It can feel overwhelming to narrow down all the choices for the best pumpkin pie. Luckily, we've done all the hard work for you. To see which option truly belongs on a holiday table, we tested pies from Aldi, Walmart, Costco, Trader Joe’s, and Kroger, comparing flavor, texture, crust quality, and overall balance.
Store-bought pumpkin pies may look similar on the shelf, but the differences become clear once they’re sliced and tasted. Some offered rich pumpkin flavor and well-spiced filling, while others fell short with bland taste or unbaked texture.
Affordable store-bought pumpkin pies and where to find them
Narrowing it down, here are our five picks for affordable pies, in no particular order.
Target pumpkin pie - $4.99
Trader Joe's pumpkin pie - $6.99
Walmart pumpkin pie - $7.34
Aldi pumpkin pie - $6.99
Kroger pumpkin pie - $4.99
First impression
The Target pumpkin pie doesn't wow when you see it on the shelf. It's in a plain box, with no real visual appeal. The pie's color is nice and dark, but the top is very wet-looking and moist. It's 8-inches in size, and serves five, making it a simple choice for a small gathering. The pie had a cinnamon scent, but the crust smelled processed.
Trader Joe's pumpkin pie had a box that stood out on the shelf. The black box with light lettering caught the eye and drew us in. The top of the pie was a nice color, and the crust was golden brown. It's 9-inches in diameter, and large enough to serve six. The pie had a unique scent, and without reading the ingredients list, it was hard to place.
The Walmart pumpkin pie was orange. The storage box was thin cardboard, with no color or decoration. It's a larger pie at 10-inches in diameter, meaning it's a good choice for feeding a larger crowd. The pie smelled of cinnamon and spices, while the crust lacked any scent at all.
Aldi pumpkin pie was packaged in a sturdy plastic case. The top was clear, and the bottom was black, making it easy to see the pie inside. The pie looked sheen or wet, and its color was typical of pumpkin pie. The crust was very light and appeared to be underbaked. The pie didn't have the diameter on the container, but it is larger and serves eight.
The Kroger pumpkin pie was in a clear storage container. The pie had a nice coloring, and the crust was a nice golden brown. It's 8-inches in diameter, and serves six. The filling smelled like cinnamon and spices, while the crust had zero scent.
Slicing into the pie
Trying five different pies meant there would be five cutting tests, each potentially yielding a different result.
The Target pie was easy to cut, but the crust crumbled when we cut into it. We couldn't cut a piece without the crust breaking apart. The pie was easy to remove from the pan for serving.
The Trader Joe's pie cut easily enough, but the crust crumbled, and the pie fell apart when trying to move it from the pan to the plate. It's recommended to cut thick slices so that they stay together and don't fall apart. The crust isn't sturdy enough to hold the weight of the pie.
Walmart pumpkin pie was simple to cut. The filling was thick, and the crust stayed intact, even on the edge. It was simple to serve right from the pan, too.
Aldi pumpkin pie was a tougher pie to slice and cut. The crust was thick and gummy, making it hard to cut and to remove from the pan. The crust's edge cracked and broke easily as well. We couldn't get a piece of the pie cut without breaking or cracking some part of it.
Kroger pumpkin pie was fairly simple to cut, but some of the bottom pie crust did stick to the pan. Even though the bottom crust stuck to the bottom of the pan, the crust's edge didn't break or crack.
Flavor of the pie filling
With five different pies, it was interesting to taste five different flavors. They're all technically pumpkin pies, but they're very unique from one another.
Our first impression of Target's pumpkin pie was that the filling was very thick. The texture coated the inside of our mouths, making it feel like we needed to take a drink. After the initial impression, we tasted squash flavors instead of pumpkin. There was a little hint of cinnamon, but it wasn't too strong. The pie's texture was creamy and smooth, and was balanced well by the thickness of the crust.
The first bite of Trader Joe's pumpkin pie made us second-guess having another bite. There was a powerful spice, but we couldn't place it. After reading the ingredient list, we realized that it was ground ginger. It's super strong and takes over the entire pie. The crust is sweet, which was nice. The pie's texture was creamy and smooth, and it coated the mouth well.
Walmart pumpkin pie had a strong cinnamon flavor. It overpowered any other spices or flavors in the pie. Once we were used to the flavor, we noticed the filling's grainy texture. It wasn't smooth and creamy, and it created an unpleasant mouthfeel.
The pie from Aldi had a doughy, almost raw crust that overpowered our senses, so we couldn't focus on any other flavors for a bit. The filling had a sweet flavor, but we also tasted a hint of apple, which we found odd.
Kroger's pumpkin pie had a nice, thick filling with a heavy cinnamon flavor. It was on the sweeter side, but not overly sweet.
Rating the crust
In terms of rating the crusts, one stood out from the rest.
Target's pie crust was salty and had no other flavor. It held the pie filling just fine, but added no real flavor. It crumbled easily when we cut it. This crust would not pass as homemade.
We really liked Trader Joe's crust. It was soft, sweet, and was a nice contrast to the bold flavors of the filling. It cut well and didn't crumble when we cut into it. This crust could pass as homemade.
The Walmart crust was dry and tasted salty. It should be paired with the filling for the best flavor, as we tried the edge, and it wasn't good. This crust would not pass as homemade.
Our least favorite crust was the one from Aldi. It was gummy, super soft, and didn't seem to be baked enough. It was soggy and seemed to make the rest of the pie look moist as well. This crust would not pass as homemade.
The Kroger crust had a fun design on it, but lacked flavor. It held up during cutting and served as a simple base for the filling. It didn't taste homemade, but could be passed off as homemade just by the looks. There was an extra instruction on the back of the Kroger box to bake the crust a bit longer to make it crispier. This crust wouldn't pass for homemade, but we didn't get to try the extra baking step.
We also found it interesting that all the pies had some form of oil but no butter.
Did any of the pies taste homemade overall?
Honestly, no. None of the pies that we tested tasted 100% homemade. However, if we were to pick one pie that was closest to homemade, it would be Trader Joe's pumpkin pie. While we thought the pie's flavor was unique and off-putting, it might have been different if we had known what to expect.
The crust of the Trader Joe's pie was soft and delicious, and the way it was decorated made it look like someone had personally taken the time to make it.
While we weren't a fan of the pie, we could see how people easily could be. Adding some whipped cream on top would be a simple way to tone down the ground ginger flavoring.
Ranking of pies
It's what you've been waiting for. The ranking of the pies. Let's start with the lowest to the best with our personal thoughts.
5. Aldi - We just couldn't get past the gummy crust. It was literally soaked, droopy, and flavorless.
4. Target - The thick texture and flavoring of squash were too much. We had one bite and then spent the next few minutes talking about how thick it was and how our mouths still felt coated.
3. Trader Joe's - We're still thinking about that ground ginger. It was just too much and unlike any pumpkin pie flavoring we'd ever had. At times, it even felt spicy in our mouths.
2. Kroger - Even though the pie was lacking in flavor a bit, it was still a safe bet for purchase. The flavor tasted enough like pie, and adding some whipped cream would be perfect.
1. Walmart - We're just as shocked as you. Never expected to say that Walmart was our top choice. The flavor is closest to that of classic pumpkin pie, and we liked the subtle sweetness. The texture lacked what we prefer, smooth and creamy; however, out of all the pumpkin pies, this one resonated the most.
Would you buy them again?
We can say without a doubt that we wouldn't buy the pie from Trader Joe's, Aldi, or Target again. Even though they are at a great price point, we'd be wasting money and food, as we wouldn't eat the leftovers.
We are on the fence about the pies from Walmart and Kroger because they are closest in flavor to a typical pumpkin pie. Very likely that we won't be repeating the pie purchase at any of the stores, but the ones from Walmart and Kroger gave us pause to reconsider. Will any of them pass as homemade? Likely not, but you can give it your best shot. Pop them out of their aluminum foil pans, and put them into a pie plate. Sometimes, a good presentation can elevate the flavor even more.
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