Best Canned Pumpkin

Canned pumpkin: Tips & Tricks

Let’s talk pumpkin! Canned pumpkin, that is.

Canned pumpkin is used in a variety of recipes, from pumpkin pie to bread to cookies to soup. 

To find the best canned pumpkin, we did a blind taste test with popular brands:

Of course, pumpkin pie was a key recipe we tested—we used the same recipe and tried different brands of canned pumpkin to see what worked best. Here’s a sample pie we baked:

After all our testing, we discovered some tips and tricks for buying canned pumpkin:

• Some canned pumpkin is more “liquid-y” than others. That is, some had a higher moisture content. This can be a problem, especially with pumpkin pie. Canned pumpkin with more moisture is probably better suited for pumpkin bread or cookie recipes, since you can adjust the amount of flour to absorb some of the extra moisture.

• For pumpkin pie, you want a thicker, firmer consistency to your canned pumpkin. And while you might think all canned pumpkin is, well canned pumpkin, we found that some brands were firmer/thicker than others.

• Consider using recipes from the brands you buy for popular items. Most makers of canned pumpkin have developed recipes for pumpkin pie, bread and other popular items. We found if you use these recipes (designed for the consistency of the canned pumpkin those brand sells), the more success you might have. 

The results from our blind taste tests are in. Here are the canned pumpkin brands we think are best:

Best For Pumpkin Bread: Farmer’s Market Organic Pumpkin Puree

Compared to others we tested, this pumpkin has a more runny texture, which makes it a good bet for cookies, pancakes or breads. Not so much for pumpkin pie, however.

Bonus: the can is BPA free and yes, this canned pumpkin is USDA organic.

Best For Pumpkin Pie: Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin

Libby’s is probably the most well known brand when it comes to canned pumpkin—and in our blind taste tests, it came out on top, especially for pumpkin pie. Why? It has a firmer texture than other brands, which lends itself well to pie making.

When you are baking a pie for the holidays, sometimes it is best to go for the tried and true . . . less risk, better odds things will turn out well! That’s how we feel about this pumpkin puree. 

Best Budget-Friendly: 365 by Whole Foods Market, Organic Shelf-Stable Vegetables, Pumpkin Puree

For whatever reason, pumpkin puree can get rather pricey, especially around holidays. If you plan to do a lot of baking, we found the 365 by Whole Foods brand of canned pumpkin to be both excellent in quality and easy on the wallet. This organic pumpkin puree scored high in our taste tests for flavor and texture. 

Best Organic: Libby’s Pure Organic Pumpkin

We did a blind taste with several organic canned pumpkin brands—this brand, Libby’s Pure Organic Pumpkin, was among the tops in terms of flavor when we tried it in our pumpkin pie recipe. It wins our pick for best organic pumpkin puree.

Again, the texture here is thicker than other organic pumpkin we tested—and that makes it better for pies. You need to start with a thicker/firmer texture to get it work well, in our experience.

Why? Most pumpkin pie recipes just have evaporated milk, sugar, eggs and spices as ingredients . . . there is no flour to absorb extra moisture.

Our Favorite Pumpkin Pie recipe

We’ve tried a dozen or more pumpkin pie recipes over the years for holiday baking and always come back to this one by Libby’s. It is simple, but it is a crowd pleaser!

Here you go:

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1 can (15 ounces) Pure Pumpkin
  
• 1 can (12 fluid ounces) evaporated Milk, (Or substitute with equal amount Lactose-Free or Almond Cooking Milk)
  
• 2 large eggs
• 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell.
  

Steps

1.  Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
2. Pour into pie shell.
3. Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Credit: VeryBestBaking web site by Nestle, Libby’s.

And why stop at pumpkin pie? Have you considered trying pumpkin scones? Here’s an example to inspire:

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability. When we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!

About the Authors: Denise & Alan Fields

Denise & Alan Fields have made a career out of chronicling life’s milestones: getting married, buying a home and raising kids.

As best-selling authors, the Fields have written a series of best-selling consumer guides, including Baby Bargains (over two million copies in print).
With detailed reviews and recommendations of cribs, strollers and car seats, Baby Bargains has helped multiple generations of parents pick out the best gear for baby since 1994

Inside, Baby Bargains, you’ll find:

• CHEAT SHEETS for your baby registry―create a baby registry in minutes with our good, better, best ideas.

• SEVEN THINGS no one tells you about baby gear, from nursery furniture to feeding baby.

• Dozens of SAFETY TIPS to keep baby safe and affordably
baby proof your home.

Co-author Denise Fields is one half of the team that wrote the beloved baby care series, Baby 411.

Covering pregnancy, baby and toddler years, the Baby 411 series is both fun to read and informative—the inside scoop on your child’s growth, development and health.

Think of it as the ultimate FAQ for new parents:

• Sleep. The best way to get your baby to sleep through the night.

• First aid—when to worry, when not to . . . and what to do when baby gets sick. No-nonsense, down-to-earth advice you can trust.

• Fussy baby 411. Is it colic? Acid reflux? Or something else? Discover  the secrets to soothing a fussy baby.

• Detailed nutrition info with a step-by-step guide for successful breastfeeding, introducing solid food and the ‘‘new and improved’’ formulas. Plus: simple steps to avoid food allergies!

Denise Fields

Raised in Loveland, Colorado, Denise Fields caught the writing bug early in life. She won awards for her essays at the tender age of 12, all while tending her family’s pet donkey at a farm in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains.

Fields received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colorado before co-founding a publishing company in Austin, Texas in 1988.

As the co-author of 23 books, Fields has written extensively on consumer topics, including real estate, parenting and children’s products.

A frequent guest on television, radio and online, Fields has been cited as an expert source by the New York Times, who hailed her Baby Bargains book as “the Bible of baby gear.”

Fields also has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and on TV shows like Good Morning America and the NBC Today Show.

Alan Fields

Alan Fields grew up in Dallas, Texas before attending the University of Colorado and receiving a Bachelor of Science degree.

Fields worked both in newspapers and radio before launching a career as a book author.

Together with Denise, Fields moved to Austin, Texas where Fields received a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Colorado.

Fields co-founded Windsor Peak Press, a boutique publishing company now based in Boulder, CO.

As a consumer advocate and money-saving expert, Fields has been quoted in the Washington Post, New York Times and even People Magazine.

Denise & Alan Fields talking money-saving tips with Katie Couric.

How We Come Up With Recommendations

Let’s talk about how we pick products to recommend.

In a world full of influencers paid to shill a product, you deserve unbiased recommendations based on solid research and testing.

That’s why we are here.

Here’s three reasons why folks trust our recommendations and advice when it comes to selecting products for your home and family:

1. Experience.
2. Independence.
3. Expert.

Experience

We have been researching, reviewing and rating products for families and the home since 1994. (Yes, that long!). This is what we do—we obsess about gear so you don’t have to.

We have many fine competitors online but we challenge you to find one who has as much experience in the family category as Baby Bargains. Go ahead, we’ll wait right here.

We do hands-on research.

What does that mean?

How we research varies by the product category. For some products used in a home, we purchase them with our own money (no freebies) and test them in-house.

Example: for a review on the best vanilla bean paste (part of our series on baking products), we compare the thickness of several brands in our test kitchen:

For other recommendations, we tap our vast readership (our books have 3 million copies in print) for their feedback. We look for real-world product reports from our readers to narrow down the vast field of choices in many categories.

To keep things fair, we also do blind taste tests when it comes to items like food. We’ll gather a panel of ramen enthusiasts, for example, and then have them chow down on mystery bowls to see which scores best.

To get insights beyond our own testing and reader feedback, we interview industry experts to get the inside scoop on what separates a quality product from an inferior choice.

Finally, we regularly meet one on one with gear companies and even tour manufacturing facilities. On a recent trip to a Ohio, we visited the factory that makes mattresses we review to watch the manufacturing process:

The result of all this effort: you get the most reliable gear reviews you can find, online or off.

We aim to give you additional insight beyond what you can find yourself via online descriptions and reviews.

How do we get to do this? That brings us to reason number 2 . . .

Independence

Let’s do something you won’t hear from our competitors: we’re going to tell you exactly how we make money.

We make a living from sales of our print books and affiliate commissions. What does that mean? When you purchase a recommended product that is linked in an article, we may get a small commission.

Do you see anything missing? That’s right—we do NOT take money from the brands we review. No cash, no free samples, no gift baskets. When we fly to see a manufacturer’s factory, we pay ALL of our travel expenses. The result: we tell you how it really is.

Let’s talk about a dirty secret of influencers who “review” gear. Many take free product to give away in contests. Others accept samples in exchange for a review. Some insist on cash.

That compromises independence, in our opinion.

To keep it real, we insist on being independent from the brands we review.

Expert

Want to see something really scary? Take a look at this:

Yes, that my friends, is a luggage scale. It strikes fear and terror in the hearts of a certain group of people—baby stroller makers.

Why?

That’s because stroller makes often brag about how little their strollers weigh, knowing that’s a key feature consumers look for. Lightweight strollers are preferred over those that weigh more than 25 lbs.

So here’s our secret sauce: we carry a portable luggage scale with us when we evaluate new strollers. And wouldn’t you know it? The ACTUAL weight of strollers is often more than what marketers state. Surprised?

It’s that little bit of fact checking that separates Baby Bargains from other gear review sources. Most simply take the maker’s word on a stroller’s weight. We verify.

We take that same approach to all the products we review, aiming to produce thorough research that goes deeper than our competitors.

So there you have it—who we are, how we got here and how we come up with our recommendations. As always, we value your feedback, so drop us a line via our web page or social media channels. Thanks in advance for your support.