Is Aldi Brownie Mix a Ghirardelli Dupe for Half the Price?

I’ve written plenty of articles about brownies, from the surprising ingredient that elevates boxed brownie mix to Katharine Hepburn’s trick for the best homemade brownies. And while I prefer homemade brownies, if I had to choose my favorite boxed mix, it would be Ghirardelli. No other mix makes a brownie as fudgy or perfect.

At least that’s what I thought. Then I heard the internet chatter about an Aldi boxed mix that looks and tastes like the exact same brownie—and at half the price. I had to find out if the rumors were true. Was a dupe for my favorite boxed brownie really available at Aldi? I set off to find out.

I Shopped for Brownie Mix and Compared Ingredients

My first stop was Aldi, where I picked up a box of their Specially Selected Double Chocolate Brownie Mix. Then it was off to Target to grab a box of Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix. When I got home, I looked at the back of both boxes and discovered some interesting similarities.

First, the ingredients were virtually identical (both list sugar, enriched bleached flour, semisweet chocolate chips, cocoa, and soybean oil as the first ingredients). Then I noticed that the added ingredients (egg, water, and oil) and instructions were exactly the same.

Did this mean the rumors were true? That Ghirardelli secretly makes Aldi's brownie mix and that’s why it looks and tastes exactly the same? 

I Baked the Mixes and Conducted a Blind Taste Test

After baking, I noticed that both batches looked a lot like each other. The only difference was that the Aldi batch seemed to rise a bit higher than the Ghirardelli brownies. This could’ve been the result of my measuring or mixing, or it could be that Aldi’s brownie mix produces more batter or perhaps has more leavener.

Since appearance didn’t distinguish them from each other, it came down to taste. Unfortunately (or fortunately, for me), both were fudgy, loaded with chocolate, and absolutely delicious. I enlisted family members to try them too.

I didn’t tell them anything about the test or reveal which was which. I simply asked them to try the brownies and give me their thoughts. And it wasn’t just me. It turns out each of my family members thought they were eating the exact same brownie! I guess we have our answer.

The Big Reveal: Is Aldi's Brownie Mix a Dupe for Ghirardelli?

While I can’t tell you for certain that Ghirardelli makes the Aldi dupe, I can tell you that both are delicious and both taste and look eerily similar. Even my tester with a self-described “brownie palate” didn’t know they were different.

What does that mean for you? The choice is ultimately yours. You can either keep spending $5 a pop on the Ghirardelli brand, but I might suggest you scoop up a box of Aldi’s delicious box mix for half the price.