Aldi Plant Menu Stonebaked Spicy Cauliflower Pizza – Product Review

Aldi Plant Menu Stonebaked Spicy Cauliflower Pizza – Product Review

Today I am trying out and reviewing Aldi Plant Menu Stonebaked Spicy Cauliflower Pizza. Will it stand-up to regular frozen stonebaked pizzas available everywhere? Let’s see!

Out shopping recently, I couldn’t help but notice how extensive the Plant Menu range at Aldi was, so this will be the first of many reviews of this type of product. I’m intrigued and I’m not really sure what to expect. The product on the packaging looks appealing, but will it live up to my expectations?

Looking at the packaging, it’s really drilling home it’s credentials with banners stating ‘Viva Le Vegan’, a ‘Vegan Friendly’ badge and of course the ‘Vegan’ logo. There is no doubt that this product is Plant Based and Vegan.

Plant Based foods have in recent years increased in their availability and popularity, but are they rising in popularity because more of us are turning to a Plant Based diet, or are they seen as a ‘healthier’ option than a regular pizza?

Of course I’m no stranger to a pizza and it’s really simple to make a Vegan pizza (skip the pepperoni and don’t add cheese) but I’ve not had any positive experiences of Vegan cheese, so the fact that the packaging illustrates quite a cheesy pizza leaves me with apprehensive.

First Impressions

Taking the pizza out of it’s packaging, I wanted to compare it to the product on the packaging. The pizza on the box looks cheesy and saucy – these are things I definitely want from a pizza. My frozen uncooked pizza doesn’t.

I do start to have doubts about how this is going to taste and I immediately start to wish that I had thrown away the box without making the comparison, but I’d rather show the product for what it is.

Let’s Cook

There’s noting I can really say here other than it cooks like any other frozen pizza. Straight into a hot oven, but even though the cooking timings are given as 16-18 minutes, I decided to set my oven timer at 15 minutes to gauge how much longer (if any) it would need in the oven – there’s nothing worse than getting the timings of a pizza wrong and over cooking it. Lucky for me, after the 15 minute point I decided to give it only another 2 more minutes before taking it out.

The Look

It’s fair to say that the pizza looks and smells delicious. I am concerned however that the outer edge that doesn’t have any topping is going to be dry and over crisp, but we’ll have to wait and see. Using my pizza slice was really satisfying and it certainly seemed as good as any frozen stonebaked pizza I’ve had before.

The Taste

OK, going in with an open mind, the first bite of pizza is certainly delicious. My slice wasn’t overly spicy, but my husband was happy to lend a helping hand with eating some pizza and his first bite was a spicy one.

I was a little worried that the pizza was going to be on the dry side due to lack of sauce, but looks were deceiving and it had plenty of sauce to keep me interested. There was also a lovely freshness about it from the tomato pieces and oregano which really appealed to me, and paired with the spice or heat that I did get from the pizza was lovely.

I did wonder if a little drizzle of good Extra Virgin Olive Oil would add anything to the pizza, and I’m glad to say that it lifted the flavour even further, so my recommendation would be to add a little drizzle of good EV Olive Oil before serving.

The Cost

The price was £1.75 for a 355g pizza which easily served 2 adults with a side salad. It’s worth noting that if you did eat the whole pizza, you would be looking at 812 calories! That’s just as many as a whole Goodfellas Stonebaked Thin Roast Chicken pizza. No meat or regular cheese, but just as many calories!

My Verdict

Taste : 3.9 out of 5 – it would have been a little higher had I got spicy vibes from the first bite.

Value for money : 2.5 out of 5 – the pizza on the box showed a pizza with much more topping and cheese than what was in the box.

Likelihood of buying it again : 2.5 out of 5 – if you’re stuck want a no effort Vegan or Plant Based pizza, then this product is for you. BUT you can easily make something just as delicious at home and make it Plant Based or Vegan.

Where To Buy It

You can find this Stonebaked Spicy Cauliflower Pizza most Aldi stores. for just £1.75.

Please note that this review is based on the product that I’ve purchased and the review reflects my own honest opinion.