Gwynedd Stuart
The best canned pumpkin is smooth without being watery and convenient without tasting like a can. Prior to our two canned pumpkin puree taste tests, I’d never had occasion to purchase canned pumpkin, so here’s the extent of what I knew about it: It’s orange, it’s used to make pumpkin pie, and you can feed it to dogs when they’re constipated. Turns out it’s good for a lot more than just rehydrating pets who can’t poop. There are sweet applications, like pumpkin muffins and pumpkin bread, but also savory ones, like pumpkin ravioli, lasagna, and hummus.
Yes, canned pumpkin puree is typically an ingredient rather than something you consume on its own, but for our taste tests, we decided the most obvious way to find the best canned pumpkin was to taste each one out of the can, on a spoon. Given that all of these purees have literally one ingredient, you might think they’d all taste the same, but nope! In two separate taste tests, we detected distinct differences in color, quality, and flavor—and for round two we even threw some pre-spiced pumpkin pie mixes into the pool of contenders, including Libby’s pumpkin pie mix. These are the six best canned pumpkin brands we tasted (for humans and dogs alike). Oh, and if you need a pre-made crust for that pumpkin pie, we have you covered there, too.
- Great Value 100% Pure Pumpkin
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Great Value canned pumpkin isn’t the best canned pumpkin we tried, but it is cheap and it has a rich color, a nice smooth texture, and a sweet, pleasant smell. Be forewarned that this pumpkin puree tasted a little saltier than some of the others we tried, but sometimes sweets taste better with a little salinity.
Credit: Paula Kunatee / Walmart
- Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
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There’s something to be said for canned pumpkin with a pleasant, sort of neutral flavor that allows it to be used for pretty much anything, right? This Libby’s pumpkin puree is neutral to a tee. It has a deep orange color and a clean, delicious flavor that lands somewhere between savory and sweet. I was surprised by how much I liked this one.
Credit: Paula Kunatee / Target
- Libby’s Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix
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Not to be confused with Libby’s pumpkin puree, Libby’s canned pumpkin pie filling is pre-seasoned and ready to become pumpkin pie. The point of this canned pumpkin is that it’s a shortcut, and this is an even shorter shortcut. You just open this big ass can, mix the puree with evaporated milk and two large beaten eggs, and then dump the mixture into a pie crust—voila! It’s very creamy and very flavorful, very cinnamon forward and sweet, but I think once you mix it with the other ingredients and bake it, that added spice will serve you well. This is the best canned pumpkin pie filling if you’re lazy and just want to dump!
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Good & Gather 100% Pure Pumpkin
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There’s a recipe for pumpkin bread on this can of pumpkin puree from Target, and that makes sense to me. This canned pumpkin was looser than some of the other brands we tried (more like an applesauce, but nowhere near that watery), which I think would make it the best canned pumpkin for bread or cupcakes or any baked good that would benefit from a little extra moisture and a little bit of sweet, gourdy flavor.
Credit: Paula Kunatee / Target
- 365 Pumpkin Puree
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So this is weird: We really loved Whole Food house brand 365’s non-organic pumpkin puree, but really, really disliked the organic one. Their organic canned pumpkin is pale, mushy, and, worst of all, retains a tinny flavor that lingers in your mouth after you take a bite. 365’s non-organic canned pumpkin, on the other hand, is pleasantly thick, deeper in color, and has a richer, slightly sweeter flavor we really enjoyed. I guarantee you that the organic version is at least a few cents more expensive—you can thank me later for saving you money!
Credit: Paula Kunatee / Amazon
- O Organics Pumpkin
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When I was a kid, I used to beg my mom to buy me jars of baby food to eat as snacks, and I still have a soft spot for mushy, unseasoned purees of vegetables and fruits. This pumpkin puree from O Organics gives me baby food vibes in a good way. It has a particularly sweet smell, but isn’t overly sweet to the taste. Still, I think it might be the best canned pumpkin for sweet applications like pies and cakes. What I like best about this one is that the pumpkin flavor really comes through. Big gourd energy in this canned pumpkin puree
Credit: Paula Kunatee / Instacart
Best Budget
Best Blank Slate
Best Pie Mix
Best for Baking
Best Color
Best of the Best
Other canned pumpkin purees we tried: Sprouts Pumpkin (non-organic), 365 Organic Pumpkin Puree, Farmer’s Market Organic Pumpkin Puree, Signature Select 100% Pure Pumpkin
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