Trader Joe’s Black Garlic Cream Cheese Review

Trader Joe’s Black Garlic Cream Cheese – the latest culinary curveball from our favorite neighborhood grocery store that’s always keeping us on our toes. This isn’t your average, run-of-the-mill cream cheese; oh no, this one’s got an edge. Infused with the enigmatic flavors of black garlic, this savory schmear promises to elevate your mundane crackers, transform your ordinary sandwiches, and give your bagels a reason to brag. It’s like the mysterious, dark horse of the cream cheese world – you’re not quite sure what to expect, but you’re intrigued enough to give it a try. So, let’s dive in and find out if this bold blend is a hidden gem or just a garlicky gimmick.

I love cream cheese and I love garlic and when you put the two together, magic can happen! Trader Joe’s might have hit another home run with this crazy mashup of black garlic and cream cheese.

I eat cream cheese and bagels for breakfast several times a week. Not sure it’s the healthiest breakfast I can have. Maybe if I cut up some avocado slices and put them on my bagel it would turn it into a healthy powerhouse breakfast! But what is Black Garlic?

 

What is Black Garlic?

Black garlic is a unique culinary ingredient that begins its life as regular garlic but is then transformed through a slow, meticulous aging process. This process, often involving weeks to months of aging under controlled heat and humidity, works its magic on the cloves, turning them from their usual sharp, pungent state into something entirely different. The process is known as a Mallaird Reaction. The cloves darken to a deep, almost ebony color, developing a soft, chewy texture akin to that of a dried fruit. Flavor-wise, black garlic is a world away from its raw counterpart. It boasts a complex, mellow taste with rich umami undertones, subtle sweetness, and a tangy balsamic-like depth. It’s devoid of the raw garlic’s characteristic bite, making it a versatile and intriguing ingredient in a variety of dishes, lending them a sophisticated, caramelized richness that is both nuanced and delightful. 

Trader Joe’s sells a ground Black Garlic product:

This is a pretty simple product, so I’ll keep the review pretty short. 

It looks like Trader Joe’s basically mixed some Black Garlic into their cream cheese (with a little regular garlic and onion powder for kicks) and you have this wonderful mix.

This product is not unlike mixing Trader Joe’s Everything But The Bagel seasoning mix into cream cheese. The Everything mix contains sesame seeds and poppy seeds but they are pretty flavorless. What you are really tasting is the garlic and onion powder.

Having said that, my taste buds tell me this Black Garlic Cream Cheese Spread is milder than EBTB seasoning mix because Black Garlic is milder.

There are quite a few uses for this banging around in my head:

• Put it on bagels, crackers or toast. With avocado even better.
• Use it for bagels, lox and cream cheese for that extra boost
• Make a creamy, garlicy pasta dish. Just mix this with some hot pasta and some pasta water. Done!
• Dump a big dollop in the middle of a hot baked potato. Yum!

Final Thoughts

It’s too bad this is a “limited” product because I think they could sell a ton of these tubs of cream cheese. It’s not a very complicated product so if you like garlic and cream cheese on a bagel or whatever, this product is for you. I liked the subtle garlic flavor imparted from the Black Garlic. Much less in your face than than the Everything But The Bagel seasoning. It’s a low key, but flavorful product. I’ll give it 7 out of 10 Bells!

Ingredients

• PASTEURIZED MILK AND CREAM
• WATER
• BLACK GARLIC SEASONING BLEND (MALTODEXTRIN, SEA SALT, SUGAR, SPICES, DRIED GARLIC, BLACK GARLIC POWDER, BUTTER [CREAM, SALT, ANNATTO EXTRACT {COLOR}], ONION POWDER, GARLIC POWDER, NONFAT MILK, NATURAL FLAVOR)
• CHEESE CULTURE
• SALT
• GUAR GUM
• XANTHAN GUM
• CAROB BEAN GUM
• CONTAINS MILK.