Philadelphia’s First-Ever Cheesecake Is (Almost) Perfect (Tastes Homemade!)

I loveeeee cheesecake. I look forward to the holidays every year, spending time with family and friends, of course, but more importantly, for the cream cheese. Truly the most wonderful time of the year. 

It’s integral to so many of my favorite dishes: holiday dips and creamy sides, plus dessert staples like cheesecake and cream cheese frostings. Even as an avid baker, I don’t always make them from scratch — not because it’s necessarily hard, but because they’re a bit technical and with how busy the holidays are, I always try to make the easiest things. 

I recently got wind that Philadelphia, arguably the most iconic cream cheese brand (it’s been around since 1872!), is releasing two frozen cheesecakes and a new cream cheese frosting. My immediate thought was, Wait, these don’t already exist? I obviously flocked to try them. Here’s my honest review. 

Philadelphia is making desserts an ounce easier this season. The frozen cheesecakes — in both Original and Strawberry — and cinnamon cream cheese frosting hit shelves this month. So there’s plenty of time to snag one for yourself and save another for the holidays. 

The cheesecakes are precut into eight slices, and intended to be thaw-and-serve (from the freezer to the fridge to your table). They contain Philadelphia cream cheese (obviously) and have a graham cracker crust. The Cinnamon Frosting is a twist on the popular frosting that debuted last year, and is the first in a line of seasonal cream cheese frosting flavors coming soon (*makes mental note*). 

Expect to see all three to pop up on shelves nationwide at Walmart, Kroger, and Publix, and more in the coming weeks. The 24-ounce cheesecakes are $12.99 and 16-ounce frosting tubs are $4.99.

The TD;LR is these launches are seriously good. If you see them in the store, grab a few for the holidays (or really, whenever). Not convinced?! Let’s get into the nitty-gritty details …

This cheesecake surprised me — in the best way. A few days before trying, I got an $8 slice from my local Italian deli and sure, it was great, but this cheesecake tasted just as good and is way bigger (and just $13 for eight slices). The texture is creamy and smooth, with a bit of a tang from the cream cheese. 

It really tastes homemade without any of the effort (a dream), and you can make it your own by topping it with some jarred cherries, a drizzle of caramel, or anything else you’d like. I also love that it comes presliced, which is superconvenient for serving guests. The graham cracker crust is also a textural dream, and it has a crunchy-sweetness that really goes well with the filling. 

Buy in stores: Philadelphia Original Frozen Cheesecake, $12.99 for 24 ounces

If you’re a cinnamon lover, this is a must. I’m already dreaming about adding it to cinnamon buns, pumpkin pies, and even toast! I piped it onto a homemade sweet potato cake, and the warm notes balanced the sweetness of the potatoes. It was truly next level.

Plus, the frosting is thick enough to pipe, yet spreads easily without needing it to come to room temperature. 

Buy in stores: Philadelphia Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, $4.99 for 16 ounces 

Would you try these new releases?? Tell us about it in the comments below.