6 Store-Bought Pumpkin Pies, Ranked From Worst To Hands-Down Best

There may be no item more associated with fall than the pumpkin. From pumpkin spice everything, everywhere, all at once, to jack-o'-lanterns and giant inflatables, the orange squash is ubiquitous as the leaves begin to change. For most, the pumpkin is more of a flavor than something we consume directly, with one prominent exception: pumpkin pie.

While we think of pumpkin pie as a Thanksgiving staple, the custard-and-crust version we know today likely wasn't on the table at that first celebration in Massachusetts. In fact, some of the earliest pumpkin pie recipes sound downright odd by modern standards. An early New England recipe called for a hollowed-out pumpkin to be filled with spiced, sweetened milk and cooked directly in a fire. Other variations involve the addition of other fruits, especially apples, and spices like thyme.

While modern pies have certainly standardized, there's still plenty of room for variation in the humble pumpkin pie. From consistency in the custard to the flakiness of the crust, and the spices used, it seems that no pumpkin pie is quite the same. I tested this theory by picking up six store-bought pumpkin pies and tasting all of them. Read on to find out which pie should get a chance to fill in that last little bit of space in your stomach this fall.

Jessie Lord is a California-based bakery that distributes its pies nationwide through several supermarket chains, including the one I bought mine from: Woodman's. This isn't a pie that didn't come directly from a bakery, so this entry comes with a slight asterisk, but not enough that it can escape the last place spot on my list.

This pie was confusing. The pumpkin tasted odd, not as if it had spoiled, but like there was something missing. The ingredient deck for this pie hardly stood out from the others, with water, pumpkin, and enriched flour as the top three ingredients. Still, the custard potion seemed to lack both sweetness and spice at the same time. The crust was fairly flaky, and the presentation was just fine, but there's something about this pumpkin that didn't hit my taste buds quite right. At $5.99 — 27 cents per ounce — this is a fairly standard pie that simply misses the mark.

Anytime I sample multiples of the same type of food, I try to avoid one major obstacle: taste blindness. This is an entirely made-up term of my own creation that occurs when you eat too many similar foods, and everything starts to taste the same. I've tried loaf after loaf of French bread and a massive selection of vanilla ice creams, and after a while, those flavors can begin to run together, which is what I feared would happen with the pumpkin pies. After all, how many differences could you hope to find in such a simple dish?

The answer is a ton. The Metro Market Bakery Fresh Pumpkin Pie was my second-least favorite of those I sampled, not because it was bad, but because it wasn't my ideal flavor profile. This pie is heavily spiced, to the point where I could feel the beginning of a tingle in the back of my throat after each bite. If pumpkin spice is less of a preference and more of a seasonal religion, you may enjoy this level of cinnamon, but it was a bit much for me.

The filling itself is on the lighter side, with the pumpkin sliding into slimy territory here and there. The crust is serviceable, but nothing to write home about. It's a fine pie for $8 — 33 cents per ounce — but with so many options, this one hardly seems worth it.

From overly spiced to super sweet, the Hy-Vee pumpkin pie is the polar opposite of Metro Market's effort. As the most expensive traditional option on the list, $13.99 for a 39-ounce pie — 35 cents per ounce — this pie does have one major thing going for it: the crust. Soft, flaky, and slightly buttery, this is my favorite crust of the bunch, but the filling leaves something to be desired.

Again, personal preference is going to play a strong role in how you might rank these same pies, but for me, the Hy-Vee version is just too sweet. Now don't be mistaken, I love sweet things, and some sweetness in a proper pumpkin pie is absolutely necessary to balance the spices. In fact, a small Connecticut town actually canceled its Thanksgiving celebration in 1705 because a molasses shortage meant no one could prepare pumpkin pies. Still, there's a limit to how sweet a pie should be.

If you're all in on sugar, though, this pie is otherwise well made. Aside from a lovely crust, the filling is the densest of those I sampled, making it the overall richest pie on the list. It's not for me, but that doesn't mean you won't enjoy a slice of this particular pie.

Walmart's bakery should never be slept on. I've come away in the past impressed with the chocolate chip cookie selection the store bakes up, and the pumpkin pie follows suit. At $5.93 or 27 cents per ounce, this feels like the baseline for pumpkin pies.

The crust is nothing to write home about, but it's not bad by any stretch. Honestly, the only crust that really stood out one way or another was Hy-Vee. Pumpkin pie crust is more structural than anything, so a good-but-not-great effort is just fine. Walmart's pumpkin pie really shines in the filling. Visually, this one is lighter than the rest, and it tastes more pumpkin-forward while being the least spiced of the pies I tasted. Still, the flavors are balanced well, making this a quality pie. At a solid value and good overall taste, this is a pie that you won't feel bad about bringing to your next gathering.

Sometimes, a full pie is just a bit much, especially in a party setting. If you're dying to bring a pumpkin dessert to your next get-together but don't want to deal with an entire pie, look no further than Target's Favorite Day brand Mini Pumpkin Pies.

Each package comes with 16 mini, cream cheese-frosted pies for $9.99. It's not the best value on this list — far from it, actually — but the combination of quality and convenience is nearly unmatched. The crust is significantly thicker than any other on the list, which is necessary since these are hand-held desserts. Thankfully, that crust is soft and just a touch sweet, making it very enjoyable. The pumpkin filling is equally balanced, with a creamy texture and a flavor profile that matches the very best on this list. But, it's the cream cheese frosting that pushes this sweet treat over the edge. Widely regarded as a cheat code in the dessert world, the cream cheese frosting adds additional sweetness and creaminess to a pie that didn't need either, but is all the better for it.

Are Target's Mini Pumpkin Pies conventional? No, but they're really good and especially useful in the right setting. This should be on your fall must-have list.

I've sampled just about every dessert Costco has to offer and rarely have I come away disappointed. Not only are Costco cakes and pies comically large, they're just as cheap. At $5.99 for a 58-ounce pie — that's over 3.5 pounds — this is easily the best value on the list as well as the best overall quality.

Costco keeps it simple. The crust is crispy, and even if it could be a bit flakier, it holds up under the weight of all that filling. The pumpkin portion is the most well-balanced option on this list. It's pumpkin-forward, with enough spice and sweetness to make it a modern dessert rather than the colonial-era boiled pumpkin our ancestors ate.

Yes, it's a lot of pie, but when has that ever been a problem? Costco pumpkin pies freeze well, so if there are leftovers, you can confidently save them for later. When it comes time to buy a pie this fall, don't overthink it: go to Costco. It's huge, it's cheap, and most importantly, it's a proper pumpkin pie.

I visited six different grocery stores to secure my six unique pumpkin pies. After snapping photos of each, I dug in and evaluated them based on flavor, texture, and overall cohesiveness. A pumpkin pie has two main elements: the custard filling and the crust. While both are important, a good crust can't save a bad filling, so I focused mainly on the pumpkin portion itself.