Walmart Cream Cheeses Ranked Worst to Best

A taste test has ranked 11 cream cheese products from Walmart's store brands, Great Value and Bettergoods, from worst to best. The ranking includes plain bricks, flavored spreads, a dairy-free option, and Neufchâtel cheese.

The source at The Takeout conducted the tasting. The goal was to see how these budget and specialty options stand up for both spreading and cooking. The results provide a guide for restaurant operators and caterers sourcing consistent, cost-effective ingredients.

The Bottom of the List

Bettergoods Roasted Garlic cream cheese spread landed in last place. While it delivered a genuine, potent roasted garlic flavor, two major flaws were noted. The spread was overwhelmingly salty, masking the cream cheese's natural tang. Its texture was also granular due to the high garlic content, ruining the creamy mouthfeel.

Great Value Plain cream cheese was ranked tenth. It was dense, rich, and tangy, representing a good budget option at its price point. However, it was also described as somewhat bland and crumbly compared to higher-ranked products. The reviewer stated it works best in recipes where cream cheese is a background ingredient.

Great Value Chive & Onion took the ninth spot. The spread had a perfect, smooth texture for spreading. Yet, like the roasted garlic variant, it was criticized for excessive saltiness. The reviewer suggested it would be better used sparingly as a sauce component rather than as a standalone bagel spread.

Middle Rankings and Surprises

Great Value Neufchâtel, a lower-fat cheese style that inspired American cream cheese, ranked eighth. Despite its milk-only composition, it was found to be creamy and spreadable. Its flavor was slightly different but very close to classic cream cheese, making it a difficult product to distinguish in a blind test.

The Bettergoods Dairy Free cream cheese substitute came in seventh. Made with coconut oil, butter beans, and avocado oil, it impressed with its accurate, creamy texture that left no greasy residue. Its flavor was more mild and homogenized than dairy cream cheese, but was deemed a tasty and viable option.

Great Value Blueberry was ranked sixth. The reviewer admitted a personal bias against blueberries but found the fruit flavor was not strong enough. The sweetness level was too high, masking both the berry and the cheese's natural tartness. Its texture, however, was noted as perfectly spreadable.

The Top Five Cream Cheeses

The top-ranked products from the Walmart brands are listed in the table below.

The Bettergoods Plain cream cheese secured fifth place for its exceptionally lush and creamy texture. Its flavor was a well-balanced mix of sweet and tart, outperforming the Great Value plain version significantly.

Great Value Strawberry took fourth. It was praised for its strong, genuine strawberry taste and a better balance of sweetness than the blueberry variant. The texture was also highlighted as excellent.

The Great Value Whipped Cream Cheese landed in third. Its ultra-light, airy texture was noted as a major advantage, melting instantly on the tongue for thin, even spreading.

Bettergoods Everything Bagel cream cheese spread was the runner-up. It was packed with sesame, garlic, and onion flavors, delivering a savory punch without excessive salt. The reviewer called it the perfect pairing for a plain bagel.

The top spot went to Great Value Whipped Strawberry. This product combined the beloved whipped texture with a potent, authentic strawberry flavor, making it the overall favorite in the tasting.