Love it or hate it, there is no dessert that screams “Thanksgiving” louder than pumpkin pie! Whether you’re making your pumpkin pie in advance or dealing with leftover pie, pumpkin pie can be successfully frozen to beat the holiday rush or saved for future use.
Due to its high-fat crust and creamy filling, pumpkin pie of all kinds—homemade, store-bought, whole or slices–freeze well and can be frozen ready-to-bake or baked. The same is true of sweet potato pie. The secret to success with freezing pumpkin pie is careful wrapping, quick freezing, and thawing in the refrigerator.
The pumpkin pie custard (filling) can be frozen in the pie crust or alone. For a quick ‘how to’ on a homemade ready-to-bake pumpkin pie, see Freezing a Pumpkin Pie. It is also possible to freeze just the filling; to do so, prepare the recipe and freeze the custard in an air-tight container or zip-top freezer storage bag. When ready to use the filling, thaw in the refrigerator. Once the custard is thawed, pour into a pie shell and bake per the recipe directions. Make-ahead fillings due well for about five days in the freezer.-
Baked pies or slices should be cooled completely before wrapping and placing in the freezer. Heat creates steam so if steam gets trapped beneath the wrapping, the result is a soggy pie. If you’re baking a pumpkin pie to freeze whole, use a disposable aluminum pie pan. Aluminum pans are thin and allow the pie to freeze quickly preventing ice crystal formation on the surface of the pie. Tightly wrap the pie or pieces in plastic and aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn and odor absorption from other items in the freezer. For best results, the pie should not be frozen longer than a month. Pumpkin pie that stays in the freezer longer than a month does not go bad or cause concern for food borne illness, but its taste and texture may start to degrade.
When ready to use, remove the pie from the freezer, strip the wrapping, and let it thaw in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. Thawing at room temperature causes condensation on the pie resulting in a soggy pie crust. Once thawed, the pie is ready to pop into the oven. It may take a bit longer for the pie to bake if the custard mixture is still quite cold.
A pumpkin pie is done when it reaches 175°F in the center. Short of a temperature probe, insert a small knife or skewer into the center and if it comes out clean, the pie is done. Downside is that the insertion point leaves a spot in the beautiful custard top. Another option is to gently nudge the outer edges which should be firm yet the center will be soft and slightly jiggly.
Once out of the oven, set the pie on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing. Custard pies continue to cook as they cool. Because pumpkin pie is a custard made with milk and eggs, it should be refrigerated within two hours of cooling where it can be stored for 3 to 4 days. Fortunately, pumpkin pie is delicious served cold, right out of the fridge. If the pie has any blemishes, remember that whipped cream makes everything better!
Note: Commercially produced pumpkin pies often have shelf-stable preservatives, so read the instructions for how long it will stay good at room temperature and in the refrigerator—but do refrigerate a store-bought pumpkin pie after it has been cut.
So whether you’re in baking mode, using pumpkins from the patch, or on a bake-and-freeze-now-eat-later mission for Thanksgiving, freezing pumpkin pie is an option to consider.
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