7 Store-Bought Pecan Pies, Ranked Worst To Absolute Best

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Of the big three Thanksgiving pies, pecan pie seems like the most likely to be the afterthought. Pumpkin is the top pick when it comes to store-bought pie (according to Instacart data from 2024), followed by the all-American apple, with pecan coming in third. And yet, every time I eat a slice of pecan pie, I find myself thinking: Why don't I eat pecan pie more? It's so delicious, and arguably, more reliably good compared to the other two.

Pecan pie first appeared in Texas in the late 1800s, but it wasn't until Karo Corn Syrup began including its own recipe for the pie on labels in the 1920s that the concept really took off, especially in the South. The basic pecan pie recipe is relatively simple to make, and beyond pecans, its filling typically consists of corn syrup, sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla. (Though popular add-ins include bourbon or whiskey, and chocolate.) When these simple ingredients come together, however — with the crunchy nuts and sweet, gooey batter — the end result is far more than the sum of its parts.

Because of the approaching holidays, I decided it would be the perfect time to take advantage of the fact that many stores finally have pecan pies available, and to taste and rate them. Let's get into the rankings.

Walmart is obviously known more for bargain prices than high-quality items, but even after acknowledging that, the quality of this pie — in this case, branded Marketside — is shockingly bad. Even before cutting into it, it was clear that only a few pecans were used in the making of this pie. Large swaths of the top of it were merely covered with pecan dust, but not any larger nut pieces. Slicing into it, I was greeted with a gelatin-like, green-tinged filling that also failed the visual appeal test. Even before I bit into this, in other words, I was already turned off.

The taste and texture did not help matters. Because there were so few nuts used, this pie had by far the least amount of pecan flavor. And the filling (aside from being completely out of balance from a volume standpoint with its meager topping) not only tasted synthetically sweet, but offered a gummy, jarring mouthfeel that was completely unappealing to chew. While this pie is relatively inexpensive at only $6.97 for an 8-inch version, it was still in no way a value, considering the poor quality and comparing it to similarly priced (but much tastier) pies.

Like Walmart, Trader Joe's is also known for value pricing, but unlike Walmart, it is also generally considered to offer high-quality items, which is why this pecan pie ($9.99) was so disappointing. To start, the amount of pecans featured on this pie was — though certainly nowhere near as problematic as the Walmart version — not sufficient, compared to the amount of filling. In addition, the nuts on this pie presented as nearly raw, was lacking any toasty qualities (crunch or flavor), and came across as chewy and bland.

Speaking of bland, the ample filling hardly made up for the shortage of pecans with taste, as it failed to bring in any other depth of flavor. Although there weren't any notably off flavors like with the Walmart pie, altogether this one was simply boring and forgettable. In sum, there was no escaping that this was a disappointing effort from the usually reliable Trader Joe's.

Though I purchased this Tippin's dessert — a wholesale pie bakery that has been around since 1980 — at Wild Fork (for $7.98), these pies are also carried at some Albertsons and Fresh Market locations, as well as at other stores across the country. Compared to the Walmart and Trader Joe's pies, this one was certainly bolder in flavor, and had a better ratio of pecans to crust.

Caiming that still isn't saying a whole lot. In the grand scheme, this was a mediocre pie. Yes, there was a notable vanilla flavor featured in the filling here that helped make it feel like a more substantial desser. But even with that, the pecan flavor itself was still somewhat lacking. It was there, but it was not front and center like it was on some of the other pies I tried. As such, I would conclude that a Tippin's pecan pie is not a horrible option as a backup, or if it's the only pie that's available — but it is not one I would seek out.

This pecan pie from Whole Foods ($15.99) was the trickiest to rate, because it had the best overall pecan flavor of the pies on this list. The nuts were beautifully toasty, and there was a candied element to the topping that offered a rich caramel taste that none of the other pies here had. So why, you might be wondering, does it only land in the middle of this list?

It was the texture that let this pie down. In particular, it was that aforementioned candied element, which created an overly chewy, unpleasantly crunchy, and generally taxing-to-chew character that marred the eating experience. After each bite, for example, I found myself needing to pick out a little bit of candied sugar that was stuck in my teeth, and with some bites — especially those near the crust — this element was so firm that I had to actually abort the process and spit the piece out completely. In sum, flavor-wise this was an absolute winner, but any pie that makes eating it so difficult that chewing it gets in the way of taste needs to be knocked down a few pegs.

I knew that I had to include Marie Callender's option in this list, because these pies are so ubiquitous. They're also budget-priced; this pie was the cheapest on the list, on sale at Walmart for $5.97. But, being perfectly frank, I did not expect much from Marie. Supermarket freezer pie? This can't possibly be any good, I thought.

How wrong I was! This was a solid pecan pie. It was lovely to look at, well-balanced between pecan topping and filling, and had a beautiful and tasty crust. Was it the most complex from a flavor standpoint? No, but it tasted quite good, and there was little to complain about, other than the pecans being slightly underdone. As such, I would feel absolutely confident adding this to the holiday dessert table, even with the most discerning of guests. And I would also enjoy the money I saved by doing so.

Wellsley Farms is the private label brand for BJ's Wholesale Club, so this pie is available exclusively to BJ's members, although it is also available through Instacart (for a slightly higher cost, plus delivery and other fees). That said, anyone who has access to this pie would be well-suited to seek it out, because it is an excellently made pie, especially for the store-bought variety. The topping here made use of smaller pecans, which were nicely crisp and fresh, and offered a moderate toasty flavor. The filling also stood out as one of the richer ones on this list, featuring a vanilla flavor that was punchy and playful.

It was also a great buy, at $9.99 for a 10-inch pie, which was significantly larger than most of the options listed above (through Instacart, however, it costs $12.69, plus fees). All told, this is a solidly made pie offering good flavor and value, making it a great choice for the upcoming autumn and winter holidays.

Anyone who shops regularly at Wegmans should not be surprised to find its pecan pie at the top of this list; the brand, of course, has developed a cult-like following, and is often ranked at or near the top of best supermarkets in the country, so it's no shock that its bakery turns out an excellent pecan pie.

First, this pie was lovely to look at, coated with large pecan halves that were darkened nicely, suggesting a toasty caramelization. The filling itself was also much darker than some of the other options here — again suggesting an intense, deep flavor. In the palate, this theme continues: the pecans were robust and deeply satisfying with ample toasty notes and crunch, and the filling was lush and delicious.

One thing to keep in mind, the Wegmans pie is on the more expensive side, at $16 for a 10-inch pie. But if the best combination of taste and texture is what you seek, look no further.

I sourced pecan pies from stores in my area — the Philadelphia suburbs — with an eye on prominent brands that had a strong regional or national presence. (Prices may vary by location, and over time.) Obviously, there are many stores around the country that sell pecan pies, and this ranking only scratches the surface of what is available — but it should hopefully provide a decent starting point for anyone looking to buy one.

Once I had the pies in hand, I rated them on overall flavor, but also visual appeal, texture, and freshness. Above is my honest assessment of each pecan pie featured. As for what I will do with all this leftover pecan pie? Well, pecan pie actually freezes pretty well, if I can find the space. And while I'm not sure I want to serve a menagerie of frozen pie portions for actual Thanksgiving, perhaps they'll hit the spot the weekend after, alongside turkey day leftovers.