9 Pies From Walmart's Bakery, Ranked Worst To Best

In my opinion, it's pretty hard to beat a good pie. Sure, there are more exciting desserts out there, but very few can capture the same classic, comforting, and no-frills vibe that a pie can. Something particularly nice about pies is that they are incredibly varied. It's true that everyone should have a fruit pie recipe in their back pocket, but brilliant pies can also be made with pumpkins, pecans, peanut butter, coconuts, chocolate, custard, and so many other ingredients.

In an ideal world, we would always make pies ourselves or pick them up from a local bakery. However, when you simply don't have enough time (or money) to do either of the above, Walmart's bakery comes in handy. Walmart is one of several grocery store chains that sell freshly baked goods and, in store, the pies are plentiful with flavors ranging from blueberry to pumpkin to lemon meringue. But which of Walmart's pies are the best?

In an effort to answer this question, I purchased and sampled nine different Walmart bakery pies, putting them to the ultimate taste test. Since most of these pies cost approximately the same price (around $6), my ranking focused more on their flavor, texture, and crust-to-filling ratio. You can learn more about my methodology at the end of the article, but, before that, let's see which Walmart pie is the best.

For the sake of transparency, I will admit that I've never been the biggest fan of pecan pie. That said, it's always been present at family functions, gatherings, and holidays, so I'm familiar with what a good pecan pie should taste like. Unfortunately, Walmart's pecan pie was very far from good. I went into this ranking knowing that none of the pies on this list would be of a homemade quality, but this particular pie missed the mark in every possible way.

A good pecan pie should have a nice contrast between its gooey filling and the slightly crunchy, buttery pecans. However, the pecans on this pie had no crunch to them whatsoever. And, hey, I wasn't ready to disregard the pie just for that; pecan pie can still taste good even if the pecans are a little soft. But, these pecans didn't taste good either, and they were lacking that signature buttery flavor that typically makes them work in a pie. 

The filling itself was just a goopy mess. It was sweet but did not have any complexity beyond that. Overall, I felt like the textures and flavors of this pecan pie were all wrong. Even if you are desperate for a pecan pie, I'd advise against buying this one.

The good news about Walmart's cherry pie is that it's nowhere near as bad as the chain's pecan pie. The bad news is that it's still not a very good pie. The combination of a warm, buttery crust and a tart, gooey cherry pie filling means that cherry pies are pretty hard to beat when done right, and there's no denying that cherry pies have a simple charm about them that's really endearing. Alas, Walmart's cherry pie fell well short of this standard because it didn't contain nearly enough filling. (I didn't notice a filling issue with any of the other pies on this list, so maybe I got a dud with this one.) Because the pie lacked filling, the crust-to-filling ration was off. Ideally, there should be more filling than crust per bite, but, in this instance, the opposite was true.

What's more, the filling just wasn't that tasty. It wasn't terrible, but it was lacking that distinct blend of sweet and tart flavors that make cherry pie so iconic. Your guests probably wouldn't hate you if you showed up with this cherry pie in tow, but any cherry pie lover would be feeling pretty disappointed if they had to endure a slice of this mediocre dessert.

We can all agree that apple pie is the quintessential pie. Sure, cherry pie is popular, but apple pie is A-list — endlessly famous without having to try. As with any beloved food, there are quite a few variations of apple pie out there, one being the Dutch apple pie. Unlike a traditional American apple pie, which has either a lattice topping or just a classic crust topping, a Dutch apple pie boasts a crumbly streusel topping which, in my humble opinion, makes it superior to regular apple pie.

Unfortunately, this Walmart version left me feeling pretty underwhelmed. This pie wasn't terrible, but if you're going to do a Dutch apple pie, you have to nail that streusel topping. The topping on this Walmart pie tasted more like underbaked crumbs than a well-executed, buttery streusel. Again, none of these pies are going to be of a homemade quality, but surely it isn't too much to ask for the streusel on this pie to have a little more flavor, a little more texture, a little more something. The apple filling was fine, but I just couldn't see past that disappointing streusel.  

Whereas Walmart's cherry pie was lacking in the filling department, the store's blueberry pie was packed to bursting. I was really pleased to see all of that gooey blueberry goodness ooze out as soon as I sliced into this pie, and I can confidently say that the pie had the absolute perfect crust-to-filling ratio. I only wish that the filling tasted a little nicer. Despite being pleased about the amount of filling, I still found myself feeling pretty let down by this pie.

Blueberries are not known for being the most flavorful fruit out there. As such, blueberry pies — even the most immaculately made ones — aren't necessarily bursting with complex flavors. However, Walmart's blueberry pie was an especially forgettable dessert. This pie definitely wasn't awful, but I just wish those making it had added another ingredient to the filling. A little bit of cinnamon or lemon juice would have gone a long way. This pie is a safe bet when selecting a treat from the Walmart bakery, but ultimately, there are better options out there.

If there's one pie on this list that truly encapsulates the essence of being good but not great, it would be Walmart's classic apple pie. Unlike other variations on this list, this apple pie boasted a classic pie crust, making it feel like an all-American dessert that your suburban grandma might bake. 

Let's focus on the positives. Firstly, I thought that the crust-to-filling ratio was pretty good; each bite had a decent amount of both filling and crust with the filling just winning out each time. Secondly, I appreciated that the filling wasn't too sweet or too goopy. The slice of pie didn't completely fall apart when I pulled it from the tin, and the apples still had a decent amount of crispness about them. That being said, nothing about this apple pie grabbed my attention. Was this pie anything remarkable? No, but it wasn't bad, making it a true middling option in the grand scheme of Walmart pies.

I've always been a big fan of lemon meringue pie (and lemon recipes and desserts in general). There's something about lemon meringue pie that's really unique; it offers such a distinct flavor contrast thanks to the lemon filling and meringue topping. Ideally, the lemon filling provides a super sharp, acidic bite and the meringue topping tempers that down with its relatively sweet flavor. 

Overall, I found Walmart's take on this pie to be pretty good. It nailed the balance between the sharp lemon curd filling and sweet meringue topping as far as quantity goes. My only issue is that I wanted a lot more bite from the lemon curd. The curd wasn't overly sweet, it just lacked a distinct lemon flavor. The meringue was fine, albeit a little stale (nothing can compete with fresh meringue). However, it too lacked flavor.

As far as shelf-stable Walmart pies are concerned, I felt like this lemon meringue pie was a win overall. It looked like a lemon meringue pie, it had the right textures, and it almost had the right flavors. If it had a little more oomph, this pie would have been something special.

Caramel sauce really is the answer to even the most doomed pies. Whether you choose one of the best caramel sauce brands or the worst, it adds a lovely, sweet flavor to a pie. And, thanks to this, the third and final apple pie entry on this list, Walmart's apple caramel pie, truly is one you should consider buying.

I didn't think this pie was the best overall, but it was by far my favorite of Walmart's apple pies, and the success of this pie really was thanks to the caramel. I found the filling to be pretty tasty overall, leaning slightly more towards a tart flavor profile that only made the luscious caramel drizzle all the more delicious. 

Like the Dutch apple pie, this apple caramel pie also had a crumbly streusel topping, which worked so much better here thanks, yet again, to the caramel. I can't sit here and pretend like this pie was better than what you could make at home with fresh apples and fresh caramel sauce, but it was delicious by store-bought standards.

When they think of pie, most people tend to think of fruit fillings. However, there is a large number of people who love pumpkin pie. It's easy to make mistakes when making pumpkin pie, but when it's done right, pumpkin pie is a delectable treat, one that highlights earthy flavors and spices instead of sweetness.

Though I do think it's impossible to beat homemade pumpkin pie, Walmart's version is a worthy contender. This pie was simply delicious, and I also found that the filling was baked to perfection — solid but not tough. The ratio of filling to crust was great, the sweetness level was just right, and the warm spices made me feel like it was a cozy fall afternoon. My only grievance is that I wish the spices were even more pronounced. That, however, is only a small complaint. Overall, Walmart's pumpkin pie was super solid, and I wouldn't be disappointed if someone brought this pie to my Thanksgiving dinner.

Walmart's coconut cream pie is the best pie in the grocery store chain's bakery section. Now, I know that all of the coconut haters will immediately disagree with my decision, but for those who love coconut or can even just tolerate it, trust me when I say that you need to try this pie.

I was a bit hesitant to eat this pie, mostly because I couldn't really fathom how that thick, creamy topping could be shelf-stable (the pie is kept at room temperature in the store). One bite and my worries melted away; this pie had the creamy, delicious flavor that all brilliant coconut cream pies offer.

I loved the balance of the fruity, almost milky flavor of the coconut filling itself, but the true star of the show was the whipped cream on top. Adorned with pieces of coconut for some textural contrast, this cream was indulgent and moreish — how a coconut cream pie should be. If there's one pie on this list that is almost as good as a homemade pie, it is Walmart's coconut cream pie.

When ranking Walmart bakery pies, my biggest consideration was how the pie tasted. Of course, this is somewhat subjective, but I tried to judge each of these pies objectively, not on how much I personally liked the flavor. Instead, I focused on how well Walmart executed each particular style of pie.

While I judged each pie as a whole, I also considered if the pies had any standout components. If they did, they ranked higher. For example, the caramel apple pie had a really delicious caramel drizzle that boosted its ranking.

I also considered the crust-to-filling ratio when ranking these pies. Some of the pies, like blueberry and pumpkin, really nailed that ratio, whereas others, including the cherry pie, left me wanting a lot more filling. This was reflected in their final standing.