The Store-Bought Pumpkin Pie Brand To Avoid Buying This Holiday Season

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When autumn transitions into winter, the awaited pumpkin pie season commences. The classic dessert appears throughout the holidays on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and day-to-day tables alike, meaning you'll need to acquire quite a stock. Thankfully, Food Republic's store-bought pumpkin pie ranking is here to help, outlining both successes and failures found on grocery shelves — a boon if you just aren't up to making yet another classic maple pumpkin pie.

According to the taste test, Walmart's Freshness Guaranteed Baked Pumpkin Pie is the one to avoid. Unfortunately, the dessert disappoints in both taste and texture, with the central issue being a stodgy filling. Adding to the troubles, the crust tastes dry, and the bland flavor doesn't hit the mark either — a palate likely derived from a low-quality canned pumpkin pie filling.

Furthermore, Walmart advertises the dessert as shelf-stable, a sign that the pie contains preservatives and acids (components like sodium propionate, potassium sorbate, and citric acid all appear on the ingredient list) — a good custard-based pumpkin pie should need refrigeration, not be shelf-stable. Customers pick up on such unsavory notes: "It tasted like it was shelf stable — not natural," a Walmart reviewer noted, with several others complaining that their pies were delivered frozen (thus not fresh). So, even with an alluring price of $5.23 for an 8-inch pie, don't add this dessert to the shopping cart.

Freshness Guaranteed is one of Walmart's private labels, so the store accordingly stocks the pie across locations in several varieties. In addition to the aforementioned 8-inch size, you might come across a larger 10-inch pie, 4-inch mini pies, as well as a version without added sugar. Take note that the 10-inch and 8-inch pies come with a distinct composition from the rest — they're the specific desserts sampled in the taste test.

Worryingly, customer concerns don't stop with the lack of flavor and unsavory texture, but also the pie's freshness. "They gave me a pie that is expiring tomorrow," a Walmart reviewer noted, with someone even reporting receiving an already expired dessert. "I received a frozen solid pie that thawed out with a less than acceptable texture and taste," another customer complained. Such inconsistent handling only further drives the bland and stale narrative, making it a purchase that inspires immediate regret. Instead, head to Costco to pick up the best store-bought pumpkin pie, thereby avoiding a dessert that tastes predominantly of disappointment.