We Ranked 5 Fresh Pumpkin Pies From Popular Grocery Stores

As soon as leaves start falling, pumpkin spice is out in full bloom. Whether it's the ubiquitous PSL, Pop Tarts, or even cream cheese, every brand imaginable cashes in on pumpkin spice season. If you really want to savor that signature blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves, you have to go straight to the source: pumpkin pie. It's an American classic and a regular on the Thanksgiving table, but more than that, pumpkin pie has become an emblem of autumn. The sweet, spiced dessert, classically served warm with whipped cream, is so delicious that it's easy to forget it's made from squash. Classic pumpkin pie itself is as simple as can be. Blended pumpkin, eggs, and sweetened condensed milk is all it takes to whip up pumpkin pie's custardy filling, but even that can be too much trouble sometimes.

With the seasonal hype, many small-batch bakeries start taking pumpkin pie orders as early as September, but fear not, popular grocery stores always stock up on the quintessential Autumn dessert. Many supermarkets sell pre-packaged pies like Table Talk and Mrs. Smith, which are fine in a pinch, but what we're really looking for is pumpkin pie fresh from a market's in-house bakery. I scoured NYC's popular chain grocery stores in search of fresh pumpkin pie and secured five different pies to compare. To get the full pumpkin pie experience, I warmed each in the oven before tasting. After a plain bite of each slice, I went back in for seconds, but not without a dollop of whipped cream.

If portion size is your primary concern, this pie delivers — quite literally — enough dessert to feed the entire extended family. Just carrying this beast to the table will tire your arm out, weighing a whopping 58 ounces. I had high hopes for the ginormous pie, but as far as quality, it fell short. While not terrible, it's a bit one-dimensional with a mushy consistency that lacks shape. The filling is soft to the point of being almost pudding-like, rather than the structured custard I'm used to. It's hard to get past the texture, or lack thereof, to recognize the flavor, but it does manage to hit some signature pumpkin pie notes like sweet toffee. It's a tolerable sweetness that doesn't taste too artificial, but the seasoning was barely there. I was hoping for a blend of warm spices, but the candied pumpkin was practically the only flavor that came through.

The rather bland filling was saved by the classic buttery crust. It's thin and delicate, crumbling into each bite, but the crust-to-filling ratio was a bit off, given the gooey center. The mega-soft filling would benefit from a thicker crust to balance out each bite. Despite all of the cons, I admittedly still enjoyed Costco's pumpkin pie. It's certainly not my favorite but it's simple and comforting, and most importantly, only six buckaroos. That's even less than the mini pies I found and probably cheaper than buying the ingredients yourself.

This pie's strengths were the opposite of Costco's, with an ideal chewy texture and thicker, flaky crust but similarly lacking the expected autumnal seasonings. Unlike Costco, Whole Foods' pumpkin pie maintains its form well, offering the more custard-like consistency I've come to expect. The buttery crust beneath the pie is rather thin, with a subtle doughiness that surprisingly adds depth to each bite. The rich crust surrounding the pie has just the right amount of crumble, reminiscent of a sugar cookie. Recognizing a store-bought pastry crust is often a no-brainer, but not from Whole Foods. The perfectly balanced pie crust screams homemade.

This slice had all the nuances of an ideal pumpkin pie, even looking the part, but flavor-wise, it was understated. The crust did all the heavy lifting, as the filling was missing the traditional bold flavors like cinnamon and nutmeg. Even with the usual robust spices aside, I didn't find it very pumpkin-forward. Neither the filling nor crust is overly sweet, which is a bonus, but without the warming harvest-related flavors, it's quite generic. All that being said, this pie should scratch the pumpkin pie itch. Plus, the half size is the perfect sharing portion for two pumpkin lovers, and at $7.50, it's a reasonably priced grocery store option.

Stop & Shop's fresh-baked pumpkin pie was an unexpected contender that climbed the charts. Admittedly, I never imagined Stop & Shop would beat out Whole Foods, but this slice's pumpkin aroma was incomparable. I'm not generally anticipating the best from supermarket bakeries, but Stop & Shop's $8 pumpkin pie tasted like the real deal. The bakery delivered a bold pumpkin pie perfect in texture, all without a boatload of sugar. There's a natural sweetness to the squash that Stop & Shop takes full advantage of with its low-sugar pie. The supermarket offers sugary sweet options as well, but just one bite of the sweetened version convinced me it wasn't needed. The modest sweetness lets the pumpkin's earthy flavor lead the way, complemented by the light, flaky crust.

This pumpkin pie proves that sugar isn't the secret to a delicious dessert, and a cloying sweetness can even be the downfall. As someone who requires a dollop of whipped cream on their pumpkin pie, that's important to remember. It has a vibrant orange color that resembles pureed pumpkin far more than any others on this list with a genuine taste to match. The texture is velvety with flecks of pumpkin throughout, lending an authenticity often missing in mass-produced pies.

Stop & Shop may have hit the mark with its genuine pumpkin flavor, but Trader Joe's nailed it with the signature pumpkin pie spice. This perfectly crafted slice had the ideal filling-to-crust ratio and kept its shape till the end, unlike Costco's mushy mess. The filling is somehow airy while keeping a structured consistency, like a thick pumpkin mousse. The familiar texture was enough to lift its ranking, but the deep pumpkin pie flavors sealed the deal. Unlike the lower rankings on this list, the first bite introduced nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and ginger. This iconic blend is what we look for in pumpkin pie, but it's rare that each individual spice can be distinguished. 

Just when I thought it couldn't get any more delicious, I reached the crust, which might as well be called a cookie. The other pies on this list stick with a classic approach to pastry crust, but Trader Joe's goes heavy on the butter to create more of a shortbread-style pie crust. Thankfully, there's plenty of crust surrounding the pie to break off and eat on its own, but it only tastes better with the rich, spiced center. The crust's pressed design creates a beautiful texture that crumbles into each forkful. Just barely missing the top spot, Trader Joe's pumpkin pie deserves special attention.

It looks like good things do come in small packages. Wegmans' mini 7-ounce pumpkin pie may be a quarter of the size for roughly the same price as the others, but it still managed to secure first place. Handing over the top pumpkin pie award wasn't easy, but Wegmans checked every last box on the list: spiced, rich, silky, buttery, and subtly sweet. This is as close as you can get to Grandma's kitchen from the supermarket.

It's tied with Stop & Shop in terms of pumpkin potency, but not without the traditional spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, with a caramel-like sweetness. There's almost a nutty, toasted quality that I couldn't find elsewhere, giving it more depth than the other pies. A tender, buttery crust sits beneath the smooth pumpkin filling, complementing each other perfectly. The crimped edges of the crust are crumbly by nature but not remotely dry, adding a flaky texture to every slice. One of the perks of the smaller size is that nearly every bite includes some flaky edges of the crust, but the bakery also whips up hefty 30-ounce pies so you can keep the peace at the dinner table for just a few dollars more.

While Trader Joe's shortbread crust was special, Wegmans mastered the classic, golden brown pie crust. The supermarket bakers appreciate the finer details, finishing the pastry edges with a generous dusting of cinnamon. If you're looking for a flawless, traditional pumpkin pie, Wegmans is the way to go.

To create this list, I chose five popular grocery stores in the NYC metro area with in-house bakeries. I focused on chains with widespread regional availability and multiple locations, considering factors like accessibility, price point, and consistency. I only chose classic pumpkin pies — no fancy gourmet variations. Each pumpkin pie was purchased whole, albeit some much larger than others.

I determined the ranking by tasting a bite of each, first warmed in the oven. I was sure to include both filling and pie crust into my initial bite, followed by a second bite with whipped cream. The highest-ranking pies had an authentic pumpkin taste, excellent textural balance, and distinctive flavors, while the lower-ranked pies suffered from a lack of substance, falling apart on the plate with no flavor to compensate. I took price and portion into account, but aside from Costco's bargain, it hardly influenced the underlying taste.