The Best Frozen Apple & Pumpkin Pies

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Nov 23rd 2010 @ 4:00PM

Photo: Elizabeth Hait, AOL

Whether you're running out of time or you just hate to bake, your dessert table doesn't have to be naked this holiday season. In addition to the fresh pies in your local bakery, there are tasty and budget-friendly options in the freezer section of your supermarket that, while probably not exactly rivaling a homemade version, come pretty close. But with so many brands to choose from, which one do you pick?

We tested six apple pies and three pumpkin pies, which we divided into four categories: Dutch apple, apple, pumpkin and an editor's pick. We chose our favorites, and tell you which ones are better left at the grocery store. All of these pies are available nationwide.

Unlike our Instant Stuffing Taste Test, no one brand dominated.

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=957206&pid=957205&uts=1290534896

http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swf

Best Frozen Apple and Pumpkin Pies

Winner: Marie Callender's

This deep-dish sized pie was all apple and hardly any filling. Made with 100% fresh apples, we could taste the cinnamon and brown sugar, especially in the crumb topping. The crust was flakey, but not too buttery.

While this pie was on the sweeter side, the sugar was paired down with a cool scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Skip: Mrs. Smith's Dutch Apple

Best Frozen Apple and Pumpkin Pies

Winner: Sara Lee

The first thing that truly stood out about this pie was the crust, it resembles a homemade, buttery and flakey pastry that Grandma used to make. Unlike the competitors, the apples maintained a firm texture, instead of a mushy mess.

We preferred whipped cream with this pie.

Skip: Banquet Apple Pie

Best Frozen Apple and Pumpkin Pies

Winner: Trader Joe's

If there's one pie in this gallery that you could take out of the aluminum foil and present as your own, this is the winner. Trader Joe's had us concerned at first -- you don't have to bake this pie, just defrost and serve, which makes it a very-friendly last minute option for Thanksgiving. However, with the first bite, we were hooked. Smooth and creamy, the pumpkin pie mixture was luxurious (the first ingredient listed on the box is whipping cream). We could even detect cinnamon and nutmeg -- needless to say we went back for more and even saved it in the refrigerator for leftovers.

We preferred whipped cream and Cool Whip with this pie.

Skip: Mrs. Smith's

Best Frozen Apple and Pumpkin Pies

Trader Joe's Apple Tarte Tatin

Since this technically isn't a pie, we didn't include it in the Apple Pie category, but we couldn't leave it off our list. While this wasn't visually pleasing (at all), it certainly was delicious. The apple filling was rustic, leaving some of the apple skins and it was the most natural tasting, leaving out all of the gelatin filler and extra sweeteners.

Afraid to serve it to your guests because of its lack of appearance? Try cutting it up ahead of time and serving it in a mini trifle dish with a dollop of whipped cream. No one will ever know!

Best Frozen Apple and Pumpkin Pies

For a full list of brands we tested, click here.

Become a fan of Slashfood on Facebook and follow us Twitter.

Filed Under: Taste Test, Holidays
Tags: apple pie, ApplePie, frozen pies, pumpkin pie, PumpkinPie, thanksgiving

Chew on This

Royal Wedding Cake Details Revealed! - YumSugar

Make Your Own Pop Tarts - CHOW
Denny's Introduces a Maple Bacon Sundae - Eater
Whole Foods Opening Bars in Stores - USA Today
Rules Of Bar Etiquette -- For The Bartender - HuffPost Food

Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

11-24-2010 @5:17PM Betty Fulcher said... I didn't see who won between KFC and Popeye's.
Thank you.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

11-25-2010 @10:40AM Al Schrader said... After you try this secret recipe, you wont buy any of that frozen stuff. Put 2-1/2 cups of good (never buy the cheap stuff) flour into a big bowl. Add one stick of butter & 1 teaspoon of salt. Using a fork mash the butter to combine. Add 5 tablespoons of water & stir briskly with the fork to create gravel.
That's it. Maybe one minute max. Line your deep-dish pie pan with half of with this, dump in your filling, top with more gravel. Bake at 350 F for one hour. It's done. Result is incredible butter crumb crust pie, trust me...Alfred

Vote upVote downReport

12-23-2010 @4:22AM Robert said... If you really want to taste an apple pie that defies comparison you need to contact foodgems in queens. The email address is Foodgems@foodgems.com. It is by far the best apple pie I have ever eaten. Everything they make is fantastic

Reply