Simply Nature White Cheddar Puffs

My kids enjoy name-brand Pirate’s Booty snacks. They are especially fans of the aged white cheddar Pirate’s Booty puffs, which are a good treat in particular for kids who wear braces and can’t enjoy some other types of snacks. For budget-conscious snackers, Aldi sells its own version of Pirate’s Booty.

Simply Nature White Cheddar Puffs cost $1.97 for a 4-ounce bag (about 49 cents per ounce) at the time of writing. For comparison, a 10-ounce family-sized bag of Pirate’s Booty at Walmart costs $5.98 (about 60 cents per ounce), so the Aldi version is the better deal.

The Simply Nature White Cheddar Puffs are a Regular Buy, which means Aldi sells them all year.

These are made with baked corn and rice, with no added sugars. They are certified gluten free and are kosher. They’re also vegetarian and are certified organic by SCS Global Services

Ingredients are almost identical to Aged White Cheddar Pirate’s Booty. The Aldi puffs contain: organic cornmeal, organic sunflower oil, organic rice, organic cheddar cheese, organic whey, organic buttermilk, sea salt, natural flavor, organic natural flavor, organic black pepper, lactic acid, organic skim milk, and disodium phosphate.

Nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)

If you’re avoiding allergens, these contain milk.

There are four servings per bag, with each 1-ounce (28-gram) serving containing 130 calories, 6 grams of total fat (8% DV), 1 gram of saturated fat (5% DV), 5 mg of cholesterol (2% DV), 190 mg of sodium (8% DV), 15 grams of total carbohydrates (5% DV), 2 grams of dietary fiber (7% DV), 1 gram of total sugars, 0 grams of added sugars, and 1 gram of protein.

As for how these taste, my family likes them. Everyone had mixed opinions about how these compare to the Pirate’s Booty brand. Some family members said they didn’t have as much cheese flavor as the name brand, while other people said they tasted the same as the name brand. I personally think they have slightly less cheese flavor, but they still taste good and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy them again.

The Verdict:

Simply Nature White Cheddar Puffs are Aldi’s take on name brand Pirate’s Booty. These snacks are gluten free and vegetarian, and while they maybe aren’t exactly the same as Pirate’s Booty, they’re a decent imitation at a lower price.