6 Store-Bought Pecan Pies, Ranked

The holiday season is nearly upon us, and with it comes a love for classic, comfort recipes, desserts included. If you have a sweet tooth, this could also roughly translate to pie season, yay. One of everyone's all-time favorite Thanksgiving desserts is none other than pecan pie. It's delightfully sweet, layered with soft and crunchy textures, and somehow feels a little more sophisticated than your run-of-the-mill apple pie. Maybe that's just me, but either way, pecan pie is a classic favorite. If you want to get a taste this holiday season, you don't have to make one from scratch, either. There are lots of store-bought pecan pies that do the recipe justice. However, the trick is finding out which ones do, and which ones will have you wishing you just bit the bullet and baked it yourself. I've got you covered, though.

I bought some popular store-bought pecan pies and put them to the test. I get into the nitty-gritty details at the end, but I also ranked them based on taste, texture, and perceived quality to help you hone in on the best of the best. As it turns out, none of the pies I tried were truly bad, but there was a clear and obvious winner. No spoilers, but the pie that came out on top blew the rest away. Ready to find out how they all measured up? Let's go.

As noted, none of the pies I sampled on this taste-testing adventure were awful, but even so, there's no doubt that Table Talk Old Fashioned Pecan Pie was the worst of the bunch. It tasted okay, but it lacked the richness of every other pie to come.

For starters, Table Talk Old Fashioned Pecan Pie is a mini, 3.25-ounce pie, so it's not like you can serve a group with it. The reduced size makes it good for a single serving, but it also limits what the pie could achieve. The pecans on top were basically crushed, so they didn't add the crunch you get from a full-size pie. The filling was pretty basic, too. Sure, it was sweet, but the flavor just kind of fell flat, especially if you compare it to the higher-ranking picks. As for the crust, it was fairly bland, as well. Really, the odds were stacked against it from the beginning.

Table Talk Old Fashioned Pecan Pie's one saving grace? It only costs $1.99. If you're looking for a taste of pecan pie without going overboard, it'll get the job done. Still, it doesn't hold a flame to any of the pecan pies we've yet to discuss. Compare it to my No. 1, and it's an utter disgrace to the classic recipe. Oh, well.

Marie Callender's Southern Pecan Pie is the only pie in the bunch that came frozen. With this in mind, I didn't have the highest of hopes for it. However, I am happy to report that it performed better than I anticipated. Obviously, not by much since it only came in second-to-last-place, but at least it didn't taste like a pie that had been frozen and thawed out. Don't get me wrong, it didn't taste fresh or homemade, but there wasn't a hint of freezer flavor to be found.

Compared to my last place pick, Table Talk, Marie Callender's Southern Pecan Pie is miles ahead regarding flavor and texture. The crust was more buttery, and the filling was significantly richer and sweeter. The pecans on top were much better sized and distributed, as well. Nothing about it lived up to the flavors and textures found in my top four picks, though.

I got my Marie Callender's Southern Pecan Pie for about $5.99, making it the least expensive full-sized pie it tried. At 32 ounces, it is also the largest, but I still wouldn't recommend it. Interestingly enough, Marie Callender's scored third in a ranking of store-bought apple pies conducted by one of my colleagues, but sadly, the hype doesn't carry over to the brand's pecan pie recipe. If you want a frozen pie due to the obvious convenience factor it comes with, I recommend you go for the brand's apple one, instead.

Next up is the Bakery Fresh Pecan Pie from King Soopers, and you'll be happy to learn that my ranking again takes a serious turn for the better at this point. Actually, the next three pies, including this one, are pretty neck-and-neck. All bets are off when it comes to my No. 1, but the rankings from fourth through second place show very little variation. As for the Bakery Fresh Pecan Pie specifically, it is a decent pie. I would have said great before trying the pie that stole gold, but such is life.

The Bakery Fresh Pecan Pie from King Soopers has a nice toasty-looking crust, and thankfully, the flavor matches. It's also buttery and has a pleasing texture. The same could be said about the filling. The pecan size and prevalence aren't bad, either. However, it won't really wow anyone. The filling isn't rich enough to bowl you over with flavor, and that's what we all want, right? It will more than satisfy a hankering for pecan pie, but we can do better. Plus, a 19.5-ounce Bakery Fresh pie typically costs $10.99, making it one of the more expensive options on this list. I got mine on sale for $9.99, and I imagine reduced prices happen quite frequently, but even so, it's on the pricier side of store-bought pecan pies. Moving on.

Coming in third place is the Favorite Day Pecan Pie (Favorite Day is one of Target's three in-store brands). A 20-ounce pie cost me just $6.99, so it was the least expensive bakery-fresh pie I sampled. Thanks, Target. Still, it wasn't quite as tasty as the pie that I was awarded second place, and it isn't even in the same galaxy as my number one pick.

The Favorite Day Pecan Pie is the bakery equivalent of the one I tasted from King Soopers (in fourth place), and it's pretty similar, all things considered. However, it managed to inch ahead a spot thanks to a richer-tasting filling. With each bite, I got a hint of maple, and I liked it. However, when I looked at the ingredients, there wasn't any to be found. It must be a combination of the molasses and artificial flavors, which is kind of disappointing, but at least it tasted yummy.

Another reason Favorite Day Pecan Pie didn't earn a higher spot — although third isn't too shabby — is that the crust was just meh. Yes, it is buttery, but the texture was too soft for my liking. The pecans on top had to do all of the heavy-lifting regarding textural contrast. They were up to the job, but I would have enjoyed the pie more if the crust had been a bit crunchier, i.e., it had stayed in the oven for a couple more minutes.

The second-best store-bought pecan pie award goes to Trader Joe's. As a fan of the company's frozen pastas, salsas, and so much more, I was excited to see how their seasonal pecan pie turned out. Thankfully, it didn't let me down. Well, at least not until I tasted my No. 1, but we will get to that.

A 24-ounce Trader Joe's Pecan Pie costs $9.99, so it's on the higher end of the price spectrum, but that's okay. It had all the elements of a tasty pecan pie locked in. The crust was crunchy and buttery, the filling was rich and moist, and there were plenty of medium-sized pecans on top. I wouldn't say it tasted homemade, but it's yummy enough to bring to a gathering, and I don't have any real complaints.

Trader Joe's Pecan Pie is quite similar to the pies in third and fourth place. The main difference was that it tasted like it was made with higher-quality ingredients, and knowing Trader Joe's, it probably was. Regardless, it had a slight edge over the two lower-ranking picks, just not much. So, you don't necessarily need to go out of your way to get one if you are already at King Soopers or Target. Seems harsh for the second-place winner, but that kind of recommendation is only reserved for my No. 1, which, as it turns out, completely and unabashedly dominated the competition.

In the end, there was one pie that ruled them all: Whole Foods Market Pecan Pie. And you know what? It seriously put all of the other pies I tried to shame. Like, it wasn't even close. Everything from the crust to the filling to the pecans on top blew me away with flavors and textures that would have any baker begging for the recipe.

When I first cut into my Whole Foods Market Pecan Pie, I was a little turned off because it was noticeably harder than any of the other pies. As it turns out, though, the hard surface was the result of deliciously rich caramelized sugar. The sugary coating may have made it harder to slice, but, oh man, did it pay off in the flavor department. It was even spread out onto the crusty edges. Yum.

As for the filling, it was to die for, too. It was sweet, rich, and soft enough to give an excellent contrast to the crunchy pecans. The crust was second-to-none, as well. It had a buttery, toasty flavor that no other pie I sampled even came close to. Seriously, they should all take notes. The only drawback to Whole Foods' Market Pecan Pie is the price. A full, 14-ounce pie costs $15.99, making it the most expensive of the bunch. I couldn't care less, though. Forget the rest, Whole Foods makes the absolute best store-bought pecan pie. All of the other pies should be jealous.

When it comes to pie, pecan is one of my favorites, so I couldn't wait to find out which grocery store had the best around. After picking up the store-bought pies ranked above, I quickly took them home and started tasting. And I mean, quick, too. Just so you know, I also kept any maple pecan or chocolate pecan pies out of the running in order to level the playing field.

While all of the pies I sampled were enjoyable in their own way, I decided to rank them based on taste, the texture of both the filling and the crust, and overall perceived quality. The ones with the most buttery, delicious crust (that strikes the perfect balance between soft and crispy), the richest filling, and the ideal blend of smooth and crunchy textures overall came out on top.

When it came down to it, Whole Foods made the only pecan pie that truly tasted homemade. I have no doubt it was yummier than anything I would have made, too. So, if you want the absolute best store-bought pecan pie, a trip to Whole Foods is a must. Now, if we could just get a reliable, experienced person to make mac and cheese for the big day, we'd be all set.