Fall flavors don’t often translate into ice cream form. In many places, that’s mostly a weather thing—by the time we start decking our lattes with spices and nibbling Oreos in moderation, the air has already turned brisk enough that cold treats feel out of place, even when they’re fudge-swirled. Heck, even if you live in a zone where “crisp” is not on the calendar, September tends to force ice cream from the front of our minds. Fall tends to be more of a mood than a precise temperature, a feeling rather than a number on the thermometer.
However, Aldi’s fresh Sundae Shoppe Gelato lineup is aiming to shift that perception—though the results are a mix. The retailer rolled out a trio of autumn flavors—Apple Pie, Pumpkin Praline Pie, and Cinnamon Coffee Cake. Credit where it’s due: the launch timing is pretty on point. We’re contemplating sweater weather, yet still dealing with light humidity and the remnants of heat. Naturally, we felt compelled to sample all three varieties—and since gelato tends to be lighter and silkier than traditional ice cream, picking a winner was still a manageable challenge.
Pumpkin Praline Pie
Pros: The flavor profile stays approachable and comforting: straightforwardly sweet with gentle warming spice and a dairy-forward mouthfeel that nudges closer to a milkier pumpkin pie than its spiced counterpart. The spice notes aren’t aggressive, yet they don’t fade into the creaminess either. The gelato’s creaminess is punctuated with darker caramel ribbons and small pecan chunks that are satisfyingly substantial without feeling gritty. The pecans maintain a pleasing bite without becoming hard.
Cons: Gelato’s milk-heavy base gives it a silkier, richer impression with less air than classic ice cream, yet a faintly grainy texture persists. That graininess isn’t a dramatic flaw, but it does linger in the finish. It’s as if the pecans’ incorporation left a touch of texture that didn’t fully harmonize with the rest of the cream. I tried a few bites to confirm I wasn’t imagining it, and the slight graininess stuck around. It’s a lone rough edge in what is otherwise a pleasant-tasting treat.
The pecan flavor doesn’t shine until you actually encounter a whole nut fragment (roughly the size of a large Nerd candy). The spice nuance remains subtle, and the graininess, while faint, is persistent. Even with its tempting name, this isn’t the top pick for a Thanksgiving dessert spread.
Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Pros: This gelato stood out as the most flavorful and well-balanced among the trio. It delivers a clean, harmonious blend of sweetness, creaminess, and cinnamon warmth. The underlying note, reminiscent of a familiar birthday cake flavor, is something Aldi has proved adept at before. It isn’t overtly autumnal, but it remains genuinely enjoyable and satisfying.
Pieces of coffee cake are swirled in with a light touch, and though they contribute pleasant chewiness, they’re a touch diminutive. The overall impression feels like meeting a very kind, cheerful couple—perhaps over coffee cake—whose smiles you appreciate but whose names you forget once you’re out the door.
Cons: Even though the flavor is technically well-balanced, it lands a bit more on the birthday-cake side than on a pure cinnamon dessert. The coffee cake fragments are sparse, and the autumnal vibe doesn’t arrive with the same force as the other two flavors. It’s versatile enough to serve all year, which is a strength, yet that very versatility makes it feel a touch forgettable. In fact, a touch more coffee cake presence would have nudged this higher—perhaps a few more chewy pieces could have tipped the scales.
Apple Pie
Pros: The apple pie concept translates well here, and this flavor’s texture is markedly smoother and silkier than the Pumpkin Praline. It’s a creamy gelato with soft, tender bits of crust and swirls of a light caramel, giving the impression of a well-composed apple-pie à la mode. The apple notes at first feel bright—tart and fragrant with a clean, fruity profile that’s easy to enjoy.
Cons: The appeal is strong at first, but the apple comes off as a touch artificial after a moment. This is the iteration I preferred among the three, since the rounded apple flavor sits nicely against the cool, creamy base. Yet the apple’s aroma grows a bit perfumed and candy-like, which detracts from a wholly natural impression—even if the ingredients are stated as natural, the finish reads a touch synthetic on the tongue.
Despite the concentrate being apple juice-based, the fruit flavor can feel a touch perfumey and candy-like. Still, the creamy, apple-forward bite evokes that perfect “pie à la mode” moment. If the Sundae Shoppe team dialed back the apple concentrate slightly, and/or added more actual apple bits or extra pie pieces, this pint could jump into the upper tier, potentially reaching an eight out of ten.
