This Is What Costco's Pumpkin Pies Are Really Made With

If Grandma's best baking days are behind her, and you absolutely refuse to let the holidays pass without pumpkin pie, not to worry Costco has you covered. The retail giant churns out millions of pumpkin pies each fall and have built up somewhat of a cult following. But what are those pies actually made with?

Costco's pumpkin pies most certainly have that delicious nutmeg, cinnamon, and pumpkin flavor that one expects in a slice of pumpkin pie. The only thing is, the pumpkin in this pie isn't the same as that more decorative pumpkin you might also pick up from Costco to turn into a jack-o'-lantern.

If we really want to be accurate here, Costco should probably start labeling its pumpkin pie as "squash pie" because technically, that's what it is. Unfortunately, that just doesn't roll off the tongue quite as nicely.

Before you dump your Costco pumpkin pie in the trash and demand to know why you've been misled by your favorite supplier of bulk groceries, it's important that we clear up two things. First off, your typical Halloween pumpkin known as a field pumpkin is also a type of squash. According to Heirloom Gardener, botanists typically only refer to a particular group of squash, with the scientific name Cucurbita pepo, as "pumpkins." These squash tend to have that distinct round pumpkin shape and have different leaves and stems than other types of squash. It's also a lot prettier than the types of pumpkins that taste good, which are typically known as "Dickinson pumpkins" or "Dickinson squash."

The Dickinson variety of squash is actually more closely related to the butternut squash. It has more of an elongated shape, and it's a much paler orange color than a traditional Halloween-style pumpkin. Yes, you could carve it, but it's much better for eating.

Even this is debatable among some in botany though. Encyclopedia Britannica lists Cucurbita moschata aka Dickinson squash, as a type of pumpkin. Frankly, it's enough to make one throw down their plate of pumpkin pie in frustration and skip dessert altogether.

Watch the video for more about what Costco's pumpkin pies are really made with!

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