The French-Inspired Treat That Aldi and Costco Shoppers Love
All the pumpkin news may have you in full-blown fall mode, but Aldi and Costco are here to remind you it's still summer with an irresistible French-inspired treat. The treat is so good that shoppers on their way to sip pumpkin-something will likely make a sharp U-turn and head to the frozen section.
The treat? Macaron ice cream sandwiches.
For the unfamiliar, macarons are small, delicate meringue-based French cookies that come in various colors and are sandwiched with different fillings, like jam or buttercream.
Costco and Aldi have put a sweet, summery twist on the classic dessert by turning them into ice cream sandwiches. Fans are so here for it, and it's quickly the new "it" ice cream treat.
Related: 9 Aldi-Brand Products That Are Better Than 'The Real Thing’
What To Know About the Macaron Sandwiches at Aldi and Costco
Aldi stocks regular macarons year-round but recently rolled out the perfect hot-weather treat: Sundae Shoppe Macaron Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches. It's an Aldi Find, which means it's limited and only on shelves (or, in this case, inside freezers) while supplies last. The macarons are made with the traditional almond flour and appear to be vanilla. They're sandwiched with creamy vanilla ice cream. A box of four ice cream sandwiches costs $4.95 ($1.24 per sandwich).
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If you're a chocolate fan, then Costco might be the spot to shop for this fancy new treat. The warehouse is selling 16 packs (because Costco) of Gelato Macaron Sandwiches. Each package includes eight chocolate macarons with chocolate gelato and eight raspberry macarons with vanilla gelato and raspberry sauce. It sounds like heaven in a box. Instagram account @costcobuys simply said, "These are amazing." They're priced at $15.79 (or $0.98 per sandwich — BRB).
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This year isn't the first Costco has rolled out Gelato Macaron Sandwiches. Last summer, the warehouse rolled out a box of eight macarons filled with vanilla gelato and rainbow sprinkles. Instagram creator @costcoempties wrote, "My kids declared these better than ones in France."
Though one Redditor pointed out, "[Eight] sandwiches only? That’s not Costco-sized."
Clearly, the famed warehouse known for its bulk offerings at bargain listened and upped this year's count to 16 sandwiches (in addition to showing chocolate fans some love).
Related: Costco Is Offering Refunds on One of Their Most Popular Drinks—Here's Why
Where Should You Buy Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches?
Should you head to Costco or Aldi? There are a few factors at play here. Do you have both stores near you? Are you a Costco member? After getting through those basics, it comes down to your flavor preferences and if you have enough freezer space for 16 ice cream sandwiches. From a pure cost perspective, the Costco treat is a better deal at 24 cents less per ice cream sandwich.
Beyond the straight facts, there's the shopper reaction, which is easy to find on social media. Here's what people are saying.
"OMG, I have to find these," wrote a Costco shopper.
"I MUST TRY," said another Costco fan.
One person already went to Costco and can report, "[They're] so good — [I] had some yesterday [and] recommend."
How about Aldi's? A Redditor wanted to know.
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"Hi, a friend of mine in Dallas told me to try the macaron ice cream sandwiches," wrote u/SingZap23 in the Aldi subreddit. "For those who have tried them, would you recommend or skip [them]?"
"I love the frozen macarons that Aldi normally carried [but] hated the ice cream sandwiches," replied one person.
However, most people encouraged others to try the Sundae Shoppe Macaron Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches at Aldi (if they can find them).
"Recommend — they’re delicious," wrote a shopper. "[They're] kind of expensive for Aldi standards since there’s only four to a box."
Still, the consensus is that these treats are worth the summer splurge.
"I thought they were good," said another.
"They were good, but my store only had vanilla ice cream with vanilla macarons," wrote someone. "I'd love to try other flavor combinations."
Maybe Aldi will take a page from Costco's book and debut more flavors next year (or, preferably, this year — summer technically doesn't end until Sept. 23).