The Absolute Best Store-Bought Pumpkin Pie Smells And Tastes Homemade

As the holidays approach, don't forget that the desserts are just as important as the food. A pumpkin pie is a holiday staple and a treat you can always rely on. However, making a pumpkin pie at home can be hard to master, and during the holidays you may be looking for convenience. Luckily, there are many store-brand pies out there to choose from, but some are better than others. Chowhound tasted and ranked six store-bought pumpkin pies, and our favorite brand, Marie Callender's, tasted fresh out of the oven. That's because the pie comes frozen and has to be baked for a little over an hour before eating, giving it that homemade feel. If you want a premade pumpkin pie that tastes homemade, the Marie Callender's version is the dessert you need at your table.

This pie had just the right texture in the filling and the perfect pumpkin flavor. Marie Callender's pie is made with real pumpkin filling and is spiced with flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar, and this rang true in our tasting. In addition to its fantastic taste, you can get this nearly two-and-a-half pound pie, which contains eight servings, for less than $10. For a quality pie at such a low price, this pastry is an absolute steal. 

Even with at-home topping upgrades to take store-bought pumpkin pie to the next level, not all options we tried could have been fixed. The worst pie on our list was Walmart's Great Value one, which was lacking spice and had a crust that crumbled apart. Even if our Marie Callender's pumpkin pie crust got a little overdone in the oven, it still tasted much better than some of the other brands. In terms of flavor, a good pumpkin pie should have a strong spiced and nutty note, which is what made Marie Callender's so delicious. We aren't the only fans of this dessert either; a user on Reddit said that "Marie Callender's pumpkin pie is probably the best pumpkin pie I've ever had." To be given a title that big, this pastry is the real deal. 

Store-bought items are meant to be low-effort, but you can't always guarantee they'll taste as good as their fresh versions. While a homemade pumpkin pie may be hard to beat, we seriously believe Marie Callender's pie comes very close. It's smooth, rich, and will have your house smelling like a fresh-baked pie. There's no need to go through the hassle of baking from scratch when Marie Callender's has a premade treat that tastes just as delicious.