Popeyes quietly launched a new pumpkin pie and it's the best fast-food dessert I've ever tasted

I ordered three pies for the price of $1.89 each.

They were packaged like any other fast-food pie: in small, convenient cardboard boxes with holes that allow hot air to escape and keep the pies crispy.

Popeyes made no announcement when the pumpkin pie returned in late September. The pie is not even on the Popeyes website menu.

Its return was practically a secret, similar to the way Popeyes' chicken sandwich had surreptitiously slid onto test menus back in early August.

The pumpkin pie had a deep-fried crust dusted with cinnamon sugar, just like the chain's apple pie. From the outside, it was impossible to tell what lay inside.

Read more: I ate apple pies from 5 fast-food chains, and the winning pie blew me away

It was piping hot, almost too hot to bite. Cinnamon sugar spilled everywhere. I realized too late that I probably should have kept the pie in the handy provided container.

But one bite of the pie made me forget all my mortal troubles. My lips were greeted by a gentle layer of sweet cinnamon powder and my teeth were met by a flaky, crispy crust that oozed buttery filling when bitten.

This was no muddled pastry. The line between pumpkin and cream cheese was clearer than the sky on a sunny day. And both fillings had distinct flavors.

The cream cheese was sour, creamy, and slightly savory. The pumpkin filling was sweet and tasted strongly of clove. Both fillings were gooier than traditional pumpkin pies are, but I didn't quite mind. I did crave just a touch more cinnamon, but the pastry tasted so good that I just didn't mind.

There wasn't a single stale bite of this pie. Every single bite burst with flavor. My only complaint was that there weren't enough bites. The pie quickly disappeared...

... leaving nothing but a warm fullness in my stomach and a coating of cinnamon sugar on my fingertips.

But the chicken sandwich had taught me an important lesson: never buy just one. And keep your eyes on the prize —or in this case, on the pies.