Kraft Singles' New Cheeses Want To Be Fancy

Kraft Singles are an easy choice if you're looking to slap some cheese on a sandwich, burger, or hot dog. Now, the top-selling cheese brand is hoping to make it onto some of your more elevated sandwich creations with the launch of three fancy new flavors: jalapeno, garlic and herb, and caramelized onion, all of which will be available in stores nationwide starting in January, according to info shared with Mashed.

As these are the first new cheese flavors to join the ranks in nearly a decade, Kraft Heinz claimed in a statement that its new flavor combinations will allow fans to "expand their taste buds." After some digging, the brand found that 67% of American cheese consumers are ready and willing to step outside of their comfort zones and try something new.

Containing less than 51% milk curd, Kraft Singles aren't actually considered cheese by the FDA. Instead, they're categorized as "pasteurized processed American cheese food." While some may think it bold to try to elevate something called "cheese food" with sexy flavors, Kraft Heinz CEO Miguel Patricio told CNN Business in 2022 that investing in the company's existing brands was a better business move than starting new ventures.

As Kraft Heinz told Mashed, after observing a 20% increase in the sale of flavored cheese slices, the company saw a demand in the market and rose to the occasion with the release of its three new flavors. But this isn't the first time the brand took its cues from public opinion. In May 2023, Kraft Singles underwent a transformation in hopes of addressing customer concerns about the difficulty of opening the plastic wrappers. Just one month later, Kraft also released a line of plant-based cheeses called NotCheese, after company research revealed that consumers were dissatisfied with the non-dairy options on the market.

Now, Kraft Singles hopes to come to the rescue once more, providing consumers with what they really want: more flavored cheese slices. The brand believes the inventive new flavor combinations are perfect for taking your sandwiches to the next level, recommending jalapeno slices for a steak sandwich, caramelized onion Singles for a next-level ham-and-cheese panini, and garlic and herb for the perfect chicken parmesan grinder. The new Kraft Singles flavors will be available in packages containing 16 individually wrapped slices.