This Trader Joe’s Frozen Treat Is the Perfect Last-Minute Party Dessert

We spent a big portion of 2023 scouring the Trader Joe’s freezer area for the latest goodies (Brownie Crisp Coffee Ice-Cream Sandwiches! Tiramisu in Italy!) But, as much as we like discovering new Trader Joe’s items, it’s important to remember the TJ’s classics that are always available. Take, for example, Trader Joe’s New York Deli Style Cheesecake, which has long been a customer favorite. It’s been receiving some social media attention recently, which reminded us that we haven’t seen this old acquaintance in a while.

A Trader Joe’s New York Deli Style Cheesecake is out of this world. For one thing, at $8 for a substantially proportioned cake, it’s a touch pricey. The acidic (from the sour cream) filling is just sweet enough, and the graham cracker shell is satisfyingly thick. Because the cake is not pre-sliced, it is less likely to dry out, and you may cut the slices as large or tiny as you desire.

A plain cheesecake is beautiful, but it’s also a blank canvas for your culinary imagination. And the Internet concurs. “It’s really simple. If you do try it, I recommend obtaining some type of topping to put on it to add taste,” Redditor PeachCinnamonToast says. If you ask other NY Deli Style Cheesecake fans online, they’ll tell you that you can get plenty of interesting toppings at TJ’s while you’re there.

To get you started, we’ve compiled a list of five of our favorite ways to improve a Trader Joe’s cheesecake using only TJ’s ingredients. You can transform a regular sweet into a show-stopping centerpiece dessert for any occasion in only 5 minutes.