I took the time to research and compare each ingredient list. Some are simply brands we know and love, in a new box. Others are products that Aldi likely asked brands to tweak a bit, to get them to a lower price point. Either way, you don’t have to be completely sad that May is over!

Never been to Aldi before? Check out my post about shopping for gluten free items at Aldi.

Identical Replicas

Many of the Aldi gluten free special buy products come from established gluten free companies. Aldi simply repackages them in their own labeling. These products have identical, word for word, ingredients on the label. (Photos in this section courtesy of the brands they represent.)

Live G Free Gluten Free English Muffins

The ingredients for the Live G Free English muffins are IDENTICAL to the Katz Gluten Free English Muffins.  If you sign up for their newsletter, they often highlight sales thru their website. Not a fan of online shopping? Use the Store Locator on their website to find their products near you. 

Live G Free Gluten Free Chocolate Frosted and Glazed Donuts

If you thought this Aldi gluten free special buy tasted familiar, you’re right. Katz makes both of these donut flavors. (And many more!) Order from their website, Amazon, or use their store locator to find them in a store near you. (Can’t eat egg? Try my basic gluten free baked donut recipe and dip them in Enjoy Life Chocolate!)

Live G Free Seasonal Donuts (in December)

Miss the Christmas Gingerbread and Cranberry donuts? Katz offers those as well! Order from their website, Amazon, or use their store locator to find them in a store near you. Want to make your own seasonal donuts? I’m a huge fan of my homemade gluten free gingerbread donuts. (They can also be made into cupcakes.)

Breakfast Best Gluten Free Honey and Cinnamon Buns (not a May Item)

These first showed up in Aldi stores in December 2024. Like all of their products, these sweet buns are gluten, dairy, peanut, tree nut and sesame free. Use their store locator to find them in a store near you. You can also order them directly from their website or Amazon. Amazon

Live G Free Gluten Free Texas Toast (not a May item)

Aldi has offered the Katz Texas Toast in the actual Katz packaging before. They’ve also offered it in the Live G Free packaging. It’s fairly safe to assume the Aldi Texas Toast is in fact made by Katz. Use the Katz store locator to find them near you, or order from Amazon.

Live G Free Gluten Free Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins and Blueberry Zucchini Muffins (not a May item)

Noticing a trend here? Earlier this year Aldi offered Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. While some thought they were made by Veggies Made Great, after looking at the ingredient list, I’m fairly certain they were made by Katz. Order straight from the Katz website or from Amazon. Hate online shopping? Use their store locator.

Live G Free Gluten Free Fresh Pasta (Fettuccine, Tortellini, etc.)

The ingredient label for the Aldi noodles matches exactly with Taste Republic gluten free noodles. Find them at Whole Foods or use their store locator to find them near you. You can now also order Taste Republic products, including their dairy free tortellini, on Amazon.

Live G Free Gluten Free Fresh Lasagna Roll Ups and Stuffed Shells

One of Manini’s Gluten Free Lasagna Roll Ups signature features is the use of ancient grains in their products. This includes sorghum, teff, millet and amaranth. Due to increased cost of shipping, you can no longer order frozen items directly from them. They are, however, available through Amazon Fresh. You can also use their store locator to find their products near you. I know I’ve seen them at Fresh Thyme in East Lansing, Michigan.   

LiveGFree Gluten Free Fresh Pizza Dough

This FRESH gluten free pizza dough is made by Manini’s. The use of whole grain millet, sorghum and other ancient grains is what convinces me this is the same manufacturer. This product is vegan and rice free. Just like the fresh ravioli, you need to use Amazon Fresh to find it near you. Or try their store locator.

Live G Free Gluten Free Frozen Cheese Ravioli

I thought Conte’s made the Aldi ravioli. Wrong. A company named Celentano produces them. The “dried whole eggs” as an ingredient in both brands clued me in! Use their “where to buy” feature to find them near you.

Live G Free Gluten Free Egg Rolls

There are very few companies that make gluten free egg rolls. (Feel Good Foods and Lucky Spring Rolls) I’m fairly certain that Feel Good Foods make the Egg Rolls for Aldi. Check out their website for more information.

Earth Grown Vegan Vegetable Potstickers (not a May item)

Much like the Earth Grown Vegan Potstickers at Aldi, Feel Good Foods offers a gluten free vegan potsticker. (They also offer a chicken one, if you eat meat.) Use the Feel Good Foods website store locator to find their products near you. 

Fremont Fish Market Gluten Free Boom Boom Shrimp (Not a May item)

While I haven’t compared the ingredients one-to-one, it is highly possible that Aldi sources this product from Northern Chef. Northern Chef makes many gluten free frozen seafood products. In the past I’ve seen them at Meijer, but not sure if they’re still available there. (Royal Asia also sells a gluten free Boom Boom Shrimp. Royal Asia and Northern Chef are owned by the same parent company.)

Live G Free Gluten Free PB + J Bites (and other flavors) (not a May item)

Without a doubt, I knew Michigan’s own The GFB made the  Aldi gluten free special buy “bites.” Order from their website, Amazon, or use their store locator to find them near you!

Live G Free Gluten Free Cheesecake Sampler

The biggest showstopper in the Aldi gluten free special buy lineup is the gluten free cheesecake sampler. Based on ingredients, these are made by Atlanta Cheesecake Company. Stores that seem to have these on a continual basis include Food Lion, Weis Markets, and Acme Markets. Daiya Foods makes dairy free cheesecake that is also gluten free. It can be found at many grocery store chains. 

Incredibly Similar Ingredients for Past Items

These Aldi gluten free special buy products contain ingredients VERY close to certain brands. Sometimes, Aldi will ask them to reformulate a product to make it slightly cheaper. I share why I believe these are the brands you’re looking for.

Live G Free Gluten Free Stuffing

You don’t need to hoard all the stuffing every Fall. Aleia’s makes gluten free stuffing year round. Meijer sells it, as well as Fresh Thyme and other stores. While they don’t have separate “turkey and chicken” flavors like Aldi, this stuff is just as good. 

Live G Free Gluten Free Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns

When I searched Google for the ingredients in these buns, Little Northern Bakehouse showed to be the closest. The ingredients listed are almost identical to the Aldi buns, minus the millet and chia. Bonus, these contain no eggs! They are often available at Fresh Thyme Markets. Use their store locator to find them near you.

Live G Free Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Is the Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin bread your favorite May Aldi gluten free special buy? Little Nothern Bakehouse makes an almost identical product as well! You can order a case of them on Amazon.

No Comparison – Unique Items

I performed my best sleuthing. However, I failed to find exact or even incredibly close replicas of these May Aldi gluten free special buy products. Therefore, I mention brands that offer great alternatives.

Live G Free Gluten Free Boxed Skillet Dinners

I can’t find a name brand company that sells meals like this. Walmart sells a similar product, so hopefully you can find it in your local Walmart. You can also try Iowa Girl Eats’ recipe for Homemade Cheeseburger Helper. 

Live G Free Gluten Free Frozen Skillet Meals

I almost bet that Conte’s produced the Aldi gluten free special buy skillet meals. However, the ingredients didn’t match at all. However, I imagine they taste similar. Order directly from Conte’s website, or from Gluten Free Mall. (P.S. They make gluten free stuffed shells, too!)

Live G Free Gluten Free Croutons

These croutons list rice milk as the first ingredient. Despite my searching, I found no identical gluten free crouton counterpart. However, I highly recommend Aleia’s gluten free croutons! Order from their website or use their store locator.

Live G Free Gluten Free Angel Food Cake Mix

The only commercially made gluten free angel food cake mix I know of is produced by Kinnikinnick in Canada. While the Aldi LiveGFree mix is not identical, the Kinnikinnick may be a good alternative. Order it through their website or Amazon. Also, Meaningful Eats created a perfect gluten free Angel Food Cake recipe!

Live G Free Gluten Free Lemon Cake Mix

Love that lemon cake mix? (It pairs so nicely with my mother-in-law’s lemon curd filing!) Authentic Foods makes the closest replica I could find. Order it online through the Gluten Free Supermarket site or use their store locator.

Live G Free Gluten Free Key Lime Cake Mix

Friends, I’m at a loss. I found no gluten free cake mixes with key lime flavor. If you crave key lime flavor, you might want to try this new Gluten Free Banana Lime Bread from GF Jules. Someone mentioned that they used King Arthur Measure for Measure in Trisha Yearwood’s Key Lime Cake and it tasted fabulous.

Never Any Chicken with Orange Sauce or Sweet and Sour Chicken

I got nothing. I searched the internet for over an hour, and I couldn’t find a similar product. Every frozen orange chicken meal I found contained wheat. I recommend this Crispy Gluten Free Orange Chicken recipe from Mama Gourmand, instead. 

Well friends, there you have it. Hopefully this list helps fulfill your Aldi gluten free special buy longings, all throughout the year. In addition, I hope I introduced you to some new brands to support. Feel free to check out my list of Aldi gluten free products available year round. 

Are there any Special Buy products I missed? Tell me in the comments below. 

**This page contains Amazon affiliate links. A small portion of the sale is credited to me, but does not alter the cost of your purchase. Thank you for supporting my advocacy and my website.**

Originally Published May 2019

The post Aldi Gluten Free Special Buy Alternatives appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

I Tested This Recipe for Accuracy, Twice

This recipe for gluten free mini apple cheescakes taught me a lesson in humility. True story. So, truth be told I made this recipe TWICE. I started out creating this recipe like all my others. I sat at my computer, looking at similar recipes. Baking is more science than art. You can’t do “a pinch of this, a dash of that.” Ratios need to be followed. So I settled on a basic cheesecake recipe, used by many others.

And then I doubled it. Big mistake.

See, I failed to realize how much these gluten free mini apple cheesecakes RISE when you bake them. Like, rise over the muffin wells where you have the crust. I may or may not have chosen a few choice words while venting to a friend. In truth, the cheesecake shrunk back as it cooled. Totally salvageable. However, I would feel awful to cause you that panic. So back to the store I went. Bought more cream cheese and resolved to listen to the experts. Pride in check.

Chebe Grain Free Cinnamon Roll Mix

Lucky for me, I possessed a second box of Chebe Cinnamon Roll mix. The filling and topping for these gluten free mini apple cheesecakes are naturally gluten free. Luckily, Chebe mixes are naturally gluten free as well. Made with tapioca starch, Chebe has been gluten free and grain free since it started.

Chebe Cinnamon Roll mix is sometimes elusive to find. Therefore, I suggest if you find it at a store or expo, stock up. (Also find them on Amazon through my affiliate link!)  While it makes great grain-free cinnamon rolls, you can use it for so many other things. Turnovers, toaster pastries, and these gluten free mini apple cheesecakes. (Please note! – The crust I made for these mini cheesecakes is NOT identical to the preparation directions on the back of the box!)

My One Kitchen Tool That Makes This Recipe Easier

I own a “secret weapon” that makes forming crusts in a tin a BREEZE. Well, not so secret if you read about it in my grain free beef and black bean enchilada cups recipe. If you don’t own a tortilla press, you need to get one. It allows you to press the dough out into a uniform thickness, not to mention a round shape that easily fits inside a muffin well. I lined the tortilla press with sran wrap when I made the dough for these gluten free mini apple cheesecakes. This makes it easier to transfer the dough.

How to Make the Cooked Apple Topping

So truth be told, I still “improvised” a bit on the cheesecake filling, compared to others. I increased it by half. These gluten free mini apple cheesecakes don’t have a thick graham cracker crumb crust on the bottom. Therefore, we need a bit more batter to have it bake to the top. Luckily, no rising over the pan this time! It does still crack in the center as it bakes. However, you will cover all that up with a dollop of sweet, cinnamon – laced cooked apples. This topping, my friends, makes all the difference.

I mean, fell free to leave the apples off if you want just plain cheesecake. Your call. However, trust me when I say that the cooked apples knock this out of the park. Now, my husband will tell you that there is such a thing as “too much apple topping.” (Then again, he also thinks potato salad is disgusting. So consider the source.) These gluten free mini apple cheesecakes have just a touch of apple topping. Just enough to invoke thoughts of crisp fall evenings and warm apple pie. (Speaking of apple pie, this topping is what I put on my Gluten Free Apple Pie Buttermilk Pancakes. Whose ready for brinner?!

(A quick note about the apple topping. It does use one teaspoon of cornstarch. If you need a 100% grain free recipes, please consider using arrowroot starch instead. It cooks clear and will not discolor your topping.)

So, make these gluten free mini apple cheesecakes for your next gathering. Or make them for yourself, too. #NoJudgment Should you decide to share, be prepared for compliments. And don’t worry about humility. Accept that praise. You earned it!

Print

Gluten Free Mini Apple Cheesecakes

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 1 pkg Chebe Cinnamon Roll Mix
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp cold butter cut into chunks
• 4 tbsp ice cold water

For the cheesecake

• 1/3 c sugar
• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 4 oz Marscapone cheese softened
• 1 egg room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

For the apple topping

• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 apples cored, peeled and cubed
• 1 /2 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of cloves
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 4 tbsp water

Instructions

• Prepare the crust. Add the Chebe Cinnamon Roll mix to a food processor, along with the oil and egg. Use a fork to quickly mix them together. (This prevents loose powder from flying all over the processor!) 
• To that, add the cold butter. Pulse until a dry sand texture develops. This should take 6-7 pulses. 
• Slowly add the ice cold water to the processor, one tablespoon at a time. Process until a ball of dough forms. 
• Separate the ball of dough into 12 portions. I use a scale when i do this, and it roughly comes out to 30 grams per portion. Press the dough into the wells of a muffin tin. I find a tortilla press helpful to uniformly flatten the dough. 
• Once the dough is pressed into all the wells, stick in the freezer to chill. (At least ten minutes. This helps to prevent the crust from shrinking while baking.)  
• Preheat the oven to 350. 
• Using a handmixer or KitchenAid stand mixer, cream the cream and marscapone cheese together with the sugar. (If you don’t have marscapone cheese, you can simply use more cream cheese.) To that, mix in the egg and vanilla. 
• Once blended, remove the crusts from freezer and fill the crusts. I used a one ounce pampered chef to fill mine. Each crust received a large heaping scoop of batter. 
• Bake cheesecakes at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Then drop temperature to 325 for another 15 minutes. (This is to help the batter from cracking.) 
• Once baked, remove from oven and cool on the counter for 30-45 minutes. Further chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. 
• 30 minutes to an hour prior to serving, prepare the apple filling. Remove cheesecakes from fridge to allow crust to come to room temperature. 
• In a medium bowl, place a teaspoon of lemon juice, to prevent the apple pieces from browning. Core, peel and cube apples, and place in bowl. Toss gently to coat all apple pieces. 
• In a medium pot, melt butter. 
• To the apples, add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Transfer apples to pot with melted butter and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. 
• Meanwhile, combine cornstarch and water in a small dish. 
• After apples have cooked to desired tenderness, add cornstarch and water mixture to apples. Cook until it just starts to thicken. (If you need to eat a grain free diet, you can skip this step. There will simply be less “sauce” with the apples.) 
• Top mini cheesecakes with apple filling and serve. 

More Gluten Free Cheesecake Recipes

Want a “just one, for me” cheesecake recipes? You’ll want this recipe on my site for a single serve gluten-free cheesecake. Looking for a regular sized, no bake cheesecake recipe? This Easy No Bake Cheesecake Recipe from What the Fork is what you need! Staying away from dairy and eggs? My friend Nicole from Allergylicious has your back with her vegan Mixed Berry Cheesecake. Looking for even more cheesecake inspiration? Check out this round up of gluten free cheesecakes from Eat At Our Table!

**This post has been sponsored by Chebe. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I have proudly worked with owner Richard Reed and his staff for years. I am honored to call them friends and colleagues, and suggested their products long before our partnership. This page contains affiliate links. **

The post Gluten Free Mini Apple Cheesecakes appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

Lost Your Mojo? This Will Fix It

It’s been a long summer. Actually, it’s been a long six weeks. Between last minute home improvements, immediate car replacements and two weeks of hard core volunteering, I’ve lost a bit of my mojo. I think this single serve gluten-free cheesecake is going to help return it, though. I’d almost bet it will help renew your mood too!

Earlier this summer, I made some smashingly awesome S’mores bars. Like, “one of the best things I’ve ever tasted” good. I made them with my last bag of (prepared) GF Jules Graham Cracker Mix. It did result in my having loads of leftover graham crackers. So, I needed to find a use for them! Enter, this Just One Serving NY Style Cheesecake from Heather Maclean Cooks.

Roasted Strawberries  – The Fruit You Didn’t Know You Needed

Trying this single serve gluten-free cheesecake also allowed me to attempt another “recipe” I’ve been wanting to try. Roasted Strawberries. I first heard Kendra, a.k.a. Drizzle Kitchen, talk about them on her Instagram Stories. So I just had to try Simply Recipe’s Vanilla Roasted Strawberries to add to this cheesecake.

Well, now it’s my turn to roast these beautiful berries. Can I just say “wow”? The aroma as these roast? It’s the ultimate smell of summer! Imagine fresh, homemade strawberry jam, but solid so you can pick it up with your fingers. AMAZING! They are the PERFECT topping for this single serve gluten-free cheesecake.

Cheesecake Gets a Gluten Free Makeover

So in true “me” fashion, I made some changes to Heather’s original recipe. First, the obvious. Use gluten-free graham crackers. Next, I used Neufchatel Cheese, regular cream cheese’s low-fat cousin. Lastly, I used non-fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

Why? Because it’s all I had in the house, and I’m too pooped to putt right now. Added bonus? It’s lower in fat! Other than that, I followed her recipe to the T, making them in my favorite Wilton Mini Spring Form pans. (I use the ALL time time. Seriously, you should order them. Here they are on Amazon!)

Some Assembly, and Patience, Required

Now, this single serve gluten-free cheesecake is not “instant.” You still have to bake it for thirty minutes. You still have to chill it afterward for at least an hour. So, use the time to take a nap or read a book. Or if you just don’t know how to say “no” like me, go to a meeting to set up another event for a non-profit.

I’m tellin’ ya though, the wait is totally worth it. This single serve gluten-free cheesecake is not overly sweet, which I really liked. I drizzled it with a bit of my dairy-free chocolate sauce, and topped them with those berries. Doesn’t it look breathtaking?

Sharing is Optional

Confession. Even though this recipe is called “Single Serve Gluten-Free Cheesecake,” I shared it with my husband. This single serve gluten-free cheesecake really is big enough to satisfy your own sweet tooth and the one you love. If you want to share. You don’t have to. Like me, you can use this time to practice saying “no.”  xoxo

*Note – This recipe can also be made using my homemade gluten free graham cracker recipe. If your heart yearns for grain free cheesecake, check out my mini apple cheesecake bites. Need this to be dairy free? This Gluten Free Vegan Berry Cheesecake from Sarah Bakes Gluten Free are a showstopper!

Gluten Free Cheesecake for One Recipe

Print

Single Serve Gluten-Free Cheesecake

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Chill Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1/3 c. gluten free graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter melted
• 4 oz. Neufchatel cheese softened
• 1 1/2 tbsp plain non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract I prefer LorAnn Oils
• 3 tbsp beaten egg 1 whole egg contains 4 tbsp

Instructions

• Heat oven to 325. Ever so lightly grease a 4 1/2 inch springform pans.
• If not already crushed, crush graham crackers into crumbs. (It helps relieve lots of tension!)
• In a small-ish glass bowl, melt one tbsp of butter. Once melted, mix in graham cracker crumbs and ONE tablespoon of sugar. Mix thoroughly and press into bottom of pan.
• To avoid dirtying all the dishes in the house, rinse out the bowl. Now you can reuse it for the next step!
• In bowl, combine Neufchatel cheese, yogurt, the remaining TWO tablespoons of sugar and vanilla extract. Whip it, whip it good. Until there are no lumps. Then gently fold in the beaten egg. Heather says this will prevent the top of your cheesecake from cracking. Mine didn't crack, so she must be right!
• Pour batter over crust mixture. Place springform pan on top of a cookie sheet, and bake your single serve gluten-free cheesecake for 30-35 minutes. I highly suggest using a cookie sheet underneath, because the cheesecake mixture might weep a bit. At least mine did.
• Once the cheesecake is done baking, remove it from the oven. Immediately run a knife around the edge to prevent the cheesecake from sticking to the pan as it cools. (I did not do this. Mine stuck to the side. Bad Margaret.) Cool on rack until it reaches room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Then, refrigerate for one to two hours.
• Top in whichever way you prefer and ENJOY!

**This post does contain affiliate links. Purchases made through those links help support this blog with no extra expense to you. Thank you for your continued support!**

Originally Published August 2017

The post Single Serve Gluten-Free Cheesecake appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.