Whether it's for deals on staples or meal kits that take the guesswork out of shopping, many people turn to their go-to grocery stores for help during the holidays. But, sometimes you just need dishes taken care of that are good enough to pass off as homemade. Millions of shoppers turn to Costco in the days leading up to Thanksgiving for everything from the bird itself to heat-and-eat sides, appetizers, ready-made dips, and more. But one item is sold in astounding numbers: that good ol' faithful, pumpkin pie.
According to David and Susan Schwartz, authors of the new book "The Joy of Costco: A Treasure Hunt From A to Z", Costco sells over 6 million pumpkin pies between September and December each year. Of those, more than a third—over 2 million pies—are sold just in the days leading up to Thanksgiving (check out this mind-blowing time-lapse).
Costco's pumpkin pies are wildly popular and wildly delicious, and at the unbeatable price of just $5.99, it's not hard to see why they are one of the top holiday items at Costco.
In their research for the book, David and Susan did a deep dive into the Costco pumpkin pie. And while they couldn't divulge the full recipe, they did reveal a few secrets to what makes the pie so tasty, and how it stays so affordable. Plus, there's even one tip you can steal for your own Turkey Day desserts to make them taste pretty damn gourd.
What Makes Costco Pumpkin Pie So Good?
On the Thanksgiving table there are some non-negotiable dishes. For me, pumpkin pie, as divisive as it can be, is a must-have. Since pumpkin pie is such a simple dish with very few ingredients, each one of those ingredients matters. The most important one? The pumpkin itself.
According to David and Susan, Costco uses one kind of pumpkin exclusively: Dickinson pumpkins. Dickinson pumpkins are not the orange jack-o'-lantern canvas you're picturing; rather, they're beige with smooth sides. The heirloom breed of pumpkin is grown in Illinois and sold to Costco in canned form—the store goes through 1.2 million cans of said pumpkin in peak pie season.
While you're unlikely to find Dickinson pumpkins in their gourd form at your local markets, you can readily find the canned version, and under a recognizable label at that. That's because Dickinson pumpkin is the proprietary variety used in Libby's, the brand behind 95% of the world's canned pumpkin (likely including the one that Costco uses, though the store is famously cagey about revealing its suppliers).
Libby's exclusively relies on Dickinson pumpkins for their sweet, butternut squash-like flavor and tender, creamy texture. In taste tests, our staff praised Libby's for its "mild flavor, smooth texture, and carrot-orange color," calling Libby's the "standout winner" and our top pick for all your baking needs.
So, if we had to take a guess at Costco's pumpkin pie recipe, we'd venture to say it's probably quite similar to Libby's famous pumpkin pie recipe. Hot tip: if you're to believe one Costco employee who commented on social media, the store glazes the pies with a thin layer of apricot jelly to get a shiny top. However, while you can probably get your pumpkin pie to taste as good as Costco's we can't guarantee it'll cost as little as Costco's. Here's how Costco keeps their pumpkin pie priced at just $5.99 for a whopping 58-ounce pie.
How Costco Keeps Its Pumpkin Pie So Cheap
In their book, David and Susan disclose that Costco's pumpkin pies are only semi-homemade, which helps cut down on costs. Each pie's crust is pressed into the pie tin by hand at a Costco central bakery commissary, but a pie-filling device takes it from there. The pumpkin pie filling used to be ladled in by hand, but in 2017, Costco made the switch to a machine, which helped cut down the production time drastically.
According to David and Susan, it's those "efficiency improvements" as well as Costco's ability to buy ingredients in bulk (and we mean bulk) that help keep the cost low. The price of the pumpkin pie has not gone up since 1990 (when it was raised $1), despite rising costs. As a result, it's probably a loss leader for Costco, much like its famous food court hot dog.
But it's not just the price that keeps people coming back year after year. Many users on social media excitedly share the pie's return each season, showering it with compliments. You can watch video after video on platforms like TikTok of fans raving about the treat. There's even a fan account on X (formerly known as Twitter) dedicated to the pie. So, where do you fall on the dessert discourse? Will you be adding a pumpkin pie to your Costco cart this Thanksgiving? Know that if you do plan to, the competition for one will be fierce.
How Costco Keeps Its Pumpkin Pie So Cheap. In their book, David and Susan disclose that Costco's pumpkin pies are only semi-homemade, which helps cut down on costs. Each pie's crust is pressed into the pie tin by hand at a Costco central bakery commissary, but a pie-filling device takes it from there.
Since you're not doing any baking, why not upgrade this store-bought pie a bit with cinnamon whipped cream? This does a few things: makes the pie look and feel fancier and more homemade, adds a bit of rich creaminess without adding sweetness, and ups the spice factor a bit.
Safeway's pumpkin pie was my favorite, but Costco's was a close second. As a baker, a homemade pie will always be at the top of my list but I think some of the store-bought versions I tried were still pretty tasty. The textures of both Costco's and Safeway's pumpkin pies were very good.
The pumpkin pie will keep in the fridge for three to four days. When you have a giant pumpkin pie like I do and not a ton of room in your refrigerator, you may want to look to the freezer instead. Pumpkin pie is easy to freeze and it tastes just as great after it thaws.
There are a few different ways to slice a pumpkin pie, so choose the method that works best for you: Traditional method: Start by cutting the pie into quarters.Then, slice each quarter into smaller pieces. This method is great if you prefer equal-sized slices.
If you're wondering if you need to refrigerate Costco pumpkin pie, the answer is yes! You should stick your pie in the fridge for the same reason eggs need to be refrigerated: to stop the growth of bacteria and decrease the likelihood of salmonella.
Along with pecan and pumpkin pies, Costco supposedly makes quite a few of its famous baked goods from scratch. The garlic bread, lemon meringue pie, country French bread, cherry pie, granola nut bread, and peach pie are all made inside the Costco bakery.
A little bit of pepper is imperceptible in the final product but adds great complexity to the flavor. Everyone knows pumpkin pie is really about pumpkin pie spice, and the slight kick it imbues on the pie filling. Put simply, ground pepper adds 'oomph' and highlights ginger and cinnamon's natural spiciness.
Despite its reputation for great pre-packaged goods, Trader Joe's pumpkin pie was considered the worst of the batch. “I nearly spit it out,” one tester said. “The flavor tasted fake and not like pumpkin at all.”
The USDA says that pumpkin pie will last safely in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Some store-bought pumpkin pies may have preservatives that could affect this, but in general, pumpkin pies that are homemade or baked fresh at the bakery or store will follow this general rule.
Why Are Store-Bought Pies Not Refrigerated? So that brings many of us to the question: Why are the pumpkin pies at the grocery store sitting out? Store-bought pumpkin pies include shelf-stable ingredients such as preservatives which allow them to last longer, even at room temp.
Dogs shouldn't eat pumpkin pie, given that this delicious fall staple contains unsafe ingredients. Along with the spices, the filling contains sugar and condensed milk, which can cause stomach upset. In small amounts, pie crusts won't harm your dog, but sugar and butter aren't good for them.
In Costco's central bakeries, the pie crust, famed for being thin and crumbly, is hand-pressed into pie tins before a recent addition to the process — the pie-filling machine — takes over, cutting overall costs and allowing them to keep their price low.
Costco's pumpkin pie slice only has 2.6 grams of saturated fat, which is just 13% of the recommended daily allowance, according to the USDA's 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. One nutritional aspect of this seasonal treat that may be a little excessive is the sugar content.
According to the USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans, we should all be eating 2 cups of orange veggies each week. Pumpkin pie can help meet these recommendations plus that brilliant orange color provides the antioxidants vitamin A and lutein.
"Egg-rich pies such as pecan, pumpkin, lemon meringue, and custard must be kept refrigerated," the U.S. Department of Agriculture explains on its website, adding that these pies, when stored properly in the fridge, should last three to four days.
You can freeze Costco's whole pumpkin pies or portions of the pie by allowing them to cool completely, wrapping them in two or three layers of plastic wrap, and then wrapping them once again using aluminum foil. Freeze for up to one month for best quality. Defrost frozen pumpkin pie in the refrigerator.
Why Is My Pumpkin Pie Weeping? Another common problem that occurs when baking pumpkin pie is when you notice water on the top of the pie or leaking out from the filling. Why this happens: Either the pie was overbaked, or it was placed in the fridge before cooling completely.
Pumpkin pie, which has been growing in the Americas for centuries now, symbolizes the gratitude and appreciation our ancestors once experienced each harvest season.
Introduction: My name is Geoffrey Lueilwitz, I am a zealous, encouraging, sparkling, enchanting, graceful, faithful, nice person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/perfect-pumpkin-pie-4x3-allrecipes-video-300fb92827fb4e8ba70c8e7cc93158e6.jpg "The Secret to Costco's Best-Selling Pumpkin Pie (1)")
