Elli Quark

My daughters and I eat a lot of yogurt, so we were intrigued when Aldi offered creamy German style quark as a Special Buy (ALDI Find). Quark is not technically yogurt. It’s a type of soft cheese, but it looks and tastes similar to yogurt.

Elli Quark

Elli Quark

(Click to enlarge.)

Aldi’s quark is made by Elli, based in Los Angeles, California. It’s sold in other stores besides Aldi, but when I visited Elli’s store locator page to find other retailers near me, it only gave me Aldi locations. Does that perhaps mean Aldi might be bringing quark on as a Regular Buy that will be in stores all the time? I’m not sure.

Elli Quark

(Click to enlarge.)

The packaging on the quark I purchased explains what quark is: it’s a “spoonable fresh cheese with a creamy texture similar to Greek yogurt, but with a richer, less sour taste. It also has a better protein-to-carb ratio than Greek yogurt, with high protein and no added sugars.” Elli’s website markets it as “cheesecake in a cup.”

Elli Quark reportedly has some advantages over yogurt. Mainly, it has no added sugar and no artificial sweeteners. The ingredients list for the flavor I bought says it uses a plant-based sweetener blend consisting of erythritol and stevia extract. It’s also 95% lactose free and has 4 grams of net carbs.

Elli Quark is made with non-GMO ingredients, with milk from cows not treated with rBST. It’s all natural, gluten free, and contains probiotics in the form of live active cultures. It’s also vegetarian friendly and made without gelatin.

The ingredients for the brownie batter flavor I bought are: cultured Grade A whole milk, Elli plant-based sweetener blend (erythritol and stevia extract), cocoa, natural flavors, locust bean gum, pectin, and vegetable rennet.

Elli makes quark in a variety of flavors, but Aldi carried just three: coconut, apple pie, and brownie batter. I’d heard some people say they liked the brownie batter flavor, so I picked that one up to try. It has 100 calories in a 5.3-ounce single-serving container, with 4.5 grams of fat and 12 grams of protein (24% of your recommended daily value for protein). I was skeptical about whether anyone in my household would like it, so I bought just one and had everyone taste a spoonful.

My 10-year-old did not like it at all, and neither did my husband (but he isn’t a huge fan of yogurt either). I did not flat-out dislike the quark, but it is something I might have to adjust to or develop an acquired taste for. My 6-year-old kind of liked it, though. I think — at least for us yogurt-eating girls in my family — there is a psychological hurdle to overcome with quark. We’re so accustomed to eating yogurt, and this isn’t quite the same, but it looks like yogurt, comes in a plastic cup like yogurt, and has a similar texture to yogurt … and yet it’s different in subtle ways.

The Verdict:

Aldi’s Special Buy Elli Quark is similar to yogurt, but it’s actually a spoonable cheese. It has no added sugar and contains live probiotics. While my family eats a lot of yogurt for its health benefits (and sometimes just as a dessert), quark is something we might have to acquire a taste for because it’s slightly different and new to us. For now, we’re kind of on the fence about whether we like it or not.

About Rachael

Rachael is the Co-founder of Aldi Reviewer. When she isn't busy shopping at Aldi, she enjoys cooking, gardening, writing gothic romance, and collecting more houseplants than she probably should. You can learn more about her at rachaelsjohnston.com.

15 Comments

  1. I grew up in Germany loving quark. It’s not meant to be eaten like yogurt. You can make a dessert by adding flavoring and thinning it a bit, or you can add herbs and use it as a spread on German style bread. Mixed with fresh cut chives and salt, thinned with a little water, it’s great on baked potatoes. It also makes great cheese cake and cheese topping on sweet rolls.

    • I grew up in Finland loving quark. It made me sad and disappointed to taste this Elli stuff. It doesn’t have anything to do with real quark except both are dairy products.

  2. I visited the Netherlands for 3 weeks in May 2018. While there I tried Quark and fell in love with it. Keep in mind I do not like yogurt at all. I was hoping to find it in the US when I returned. I did find the Elli brand at a local store, but was less than impressed. I guess I will need to go back to the Netherlands!

  3. I have only ever had Elli Quark, so I can’t compare it like others, but I absolutely love it. I would select it over yogurt any day.

  4. I thought it was delicious!

  5. This is a weirdly flavored quark. Yuck. Much too sweet, sadly like so much American food.

    Quark CAN have flavor added, but fresh fruit is best … or go savory with some fresh herbs, chives, etc.

    It’s also a key ingredient in many Germanic and other northern European dishes. You can’t make a REAL German cheesecake without it.

    I would be thrilled if Aldi would add plain quark to it’s regular line of products. Being a German owned store, I think they really “miss the mark” in not carrying more items readily available in Germany … various Knorr or Maggi salad dressings and herb mixes, drinks, etc. The stuff would fly off the shelves, especially in Aldi stores anywhere even close to military bases, because so many of us were stationed there!

    • Check out some Mexican meat markets in your area. Tha have quite a few Maggi and Knorr soups and seasonings.

      • Actually, I do. I found “Maggi Gewurtz” in a big Asian market. You have to be careful though — they actually carried two. One was German, the other made in China! Of course the German one was more expensive.

        But most of the time, the different markets have Knorr and Maggi items that are specific to that particular culture. So the specific German (and Swedish) stuff I’m looking for isn’t there.

  6. I would love if Aldi would add plain Quark in its line of products. Not flavored! Plain! I am from Germany, and the one thing I am missing is Quark. We flavor it with dill and chives for crackers, with jam on toast instead of butter, top of baked potatoes, make many desserts, mix with fruits, and most of all bake with it! Cheesecake, Käsesahnetorte, Stollen… The list goes on.
    I is not comparable to yoghurt, and should only be sold unflavored for your own creations!
    Brownie Quark good grief. 🙁

  7. Oh, I totally agree! I want the original, unflavored stuff too!

  8. I lived in Germany and was never a big fan but use it for my german cheesecake recipe. My children love quark with herbs and on potatoes.

  9. I tried Quark and love it whatever it is. I bought caffe Latte and mixed berry. It made me feel I was eating something decadent and the latte one was very much like a mocha shake. I hope they do carry it in fact in was sold out at our local Aldi.

  10. I tried Quark and love it. I bought mixed berry and love the fact that is not sweet. I hope Aldi keeps carrying, since I only bought 5 and the Aldi’s by my house sold out.

  11. Have just completed a telephonic search in a 20 mile radius in Maryland to find Quark, Aldi says they don’t have it nor does Whole Foods. Anyone have any ideas??

  12. where can I find ANY NON FAT QUARK CHEESE in Los Angeles or
    Beverly Hills.

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