11 Walmart Brand Cream Cheeses, Ranked Worst To Best

Cream cheese is one of those products that is so closely tied to the ways it is eaten, that it becomes easy to take it for granted. If I'm not making a cheesecake or having a bagel, then I basically forget about this silky and rich spreadable cheese. So before diving in, let's start by taking a look at what cream cheese is.

In the late 1800s, a man named William A. Lawrence from Chesterfield, New York, sought to make a soft unripened cheese in the style of French Neufchâtel, don't worry we will be trying Great Value's Neufchâtel as part of this list. As part of his process, he decided to add cream to the normally lower-fat base, and in doing so ended up with a product he would nickname "cream cheese." Lawrence eventually partnered with a dairy producer who later dubbed it Philadelphia Cream Cheese, despite having no real connection to the city at all.

Now, over 100 years later, this product has become a staple partner to bagels everywhere. With so many brands, flavors, and styles, it was time to tackle the challenge of tasting and ranking them. Here we'll be starting with a selection of options from Walmart's Great Value and Bettergoods store brands, even including a dairy-free option and the classic Neufchâtel cheese to see how it stands up against classic American cream cheese.

Roasted Garlic is generally a weakness of mine. It's not uncommon for me to double, or even triple, the amount of garlic in a recipe, and if I have roasted garlic around suddenly there's no such thing as too much. Roasted garlic is surprisingly easy to make and there's something about the sweetness and deeply caramelized umami notes that elevate almost anything savory it's added to.

What this cream cheese spread did best, was pack itself full of genuine garlic flavor. The extravagant notes of gently browned cloves were rampant throughout each bite. It's hard to deny that when Bettergoods put the words "Roasted Garlic" on the lid in bold letters, it knew it was delivering on that promise. Unfortunately, the overall product didn't quite wow me. There were two main issues to contend with that I just couldn't overlook.

The first was the immediate and overwhelming saltiness of the spread. Not only was it off-putting on its own, but knowing it was covering up the natural tang and sweetness of the cream cheese itself left me disappointed. The second issue was the texture. While I loved the impact of the garlic on the cream cheese's flavor, the massive amount of garlic created an almost granular texture in the final product that ruined its creaminess and mouthfeel. I'd definitely buy this again, but as a flavoring agent for sauces rather than as a spread for my bagels.

If I'm being honest, I had originally expected this brick to come in last place. I don't know that I've ever directly compared it to others, but there are some base assumptions that are difficult to put aside. For me, the most innate perception I have when it comes to food is that you get what you pay for.

Despite that fact, there have been many times while doing these rankings that store brands, Great Value especially, have thrown that expectation for a loop. So when I say that this came in second to last, don't take that as me saying this cheese is not a completely worthy budget option for all your cream cheese needs. It was dense, rich, and had that noticeable cream cheese tang. It was a bit more crumbly than I'd have liked, but for $1.56 it is a genuinely good deal.

Even when you consider all of that, it still comes across as a bit bland and decidedly lesser than the cream cheeses we'll discuss going forward. In fact, if it hadn't been for the odd texture of the previous selection, my prediction of this coming in last would have been spot on. This is the type of simple cream cheese you buy for recipes where cream cheese is a background to other flavorful ingredients, but doesn't need to shine on its own.

When it comes to cream cheese on a bagel, then chive, onion, or any variation of that combination is going to be my go-to. It is also a perfect addition to any breakfast sandwich in my opinion. There's just something about the floral oniony essence of chives that works perfectly with the acidic, fatty, and velvet-like texture of cream cheese.

As I proceeded with my tasting and rankings, I couldn't help but appreciate just how smoothly both brands' spreads flowed and folded with the gentle guidance of my knife. They were solid enough to hold their shape and not simply melt, but they were soft enough to flow across the surface of my cracker. In fact, if it hadn't been for one thing, this flavor would have made it much higher on my list.

Unfortunately, much like the roasted garlic flavor, there was just too much saltiness in this flavor for me. While I could see using it sparingly as a perfect sauce for a breakfast sandwich, or adding a small scoop to my scrambled eggs to add flavor and texture, I can't help but think that tasted on its own, or on a plain bagel, the flavor wouldn't be as satisfying as the other options competing here. I'd buy this cream cheese again, but it would really depend on what it was for.

Named after a town in Normandy, France that goes by the same name, Neufchâtel is an unripened cheese made with cow's milk. While it can be allowed to ripen, in which case it develops a soft rind much like that of brie or Camembert, the classic form and flavor of the cheese is much like American cream cheese, but with a lower fat content as it omits the added cream and uses only milk. While I was ready to find the difference between the two cheeses drastic, in reality it was small, but still there.

I was surprised to find, in spite of its lower fat content, that the Neufchâtel was creamy and spread like silk. While the flavor was slightly different than cream cheese, the tanginess went well with its natural sweetness and showed off just how well William Lawrence did in replicating the style here in America. If put on a plate side by side, I'd have had a difficult time differentiating between this brick and a brick of classic cream cheese by sight or smell alone.

I do think that after a few tastes the difference would come across, but it would not have been due to one being more of a low-fat option. If I were able to successfully pick them apart, I think it would have come down to the specific flavor and type of acidity, but even then I would doubt myself until the answer was revealed.

After my recent experience with dairy-free cheese while ranking Walmart brand shredded cheeses, I was ready to see if this vegan-friendly version would prove itself a more viable option for those looking to lessen their dairy intake. Made with coconut oil, butter beans, and avocado oil, this cream cheese substitute was surprisingly accurate and tasty. Enough so that I plan to experiment with it more in the near future.

Starting with the texture, it was wonderfully creamy, smooth, and perfectly spreadable. It was thick enough on its own that it could hold its shape, but with gentle pressure from my knife it folded and spread without mashing or clumping. Even after being left out for an hour its texture remained firm without becoming too soft or melting at all, and unlike some other oil-based dairy substitutes, I found that there was no greasy feeling left behind after swallowing due to remaining fats failing to melt at mouth temperature.

When it came to flavor, it was a bit more mild than other cream cheese but not so much so that I would be pushed away from it. Rather, it had a more homogenized flavor where the classic sweetness and light tartness you expect from cream cheese were blended together rather than being felt separately as it coats your tongue. Yes, I could tell it wasn't cream cheese. No, I didn't care. I'd happily pick this up again any day.

I need to start here by admitting a bias, before making clear that I did everything in my power to put it aside. I hate blueberries. I don't know what it is about them, but both flavor-wise and texturally, they've always been my most disliked fruit. While I'm not likely to actively spit them out, you'd definitely find me setting them to the side while picking through a fruit salad.

If I had anything to say about the blueberry flavor itself, it would be that it didn't come across strongly enough, not that I'm complaining. While blueberries are sweet, which was matched here, the level of sugar was a bit too high. It was difficult for the berries to come across as genuine when the level of sweetness served to mask the natural tart flavor of the cheese, which would have added to the flavor of the blueberries and given the overall taste more dimension.

This cream cheese was perfectly spreadable and had a noticeable blueberry flavor, but was a little too sweet for its own good. While it would go well on a bagel, I actually think this would be great if used as a substitute for some of the cream cheese in a cheesecake recipe. Though when doing so I suggest cutting out some of the sugar lest your end result be too sweet.

I'm much more partial to strawberry, and would already pick this one over its blueberry counterpart in general. However, that isn't what led me to put it above blueberry on this list. Where blueberry failed to wholly present the flavor of its fruit, the flavor of the strawberry version was more crisp and noticeable for what it was meant to be.

While I did also find this cream cheese to be too sweet, unlike the previous competitor, this one managed to carry some of the tart and tangy cream cheese flavor through the added sugar. While the first flavor to hit my tongue was unnamed sweetness, it quickly filled out with the floral notes of strawberry and a touch of acidity that helped that flavor to feel more like a fresh piece of fruit had been mixed directly into the container.

Once again, a touch less sugar would have been welcome, but it was equally creamy, spreadable, and delicious while still presenting a noticeable and enjoyable fruit flavor. This is another option that would work as well on a bagel as it would in a cheesecake, but would also be just as at home beside some crackers and jam on a charcuterie board.

I've had whipped cream cheese before, but I don't think there is any way I could tell you just how long ago that was. When did they start making it? Needless to say, I was basically going into this blind when it came to expectations. The word whipped told me I'd be dealing with something light, hopefully fluffy, but I wasn't sure if that would be a good thing or not.

When I say that this container was basically full of a cloud made of cream cheese, it may be facetious, but it also really speaks to how I felt tasting it. If you can imagine cream cheese having the texture of whipped cream, then you're pretty close to understanding what fluffy, smooth, tart, rich, and wonderful substance this little tub was filled with. Melting on my tongue, this whipped version of the Great Value cream cheese was so much more flavorful and enjoyable than the brick.

Not only can I picture this going well on a bagel, I was immediately taken with the idea of simply folding it together with whipped cream or cool whip and dropping it into a graham cracker crust for a simple and light cheesecake. Maybe I'll toss in some ranch seasoning and mix it up into a dip for a crudités platter. I'm sure there is a right and wrong time to use whipped over regular cream cheese, but I for sure won't be avoiding it anymore.

I was so happy to see Bettergoods — a brand that has proven itself capable of making delicious frozen pizzas, and some decadent premium ice creams – had some options that managed to really shine compared to the roasted garlic cream cheese from the bottom of the list. I admit, before picking up this tub of cream cheese, I had never heard of yuzu or its existence as a citrus fruit found in Japanese cuisine.

Even now, I am not sure how much of its flavor really showed up in this tub of cream cheese, though there was definitely a floral citrus note. What really made this flavor stand out to me was the incredibly fresh and perfectly balanced flavor of the raspberries. Unlike the strawberry and blueberry flavors from the Great Value brand, this flavor came across as more subtle and maintained the natural tartness of the cheese better.

In the end, what really made this one so good was its ability to taste like both cream cheese and fruit, rather than fruit-flavored cream cheese. That may seem like a confusing concept, but I have faith that anyone who tries both would quickly notice the difference. If you enjoy a fruit-forward cream cheese that doesn't come across as too sweet, trying this one is a must.

Can you believe one of the plain cream cheeses made it to second place on our list? I know that, for me, it was an honest surprise. However, even after tasting it directly against others repeatedly it was clear that it deserved to be near the top. The sheer jump up in quality, that was noticeable in flavor and texture, left no room for anything less.

Bettergoods brought out the difference that I expected to find when comparing Neufchâtel and cream cheese. While the first was good, the cream cheese here had a noticeably heartier and richer texture that I'd expect from a product made with actual cream. The brand's promise of simple ingredients was also clearly delivered. Looking at the label, I was shocked to see just milk, cream, cheese culture, and salt. This couldn't be a more authentic cream cheese unless you went back to the late 1800s and bought it yourself. Even Philadelphia, the most iconic American brand, adds carob bean gum to make it more stable these days.

The perfect texture, tangy flavor, and simple ingredients really helped to bring this one to the top of the charts. From a texture standpoint, this was number one, but I just couldn't give it first place over the craving-inducing flavor of our top cream cheese, even if it was a close race.

Like the other flavored varieties I tried for this ranking, I was very happy with how easy the cream cheese was to mix up in the container and how smoothly it spread across my cracker. I think that, despite how classic the silver wrapped bricks of cream cheese are, I ended up preferring the containers. It wasn't the packaging method that really won this contest though.

There was such a great balance in the garden vegetable flavor that I was quickly going back for more. Not only did it have a satiny smooth spread and creamy mouthfeel, but there was a noticeably enjoyable vegetable flavor that worked perfectly with the salty tangy cream cheese. Of all the flavors put before me, this one just kept beating down its competition. By the end of our tasting I'd tried the garden vegetable head-to-head with every other variety and each time I'd have rather had this one for my bagel any morning.

Whether it be for your bagel, as a dip, or to add a little flavor to your sandwich or sauce, out of all our competitors I think this one simply had the most delicious flavor. Sure, others may have been more imaginative, and some may have had a better texture, but when you take it all into account, this was the most versatile and overall winner in my opinion.

Going into a cream cheese tasting sounded delicious, but also a bit difficult. In my research about cream cheese, it was clear that this product was made to be smooth, spreadable, rich, and a bit tart. By design it was meant to be mild and creamy, but have a savory flair and acidity that meant it could be used alongside breakfast, dinner, dessert, or even a simple snack seamlessly. The fact that there were so many flavor variations proved that versatility in and of itself.

In order to test our competitors, I decided to use unsalted crackers as a medium. Each would have an identical texture and I wouldn't have to take uneven toasting conditions into account as I would for bagels or toast. Each of the options would be judged based on its texture, flavor, and how well it spread. Each flavor was spread and tried both cold, and again at room temperature.

In the end, for our flavored cream cheeses I took into account both how they tasted, and how much the flavor of cream cheese was noticeably behind the flavorings which in many cases was the largest difference. For the plain flavors, richness, and ability to spread were the most defining factors of quality and rank.