6 Store-Bought Apple Pies, Ranked Worst To Best

When it comes to classic, comforting, and homey desserts, apple pie is hard to beat. The warm baking spice aromas, the crisp-but-flaky buttery pastry crust, and of course, the lush filling that perfectly balances tart and sweet fruit flavors — apple pie has stood the test of time and ensconced itself in the pantheon of all-time great desserts. Making it from scratch takes a lot of time and effort, and there's plenty of room for error, like under- or over-baking it, or going too heavy on the apple pie spice. That's why, whether you're entertaining a crowd or simply craving a slice or two for yourself, it's much easier to opt for a store-bought pie.

Of the brands you can find on grocery store shelves, though, which one should you choose? I tracked down six full-sized traditional-style apple pies, some ready-to-eat and some frozen, to find out just that. Can any of them compete with a freshly baked homemade pie? Based on taste, texture, ease of preparation, and value for your dollar, here are the six apple pie candidates, ranked from worst to best.

Let's start with what's good about Walmart's Freshness Guaranteed apple pie: It's very inexpensive, and it's ready to eat right out of the package. If you're looking for a quick apple pie fix and you're down to your last five-dollar bill, this pie will suffice. Other than that scenario, however, I wouldn't ever go out of my way to have this again. Visually, it does look appealing, with a nicely browned golden crust and evenly baked crimped edges, along with cute diamond-shaped vents. The crust looks better than it tastes, though, and the filling is nothing to get excited about.

I found the crust dry and rather bland. Despite its thickness, the top layer fell apart as I cut into it while the bottom layer stuck aggressively to the pan. While the crimped border looked pretty, those thick edges were not any fun to eat, crumbling into flavorless dust in my mouth. The apples had very little tartness and were soft, right on the border of being mushy. This is the cheapest pie, but for just a couple of dollars more, you can upgrade to a few of the frozen options and have a much more satisfying dessert.

Similar in size and style to the Freshness Guaranteed option, Sara Lee's frozen apple pie is a step up in quality, though it costs a few dollars more and takes additional time and effort to prepare. If you're willing to invest those things, though, you'll have a better pie on your hands, though it's still not one that I'd purposefully seek out. Every element is a notch up, but just barely.

The crust was visibly cracked when I took the pie out of the box, and as I followed the instructions to cut four slits into it to create vents, it cracked even more. It ended up being a less-than-picturesque pie because of that, with filling bubbling up over the fissures. It's a shame that the top crust was so problematic, because this pie had one of the best bottom crusts of the whole bunch — solid and not soggy, golden brown, and easy to cut through and release from the tin. Both layers, though, suffered the same blandness as Walmart's pie. If you're going to have a thick crust, it needs to bring some flavor to the equation, and this just didn't have it. The apples here were soft and sweet, and the filling's boisterously punchy spice didn't make up for the fruit's lack of tartness or bite.

I grew up having Marie Callender's pies on special occasions, and have a nostalgic fondness for them. Its frozen lattice apple pie is a solid option, especially considering it's the second cheapest pie in this lineup, although Marie Callender's has many pies to offer, and this isn't one of the best. While there were three others on this list that outranked it, Marie's would be what I'd grab as the best affordable option. It's not flawless, but you get a decent bang for your buck.

During the bake, the filling bubbled up and oozed out of the edges of the crust, leading to a sticky 360-degree border that made the pie tricky to slice. Even so, it held together pretty well, though that created a gap between the crimped edge and the side of the bottom crust layer that caused the slices to collapse. I'm no stranger to leaky homemade pie crusts, but expect more from a brand like Marie Callender's. The lattice top was a little too thick, dry, and bready, but that thickness served the base layer well. Though both crusts did have a pleasantly sweet, buttery flavor, they lacked delicacy and flakiness. The apple filling was juicy and well balanced between sweet and tart, though I found the cinnamon came on too strong. Marie Callender's lattice apple pie has a lot going for it, though overall, it doesn't quite come together.

This was a tough one, because I will almost certainly treat myself to Costco's Kirkland Signature lattice apple pie again. As with most of the store's in-house brand products, it's monstrous in size for the price, making it a fantastic option if you're feeding a crowd and don't want to have to make multiple pies or spend a ton of cash. Its impressive size is the main draw of this pie, but it's also the main cause of its issues.

The tin literally sagged when I picked this pie up out of its case — you almost need two people to keep it steady, or at least a bigger pair of hands than I possess. This was by far the messiest pie on this list, with the crust's edges cracking and falling off like crumbling stones from an ancient ruin. The lattice pieces were gorgeously amber and dusted with crystals of sugar along the perimeter, but the closer I got to the center, the doughier they became, even after I heated it up in the oven in hopes that they'd brown a bit more. Structurally and logistically, this pie is a jumble, but flavor-wise, it's an absolute banger. Tartness and spice dance together in the rich, honey-like filling, and the apples are crisp and juicy. It's a shame it can't quite hold up under its own weight. Personally, for fall vibes, I prefer the beloved Costco pumpkin pie, which is also quite a bit cheaper.

While Kirkland Signature's apple pie was a flavor bomb, Whole Foods Market's version lies on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. It's a quiet, understated pie, but don't take that to mean it's boring or bland. Quite the opposite, in fact — this pie has a sophisticated elegance that makes its simplicity shine. Visually, it's a stunner, with a wavy top crust that looks like the ocean or clouds. Golden brown crests and edges bring toasted crispiness, while the buttery bottom crust is solid yet tender. This pie from Whole Foods is one of only two that use real butter in their crusts, as opposed to using only shortening, margarine, or oil, and it really is remarkable what a difference that makes. 

What I appreciated about this pie was the filling's apple-forward flavor. Cinnamon was there, but it was subtle, and served to enhance the apples' natural flavor rather than vie for center stage. I really got to taste the apple in all of its juicy, tangy, fruity glory. The crust practically melted into the filling as I took a bite. It was a tough call giving this pie the silver medal, but it is the most expensive pie per ounce on this list — people don't call the store Whole Paycheck for nothing — and there was one other that made a bigger impression. 

I did not have The Village PieMaker brand on my radar, and I was skeptical at first, based solely on the price. This is the most expensive pie on this list — it cost me $4 more than Whole Foods, and $6 more than Costco — but it does beat out Whole Foods when you calculate the price per ounce. This isn't quite as gargantuan as Kirkland Signature's offering, but it is quite sizable, boasting two pounds of filling alone, so the price isn't so outlandish. The ingredients list is short and sweet, and much to my delight, includes real butter. Of all the pies on this list, fresh or frozen, this one had the most comforting, homemade character.

Here, finally, was the crust I'd been looking for all this time. Beautifully golden, buttery and delectably flaky, with layers I could peel apart like gossamer. Despite this pie's hefty size, it felt light rather than dense, thanks to the delicate pastry and the bright, vibrant apple filling. Both the top and bottom crust baked evenly, without a hint of burntness anywhere. While I did have trouble keeping the slices intact, I really couldn't have cared less once I dug my fork into a messy piece and savored each perfectly balanced bite. If I were serving a store-bought pie for dessert and wanted to impress, Village PieMaker would be the one I'd grab, hands down. It's well worth the extra dough.

To keep everything on an even playing field, I narrowed down my apple pie selections to classic two-crust or lattice-crust styles, omitting crumbles and Dutch apple pies. While I love adding fun, experimental ingredients to pies as much as the next baker, I also left out those with additional flavors like caramel or toffee. My options were also limited to full-sized pies, not including any single-serving or hand pies. The six I ended up with should all be widely available as well, as they're either from major chain grocery stores or nationally distributed brands.

For the frozen pies, I prepared them according to the package instructions, including recommended cooling times. For the ready-baked pies, I warmed them up in a hot oven until heated through the center, for roughly 15-25 minutes depending on the size. After cooling, I then sliced each pie and tasted it. I judged each element separately, as well as how they worked together. The best pies had an evenly cooked, golden and flaky crust on both top and bottom, a balanced, appropriately tart and sweet filling, and a depth of flavor from spices without going overboard. I also took into account the pie's size and price to determine which were the best value.