The Fluffy Marie Callender's Frozen Pie We Ranked As The Hands-Down Best

Marie Callender's excels in one thing: pies. That's why we recently tried and ranked 11 of its frozen pies, and ranked them from worst to best (in our humble opinion). To clarify, for this particular ranking, we kept it to the sweet ones the brand offers — we consider the pot pies a whole different category. During our tasting, we realized the fruit pies weren't quite Marie Callender's best showing; those mostly ended up in the bottom half. Where the brand really excels is in its cream pies, and one in particular was a classic flavor combination that'll please nearly everyone.

We found that the Peanut Butter Cream Pie, which features a chocolate cookie crust, whipped topping, and miniature chocolate chips, was simply the best of the bunch. Our taste tester gushed about this one, saying the crust on the pie is "powder-soft," yet doesn't fall apart on each forkful, and that the peanut butter mouse "does not stick in your mouth but collapses into flavorful silk." We also enjoyed the fact that those mini chocolate chips (which can be an afterthought in many desserts) aren't just a garnish. They add a "pop" when you get a bite, which helps change the texture of your experience.

There is, interestingly, a science as to why the flavors of chocolate and peanut butter go together so naturally. They're processed in a way that encourages the Maillard reaction to occur (both peanuts and cacao are roasted), and those similarities add to each other to create an appealing combination. With peanut butter, you also have salty and savory pushed against the sweetness of chocolate, which creates that back-and-forth dynamic many of us have come to crave. (Try adding peanut butter and chocolate to your overnight oats, and thank us later.)

If you weren't aware of the fact, Marie Callender's also has sit-down restaurants, located mainly in California, with other locations in Idaho, Nevada, and Utah. According to the online menus at many of these locations, however, the Peanut Butter Cream Pie isn't available in person (possibly due to the peanut allergen). So this is a special treat you'll be able to snag in your local grocery store's frozen section, and in our opinion, that peanut and chocolate combo is well worth the snag.