Pumpkin pie is a staple dessert during the holiday season. The main reason for this is that it is popular for its creamy filling and flaky crust. Making a pumpkin pie at home can be annoying for some, and likewise, dealing with all the other holiday plans can be difficult. Therefore, store-bought pies are helpful. But some people say that some store-bought pies are better than others. So I personally tested pies from four popular stores.
My goal was to evaluate the spice, sweetness and crust of each pie. I conducted blind tests with a group of people who also tasted the pies. Our focus was on flavor, texture and whether it felt good. Maybe you need a quick last-minute dessert. Or maybe you want something made in the store rather than homemade. This guide may provide some ideas for your selection.
1. **Costco – Kirkland Fresh Baked Pumpkin Pie**: This pie is really impressive, you know? It’s pretty big at 58 ounces. Beyond the fact that you get what you pay for, it’s really surprising how good it tastes. My taster really liked its silky creamy texture. It added to the natural earthy flavor of the pumpkin.Costco’s pies were well received.
Recipe details: Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts
Cook time: Total time: 1 hr
Level: Easy Servings: 16 servings
Total weight: 1412.6 g Calories: 3909.3 kcal
Energy: 3909.3 kcal Protein: 45.9 g
Carbs: 699.5 g Fat: 114.6 g
Dish Tags: american, starter, lunch/dinner, Low Potassium, Kidney-Friendly, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Dairy-Free, Gluten, Wheat, Sulfites, FODMAP
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cooking steps:
1. For the doughnuts: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Whisk the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
3. Beat the pumpkin puree, sugar, vegetable oil, butter, vanilla and eggs and together in another large bowl until smooth.
4. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and beat until just combined.
5. Fill three 6-cup nonstick doughnut pans with the batter so that each mold is almost full. Smooth the tops with a moistened finger.
6. Bake the doughnuts until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Invert the doughnuts onto a cooling rack.
7. For the topping: Stir the sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow bowl. Working one at a time, brush the doughnuts all over with butter, then dip them in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Get the recipe: Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts
2. **Walmart – Freshness Guaranteed 8″ Pumpkin Pie**: Walmart’s pie is a very classic flavor with a great mark. Tasters also loved the flavorful feel of the filling. It balanced the sugar and spice portions well, and neither was overpowering. Also, the pie sliced very well and didn’t fall apart. It’s crust really stood out, and people mostly think of it as flaky. Tasters thought it was a no-brainer for second place, and you should consider it.
3. **Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie**: Trader Joe’s has created a classic flavor in their own unique way. Their pumpkin pie has its good and bad points. The first is that the filling has a very delicate texture, which we can all agree on. It has layers of flavor that stand out from the rest of the comparisons. However, some felt that the spice mix is heavily weighted towards nutmeg. This flavor overpowered almost all other flavors. However, it is worth trying this one if you like bolder spice flavors.
Recipe details: Pumpkin Pie
Prep time: 15 min Inactive time: 2 hr 30 min
Cook time: 1 hr 5 min Total time: 3 hr 50 min
Level: Intermediate Servings: 1 9-inch pie or 5 5-inch mini-pies
Total weight: 1176.7 g Calories: 2725.3 kcal
Energy: 2725.3 kcal Protein: 52.8 g
Carbs: 252.5 g Fat: 170.2 g
Dish Tags: american, desserts, lunch/dinner, Sugar-Conscious, Kidney-Friendly, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Peanut-Free, Sulfites
Ingredients:
6 ounces gingersnap cookies
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 ounce unsalted butter, melted
16 ounces Pumpkin Puree, recipe follows
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
5 teaspoons light brown sugar, divided
1 (4 to 6-pound) baking pumpkin, rinsed and dried
Kosher salt
Cooking steps:
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. For the crust: Combine the gingersnaps, brown sugar, and ginger in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the cookies are fine crumbs. Drizzle the butter into the crumb mixture. Pulse 8 to 10 times to combine.
3. Press the gingersnap mixture into the bottom, up the sides, and just over the lip of a 9-inch glass pie dish. Place on a half sheet pan and bake the crust for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool crust at least 10 minutes before filling.
4. For the filling: Bring the pumpkin puree to a simmer over medium heat in a 2-quart saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the half-and-half, nutmeg, and salt. Stir and return the mixture to a simmer. Remove the pumpkin mixture from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.
5. Whisk the brown sugar, eggs, and yolk until smooth in a large bowl. Add the pumpkin mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour the prepared filling into the warm pie crust and bake on the same half sheet pan until the center jiggles slightly but the sides of the filling are set, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack for at least 2 to 3 hours before slicing. Pie can be made and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance. Pie is best the day after it is made.
6. For mini-pies: Evenly divide the crust mixture between 5 (5-inch) pie tins and bake on a half sheet pan for 5 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before evenly dividing the filling between the pans. Bake until the center juggles slightly but the sides of the filling are set, 25 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack for 2 hours. Spread 1 teaspoon of light brown sugar on the top of each pie. Melt the sugar using a torch to form a crispy top. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Get the recipe: Pumpkin Pie
4. **Publix Bakery Pumpkin Pie**: High expectations were there for Publix bakery you know. It comes from a chain known for good baked stuff they say. While it did not get the top spot, it had good points. The filling was mildly spiced folks said for sure. This makes it good for people who like less flavor bold. The crust felt sturdy but did not feel flaky enough. Overall taste felt a little simpler people reported this.
5. **Aldi – Bake Shop Bakery Pumpkin Pie**: Aldi’s pie didn’t make it to the top of the list either. But there are quite a few people who love its. The top priority was the delicate and silky filling, but many thought it was too sweet. Its crust was okay, but according to us it could have been better. It lacked some outstanding features. Nonetheless, for the price, it is still a very economical option.
Recipe details: Chocolate Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie
Cook time: Total time: 1 hr
Level: Easy Servings: 12 servings
Total weight: 1740.9 g Calories: 6937.6 kcal
Energy: 6937.6 kcal Protein: 53.4 g
Carbs: 957.8 g Fat: 345.5 g
Dish Tags: american, desserts, lunch/dinner, Low-Sodium, Low Potassium, Kidney-Friendly, Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free, Egg-Free, Sulfites
Ingredients:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
One 7-ounce container marshmallow cream
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 store-bought pumpkin pie
Seasonal chocolate lollipops, for decorating
Cooking steps:
1. For the ganache: Put the chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add the vanilla. Pour over the chocolate pieces and mix until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is combined.
2. For the marshmallow whipped cream: In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the marshmallow cream and butter until combined, about 30 seconds.
3. In a mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk the cream in a separate mixer bowl until frothy. Lower the speed and gradually add the powdered sugar. When added, increase the speed and whisk until stiff peaks form. Add the marshmallow and butter mixture to the cream and whisk until smooth.
4. For the pie: Pour the ganache over the pumpkin layer. Let set at room temperature for 40 minutes or flash-chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.
5. Pile the marshmallow whipped cream over the ganache in a high-domed mound–scale is everything. Insert seasonal chocolate lollipops in the marshmallow whipped cream.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie
6. **Sam’s Club – Member’s Mark Pumpkin Pie**: Sam’s Club’s pie was relatively ordinary overall. For its main part, the filling tastes rather sweet. On top of that, there is a light spice flavor and the crust holds its shape well. Still, it’s slightly average among the few reviewed. If you’re looking for a quick pie, this one might be good for emergencies.
7. **Whole Foods Pumpkin Pie**: You can tell that this pie is made to high quality standards. Reviewers praised the smooth and creamy texture of this pie. The filling balances the pumpkin flavor and subtle spice flavor well. It is perfect for those who want a slightly sweet flavor. You can clearly taste the pie’s upscale quality, so if you’re on a budget, this pie is worth considering purchasing. There were some polarized reviews of the crust, with some people saying that its crust held up well, and others saying that it wasn’t as flaky as other stores’ textures. Despite some debate about the crust, it is still highly recommended overall.
8. **The Fresh Market Pumpkin Pie**: The flavor of the pie had a distinctive spice profile. Tasters noted strong clove and pumpkin flavors that made it unique. Its thicker crust was well proportioned with the thicker filling. This pie is perfect for those who like bold and spicy flavors. However, not everyone liked the strong spice flavor. Some felt it completely overshadowed what one would expect from a standard pumpkin flavor. Please note that the pie sampled was a miniature version of the one received.
9. **Wegmans Pumpkin Pie**: Wegmans Bakery has a great reputation and their pumpkin pie is certainly worth reviewing for comparison. According to the hype, Wegmans’ pie uses a rich custard filling to balance out the pumpkin and spice flavors. It tastes just the right amount of sweetness and feels perfect for children and seniors. Additionally, the crust has a rich, buttery flavor. In general, it’s well worth recommending a taste, and Wegmans is always a dessert store to be reckoned with.
10. **Stew Leonard’s Pumpkin Pie**: In the Northeast, Stew Leonard’s desserts are a local favorite. Baked goods are freshly baked here every day. So, of course, Stew Leonard’s freshly made pumpkin pie is of a certain quality. The filling of the pumpkin pie is rich in flavor and creamy in texture. It was on par with several other excellent pumpkin pies that were tested. However, what sets Stew Leonard’s Pie
apart is the crust, which is both firm and flaky and holds up well even after slicing. Few stores can successfully replicate this sensation. It is recommended that anyone close to a Stew Leonard’s store try this pie as soon as they get a chance.
11. **H-E-B Pumpkin Pie**: This pie brings the rich flavors of the Texas region. The filling for this pie is also excellently prepared. But what really sets it apart is its store’s firm choice to use fresh, locally sourced ingredients. The crust is firm, but not the super thin kind. It doesn’t reach the higher level of thinness and crispness of the previous ones reviewed. But its flavor totally makes up for that little problem. For shoppers in Texas who want a pie they can feel good about, H-E-B is a good choice.
12. **Sprouts Farmers Market Pumpkin Pie**: Sprouts is known for selling natural and organic products. It emphasizes natural pumpkin without adding too much spice or sugar. That’s why this pie always has a fresh flavor. Perfect for those who want a light dessert. It is an excellent choice for those who are losing fat but crave for dessert. Tasters were impressed by the natural flavor of the filling, but the crust was a bit of a disappointment to tasters. They found it to be slightly dry and lacking the richness of butter. However, it was considered that perhaps too much butter was not added to maintain the overall freshness of the flavor. Its unique flavor makes it a noteworthy new option.
There are many stores on the market today that sell pumpkin pie. Obviously, not all pumpkin pies have the same level of quality. Some are richly spiced, some have a delicate texture, and some have a thin, crispy crust. There is always a pumpkin pie that is perfectly suited to your tastes. This guide can help you find the perfect pie choice. Have fun tasting pies and have a wonderful holiday season.
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