Lacey Muszynski / Cheapism
Can you even have Thanksgiving dinner without a pumpkin pie? We think not. So we set out to taste a bunch of store-bought pumpkin pies — fresh from the bakery, not the freezer — and determine which one will impress your guests the most this holiday.
Here are our findings and recommendations for your Thanksgiving table, ranked from best to worst.
Spoiler alert: Though Costco’s pumpkin pie is the most famous, you should consider branching out this year.
Crust: 8 out of 10
Filling: 7 out of 10
Size: 58 ounces
Price: $6
This is the Goldilocks of pumpkin pies. Everything is just right: the amount of spices in the filling, the crispiness of the crust, and the price. This is one of the few pies that actually had a good, browned bottom crust, and it held up easily to the weight of all that filling.
It cuts well so all the slices look picture-perfect. If you've got a ton of people to feed for Thanksgiving and want a true crown-pleaser pumpkin pie, this is the pie for you.
Crust: 7 out of 10
Filling: 7 out of 10
Size: 27 ounces
Price: $7
Whew, this is a spicy pie! Not in heat level, of course, but in warm fall spices like cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. The scent wafted out of the box as soon as I opened it, which I'm a big fan of, but it may not be everyone's cup of tea (or slice of pie).
The crust is buttery and flaky, and actually tastes good instead of just being a vehicle for filling. This is the most homemade-like pie of the entire bunch.
Crust: 6 out of 10
Filling: 5 out of 10
Size: 40 ounces
Price: $12
If you have a Kroger-owned grocery store near you, its pumpkin pie will do in a pinch, but homemade would be better. There's a generous amount of filling, but it's soft and wet, so a little liquid leeches out after its cut. The flavor is balanced and not too sweet. Thankfully, the crust is sturdy and not soggy underneath it all, though I'm dubious that it would hold up well for more than a day or two after it's been cut due to the wet filling.
Crust: 5 out of 10
Filling: 4 out of 10
Size: 20 ounces
Price: $5
There's a ton of crust in this pie, and the ratio of crust to filling is way off. It's the thinnest layer of filling in the taste test, but the crust is not nearly good enough to make that OK. Spices are predominant in the pumpkin filling, similar to Trader Joe's pie, but this one's just not as good, with a distinct aftertaste of dusty allspice. Even at only $5, it's not a great value since it's so skimpy.
Crust: 2 out of 10
Filling: 5 out of 10
Size: 24 ounces
Price: $5
Just looking at this pie, I was worried. The crust is absolutely anemic, with almost no color at all. And sure enough, it seemed like it wasn't baked thoroughly. It was very soft and doughy on the bottom, and almost cake-like around the rim. Weirdly enough, the filling is the one that tastes the most like actual pumpkin — and not just pumpkin spice — though. If you want to try it, hunt for one that has a nice brown crust.
Crust: 2 out of 10
Filling: 3 out of 10
Size: 58 ounces
Price: $6
People go nuts over Costco pumpkin pies, but I don't get the hype. Everything about them is bland. There's little pumpkin or spice flavors. They're creamy, large, and cheap, but that's about it. Interestingly, this was the only store that kept the pies refrigerated, and that made for very soggy, soft crust. I also had to blot condensation pools off the top of the pie with a paper towel, which was weird. Flavorless may be inoffensive, but it's also far from good.
Crust: 2 out of 10
Filling: 1 out of 10
Size: 21 ounces
Price: $6.49
OK, we've officially reached offensive with Meijer's pumpkin pie. It smells vaguely of apple pie, but the flavor is all clove, with a strong bitter aftertaste. The crust is thin, fragile, and an afterthought. But beyond the terrible flavor, the packaging is infuriating. Instead of the box opening with a hinged lid like all the others, it opens from the side, like a box of frozen waffles. When you manage to undo the glue (without jostling the pie too much!), the box immediately breaks off the edges of the crust when you slide it out. Who thought anything about this pie was a good idea?
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