Best Cream Cheese: Plain, Veggie, Strawberry, Even Lactose Free!

The best cream cheese is rich, creamy, and delicious. Whether it’s strawberry, chive, or plain, cream cheese should serve up flavor and thick richness. But who makes the best cream cheese? After multiple taste tests, we have the answer. 

What we looked for in the best cream cheese

There are two types of cream cheese eaters: whipped cream cheese lovers and dense cream cheese lovers. The best whipped cream cheese should be obviously whipped—light, airy, ultra-easy to spread, even straight out of the fridge. And dense cream cheese should be thick, decadent, and, yes, it might take more effort to spread. 

In terms of flavor, the best cream cheese should be tangy. It should just taste like cream or butter. It should taste like cheese in that way. Even if it’s sweet cream cheese. Even if it’s chive and onion cream cheese. The overarching flavor should still be that signature cream cheese tang. 

Why you should trust our opinions of the best cream cheese

Not only have we been tasting foods for a living for years at this point, but many of us have many years of New York City living under our belts. We have had a lot of what many would consider to be the best cream cheese in the country. So we have high standards when it comes to grocery store cream cheese. We’re not snobs about it—we just know what’s out there and what cream cheese is capable of when it’s at its best.

Grab a bag of the best store bought bagels, fire up the toaster, and read on for the best cream cheese of all types—low fat cream cheese, strawberry cream cheese, veggie cream cheese, and more. And if you don’t do dairy, we ranked the best vegan cream cheese, too.

Best cream cheese, ranked

Best Probiotic Cream Cheese

Good Culture Probiotic Plain

Instacart

We tried a few probiotic cream cheese brands and, for the most part, they’re bad. This was the best probiotic cream cheese of the bunch. It’s creamy. It’s a bit sweet. It’s totally fine. It’s not something I’ll be reaching for anytime soon (nothing against Good Culture, we absolutely love their cottage cheese), but if you’re dead set on eating probiotic cream cheese, this is the least offensive. — Justine Sterling

Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine

Rating:

6.5/10

Sporks

Best Low Fat Cream Cheese

Philadelphia ⅓ Less Fat

Instacart

Philadelphia Reduced Fat Cream Cheese Spread is one of the few low-fat products on the market that I would recommend you buy. Of course, it isn’t as good as the original, full-fat version, but you already knew that. I would argue that if you need to cut fat, this is the best cream cheese. I don’t know if I could tell the difference between this and the original if I used it to make Buffalo chicken dip or slapped it on a bagel with some slices of tomato and salt. — Jordan Myrick

Credit: Ryan Martin / Instacart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Sweet Cream Cheese

Great Value Brown Sugar & Cinnamon

Walmart

I would not put this on a bagel because I am not a sweet bagel lover. If you are, though, then this is for sure the best cream cheese to buy. It is super sweet and will turn anything you put it on into a cinnamon roll. This stuff is like Cinnabon in a container. Save yourself a trip to the mall food court and just put this cream cheese on toast, a bagel, or fruit. — Jordan Myrick

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Strawberry Cream Cheese

Tillamook Seriously Strawberry Cream Cheese

Walmart

Chunks!!! Of!!! Strawberries!!! I couldn’t believe it when I opened this tub of Tillamook Strawberry Cream Cheese and found big pieces of actual fruit folded into the cream cheese. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fruit cream cheese with real fruit bits. After marinating in the cream cheese, the strawberries have a slightly gelatinous texture that is super pleasing. I didn’t know I wanted chunky, sweet strawberry cream cheese, but now that I know, I’m never going back. — Jordan Myrick

Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Chive and Onion Cream Cheese

Great Value Chive & Onion

Walmart

Ever wanted to just spread onion dip on your bagel like a real goblin? This Walmart brand cream cheese will bring your dream to life. It’s so extremely oniony and herby without tasting super fake. And it’s super duper savory. Do not put this on a salt bagel if you value the moisture in your body. This is definitely the best chive and onion cream cheese to get. And it’s cheap cheap cheap. — Justine Sterling

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Whipped Cream Cheese

365 Whole Foods Whipped Cream Cheese

Whole Foods

365 Whole Foods Whipped Cream Cheese tastes like you’re consuming a cloud. I know you are technically getting less cream cheese for your money per tub, but the whipped texture is just so dreamy that I can’t stop myself from purchasing it. This brand of whipped cream cheese in particular has a nice, airy consistency without losing the slightly sour twang of thicker cream cheese. The spreadability is off the charts, so this cream cheese pairs best with bagels and toast—but it’s also delicious just eaten off a spoon, which is my preferred method. — Jordan Myrick

Credit: Ryan Martin / Whole Foods

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best Veggie Cream Cheese

Tillamook Very Veggie Cream Cheese

Instacart

The best cream cheese of the vegetable variety is made by Tillamook, and that’s not surprising at all. Tillamook makes incredible dairy products (we love Tillamook ice cream and shredded cheese, too). This is the best veggie cream cheese because it actually tastes like vegetables. You get bell pepper and onion and even a hint of celery. It’s so bright and fresh. I will absolutely buy this cream cheese again. — Jordan Myrick

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best Sweet & Spicy Cream Cheese

Tillamook Jalapeño Honey

Walmart

I am not a huge hot honey fan. I think it’s overused and treated almost like ketchup. You can’t just put it on anything. But it turns out you can and should mix it into cream cheese—especially ultra creamy Tillamook cream cheese. It’s subtly honeyed with a lot of zesty, spicy jalapeño flavor, plus just enough salt to bring it all together. And when I say spicy I mean it’s actually spicy. It’s the best spicy cream cheese I’ve ever had, hands down. — Justine Sterling

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best Flavored

Philadelphia Spicy Jalapeño Cream Cheese

Walmart

I was impressed that Philadelphia Spicy Jalapeño Cream Cheese actually has some kick to it! Jalapeño is such a complementary flavor to cream cheese (see jalapeño poppers for proof) and Philadelphia is the best cream cheese, so this is essentially perfect. This doesn’t need anything at all other than a warm bagel. If you do want to do something kind of freaky with this, take a page from my mom’s book and make tuna salad with this cream cheese, a can of tuna, and diced raw red onion. You’re skeptical, I know, but it is really tasty! — Jordan Myrick

Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Best Lactose Free Cream Cheese

Green Valley Lactose Free Cream Cheese

Walmart

We all were really blown away by this lactose free cream cheese. It’s not just the best lactose free cream cheese—it’s genuinely some of the best cream cheese from a grocery store that you can buy. It’s tangy and extremely creamy—it almost has a mascarpone-y flavor. It’s dense as heck, too. If you’re a fluffy, whipped cream cheese only person, this isn’t the best cream cheese for you. But if you like it thick and you can’t handle lactose, then seriously seek this out. — Justine Sterling

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese

Walmart

Philadelphia Cream Cheese: The cream cheese so delicious they named a city after it. I’m just kidding. They didn’t name the Pennsylvania city after the cream cheese brand, but they did name a sushi roll after it. And it’s well deserved! The Original Philadelphia Cream Cheese is the best cream cheese. It’s sensationally creamy and perfectly balances richness and tang. Contrary to everything I believe, I think a thick schmear of this is best on a plain bagel with zero toppings. You need to let the pure cream cheese flavor shine through! But, obviously, it would also be good with my regular bagel order, too (red onion, capers, cucumber, thinly sliced radish, dill, and smoked salmon). I know there are lots of fun flavors, but the plain original Philadelphia is surprisingly the best cream cheese for bagels and everything else. — Jordan Myrick

Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other cream cheeses we tried:

Trader Joe’s Onion + Chive, Great Value Veggie, Philadelphia Veggie, Philadelphia Buffalo, Philadelphia Honey Pecan, Philadelphia Red Pepper, Philadelphia Brown Sugar Cinnamon, Nancy’s Probiotic Cream Cheese, Philadelphia Blueberry Cream Cheese, Tillamook Made with Extra Cream, Good Culture Probiotic Chive, Philadelphia Whipped Chipotle 

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