We've tried Aldi's pumpkin pie, so you don't have to

Shopping at Aldi feels like treasure hunting in every aisle, but their pumpkin pie is definitely not the ultimate prize.

Ask people what they think about Aldi, and you'll likely get a variety of responses. People love finding unique foods each time they shop, and it's no secret that the Aldi aisle of shame has a massive following. We've been on a mission to eat our way through budget-worthy pumpkin pies, and Aldi had our hopes high. After trying Trader Joe's pumpkin pie, Target's pumpkin pie, where does an Aldi pumpkin pie rank on the list?

Below, you'll find our detailed, honest review of Aldi's pumpkin pie and whether or not it's worth pulling out your quarter for an Aldi cart. We give you all the details, leaving the final decision up to you.

Where to purchase

What we love about shopping at Aldi is that it's not a big store. While the layout might not be the same for everyone, they do a great job of keeping sections together in a small and manageable way. The pumpkin pie was in the same section as the breads and cakes, but they also had a special section by the register with a few for last-minute grabs.

The price of the pumpkin pie is $6.99. It doesn't state that it's a seasonal item, but avid Aldi shoppers know that items like this only come around once a year.

You can stop and pick one up, or check the local Aldi stock online before heading to the store. Aldi does not offer call-ahead pickup, so it's first-come, first-served.

Ingredient list

We were surprised by how long the ingredient list was. The first ingredient listed is pumpkin, and the second is water. It contains molasses, cornstarch, and palm oil, along with several preservatives.

The use-by date on this pie is November 12th. We don't know when it was put on the shelf, but we bought it on the 10th, which leaves just a couple of days to enjoy before the best buy date.

The box does not specifically say to refrigerate after opening.

Appearance

The pie carrier's sturdiness is the most convenient we've seen so far. It is made of black plastic on the bottom and clear plastic on the top. It says the top plastic is recyclable. It was sturdy and easy to carry. There is a tab on the side to pull and lift the top off. There are two hollowed-out areas to put your fingers in to lift the pie plate, making it an effortless, simple experience. Putting the pie back into the carrier was also simple, and the plastic lid snapped back on easily. The top is clear so that you can see the entire pie.

The pie was sheen-looking on top, making it appear moist. The pie's color was typical of a pumpkin pie.

The crust was very light in color, and we found ourselves checking the carrier to make sure we weren't supposed to bake it before eating.

Weighing in at 2 lbs 5 ounces, it's a hearty pie that can serve eight. The aluminum-foil pan was strong enough to hold the weight.

Cutting and slicing

The pie was very hard to cut. The filling wasn't the issue; it had a nice, thick texture. But the crust was gummy and saturated with moisture underneath the pie filling, making it difficult to cut cleanly. We had to cut a few pieces of pie to get one that didn't crack immediately, and we could never cut a piece where the crust didn't break.

Once cut, the pie filling held its shape well. The serving size of eight is a good suggestion, as smaller slices would most definitely fall apart from the wet crust and heavy filling.

A sniff test is always a must. The pie itself smelled of spices, but the crust had a processed smell.

Taste

The first impression after one bite was that the pie crust was chewy and doughy. That texture overtook the possibility of tasting flavors. It was basically raw.

A few more bites revealed hints of spices, but the pie's overwhelming wetness kept pulling our attention. The pie was sweet, but we were puzzled by a hint of apple flavoring.

The crust under the filling was sticky because of the moisture, so it was hard to get any flavor from it. The crust on the end of the pie lacked flavor and tasted like nothing.

Whipped cream would be a good addition, especially near the edge of the crust —or why not just have whipped cream and skip the pie?!

Texture

The pumpkin pie had a creamy, smooth texture. The crust on the end of the pie was extremely soft and broke apart almost immediately. The crust was overall undercooked, as it was too soft.

This pie would have to be eaten with a fork because the crust was not strong enough to hold it for picking up.

Would you buy it again

The final verdict is that we wouldn't repurchase this pie. The raw crust and the pie's wetness were just too much.

The $7 price point and the ability to serve eight people make it an affordable choice. But for us, that was the only plus about this pie.

It's important to note that Aldi does offer a twice-as-nice guarantee on all its products. If you purchase the pie and don't like it, you can return it for a replacement and get a refund. No questions asked.

The takeaway

We wished that we liked this pie, as we typically like everything that Aldi offers. We can't recommend this pie based on the gummy crust. We're determined to try their pecan pie, and it's next on our radar before they stop selling their seasonal products.