- I tried cheesecake from Whole Foods, Walmart, Costco, and Trader Joe's to see which was the best.
- Although I'm typically a fan of Trader Joe's products, I thought its cheesecake was bland.
- Costco's cheesecake was delicious — dense, creamy, and tangy — with a classic, buttery crust.
New York-style cheesecake is a classic dessert known for its dense, tangy cream-cheese filling, typically set atop a graham-cracker crust.
Although I love cheesecake, baking one at home can easily take hours, and a trip to a small bakery isn't always an option.
So, I picked up four grocery-store versions from Whole Foods, Walmart, Costco, and Trader Joe's to find out which ones actually deliver that classic cheesecake taste. Here's how it went.
At first glance, the Whole Foods cheesecake looked the best.
The 40-ounce Whole Foods cheesecake cost $27, and had flecks of vanilla bean throughout. It was also beautifully topped with berries and cream.
The crust seemed thin, but the cake itself looked delicious, and I was excited to dig in.
However, I was disappointed by the taste.
Once I took a bite, I thought the filling tasted more sweet than tangy, and it lacked the dense creaminess I expect from a New York-style cheesecake. Instead, it was light, mousse-like, and not at all that cheesy.
The crust wasn't bad, but it didn't have a strong graham-cracker taste, either.
Because this cake was the most expensive on a per-ounce basis, I expected more flavor. So, ultimately, this cheesecake was a miss for me.
The Trader Joe's cheesecake came frozen.
Trader Joe's 30-ounce New York-style cheesecake cost just under $8 and was the only one in the bunch that came frozen.
This was a bit of a bummer because I waited two hours for it to defrost before trying it. However, I was eager to see if this would affect the taste at all.
I didn't think this cheesecake had much flavor.
When I took a bite, I thought the flavor was faint at best, with none of the tang or richness that makes New York-style cheesecake so iconic.
I even had other family members try it with me, and they weren't impressed.
Plus, I thought the crust-to-filling ratio was off, and there wasn't enough of the actual filling for my liking.
Even though it was the cheapest option by ounce, I wouldn't buy it again.
The Walmart cheesecake looked promising.
I enjoy most of Walmart's food products, so I was excited to try this presliced 40-ounce New York-style cheesecake, which cost $13.
The filling was pretty good, but I didn't love the crust.
The texture of the cheesecake filling seemed heavier than the others I tried, and I thought it was a decent option for the price. The flavor was a bit mild, but overall, it was pretty good.
My biggest issue here was the crust. It was thin, floury, and left some visible grease at the bottom of the pan.
Costco's cheesecake came with frosting on top.
The Costco cheesecake was the only option that came with frosting, complete with a ruffled, piped border. It also came pre-marked for perfect slicing, though it was tricky to get a clean cut.
At only $20 for a whopping 72 ounces of cheesecake, I thought the price for such a massive cake was hard to beat.
I loved how dense, creamy, and tangy this cheesecake was.
The Costco cheesecake was also the only option not specifically marketed as New York-style, but I thought it tasted authentic. It was dense, creamy, and tangy.
The crust also nailed the classic, buttery, graham-cracker flavor. Although it was a little thin for my liking, it held the filling well, which impressed me.
The only drawback was the sugary frosting on top, which felt unnecessary and distracted from the actual cheesecake filling.
However, it was definitely my favorite option overall, and for the price, I thought it was a great value.
