Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar Spread is TikTok’s new cheesy obsession. People are demanding their followers go out and get it immediately. They’re saying it’s a new keto essential. Even Trader Joe’s employees are proclaiming their adoration. So, of course, we ran out and grabbed a tub to taste.
Essentially, it’s a spreadable version of the also much-celebrated Unexpected Cheddar Cheese, which took the number two spot in our cheddar cheese ranking and tastes like the love child of aged parmesan and cheddar.. The cheesemakers combined the Unexpected Cheddar with salted butter and whey to make it ultra-creamy. Did you think that’s how cheese spread was made? I didn’t even consider the idea of mixing cheese with butter. What a full-throttle dairy-filled concept. I’m all for it.
Anyway, Trader Joe’s called this new (butter and) cheese spread a “real crowd-cheeser.” Is it? I sat down with a knife and only a knife to taste it and find out.
It’s creamy, it’s sharp, it’s…unexpected, dare I say? It really lives up to the description. Upon first bite, you get that rich, cheesy cheddar flavor. Then, it takes a turn, offering up the tangy, almost sweet flavors of parmesan. Then it finishes with a buttery unctuousness. My first thought was to spread this cheese on slices of tart green apple. I could eat the whole tub like that. But it would also be great on a cheeseboard with crackers or slathered onto a sandwich with ham or turkey or just a fistful of sprouts. Trader Joe’s viral products don’t always live up to their hype, but this one most definitely did. Add this to your TJ’s snack list. It’s a must buy.
Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.
Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it.
What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now).
Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test!
Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.
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Justine Sterling
Naajia Shukri
Matt Crowley
Vinz Karl
