By Alex Morgan
Updated We tested three brands of frozen apple pie.The brands we sampled were Mrs. Smith's, Sara Lee, and Marie Callender's.Marie Callender's was our favorite because its apples tasted the most authentic, and its crumb topping was deliciously sweet. Not everyone has the time — or skill — to bake a pie from scratch, which is why we decided to put three brands of frozen apple pie to the test to see which was the biggest crowd pleaser.This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in.If pumpkin pie is more your thing, take a look at our test taste of canned pumpkin and pie crust. We've also done numerous other taste tests to help with your holiday needs, like stuffing and gravy.The brands of apple pie we sampled were:Mrs. Smith'sSara LeeMarie Callender'sKeep scrolling to read our thoughts.Mrs. Smith's pie was the only one we were able to find at an NYC grocery store. We ordered Marie Callender's and Sara Lee on Jet.com.The four contenders. Sarah Schmalbruch/INSIDERMrs. Smith was the most expensive out of the bunch, but that's likely because it didn't come from Jet.com, which offers discounted prices on the groceries they sell.Because Marie Callender doesn't offer a regular apple pie, we went with the brand's Dutch apple pie instead, which meant that its filling wasn't topped with crust.Marie Callender's pie before baking. Sarah Schmalbruch/INSIDERMarie Callender's pie came with a packet of crumb topping that we added to the pie after baking.Sara Lee's pie looked very similar to Mrs. Smith's — the only difference being a small hole in the middle of the Sara Lee crust.Sara Lee's pie before baking. Sarah Schmalbruch/INSIDERBoth brands had identical instructions: bake the pies at 400 degrees for around 55 minutes.The instructions for Mrs. Smith's pie. Sarah Schmalbruch/INSIDERThe instructions also called for us to slit four lines through Mrs. Smith and Sara Lee's crusts before baking.Mrs. Smith's pie before baking. Sarah Schmalbruch/INSIDERMarie Callender's instructions were the same up until we removed the pie from the oven, at which point we sprinkled on the crumb topping and then baked the pie for an additional 10 minutes.Sprinkling the crumb topping on Marie Callender's apple pie. Sarah Schmalbruch/INSIDERMrs. Smith's pie came out golden brown around the edges and lighter in the center.Mrs. Smith's apple pie. Sarah Schmalbruch/INSIDERThe crust was what we loved most about Mrs. Smith's. The top layer was light and flaky, which offered a nice contrast to the buttery bottom layers. The pie's flavor was lacking though.Mid-bite. Sarah Schmalbruch/INSIDERMrs. Smith's pie tasted overwhelmingly of apple — which is a good thing — but we also would have enjoyed some traces of cinnamon and other spices. Plus, the filling had a syrupy texture to it that made the pie seem less homemade."If you were a pie novice, it would be good," one of my co-workers said.Mrs. Smith's crust was spot on. Sarah Schmalbruch/INSIDERPrice: $8.99Sarah Lee's pie was slightly darker in color than Mrs. Smith's.Sara Lee apple pie. Sarah Schmalbruch/INSIDERThe taste of Sara Lee's pie was decidedly less sweet and more tart than Mrs. Smith's — a difference which some of my co-workers loved and some didn't.Hard at work. Sarah Schmalbruch/INSIDERAnd while this pie's filling had the same syrupy texture we found in Mrs. Smith's, the apples seemed a little more mushy.Sara Lee's pie was more tart than sweet. Sarah Schmalbruch/INSIDERThat said, the crust was really good, and perfectly flaky.Price: $6.17Marie Callender's pie was messy and difficult to cut, but it was easily the favorite. Each bite of the pie was bursting with sweetness and crisp apples.Cutting into Marie Callender's pie. Sarah Schmalbruch/INSIDER"I could see this being the biggest hit at a Thanksgiving table," one of my co-workers said.We didn't have anything bad to say about Marie Callender's pie. Sarah Schmalbruch/INSIDEREveryone agreed that the apples in this pie tasted the most real. There was a satisfying crunch to them that the apples in the two other pies didn't have.The crumb topping also added a unique texture and taste to the dessert. The brown sugar paired perfectly with the apples to create a tantalizingly sweet flavor that prompted many of us to take a second slice.Price: $5.97The consensus was that Marie Callender's pie tasted the most authentic and the best overall. That said, Mrs. Smith's and Sara Lee both had something to offer.All three pies after baking. Sarah Schmalbruch/INSIDERIf you like your pies tart, go with Sara Lee. For a great crust, Mrs. Smith's is a safe bet.Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.Read the original article on INSIDER. Copyright 2018.Follow INSIDER on Facebook.Follow INSIDER on Twitter.ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyjsdKtZJ%2Bqn6%2Byr3nAqaelnV2ltqZ506hkm62pYn9xfZZmaGo%3D