Kraft Heinz (NYSE: KHC) Partners With Mike’s Hot Honey To Launch Philadelphia’s First Sweet Heat Cream Cheese In The U.S.

The Kraft Heinz Company (NYSE: KHC) is bringing a new flavor category to the cream cheese aisle through a collaboration between its Philadelphia brand and Mike’s Hot Honey.

The partnership introduces Philadelphia Mike’s Hot Honey Whipped Cream Cheese, combining Philadelphia’s light and fluffy whipped cream cheese with Mike’s Hot Honey’s signature blend of pure honey infused with real chili peppers.

Mike’s Hot Honey, founded in 2010, is recognized as America’s original and leading hot honey brand, with its first drizzle on a pizza at Paulie Gee’s in Brooklyn sparking what became a national flavor trend.

The collaboration carries particular significance given the history between the two brands, with Mike’s Hot Honey founder Mike Kurtz having used Philadelphia cream cheese as an early vehicle to demonstrate his product’s versatility.

“Philadelphia has been part of the Mike’s Hot Honey story since the early days,” said Mike Kurtz, founder of Mike’s Hot Honey. “When I was first building the brand, I used to sample our hot honey on bricks of Philadelphia cream cheese to show people just how delicious and versatile the combination could be.”

Kurtz described the official partnership as a meaningful milestone, saying the new product “feels like a full-circle moment” and that together the brands “worked closely to get the balance of creamy, sweet heat just right.”

The timing reflects broader consumer trends, with sweet-and-spicy flavors surging nearly 230% on menus over the past four years and nearly half of all consumers having now tried hot honey, led by millennials and Gen Z.

Philadelphia Mike’s Hot Honey Whipped Cream Cheese is available now at Walmart (NYSE: WMT), with a nationwide retail rollout planned for January 2027.

Philadelphia is also expanding its lineup with two additional fall-inspired flavors: Cranberry Orange Cream Cheese, available for a limited time, and Salted Caramel Cream Cheese, which joins the brand’s permanent portfolio.

Both new flavors draw on research showing that 85% of consumers say familiar flavors influence what they eat and drink, according to Innova 2025 data cited by the company.

“Philadelphia has set the cream cheese standard for over 150 years, and staying at the forefront means continuing to evolve with the way people eat and the flavors they crave,” said Maddy Zingle, Vice President of Marketing at Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

Zingle noted that the three new flavors are part of an accelerated innovation push, with 10 new flavors having joined Philadelphia’s lineup over the past two years.

For a limited time, consumers near Pedaler’s Pub in Bentonville, Arkansas and Pizza One in Wayne, New Jersey can sample limited-edition menu items made with the new Philadelphia Mike’s Hot Honey Whipped Cream Cheese.

Kraft Heinz reported approximately $25 billion in net sales in 2025 and operates a portfolio of brands sold in more than 40 countries, including Heinz, Kraft, Philadelphia, Primal Kitchen, and Lunchables.