Trader Joe’s is for cheese. It is the reason to go to Trader Joe’s over another grocery store. Sure, Trader Joe’s salad kits are good and the frozen section can occasionally feature some strong offerings (particularly when it comes to Trader Joe’s frozen appetizers), but the Trader Joe’s cheese selection is something different. Something spectacular. Something totally next level. They have all the classics (you can get Trader Joe’s cheddar and Trader Joe’s feta), plus fancy selections (like truffle brie), PLUS flavors you’ve probably never heard of before (caramelized onion chevre, anyone?).
We tried (and recently re-tried) a wide variety of Trader Joe’s cheeses to determine which Trader Joe’s cheese is the best cheese at Trader Joe’s. We updated this ranking by removing some cheeses we couldn’t track down—as well as a few that simply didn’t taste as good as they once did—and added a few others. If you’re looking for the best cheddar, mozzarella, or blue cheese at Trader Joe’s, you can now find it here. Scroll to find out which Trader Joe’s cheeses you should run out and buy before they’re inevitably discontinued.
- Unexpected Cheddar Cheese Shreds
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This bag of Unexpected Cheddar is the only Trader Joe’s shredded cheese that tastes like actual cheese. Instead of being weird, tiny, waxy wiggles of cheese, these shreds have the exact same texture as cheese that has been freshly shredded at home. If you’re a Trader Joe’s fan, you probably already know that block of Unexpected Cheddar is perfection (you’ll see it further down on this list) and I urge you to try it in its bagged form as well. After trying this, I will have a hard time ever buying another type of pre-shredded cheese ever again. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Ryan Martin
- Trader Joe’s New Zealand Cheddar
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If you think cheddar is the best cheese, then this New Zealand cheddar is the best Trader Joe’s cheese for you. It’s sharp—but not aggressive—and a little bit crumbly without being too dry. It would be just as at home on a cheese board as it would on a turkey sandwich. You even get a hint at those flavor crystals some nice aged cheese have. You can get a decent orange cheddar anywhere (and if you must buy one from Trader Joe’s, get the Wisconsin Extra Sharp) but New Zealand white cheddar is rarer and much more interesting. Don’t you want to be interesting? — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett
- Trader Joe’s Mozzarella Cheese Pearls
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We tried all the fresh mozzarella products we found at Trader Joe’s (I couldn’t find the burrata filling, unfortunately) and most of them fell pretty flat. They were bland and not creamy enough. But these little fresh mozzarella pearls were the exception. They’re teeny-tiny, super tender, and taste like fresh cream. After tasting them on their own, I tossed them in with a bag of Trader Joe’s Pizza Ranch Salad and lost my mind. Thanks to their size, you get a ball in every bite. They really are the perfect salad cheese—and the best mozzarella cheese at Trader Joe’s. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett
- Trader Joe’s Cave Aged Blue
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Not only is this the best Trader Joe’s blue cheese, it’s also some of the best blue cheese you can find at a grocery store, period. It’s creamy, it’s tangy, and it finishes with a rounded, nutty flavor that sets it apart from the others. It’s even better than the stilton at Trader Joe’s. And I love stilton. Crumble this Trader Joe’s blue cheese into salad, scoop it up with a walnut, or feel free to experiment. It’s cheap, so you can afford to use it however you please. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett
- Triple Creme Brie Cheese
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The triple creme in this Triple Creme Brie is no joke! It is so sensationally creamy that it’s almost a liquid. In terms of spreadability, this rates off the charts. While I find that brie cheeses typically have a mild flavor, this one is funky in the best way possible. It almost tastes like camembert. I’d happily slap a wedge of this on a cheese board or use it to make a very gooey grilled cheese. Now it’s time to ask the important question: What’s the difference between “creme” and “cream,” anyway? — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Ryan Martin
- Trader Joe’s Brie Log
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Trader Joe’s wedge of triple creme brie is, for sure, the best Trader Joe’s brie cheese if you like your cheese a little funky. But if you’re looking for a super mild brie, this log is the one for you. And the rounds are perfectly cracker-sized! The bloomy rind is thin and tender (eat it) and the cheese inside is rich and creamy. It’s delightful on its own but could also be good with a dollop of fruit preserves or a tiny nest of prosciutto. — Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett
- Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar
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I know, there’s a lot of Unexpected Cheddar products on this list of the best Trader Joe’s cheese. It almost feels like you can’t go wrong with an Unexpected Cheddar product. And you kinda can’t. (The only Unexpected Cheddar food we weren’t blown away by was the egg bites.) It’s a near-perfect cheese hybrid. A mix of cheddar and parmesan, it’s savory and creamy and it has those flavor crystals. Yum. You can slice it and put it on a sandwich. You can serve it on a cheese board. You can take a big ol’ bite right off the block. It’s unlike any other cheese sold by any other store (yes, there’s an Aldi dupe, but it pales in comparison). And that definitely makes it some of the best cheese at Trader Joe’s.
Credit: Liv Averett
- Unexpected Cheddar Spread
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Unexpected Cheddar is the Trader Joe’s cheese. That being said, we think the spreadable version trumps the original and the shreds. It is so creamy and luscious and salty. Obviously, you can toss it on a cheese board, but I want this, sliced ham, and Dijon mustard on some crusty bread. It would be the perfect little crostini for a party. Don’t feel like you need to get fancy, though! Eating it off a spoon over the sink is also delicious. This is the best Trader Joe’s cheese dip—yes, even better than the Trader Joe’s Toscano Cheese spread. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Liv Averett
- Creamy Toscano Cheese Soaked in Syrah
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Trader Joe’s Toscano Cheese Soaked in Syrah combines two things I don’t really care about (wine and hard cheese) to make one of the most delicious cheeses I’ve ever tasted in my life. It truly is some of the best cheese at Trader Joe’s. It is so flavorful that you don’t need any accouterments to enjoy it. Don’t dull its shine by putting it on a cracker. There’s no need to contrast its flavor with a fig jam because it is already complex enough on its own. Why add salumi? It’s already salty enough! Did I mention that this parm-like cheese has the most wonderful element you can find in a hard cheese: crunchy flavor crystals (aka tyrosine crystals that form in nice aged cheeses)?! Do yourself a favor and make sure to eat the rind, too. — Jordan Myrick
Credit: Ryan Martin
- Goat Milk Gouda-Style Cheese
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If you’re looking for a cheese that tastes like something you purchased at a local, artisanal cheese shop and not Trader Joe’s, this goat milk gouda-style cheese is for you. It is creamy but also a little dry. Salty, but not too salty. It would go well with almost any jam, preserve, honey, meat, nut, fruit or jelly you could find. This is an unbelievably versatile cheese board cheese and the best Trader Joe’s cheese around. It is so unique without being a flavored cheese. The other goudas in the Trader Joe’s cheese section are totally fine. But this one is exceptional. Seek it out. — Jordan Myrick & Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett
Best Shredded
Best Cheddar
Best Mozzarella
Best Blue Cheese
Best Funky Soft Cheese
Best Brie
Best Innovation
Best Cheese Dip
Best Italian Cheese
Best of the Best
Other Trader Joe’s cheese we tried: English Cheddar with Caramelized Onions, Syrah Soaked Toscano Cheese Dip & Spread, Spicy Buffalo Cheddar (unavailable), Wisconsin Sharp, California Mild Cheddar, Organic Pepper Jack, Jalapeno Monterey Jack, Brie with Truffles, Walnut Gouda, Gouda, Double Creme Gouda, Everything but the Bagel Cheddar, Stilton, Brie with Calvados, Italian Truffle, Brie with Mushrooms, Smoked Gouda, Trader Joe’s Wisconsin Extra Sharp, Blueberry Vanilla Chevre, Chevre with Honey, Caramelized Onion Goat’s Milk Cheese, Stilton, Burrata, Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Marinated Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Smoked Gouda, Ciliegine, Cranberry Chevre