This is the tastiest supermarket stollen, as judged by The Good Housekeeping Institute
Tested by Maga Flores-Trevino
Senior Food and Drink Tester
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Stollen makes a great alternative sweet treat to Christmas cake or panettone. The traditional German Christmas bread has a similar flavour profile, consisting of candied vine fruit and nuts, but it tends to be less dense than the festive fruitcake, and not as tall or light as its Italian counterpart.
The Good Housekeeping Institute has rounded-up the best shop-bought versions for 2023, so you can stock up safe in the knowledge you’re buying the best ahead of the big day.
Best stollen 2023
1
2
Joint runner-up stollen
ASDA Extra Special Spiced Rum & Brown Butter Flavour Stollen Wreath
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3
Joint runner-up stollen and best budget
Aldi Specially Selected Luxury Stollen Loaf
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4
5
How we test stollen
The GHI presented a panel of experts and consumers with nine supermarket stollen in a bid to find the tastiest ones for 2023.
Each one was tasted blind to avoid brand bias and served as suggested. They were looking for well-balanced bakes with classic festive flavours, including soft, buttery sponge, nutty marzipan and dried fruit.
These were the ones that came out on top.
Score: 77/100
Described as the perfect blend of brioche bread and cake, our winning stollen is packed with citrus peel, raisins and a generous slab of marzipan. Toasted almonds add a savoury contrast to the sweet vine fruit, which stops it tasting too sweet.
2
Joint runner-up stollen
ASDA Extra Special Spiced Rum & Brown Butter Flavour Stollen Wreath
Score: 76/100
Instead of the traditional loaf, ASDA has created a suitably festive wreath that's enfused with spiced rum. However, the classic flavours are still present, with a good ratio of nutty almond paste, sweet, dried vine fruit, creamy marzipan and toasted flaked almonds to finish.
Score: 76/100
Aldi’s sweet bake is heavy on the citrus peel, with the cinnamon and nutmeg spice fading into the background on the palate. The even dusting of icing sugar is a nice finishing touch.
Available 31st October 2023
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Score: 74/100
Tesco’s slight twist on the traditional recipe includes an abundance of sweet, juicy cherries, which complement the almonds well. Testers loved the squidgy sponge and enjoyed the light touch of cinnamon and nutmeg too. A top choice for amaretto fans — why not serve a glass alongside?
Score: 70/100
Like Tesco’s entry (above), this festive loaf contains glacé cherries, almonds and marzipan for a hint of amaretto flavour. Some found the bread slightly dry, but the marzipan itself was rich and creamy, and the generous dusting of icing sugar creates a lasting visual impression.
Tested byMaga Flores-Trevino
Senior Food and Drink Tester
Maga Flores-Trevino is our Senior Food and Drink Tester and has a real love for food innovation, specialising in new and upcoming vegan and vegetarian products as well as baked goods. Previously, she worked as a Food and Reviews Writer at BBC Good Food and olive magazines, testing and writing about hundreds of new products. She also covered taste tests, food and drink awards, restaurant reviews and food business and charity interviews. Before that, she was studying French and Italian at the University of Oxford. Her career in the industry started as a food team member at various hospitality events, volunteering in the kitchen at Homeless Oxfordshire and as a writer and editor of the food and drink section at The Oxford Student newspaper.
