.

Plus, my family has discovered new cheeses thanks to both the yearly Aldi cheese Advent calendar and their low everyday prices. If we see one that intrigues us, we can bring it home to try it and not worry about wasting a ton of money if it's not a hit.

Pro tip: If you're looking for cream cheese, it isn't in the same place where all of the cheeses on this list are. Keep walking to the dairy section, where you will find it next to the butter and milk.

Related: 31 Types of Cheese To Add To Your Next Charcuterie Board

15 Best Aldi Cheeses, Ranked Worst to Best

As I said, this list is 100% winners. It all depends on what kind of cheese you like—or what you're in the mood for at the moment.

15. Pueblo Lindo Queso Fresco

There are two reasons this Mexican-style cheese landed on the bottom of the list, neither of which is its fault! I only recently discovered this at my local Aldi so I haven't had the chance to use it as much as others. Plus my store doesn't always have it in stock, so it might be a seasonal item. But for that perfect restaurant-style crumbly, soft white cheese I can sprinkle on tacos, enchiladas, burritos and more, I was excited to see it back in stock.

Related: 42 Crock Pot Cinco de Mayo Recipes

14. Emporium Selection Garlic & Herb Goat Cheese

Sometimes goat cheese is a little too tangy for me, but this one has found its way to my heart. It has just the right amount of salty, tangy flavor because the garlic and herbs help to balance both. When I add this to a charcuterie board, I make sure to have some sliced mini peppers, cashews and a fig spread to go with it. The balance of sweet and savory hits all the right notes!

13. Emporium Selection Crumbled Feta Cheese

Back in the day when I would make Greek salads at home, finding crumbled feta cheese was sometimes difficult, let alone an affordable one. I was psyched when I first saw this at my Aldi! My family couldn't tell the difference between these salty crumbles and a more expensive name-brand, which means more gyros for us.

12. Alouette Crème de Brie Garlic & Herb Brie Spread

Want to know why this foodie isn't a huge fan of brie? Two words: the rind. Sometimes it is just too much work! This spread gives me the smooth, rich flavor of brie, plus a hint of garlic and herbs, with no rind to deal with! I love it for crackers of course, but it also makes a great veggie dip or sandwich spread in place of mayo. Next up I want to try stirring it into a creamy pasta sauce.

11. Emporium Aged Reserved New York White Cheddar Cheese

The men in my family can't get enough of another brand of white cheddar that prides itself on being "seriously sharp." Well, don't tell them, but this is my dupe for it! They have never noticed the difference, and this one is half the price. One Reddit user said it was like "those fancier aged Irish cheeses!" I couldn't agree more.

10. Emporium Selection Crumbled Blue Cheese

If you don't like blue cheese, you need to try this one. While others online have noted it doesn't have the strongest blue cheese flavor, that is exactly why I love it. I want a blue cheese that doesn't overpower whatever I'm using it in. I sprinkle it on my Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches and it's a must-have for  Cobb salad. I also love to add some of the crumbles to a store-bought blue cheese dressing for a semi-homemade dip that's perfect for wings.

Related: 50 Best Main Dish Salad Recipes

9. Emporium Selection Smoked Gouda & Cheddar Cheese

If gouda is a good cheese, smoked gouda is a great cheese! Our family always prefers the extra buttery and nutty notes of the smoked variety. When I pair it with crackers, I love ones that have seeds on them to play off the nutty flavor. The addition of cheddar gives it the tiniest sharpness that cuts through the richness.

8. Emporium Selection Vintage Irish Cheddar Cheese

Aged Irish cheddar cheese under four bucks? Thanks, Aldi! Imported from Ireland, this semi-hard cheddar is the sharpest of the Irish cheddars in this line, next to mild and mature. We always have a block of this in our fridge to slice thin with some summer sausage for snacking or shaved on a salad.

7. Emporium Selection Edam Cheese

I mentioned earlier how we have come to love new cheeses thanks to our obsession with the Aldi cheese advent calendar every holiday season. That was our first introduction to Edam cheese, which has become a family favorite. Named for the town in The Netherlands where it originated, this creamy, slightly sweet cheese reminded us of gouda when we first tasted it. We enjoyed it so much that I added it to our annual New Year's Eve menu this past year, and then used the leftovers for a killer grilled cheese!

6. Happy Farms Cheese Party Tray

The first "everyday" cheese on the list, this one-pound, four-variety tray is my go-to for entertaining. The slices are even long enough that I can cut them in half and stretch my money even further. That is 56 cuts per package! We love that Swiss and Pepper Jack are included for a true flavor spectrum.

5. Happy Farms Pepper Jack Spreadable Cheese Wedges

These individually wrapped wedges are perfect for my lunchbox. I grab one....or three...to add a little kick to my noon meal. Don't pay extra money for the nationally known brand when this one is just as creamy, spreads easily and has great slightly spicy flavor.

Related: 45 Best Lunchbox Ideas For Kids

4. Happy Farms String Cheese

You might be asking how a simple string cheese landed so high on the list. Well, I'm a busy mom on a budget, and I always have a bag of these in our fridge for my little guy's lunch or a quick snack. Nobody has a better deal on string cheese than Aldi, and the extra calcium is always a plus. I love using them to make homemade mozzarella sticks in my air fryer too.

3. Emporium Selection Cranberry White Cheddar Cheese

I first discovered this delectable cheese during the holidays a year or two ago and I am thrilled to see it might be available year-round. The white cheddar has a nutty flavor, with a hint of sharpness that pairs so well with the sweet-tart cranberries. My perfect bite? Crostini, with a schmear of this, and a piece of spicy capicola ham on top.

2. Emporium Selection Gourmet Spreadable Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Here is another dupe for a name-brand we bought for years. The label says "creamy texture with classic cheddar taste" and it truly lives up to it. If I buy one tub, I always grab a second because I know the first one won't last long. We always pair this with thick sliced old fashioned pepperoni.

1. Happy Farms Port Wine Spreadable Cheese

This isn't just my favorite Aldi cheese, this might be my favorite cheese on the planet! I've been buying the Happy Farms port wine cheese ball for years (you can see it in the background) but I almost squealed when I discovered this a few months ago. Wine and cheese are a classic pairing, and this has the perfect swirl of both in every bite. The tub version is much easier to spread than the cheese ball—I could devour the entire tub in one sitting!

Related: 10 Flavorful Cheese Ball Recipes