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The $5 Aldi French Treat That Has Me Going Back for Seconds

Mara Weinraub
Mara WeinraubSenior Editor, Groceries
Mara is the Groceries Editor at The Kitchn. She's fascinated with how we eat and what it says about our society. She lives in New York City where she stocks a minimum of three peanut butter jars in her apartment at all times.
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published Jun 21, 2023
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Credit: Photo: Carina Romano; Design: Apartment Therapy

Breakfast pastries are my love language. I’m not usually a person who uses the phrase “love language,” but that is how strongly I feel about waking up and savoring a freshly baked good. If it has anything to do with chocolate, all the better. 

So when I spotted these new L’Oven Fresh Pains au Chocolat in the bakery section at Aldi, I wasted zero seconds adding them to my bag — after snapping a photo of them, that is. And it’s the best $5 I’ve spent all week.

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Credit: Mara Weinraub

What You Should Know About L’Oven Fresh Pains au Chocolat?

Inspired by the classic French pastry, the pains au chocolat are a sweet brioche roll studded with chocolate sticks. The dough is made with wheat flour and vegetable oils (not butter), which is why these baked goods appear more doughy than flaky. They come in clear plastic bags that each hold eight individually wrapped, medium-sized rolls. While the price tag says “new,” these appear to be a returning seasonal item. According to Aldi’s website, there are limited quantities available (so they might not be available in all stores). At the time I visited, though, there was a fully stocked box on the shelf. 

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Credit: Mara Weinraub

My Honest Review of L’Oven Fresh Pains au Chocolat

These are not your neighborhood boulangerie’s pains au chocolat (read: They’re not in the least bit flaky — period). And that’s OK. What they lack in lamination, they totally make up for in their brioche-osity. The roll is soft, almost doughy, lightly sweet, and rich. And the ratio to chocolate is spot-on. I’ve had pains au chocolat that were pain-fully (yes, I went there) light on the stuff. Not these rolls. It was ever-present in every bite.

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Credit: Mara Weinraub

They’re a manageable size, too. One was plenty filling for breakfast and made for a nice afternoon snack the next day. I also recommend you take it for a quick spin in the toaster; it’ll add a crispiness to the top (some might call it flakiness) and a delightful, molten quality to the chocolate. It also gives it that fresh-out-of-the oven flair.

Find it in stores: L’Oven Fresh Pains au Chocolat, $4.59 for 8 rolls

What new Aldi bakery finds are you adding to your cart? Tell us about it in the comments below.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: I Tried the $5 Aldi French Pastry the Internet Is Loving, and I’ve (Already) Eaten It Multiple Times This Week

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