Everything Bagel Seasoning is having a moment — so, who does it better: ALDI, or Trader Joe’s?
2023 update: This is now a regular buy and often comes in several varieties (look for jalapeño and asiago cheese, for instance).
I recently mentioned spotting this new Stonemill Who Needs the Bagel? seasoning at my local store — in with the regular spices and sporting an everyday price tag, no less. Some stores are apparently placing this new seasoning in the special buys Amazing Aisle of Random, though, so take a look there as well if you don’t spot it on the regular shelf at yours.
ALDI vs Trader Joe’s: Everything Bagel Seasoning
Even though I still had a partially used jar of Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel seasoning on my spice rack, I of course felt compelled to pick up the new ALDI Stonemill Who Needs the Bagel? seasoning as well. So, since I now have both jars in my home, I thought it might be fun to do a little compare/contrast and see if the newer ALDI edition is really similar enough to hold up to the Trader Joe’s tried-and-true.
Which Everything Bagel seasoning is cheaper?
Price wise, the two seasonings are pretty much identical. Who Needs the Bagel? seasoning was priced at $1.95 for 2.3 oz at ALDI, and Everything but the Bagel seasoning runs $1.99 for 2.3 oz at my local Trader Joe’s. That comes to $.86/oz at TJ’s, $.85/oz at ALDI. (If you use a lot of this type of seasoning, though, you can sometimes get it cheaper per ounce if you pick up a bigger jar at Costco or on Amazon.)
How do the ingredients compare?
The ingredient lists on the ALDI and Trader Joe’s everything bagel seasonings are basically identical:
- Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel ingredients: Sesame seeds, sea salt flakes, dried minced garlic, dried minced onion, black sesame seeds, poppy seeds.
- ALDI Who Needs the Bagel? ingredients: Sesame seeds, sea salt, minced garlic, minced onion, black sesame seeds, poppy seeds.
Nutrition information on these everything bagel seasonings
Nutrition-wise, the two seasonings differ only in their sodium content.
- Stonemill Who Needs the Bagel? seasoning contains 95 mg of sodium per 1/4 tsp, or 4% of your daily value.
- Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel seasoning contains 80 mg of sodium per 1/4 tsp, or 3% of your daily value.
So if you’re watching your sodium intake, the Trader Joe’s version will be just slightly better.
How does the taste compare?
How better to compare the ALDI and Trader Joe’s everything bagel seasonings than by trying them on the quintessential avocado toast, right? Here, I put Everything but the Bagel seasoning on one side, and Who Needs the Bagel? seasoning on the other. (And, of course, I used ALDI avocado and sourdough. 😉 )
Although I was expecting the ALDI Who Needs the Bagel? seasoning to taste saltier than the Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel, it actually just tasted less garlicky. Both everything bagel seasonings were of course darn tasty, but Trader Joe’s seemed slightly stronger overall.
The final verdict
So, who’s the winner here? Well, technically it’s me — because I got to enjoy this awesome piece of avocado toast. All things being equal, though, I slightly prefer the Trader Joe’s seasoning, but nowhere near enough, though, to justify making a special trip out of the way if you’re already picking up the rest of your groceries over at ALDI. Both varieties have the salty garlicky goodness you’re looking for in an everything bagel seasoning: And, if you have no Trader Joe’s nearby? Rejoice that ALDI now has its own version!
Let me know what you think, once you have a chance to give the Who Needs the Bagel? seasoning a try for yourself.
