Pumpkin spice season gets a lot of flak and… we sort of get it. Every year, the glut of pumpkin spice products hits the shelves earlier and earlier, and each year, the number of things that become pumpkin spice-infused that shouldn’t be gets longer. But clearly, there are a good number of people who can’t get enough of this stuff; it’s not some conspiracy put on us by Big Pumpkin.
But if somehow we were able to eliminate every single pumpkin spice product from market shelves and cafe menus except for one, what would it be? You thought “pumpkin pie,” right? Because any other answer is wrong.
Pumpkin pie is the best pumpkin spice-infused food and it’s not even close. It’s a top-five Thanksgiving dinner staple, and if you’ve been tasked with pie duty this year, you’re probably going to want to show up to the dinner with the very best. That’s why — each November — we round up all the grocery store pumpkin pies we can find every year and put them to the blind taste test.
So here they are, the best grocery store pumpkin pies blind taste tested and ranked to help you win Thanksgiving.
Methodology:
To make this blind taste test as useful as possible, we targeted pumpkin pies from market chains with a multi-state presence. We did hit up one local So-Cal chain, Vons, but Vons’ parent company is Safeway, which is scattered across 16 states and carries the same products. So consider Vons, Safeway!
This year, Target unfortunately didn’t have a bake case pumpkin pie, so we picked up a Marie Calendar’s frozen pie to represent the brand.
Here is the full list of markets we hit up:
- Aldi
- Costco
- Sprouts
- Target (Marie Calendar’s Frozen Pie)
- Trader Joe’s
- Vons
- Walmart
- Whole Foods
Once we had all the pies rounded up, I had my girlfriend serve me a slice at random with a dollop of whipped cream, dug my fork in, and wrote down my initial impressions. For each slice, I made sure to focus on both the pumpkin custard and the pie crust.
Here are the results.
Part 1: The Grocery Store Pumpkin Pie Blind Taste Test
Taste 1:
A really nice balance of clove and cinnamon with a slightly dry, semi-mealy custard. I really like the bouquet of sweet, spicy, and slightly bitter notes, but the custard is really detracting from the experience. The crust is also a bit flat-tasting and bland. Not a great start to this taste test.
Taste 2:
Alright, things are looking up a bit here. The custard has a nice cinnamon and nutmeg vibe with a soft texture, and the crust is flakey but a little boring in flavor. All in all, this is a decent, if unremarkable pie.
Taste 3:
I’m torn on this one. The custard is the best I’ve had so far, it has clove, allspice, cinnamon, a touch of nutmeg, and ginger. It’s nuanced and full of flavor, but the crust is a straight-up travesty. It’s gummy, raw, and flavorless. The gap between how good the custard is and how bad the crust is is so wide.
Taste 4:
There is a dark, spicy vibe to this pie that makes it a real standout. I’m getting heavy doses of ginger and clove here, with a bit of brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom. Very fragrant in both smell and flavor.
The crust is interesting. It has an incredibly soft chew to it, and it’s noticeably thicker than the other pies I’ve tried so far, but the flavor is a bit neutral. If this had a more pronounced crust flavor, I’d like it much more.
Taste 5:
This pie has a lot going for it — the custard is the perfect texture, it’s silky and smooth, while the crust has a great flaxy texture and a butter-forward flavor. But the spice mix just doesn’t wow me. This pie tastes exactly how pumpkin pie should taste, but it doesn’t offer a flavor that needs to be experienced. All in all, it’s a good, not great pie.
Taste 6:
A great mix of spicy cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, with a nice butter, crumbly crust, but there is a funky, weird, lingering aftertaste that kind of ruined this one for me.
Taste 7:
Heavy on the cinnamon and clove on the initial taste which slowly morphs into having a spicy ginger and nutmeg finish. The custard has a great firm texture, and the crust is butter-forward, a bit toasty, and perfectly flakey. It might be too early to call it, but I think we have a winner here!
Taste 8:
This pie is incredibly wet. Just staring at it, I can see the glossiness of the surface, and that visual wetness translates to the texture as well. The custard is incredibly soft, almost soupy, with a ginger and cinnamon-forward flavor with a strange funky aftertaste.
While I find the custard pretty off-putting, the crust is on point. It’s buttery, toasty, and flakey.
Taste 9:
This pie is incredibly rich and decadent. It has a strong ginger and nutmeg character, a firm texture, and a rich, toasty crust. It’s a little drier than all the other pies I’ve tried today, but that’s a small complaint.
Part 2: The Grocery Store Pumpkin Pie Ranking
9. Walmart — No Sugar Added Pumpkin Pie (Taste 6)
The Pie:
I hate to be the guy that says the one pie with no sugar added was the weakest of the bunch but, it is what it is. Now, I will say this about the NSA Walmart pumpkin pie — it’s not awful. If you’re watching your sugar intake, but still want the experience of eating pumpkin pie this holiday season, this is going to get the job done.
It tastes just like a regular pumpkin pie, the only thing that makes it obvious that its NSA is the weird cracked texture of the custard, and the slightly strange aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
It’s a compromise, but it’s still far from an awful pumpkin pie.
8. Whole Foods — Pumpkin Pie (Taste 1)
The Pie:
This one came as a surprise to me, Whole Foods Pumpkin Pie was just fine. It has a great balance of spicy flavors, but the mealy, gritty custard and bland crust really hold it back.
For that, we can’t recommend it.
The Bottom Line:
This pie is a straight-up skip. Whole Foods is pricier than every other market on this taste test, and you’re not getting more flavor for the inflated price.
7. Costco — Pumpkin Pie (Taste 8)
The Pie:
This is going to anger all the Costco fans but I just didn’t love this pie. That’s due to the weird soupy texture of the custard, and that funky tangy aftertaste.
Having said that, for just $5.99 you’re getting a pie that is twice the size of the competition, so there is definitely value to be had here, just don’t expect to wow anyone at the dinner table with the flavor of this pie.
The Bottom Line:
A perfectly serviceable pie that offers some real value. But there are definitely better options out there.
6. Aldi — Bake Shop Pumpkin Pie (Taste 3)
The Pie:
As I said in the tasting notes, I really love the spicy, cinnamon, and clove-heavy taste of the custard, and the texture is smooth and silky. But ultimately, we’re ranking this one sixth because of the bland flavor and the weird gummy texture of the crust.
Crust should crumble or be flakey, this one was, unfortunately, gummy and came across a bit raw.
The Bottom Line:
If you’re a weirdo who doesn’t like pie crust, you’ll like this pie. But if you’re looking for the whole package, this one is a bit lacking.
5. Marie Calendar’s — Frozen Pumpkin Pie (Taste 9)
The Pie:
This one came as a straight-up shock to me. I had assumed because this was a frozen pie, it would be severely lacking, but it wasn’t. The flavor was well-balanced and wonderfully spicy, and the crust had a great texture, and toasted buttery flavor.
It was just a tad bit drier than the pies we’ve ranked higher. Maybe that comes down to a baking error on my part, but I followed the directions to a tee, so I doubt that.
The Bottom Line:
Better than you might expect. Don’t write this one off just for being frozen. It comes through in a pinch.
4. Wal-Mart — Pumpkin Pie (Taste 2)
The Pie:
In past years, Wal-Mart has performed pretty poorly in our annual pumpkin pie taste test, I’m not sure if they’ve altered their recipe, or I just happened to get a good one this time around, but I thought this pie was pretty good.
But it’s not the sort of pie that is going to wow anyone, it merely gets the job done.
The Bottom Line:
If you can find a deal on it, pick it up, but if you’re looking for a pie that is going to compete with the best dishes on your Thanksgiving spread, this one is probably going to fall short.
3. Vons (Safeway) — Jessie’s Pumpkin Pie (Taste 5)
The Pie:
I feel the same way about Vons’ pumpkin pie as I did Walmart. This is a good, but not great pie.
But compared to Walmart, I think this one had a better blend of pumpkin spice flavors, and a much better, buttery crust.
The Bottom Line:
A very good pumpkin pie, but not quite great.
2. Trader Joe’s — Pumpkin Pie (Taste 4)
The Pie:
Last year we named Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie as the best grocery store pie, and while I would’ve loved to give this the top spot again, that’s just not how this blind taste test played out.
So what held it back? I’d say the soft and neutral-tasting crust. It’s a small gripe to have, but we’re relying on small nuances to separate the good from great, and while I think this is a delicious pumpkin pie, I don’t think it’s the best you can buy this year.
The Bottom Line:
Dark, rich, and clove forward. Trader Joe’s pumpkin pie is excellent, but there is a better pie out there.
1. Sprouts — Pumpkin Pie (Taste 7)
The Pie:
Here it is folks, the best pumpkin pie you can buy in 2024. Sprouts pumpkin pie wins for having a perfect blend of pumpkin spice flavors, a perfect smooth custard, and a wonderful buttery crust. This is the only pie I tasted today that didn’t have any noticeable shortcomings.
As soon as I had my first bite of this pie, I had a strong suspicion it would end up on top. If you’re looking to win Thanksgiving this year, hit up Sprouts and pick up this pumpkin pie. Hell, get two!
The Bottom Line:
A great balance of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, with a perfect silky custard and a rich buttery crust.