When fall comes, it brings with it an onslaught of pumpkin-flavored treats. Pumpkin spice lattes get all the press, but there would be no pumpkin spice latte without the food those spices were initially named for: the pumpkin pie.
According to a 2017 survey by Delta Dental, pumpkin pie is the most popular pie flavor for Thanksgiving with Americans eating over 50 million pumpkin pies on the holiday alone. Unsurprisingly, corporations wanted a piece of the pie. When people think of big box stores like Costco and Sams Club, they think about buying bulk quantities of everyday goods. But when the holidays roll around, both stores offer a pumpkin pie, though in typical fashion, they are much larger than a standard store-bought dessert.
The release of these pies is the signal that the holidays are near. But then consumers must face a difficult choice: Which pie do they want on their table? Each pie can feed a dinner party, but only one can satisfy that passion for pumpkin. We put Costco and Sams Club head to head to determine which pie reigns supreme.
Costco sells a truly staggering amount of pumpkin pie each year. While we dont have the numbers for every year, back in 2015, the company sold over 5 million in one limited season. We can only assume the numbers have gone up since then. The Costco pumpkin pie is sold under its Kirkland Signature brand, and the recipe has not changed since it was released in 1987. However, the pie has gotten a couple of inches larger.
According to an article from The Costco Connection, the pie dough is made in the store, and it contains no preservatives. The Costco pumpkin pie is so popular it has gained a cult following over the years. People wait for the pie to drop, and there are entire Facebook pages dedicated to it. The company is really setting the bar high and creating some stiff competition right off the bat. With Costcos reputation for quality products, we will have to see if Sams Club can compete.
What is a penny worth?
The price difference between these two pies is all of $0.01. Obviously, that isnt nothing, but it is next to nothing. A Costco pie in our area costs $5.99, and a Sams Club pie costs $5.98. Sams Club does slightly win this round. That being said, the prices of each vary from location to location. Additionally, the Costco pie weighs more. So, when you break the price down per ounce, the Costco one is the winner. But again, we are talking about literally a single penny here. The thing that wont buy you anything anymore.
Both pies are frankly an incredible deal. Given the size, you really cannot beat the price. For some context, an 8-inch pie at Target costs $7.99, and a similarly sized pie at Whole Foods is a whopping $13.99. We frankly have to wonder if either Costco or Sams Club is making any money on these pies at this point.
Are there nutritional differences?
When it comes to the nutritional differences, we had to do a little digging. Sams Club puts its nutrition information right on the label. Costco, however, does not. They also dont post it on the website. So, we went to Instacart, which had a copy of the nutrition label posted.
Both the Costco and Sams Club pumpkin pies have 12 servings for each pie. The resulting nutrition is similar, although not exactly the same. A Costco pie is 320 calories per serving, which is 50 calories less than the 370 calories you get from Sams Club. Sams Club is also slightly higher in fat at 15 grams versus Costcos 11 grams. Other nutrients follow suit. Sams Club pumpkin pie has 54 grams of carbs and 34 grams of sugar, while Costco has 48 grams of carbs and 31 grams of sugar. These are not huge differences, but they are notable.
Sam’s Club vs. Costco: Who has the better pumpkin pie? We put them to the (taste) test
FAQ
Is Sam’s or Costco’s pumpkin pie better?
Are Costco pumpkin pies good?
Is Costco pumpkin pie shelf stable?
Should you refrigerate Sam’s Club pumpkin pie?
How much does a pumpkin pie cost at Costco?
Pumpkin pies from Costco and Sam’s Club are a Thanksgiving staple for many. Both are nearly 12″ and weigh nearly four pounds – and both cost less than $6 ($5.99 for the Kirkland Signature pie at Costco, $5.98 for the Member’s Mark pie at Sam’s Club).
What is the difference between Costco and Sam’s Club pumpkin pie?
You can see that the Costco pumpkin pie slice as shown above (left) has more moisture and is a bit darker in color. The Sam’s Club version shown above (right) is lighter in color, thicker, and looks a little firmer. The taste was less sweet, but we did taste more cinnamon in this pie.
How much does a Sam’s Club pumpkin pie cost?
The Sam’s Club pumpkin pie is identical in weight and size (also weighing in at 58 ounces), however it did go up in price, I found it for $6.98. That’s still a phenomenal deal for such a LARGE pie! They do look similar but you can see texture differences right off the bat!
Does Sam’s Club pumpkin pie taste better?
I did a blind taste-test at home using my pumpkin-loving family, and 3/4 of us picked the Sam’s Club pumpkin pie as the winner! We honestly enjoyed them both, but the majority of us LOVED the overall texture and taste of Sam’s Club pumpkin pie just a bit more. If we had to choose one over the other, Sam’s Club won!