I Tested All the Supermarket Pumpkin Pies and Would Definitely Serve These Six at Thanksgiving
I'm going to admit something. I'm not a huge pumpkin pie fan. I don't dislike them, I just don't love them enough to choose them over say, apple when it comes to my holiday pie eating choices. As such, I have never really learned to bake them, always relying on the guests who do love them to bring one along to my holiday celebrations.
Weirdly, this makes me the perfect person to guide you on choosing a store-bought pumpkin pie for your own meal: If I recommend them as a non-lover, you better believe they are worth eating! I tested all the available fresh and frozen store-bought pumpkin pies, and here are the six I would gladly serve at my own Thanksgiving table.
Best overall: Marie Callender's Pumpkin Pie
This pie couldn't be simpler: just bake straight from frozen. Really good crust, no soggy bottom, and the filling is well-spiced but not too sweet with good pumpkin flavor. Frankly, your guests might not even know you didn't make it from scratch, and I am not going to tell you not to hide the box in the bottom of the garbage can.
Buy it: Marie Callender's Pumpkin Pie ($7.49), Instacart.com
Best frozen: Sara Lee Pumpkin Pie
Consider this option a strong second to the Marie Callender's frozen pumpkin pie, which can be tricky to find. I felt the filling was slightly too sweet for my personal taste, but some unsweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream would help to balance that out.
Buy it: Sara Lee Pumpkin Pie (price varies), Instacart.com
Best for a crowd: Costco's Kirkland Signature Pumpkin Pie
The manhole-sized pumpkin pie at Costco will serve a good 24 people (it weighs nearly 4 pounds!), making it a great option for bigger gatherings. The crust is nicely flaky and the filling well-balanced. My recommendation is to cut into squares and not try to get wedge slices out of this thing; it is just too wide to make that easy.
Buy it: Kirkland Signature Pumpkin Pie ($7.45), Instacart.com
Best bargain: ALDI's Bake Shop Pumpkin Pie
At $4, you cannot beat this pie, and the filling was one of the best I tasted. The crust has good flavor but suffers a bit texturally, so I do recommend giving it a quick 10-12 minutes in a 400-degree oven to re-crisp it a bit.
Buy it: Bake Shop Pumpkin Pie (price varies), Instacart.com
Best old-fashioned flavor: Entenmann's Pumpkin Pie
This seasonal treat just takes me back. There is something about Entenmann's that is just the flavor of my childhood, and I had a dear friend whose mom used to just keep one on the counter from Thanksgiving through Christmas for snacking. It is a smaller pie, so good for gatherings of 4-8.
Buy it: Entenmann's Pumpkin Pie (price varies), Instacart.com
Honorable mention: Kroger Bakery Fresh Goodness Pumpkin Pie
This was a very serviceable pie. The filling is a nice flavor and texture, but the crust can feel a little pale straight out of the package. Just re-crisp a little in your oven, though, and you'll be in business in no time!
Buy it: Kroger Bakery Fresh Goodness Pumpkin Pie (price varies), Kroger.com