Every week I peruse the Aldi ad, and every once in a while, there’s something I miss. I don’t know if it’s because they’re not in the ad – like a surprise special buy – or if I just totally overlook them. Either way, it’s generally a welcome surprise when I stumble on them…especially when said item is a private label candy knockoff! In this case, we’re talking about Crazy Candy Co. Fruity Chews, which is attempting to duplicate the “bursting star” candy.
First up, we got strawberry, which in this case is a pale pink color (as red is taken up by cherry). Eh…this isn’t quite what it’s going for. I can’t quite put my finger on what’s wrong with the taste, but it doesn’t taste like a typical strawberry candy. Whether that’s for better or worse is obviously up to individual judgment, but I personally found it to be quite lacking. It’s sweet, but just…weak. And “off”. This is probably the least accurate of the bunch; whereas the other ones grew on me, this one didn’t. It’s edible, but only in certain situations, with none of them being “enjoyment”.
This brings me to another point: the texture. Whereas I feel like the name brand looks more “chewy” and inviting, these resemble salt water taffy somewhat. Even down to the chewiness. There is a slight bit of “grain” in the finish, which I don’t recall being in the name brand. Or maybe I’m just imagining it. It’s subtle, but the finish isn’t as smooth as the “bursting stars” candy. Again, it’s been so long since I’ve had them that maybe I’m wrong. But I don’t think I am.
Now, we move on to lemon, which is generally a reliable candy flavor. And once again, we have something that just isn’t quite right here. This one is a lot closer to strawberry in terms of how it “should” taste, but it’s just missing that “kick” of sugary goodness that one is probably expecting. Like, the lemon is there, but it’s not sweet enough. I will say it became more palatable the more of these I ate, but it still never hit the tongue the way a good lemon candy should.

Cherry time! This one isn’t nearly as dark as I recall the actual one being…and it’s not as flavorful, either. Oh God, this one is quite off, offering up a flavor that doesn’t go as “far” as it should into cherry territory. It’s like it can’t decide if it wants to be a straight-ahead sweet cherry, or a tart cherry, so it does neither. There’s also a weird, lingering aftertaste that does it no favors. Ouch. This might be the most disappointing of the lot.
Finally, there’s orange, which is my least favorite of all the flavors. I mean in general, not necessarily in this case. Like most of the other candies, this one has a paler shade of orange than I was expecting. This is no doubt due to Aldi’s lack of artificial colors in their products (sure enough, the ingredients reveal “coloring foodstuffs” as the coloring agents). I guess it’s just further evidence of how disappointing these are, because this is the closest to getting it right. There’s a fairly strong orange flavor that pulls back a little too early, but the headstrong early moments are probably the best part of this whole experience.
The price is pretty solid, with a single 15.59 oz. bag retailing for $2.49.
This is just further proof that you never know what you’re going to get with Aldi candies. These didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Even so, I must confess that I had no issues polishing off the entire bag (spread out over multiple weeks), so it’s by no means “disgusting” or “inedible”. It’s just a decent candy that’s couple missteps prevent it from being a great one.
Overall: 5.5/10. Aldi’s private label candies are always hit-or-miss, and this one is more or less a good example of the latter. These candies don’t quite hit the levels they’re aiming for. It’s not that they taste awful, it’s that the flavor seems a little too dialed back for what most people will be expecting. The slight graininess on the finish and paler colors (due to lack of artificial colors. which I guess is a good thing) also add to the disappointment. These might have stood a chance if they were a standalone product, but when you’re clearly replicating a specific item, it begs comparison. And these, unfortunately, are pale imitators (pun intended). I will say I enjoyed these a bit more as I slowly went through the bag, but I’m not sure
I was thinking of Halloween candy for the outside bucket….. but they might be the thing that gets my yard rolled for being that cheap ass neighbor. Haha! Thanks so much for all your reviews
Thank you! Glad I could help out. Don’t want you being the laughingstock of the neighborhood, lol.