This New Store-Bought Pie Filling Is So Good, It Could Totally Pass for Homemade

There are a few things that make a jam really great: a healthy amount of pectin for some bite, enough softened fruit bits for texture, and a sweetness that doesn’t overwhelm the palate. For the past 50-something years, Bonne Mamam has become quite synonymous with great jams and spreads — in jars big and small. (Have you tried the brand’s new Hazelnut Chocolate spread yet? It’s fantastic.) 

Considering Bonne Mamam’s hold on the preserves industry, I wasn’t too surprised to learn that the brand has expanded into pie filling, which, at the end of the day, is essentially preserves — and just in time for the holidays. With peak baking season well on its way (I’m already stocking up on staples, are you?), I got my hands on the French brand’s latest launch and — spoiler alert — I can’t wait to use it for Thanksgiving.

Bonne Maman’s pie fillings are made with a simple list of ingredients — no high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, additives, or colors, ever — and are advertised to be ready-to-go for baking. No need to reheat or anything; just pour into your crust and head to the oven.

Available in cherry, blueberry, and apple flavors, the pie fillings come in 21.1-ounce jars and will be available year-round. Pie, afterall, is season-less. They’re slightly more expensive than a typical aluminum can of pie filling, roughly $8.99 in stores (compared to $5), in part because of the quality of the ingredients. They hit shelves earlier this month and are available at retailers across the country (Stop & Shop, The Fresh Market, Sprouts, Gelson’s, and more) and online. 

I’ll start this with a caveat: I am not a pie baker. I’d like to be, one day, but it just hasn’t entirely clicked for me. I am a pie lover, though, so I was elated to test out this jarred pie filling in hopes of it bringing me one step closer to my pie-making dreams. 

Because I’m not entirely at the level of dropping everything and making my own crust (I will be one day, I promise!), I bought a box of the frozen stuff and baked one pie sheet in a 10-inch greased pan at 400°F until set, then let it cool. About 15 minutes later, I popped the lid off of my cherry pie filling, poured it in (the entire process took seconds), and voilà: pie! 

I could’ve stopped there, but in my pie-making journey I wanted to attempt my first lattice crust, so I used the extra bits of dough and topped the pie off with that. Back in the oven for another half-hour and the pie was golden and bubbly and — the best part? — my entire apartment SMELLED LIKE PIE! Some of the filling seeped over my pie weave (because I pressed my pie dough too far into the pan — rookie mistake). But for all intents and pie-making purposes, it baked up wonderfully. 

After the pie cooled for a half-hour, the juices turned into a jammy solidification again and I went in for a slice. It cut into whole slices, which was a good sign: not too liquidy. But more importantly, it tasted fantastic. The filling had a mix of whole, softened cherries and sweet cherry preserves with a strong tart-but-sweet flavor that had me going in for seconds. 

The Bonne Maman pie filling is really, really good and using it takes far less time than making pie filling entirely from scratch. I’m stashing the apple pie filling flavor to use on turkey day in a few weeks.

Buy: Bonne Maman Cherry Pie Filling, $9.59 (on sale!) for 21.1 ounces at Instacart

Have you tried Bonne Maman’s new pie fillings? Tell us about it in the comments below.