I tried 6 budget-friendly frozen pizzas from Aldi, and found some real winners under $5

1 day ago 9

Plate with six slices of pizza on it

Frozen pizza can be an affordable meal, and Aldi has great options under its Mama Cozzi's label. Meredith Schneider
  • I tried a few pies from Aldi's Mama Cozzi's label to see which frozen pizzas are the best.
  • Each Mama Cozzi's pie was tasty, but I was disappointed by the Tavern-style extra-loaded supreme.
  • The rising-crust four-cheese pie would've been my fave if I didn't try the stone-baked veggie pizza.

Frozen pizza can be an easy, budget-friendly meal — but it doesn't need to taste as cheap as it sounds.

Fortunately, Aldi has an array of budget-friendly frozen options under its Mama Cozzi's label that are under $10. However, with so many varieties (including seasonal flavors), it's hard to decide which ones are worth buying.

So, I tried six frozen pizzas from Aldi and ranked them from my least favorite to my top pick. Here's how they stacked up.

I was a bit confused by this pie.

Pizza topped with golden-brown cheese with some vegetables peeking out of sides of the cheese edges

The toppings were buried below the cheese. Meredith Schneider

The photo on the pizza box didn't look anything like my final pie.

Once cooked, the toppings were nearly invisible aside from a few peppers and pepperoni pieces sticking out on the edges.

The cheese got wonderfully golden, but the peppers and meat pieces below it didn't crisp up much.

All in all, this pizza had a decent flavor, but not enough toppings.

This was still better than frozen pizzas I've tried from many other brands, it was my least favorite of the group.

Mama Cozzi's French-bread pepperoni pizza was pretty affordable.

Mama Cozzi's French bread pepperoni pizza box on counter

Mama Cozzi's French-bread pepperoni pizza is sold in a pack of two. Meredith Schneider

Mama Cozzi's French-bread pepperoni pizza is made with mozzarella cheese and topped with pepperoni.

I paid only $2.79 for a box with two pieces and each is one serving.

This was great, but I'm not sure it hits my craving for pizza.

Two french bread pizzas topped with pepperoni on a plate

The French-bread pepperoni pizza wasn't a home run for me. Meredith Schneider

This felt more like a toasted, open-faced pepperoni sandwich than a pizza. The bread was crunchy, but I found myself missing a more typical crust.

Plus, this seemed to have far less cheese than any other pizzas I tried. I could see way too much of the sauce peeking through the layer of shredded mozzarella.

Still, I enjoyed eating this and thought the pepperoni (made with pork, beef, and chicken) tasted exceptionally good.

I felt confident I'd enjoy the original thin supreme pizza.

Mama Cozzi's Original Thin supreme pizza label next to frozen pizza with pepperoni, green bell peppers, cheese

I've tried a few of Mama Cozzi's thin-crust pizzas. Meredith Schneider

For what it's worth, I lived on Mama Cozzi's original thin-crust pizzas throughout the pandemic.

Although they cost more now than they did in 2021, they're still a great value at $3.19 a pie for three servings of pizza.

For this taste test, I tried the supreme variety that comes with pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, and onion.

There were loads of toppings on this pie.

Pizza with cheese, pepperoni, onion, sausage, green pepper

I felt like I got toppings in every single bite. Meredith Schneider

This pizza was pretty impressive as it seemed loaded with all of the aforementioned toppings. Each bite seemed to have pepperoni or sausage.

The cracker-like crust wasn't anything to write home about in terms of flavor, but it was the perfect crunchy conduit for the toppings.

Mama Cozzi's flatbread pizza with pepperoni and mozzarella had potential.

Mama Cozzi's flatbread pepperoni and mozarella pizza box

This Mama Cozzi's flatbread has sliced and diced pepperoni. Meredith Schneider

Flatbread pizzas can be hit or miss. Sometimes their crusts get soggy or too crisp, but they can be delicious when done well.

This rectangular flatbread pizza from Mama Cozzi's that I tried is made with both sliced and diced pepperoni, plus fresh mozzarella.

It cost me $4.79 and comes with two servings.

I found myself pleasantly surprised by this pizza.

Rectangular flatbread pizza topped with pepperoni, mozarella on plate

The flatbread crust was delicious. Meredith Schneider

My very first bite surprised me. The crust was buttery and flaky in a light, airy, beautiful way.

The ratio of cheese to meat seemed well-balanced, and the different pepperoni cuts helped the toppings feel more evenly distributed.

The rectangular shape made the pizza fairly easy to eat, which I also liked. All in all, this pizza was delicious.

The rising-crust four-cheese pizza seemed like it was going to be a bit overwhelming.

Moma Cozzi's rising crust four cheese pizza box next to frozen pizza topped with cheese

The rising-crust pizza seemed loaded with cheese. Meredith Schneider

The most indulgent pizza of them all seemed to be Mama Cozzi's four-cheese pizza with a rising crust described as "fluffy" and "full."

Toppings include Asiago, Parmesan, Romano, and mozzarella and, in terms of ounces, this pizza was the heaviest.

It cost me $4.19 and has six servings.

Its crust was indeed fluffy and full.

Cheese pizza with golden-brown edges on cardboard disc on counter

The crust was nice and soft. Meredith Scneider

As basically promised by the box, the crust was the softest and pillowiest of the pies on this list.

I tasted notes of each individual cheese atop a slightly sweet red sauce. Asiago and Parmesan added a nice salty flavor variety to the pie, too.

I also found it to be incredibly filling — after two slices, I was satisfied.

It was fantastic, even eaten cold and leftover, the next day. This would've been my favorite if not for one dark horse …

Mama Cozzi's stone-baked veggie pizza caught me by surprise.

Mama Cozzi's stone-baked vegetable pizza box

The pizza printed on the Mama Cozzi's stone-baked veggie pizza box didn't look cheesy to me. Meredith Schneider

Mama Cozzi's stone-baked veggie pizza with an Italian crust seemed loaded with red onion, spinach, grilled peppers, and grilled zucchini.

I wasn't super excited to try it since I really enjoy meat and was a bit turned off by how little mozzarella appeared to be on the pie based on the photo on the box.

The pizza cost me $3.99 and comes with four servings.

I wasn't expecting this pie to be my favorite.

Pizza loaded with vegetables on white counter

The crust was quite flavorful. Meredith Schneider

Although I was skeptical, this pizza blew me away.

The crust tasted buttery (though not as buttery as the flatbread's) and was very flavorful with Italian herbs and a fluffy-yet-crunchy texture.

There was so little sauce that I barely noticed it, but I didn't find myself needing more. The pizza wasn't dry, and I liked that the vegetables on top were spread to the edge of the crust.

This pizza's toppings were the tastiest and most colorful. With so many textures and flavors, the slight lack of cheese didn't bother me after all.

All in all, this pizza was my top pick.

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