A TikToker found mini pumpkin pies at Trader Joe’s after buying one at Starbucks that morning, and asks ‘Why is it the same pie?’

Fall is officially here, and with the season comes the inevitable flood of pumpkin-flavored everything. This year, Trader Joe’s and Starbucks have both rolled out their own versions of mini pumpkin pies. One shopper now believes the two chains are selling nearly the same dessert, according to BroBible.

A TikTok user named @hokage_stiz recently shared her experience after picking up some treats for the season. She felt bamboozled when she realized the mini pumpkin pie she grabbed at Starbucks that morning looked nearly identical to the ones she later found at Trader Joe’s.

In her video, she holds up a four-pack of Trader Joe’s mini pumpkin pies and says she’s confused about the similarities between the two products. Clearly frustrated, she says more than once, “This is the same pie from Starbucks that I had this morning. Why is it the same pie?” At one point in her video, the creator opened the box to pull out one of the mini pumpkin pies. 

She’s convinced Starbucks has some explaining to do

The creator noted that the only real difference she could spot between the two was the shape of the little pastry leaf decorating the top of the crust,  and she pulled the one she took out to show her proof to viewers. She clearly felt that the similarity warranted an inquiry, noting in her caption that “Starbucks got some explaining to do.”

The pricing makes the comparison sting, as Trader Joe’s sells its Teeny Tiny Pumpkin Pies in a four-pack that typically costs between $5 and $5.49. That works out to roughly $1.25 to $1.37 per pie. The grocery chain first introduced its teeny tiny pie line with an apple version in 2023. Starbucks customers pay noticeably more, as a single mini pumpkin pie at the coffee chain costs anywhere from $2.49 to $3.45 depending on location.

The pumpkin flavor launched at the end of September alongside apple crumble and pecan mini pies. Trader Joe’s products regularly take off on TikTok, as one New York shopper showed when she raced into a store minutes before closing for the chain’s viral mango sticky rice.

Commenters were split, as not everyone agreed the desserts taste identical. One viewer claimed the Trader Joe’s version tastes more like pumpkin, while another pointed out that different companies often rely on the same supplier. A third commenter simply admitted to feeling duped by the lookalike desserts.