6 Marie Callender's Frozen Pies, Ranked Worst To Best

I love making a pie from scratch. A pie isn't the easiest dish to make, but it's so satisfying when you finally pull one out of the oven (or the fridge, depending on the kind of pie you're making) and slice into it. It's a deeply satisfying task, but it's one that most of us don't have time to do on a regular basis. That's the appeal of a store-bought pie. You can likely find them in the bakery section of your local grocery store, but there are also pies in the frozen section. A frozen pie is nice to have on hand for those times when you want to have a last-minute party or are just looking for a sweet way to brighten your day.

Although there are a few frozen pie brands out there to choose from, I'm partial to Marie Callender's. These pies are big enough to serve a small crowd, and they're seriously delicious considering that they're pre-made and frozen ahead of time. I decided to taste six different Marie Callender's pies and rank them, starting with the worst and making my way to the best. I took both texture and flavor into account when organizing this ranking. That being said, you really can't go wrong with any of these options. Let's take a closer look.

There were only two pies I tried on this list that needed to be baked, and the Razzleberry Fruit Pie was one of them. It's an especially simple pie, with a lack of fussiness that makes it feel homemade. That being said, it wasn't my favorite of the bunch. The filling is made from a mixture of red raspberries and blackberries, and unfortunately, they're not super flavorful. I'm grateful that this pie isn't too sweet — which can often be a problem with packaged desserts — but the flavor of the filling was somewhat lackluster. Not only is the sweetness absent, but so is the tartness that you may expect from a berry pie.

The crust, though, is solid. The plain top of the pie isn't anything special, but it has a nice simultaneous crispness and softness that makes this pie a step up from the standard grocery store pie, even if the filling isn't the best.

Let's be honest: Banana cream isn't always the best pie out there. You see apple pie, cherry pie, and even lemon meringue pie everywhere. But you usually have to go to a specialty pie place to get your hands on a banana cream pie. Therefore, I was somewhat surprised to see Marie Callender's Banana Cream Pie. Although I considered it a step up from the Razzleberry Fruit Pie, it only squeaked into the second-to-worst spot on this list. Yes, the filling is luscious and creamy, but it's also a touch too sweet. Plus, the intense flavor of the banana overpowers every other component in the pie, meaning it kind of tastes one-note.

If you're the kind of person who really, really loves the flavor of bananas, then there's a good chance you're going to like this cake. But if you're just looking for a light, creamy cake, then there are definitely better options from which to choose.

Coconut cream pie is another type of pie that you really don't see everywhere, but it's a flavor that can actually be kind of solid if it's one right. The problem? Coconut has such a light flavor that coconut cream pies are often packed with sugar to make up for that lack of flavor. This coconut cream pie from Marie Callender's is no exception. This pie is really sweet — like, sweeter than I would ever want a pie to be — and that seems to distract from the lovely, light flavor of the coconut itself.

However, the topping of this pie is really nice. It has crisp, toasted coconut flakes on top, which makes the pie more interesting and adds a nice textural element that you don't get from most of the other frozen pies on this list. It could be a nice option if you want to serve a store-bought pie at a summer party, especially if you decide to serve the pie with some fresh berries, which might give the dish the tartness it needs.

I'll be the first to say that I'm not a big fan of lemon meringue pie. However, I can't deny that Marie Callender's Lemon Meringue Pie is a solid representation of the dessert. This pie, unlike the coconut cream, has a nicely balanced flavor. Is there a lot of sweetness in the mix? Of course — it's a pie, after all. However, the acidity from that lemon really balances everything out nicely, creating an intense flavor that's nonetheless light and refreshing.

This pie doesn't rank higher, however, because you can really only eat one slice of the stuff. Since those flavors are so strong, you probably won't want any seconds — that lemon and sugar is a bit too intense for that. That could be a good thing, though, if you're sharing the pie with a crowd or you just don't want to eat so much pie in one sitting. If you're looking for a pie you won't want to stop eating, keep reading for the top-ranked flavors of the bunch.

I wasn't expecting to enjoy Marie Callender's Dutch Apple Pie as much as I did. After all, there are a lot of subpar store-bought apple pies out there, especially if you buy them from the bakery section of your local grocery store and eat them without heating them up. But because you have to put this Marie Callender's pie in the oven, it comes out tasting warm and fresh as can be ... even though it most definitely is not from scratch.

What really won me over here is the texture of the apples. Unlike a lot of store-bought apple pies, the apples still have some bite to them, despite their softness. However, the crumble on top of the pie is also a selling point. You crumble it onto the pie in the last 10 minutes of cooking, and it gives the dish a nice, crispy topping that makes every bite more appealing. If you're craving apple pie but you just don't have the time or the energy to make it from scratch, this frozen pie may just be your best bet.

We've finally reached the best pie of them all: Marie Callender's Chocolate Satin Pie. It all starts with a cookie crust, which automatically makes this pie more interesting than the others in the lineup. Then comes the chocolate filling, which is sweet and unfussy but deeply luscious. Yes, this pie is quite sweet, but not overwhelmingly so — there's a boldness to the chocolate that balances things out nicely. Finally, you have the whipped cream topping, which adds yet another layer of creaminess, in addition to the chocolate chips, which provide just the right amount of texture to the pie.

The texture of this dessert is fantastic, with a rich smoothness that somehow feels both light and dense simultaneously. Yes, it's super indulgent, but isn't that what we're all looking for in a pie anyway? If you're hanging out in the frozen dessert aisle, wondering what you should bring to a party (or what you should treat your own family to on a night when you're craving something sweet), this chocolate satin pie should be at the top of your must-try list.

I chose these pies according to the availability at my local grocery store, and I prepared them all according to the package directions. This involved thawing the cold pies and baking the warm ones. The main criterion for this ranking was the overall flavor of the dessert, and I paid special attention to flavor balance, ensuring that the highest-ranked pies weren't too sweet or otherwise too intense. Texture also played a role in the ranking, although the criteria for determining good texture differed according to the specific variety of pie I was trying.