Forget candy corn — the real Halloween MVP at Aldi wears a cheese wrapper. The Emporium Selection Halloween Cheese lineup is officially clawing its way back onto shelves on September 30, and this year’s roster comes with a brand-new, slightly unhinged flavor that has us equal parts terrified and starving: Death By Garlic. Four spooky cheeses, one very reasonable $4.29 price tag, and exactly zero chill. Let’s get into it.
Meet the 2026 Lineup
This year’s Emporium Selection Halloween Cheese assortment includes four fang-and-fur-themed varieties, each ringing in at $4.29:
Death By Garlic — a black garlic cheddar packaged in a vampire-mouth wrapper, brand new to the lineup this year. Freaky Franken Sage Derby — a mild derby marbled green with dried sage, wrapped in classic Frankenstein’s-monster packaging. Scary Pumpkin Spice — a Wensleydale spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg for the pumpkin-obsessed among us (looking at you if you also grabbed the pumpkin cookie sandwiches). And Bat Knit Crazy Cheddar — a straightforward sharp cheddar carrying the pun of the group.
As Sporked put it in their first taste-test of the new flavor: “The names are the fun part, but the cheeses underneath are real styles — black garlic cheddar, spiced Wensleydale, sage Derby.” Translation: this isn’t a novelty cheese food product coasting on packaging alone. Death By Garlic in particular was called out as “a fairly grown-up” flavor experience, built on fermented black garlic rather than the sharp, raw stuff — so don’t expect it to clear a room, just maybe a first date.
Why This Is Worth a Cart Detour
At $4.29 a package, you could grab all four flavors for under $18 and build an entire Halloween cheese board without touching the fancy cheese counter at a regular grocery store. That’s a serious upgrade from paying premium prices for a single wedge of specialty cheese — and it’s exactly the kind of seasonal splurge-that-isn’t-really-a-splurge we live for around here. Pair it with crackers, a dramatic charcuterie spread, or just eat it straight off the cutting board while watching a Halloween movie marathon; we won’t tell.
It also lands the same week as Aldi’s ghost-shaped ceramic plate, so if you’re building out a full spooky-season spread, September 30 is shaping up to be a one-stop Aldi run. Trader Joe’s shoppers have their own countdown going too, with the Halloween mini tote bags dropping that same day — so if you’re the type who hits multiple stores for seasonal finds, mark your calendar now, because both are known to move fast.
When and Where to Grab It
The full Emporium Selection Halloween Cheese lineup hits Aldi shelves nationwide on September 30, as part of the chain’s rotating ALDI Finds selection. That means limited stock and no guaranteed restock once it sells out — this is an annual tradition Aldi shoppers have come to expect, and previous years’ flavors have reliably disappeared fast once word gets around on social media. If Death By Garlic sounds like your kind of chaos, don’t wait until October to go looking for it.
The Bottom Line
Four punny cheeses, one brand-new garlic-forward flavor, and a $4.29 price point that makes it an easy yes — Aldi’s Halloween cheese drop is back and it’s bringing fangs this year. Build the board, invite the neighbors, and maybe keep a breath mint on standby if you’re going in on Death By Garlic.
Which flavor are you grabbing first — Death By Garlic or Scary Pumpkin Spice? Let us know in the comments, and keep it locked on GroceryGoodies for more of the best deals and finds at Aldi, Costco, Trader Joe’s, and Amazon.
Photo credits: Image 1 — Aldi. Image 2 — Aldi.
