Aldi Australia shoppers spot $5 ‘dupe’ of iconic 90s birthday party ice cream cake: ‘This is ultimate nostalgia’

DAILYMAIL.COM • 2h ago

By SHANIA OBRIEN, COMMERCIAL CONTENT PRODUCER (LIFESTYLE & SHOPPING) Updated: 04:15 13 Nov 2026

Aldi has brought back a taste of the 1990s with a $5 version of one of Australia’s most nostalgic desserts, but shoppers are divided over whether it lives up to the original.

The supermarket is selling two varieties of its Entertainer frozen dessert, which bear a striking resemblance to the iconic Viennetta that once graced dinner tables at family celebrations and special occasions.

Available in vanilla, and caramel and vanilla flavours, both versions are priced at $4.99 for a 650ml pack.

The discovery has prompted a wave of nostalgia among Australians who remember Viennetta as the height of sophistication, often reserved for birthdays, dinner parties, and other occasions when ordinary ice cream simply wouldn’t do.

With its distinctive rippled layers of creamy frozen dessert and thin sheets of chocolate, Viennetta became a household favourite after its introduction in the 1980s.

Despite being a relatively inexpensive supermarket treat, its elaborate appearance made it feel considerably more luxurious than a standard tub of ice cream.

And for many Australians, serving it in a glass dessert bowl was an essential part of the experience.

‘Time to get the crystal dessert coupes out,’ one shopper joked after spotting Aldi’s version.

Kate was 16 when she was invited to David Walliams's dressing room1.2K viewing now Aldi is selling two varieties of its Entertainer frozen dessert, which bear a striking resemblance to the iconic Viennetta that once graced dinner tables at special occasionsDoes the Aldi version measure up?Others were eager to find out whether the budget alternative could recreate the taste they remembered.

‘Saw and bought the vanilla version today. Just had some before – pretty decent,’ one customer wrote.

Another claimed Aldi’s offering was even better than the dessert that inspired it.

‘The vanilla one is better than the original Viennetta,’ they declared.

One shopper who had already purchased the product twice offered a more measured assessment: ‘We’ve had it twice, just the original one. I’m fine with it. To be fair, it tastes better than the new version of Viennetta but not as good as the OG,’ they wrote.

‘But maybe our memories are better than the reality of the product? I think the chocolate is really good, and for us that was always the most important part.’

The comparison also prompted shoppers to reflect on how much Viennetta has changed over the years.

‘I got a Viennetta the other day for nostalgia. It was so sad,’ one person complained.

Another lamented the disappearance of a particular variety.

‘I still miss the chocolate Viennetta – for when you wanted to be really fancy,’ they wrote.

‘They could have brought that flavour back, rather than more caramel.’

Some shoppers noticed that Aldi’s product was labelled a ‘frozen dessert’ rather than ice cream, raising questions about its ingredients.

‘I was so keen until I zoomed in and saw “frozen dessert”,’ one wrote.

Another argued that shoppers would get better value by purchasing a conventional tub of ice cream.

‘I saw them the other day and noped hard at the price versus the size,’ they said.

‘Apart from the nostalgia factor, it’s much better to buy the 1L tubs of premium ice cream. Those are cheaper per unit price and are actually real ice cream, not a frozen dessert full of processed fats to make it set in shape.’

The distinction between ice cream and frozen dessert comes down to how the products are formulated and labelled.

Under Australian food standards, a product sold as ice cream must meet specific compositional requirements, including a minimum milk fat content of 10 per cent.

Products that do not meet the requirements may instead be marketed as frozen desserts, depending on their ingredients and composition.

Some frozen desserts use vegetable fats or other ingredients in place of a portion of the dairy fat found in traditional ice cream.

These formulations can affect texture, consistency, and how a dessert holds its shape, although the term ‘frozen dessert’ alone does not establish exactly which ingredients a product contains.

Nostalgia can make those comparisons particularly unforgiving – and whether Aldi’s $4.99 version can live up to those memories remains a matter of personal taste.

Aldi Australia shoppers spot $5 ‘dupe’ of iconic 90s dessertComments are subject to our House rules and TermsNewest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}}

No one seems to have shared their thoughts on this topic yetLeave a comment so your voice will be heard first.

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{#replies.comments}}{{^isLast}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/isLast}}{{#isLast}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/isLast}}{{/replies.comments}}{{/replies.totalCount}}{{^replies.totalCount}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/replies.totalCount}}{{/isComment}}The opinions and views expressed in the comments section are solely those of the individual users and do not represent or reflect the opinions, views, or positions of MailOnline. MailOnline does not endorse, support, or verify the accuracy of any user-generated content.Terms|Privacy|FeedbackOldest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}}