I Tried And Ranked 6 Trader Joe's Cream Cheese Spreads

Cream cheese is something of an unsung hero in the dairy world. Not only are there plenty of appetizers that start with a block of cream cheese and all sorts of sweet and savory cream cheese recipes out there, but the humble dairy product also tastes delicious all on its own. Sure, very few people eat straight cream cheese by itself, but the rich, tangy stuff has a unique way of elevating both sweet and savory foods alike. Many of us picture cream cheese in standard block form, but there are many types of cream cheese out there. And just about any grocery store sells some sort of spreadable cream cheese, for easier spreading, smearing, and overall enjoyment.

Trader Joe's certainly offers those blocks of cream cheese, but it also carries an assortment of spreadable cream cheeses that come in containers. I've purchased and sampled six of Trader Joe's cream cheese spreads, ranking them from worst to best in terms of texture and flavor. To me, the quintessential cream cheese spread nails that balance between richness and tanginess, so that's what I looked for when trying each option. I also paid attention to texture, because let's face it — not all cream cheese spreads are all that spreadable, and that can be a dealbreaker. While I tasted each cream cheese on its own, I also tried them on a bagel, since that's one of the most common and beloved cream cheese pairings out there.

Although I'm not vegan or dairy-free myself, I'm all for vegan alternatives when it comes to all things dairy, cheese, and beyond. I've also dabbled with plenty of these vegan dairy alternatives myself, having used them to cook for vegan friends or for potlucks. So, I feel like I'm pretty good at spotting a good vegan alternative product, and I'm sad to say that Trader Joe's vegan cream cheese isn't one of them.

I will say that this product wasn't bad by any means; it just couldn't compare to others on this list. For starters, I found the texture a bit strange and rather stiff, almost like the texture of frosting that's hardened onto a day-old cake. I can forgive the texture, since we're not working with actual dairy — flavor, on the other hand, I'm less forgiving about.

As I was eating this cream cheese, I kept picking up on more and more savory, almost smoky notes that I didn't love. In fact, the cream cheese reminded me of smoked Gouda in the strangest way, as if the flavor was aiming for something more generally savory and cheesy as opposed to something more neutral, creamy, and rich. Now, I certainly can't say that a savory, cheesy flavor profile is a bad one, but it didn't seem right for cream cheese. I can't imagine trying to make a dessert with this vegan cream cheese, as it would taste way too savory and throw off the whole thing. So, due to an unpleasant texture and exaggerated cheesy flavor, this vegan cream cheese comes in last place.

As someone who pretty much never seeks out light cream cheese, I was left wondering how it could be all that different from regular cream cheese. And, after tasting Trader Joe's soft spreadable light cream cheese, I've realized that while it ultimately doesn't taste incredibly different from regular cream cheese, it's lackluster enough for me to not want to seek it out again.

The best way I can describe how this light cream cheese tasted is like the regular stuff without any oomph. There's a certain richness and creaminess to non-light cream cheese that I wasn't picking up on here, likely due to the reduced amount of fat (so, what makes it "light"). Also, I feel like a product with the words "soft spreadable" literally in the name should be a little softer and more spreadable; this product was a bit stiff and not super desirable for a cream cheese spread. 

Ultimately, if you regularly reach for light cream cheese or you want something with reduced fat and calories, then this isn't a bad option. But that lack of richness, lack of spreadability, and overall muted flavor profile were all factors I couldn't exactly overlook, so this one could only realistically rank so high.

When I saw that Trader Joe's carried a dill-infused cream cheese, I was immediately stoked. Dill is one of my absolute favorite herbs, and I personally think it doesn't receive enough credit outside of the realm of pickles. So, needless to say, I had high hopes that this cream cheese would not only taste good, but that it'd shed some light on how delicious and versatile dill can be.

After actually tasting Trader Joe's Dill-icious cream cheese, I felt torn. On one hand, this stuff is tasty, offering up a distinctly dill-forward flavor with a strong lemon juice aftertaste. I enjoyed the flavor of the cream cheese, but I was a bit taken aback by how sour it was. The dill flavor certainly worked with the sour one, but I think that it didn't have to be quite so sour to get the point across effectively.

So, with mixed feelings, I'm putting this one somewhere in the middle of this ranking. Any dill lover is sure to love this one, especially if you're used to enjoying the herb in sauces that also call for lemon juice or some sort of acid. This one is also a bit less versatile, since you couldn't use it in a dessert, but you could at least use it as the base of a savory dip or on a loaded salmon lox bagel sandwich.

As far as savory cream cheese flavors go, onion and chive pretty much dominate the game. And, whether it be in the form of a Philadelphia cream cheese spread or a Trader Joe's one, you'd be hard-pressed to step into a grocery store and not be able to find some iteration of an onion and chive flavor.

So that brings us to Trader Joe's take on such an allium-forward cream cheese, which I found pretty tasty. Was this the absolute best version of onion and chive cream cheese that I've ever tasted? No, and in fact, I found myself wishing for a little more oomph or onion-y flavor. That said, I could really see this more subdued onion flavor being preferable for a lot of folks out there, because let's face it — onions can be pretty polarizing, and when it's incorporated into a dip or spread, sometimes the flavor just smacks you over the head. There was no smacking with this cream cheese, more like a gentle slap of flavor that I personally found a touch too gentle, but to each their own.

I also appreciated the texture of this cream cheese, as it was nice and spreadable without seeming like straight liquid. The specks of chives added a nice textural element as well. So, overall, this wasn't my favorite cream cheese on this list, but I can't deny that it had several redeeming qualities.

I would like to take a moment to personally thank whoever invented whipped cream cheese. Sure, spreadable cream cheese is one thing, but whipped cream cheese takes things to a new level of deliciousness, convenience, and spreadability that simply can't be beaten, outdone, or improved upon.

In case it isn't clear, I'm a big fan of the texture of whipped cream cheese, and I think Trader Joe's version absolutely nailed it. I'd argue that this is one of the best whipped textures I've come across, as it was perfectly soft and spreadable without becoming super liquidy once applied to a warm bagel. 

Texture aside, the flavor of this cream cheese was also on point. This spread is deeply rich and impeccably creamy and hits all the right notes; I don't think one could realistically ask for much more in a cream cheese. While this spread was delicious on a bagel, I could also see it working really well as the base for a dip, with that whipped texture making all things mixing and stirring that much easier. So, needless to say, Trader Joe's whipped cream cheese is a winner in my book, and there's only one spread that managed to (narrowly) beat it. 

When you have a whole assortment of cream cheeses sitting in front of you — with many boasting unique textures or added flavors — it's easy to overlook the plain, run-of-the-mill option. That's how I initially felt about the organic plain Trader Joe's cream cheese spread, figuring that it would be good or maybe a sort of "standard" for the other spreads to compare to. And, while I think this cream cheese spread set a sort of standard, I wasn't prepared for how much it would stand out and shine above the others.

To me, the hallmark of a good, solid cream cheese is a rich, creamy base with a deeply tangy, almost tart flavor, and this TJ's spread absolutely nailed it. While I enjoy flavored cream cheeses, nothing can compare to a well-executed, perfectly rich and tangy cream cheese that isn't necessarily sour, savory, or sweet. 

Texture-wise, this spread was also about as good as it gets, boasting a certain firmness while easily breaking down and smoothing out across a bagel. And, if you wanted to venture outside of bagel territory, I think this spread would be the best option for any sort of cheesecake dessert, with that tangy flavor profile no doubt enhancing the finished product. So, while there were lots of strong contenders on this list, Trader Joe's organic cream cheese spread proved that sometimes the simple, tried-and-true options are the best ones.

When sampling these six Trader Joe's cream cheese spreads, I opted to try them both on their own and also paired with bagels. Naturally, I wanted to get a taste for the cream cheeses themselves without any outside flavors or factors at play. But, ultimately, very few people are eating cream cheese by itself, and bagels make perfect sense as a pairing, not only because they go so well with cream cheese but because they serve as a mostly neutral vessel. To spare myself from having to eat several bagels at once, I cut one bagel into six pieces and sampled each spread on a corresponding piece.

In terms of how exactly I ranked the cream cheeses, I paid attention mostly to flavor and texture. None of the cream cheeses on this list had objectively bad flavors, but some definitely stood out more than others. Some were stronger texture-wise, offering true spreadability as opposed to being stiff. And, while this factor didn't affect the ranking too much, I did consider the versatility of each cream cheese, and how well it might work in a context outside of bagels (since there are ultimately lots of creative ways to use cream cheese out there).