Freeze This Food

Can You Freeze Pie?

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Illustration of pie

It hinges on the filling. Fruit pies — apple, berry, cherry — freeze well either baked or unbaked, and many bakers prefer to freeze them unbaked so the crust stays crisp. Custard, cream, and mousse pies are the opposite: their fillings separate and weep into a soggy crust. Frozen, a fruit pie holds its quality for roughly 2 months.

Can you freeze pie?

Yes — with caveats
How long it keeps frozen
About 2 months for best qualityMSU Extension's window for home-frozen pies. Kept frozen without interruption a pie remains safe well past two months; the limit is quality, as the crust and filling slowly lose their best texture.
How to freeze it
  1. Decide baked or unbaked: for fruit pies, freezing the assembled pie unbaked keeps the bottom crust crispest.
  2. Freeze the pie uncovered on a level shelf until solid so the wrapping does not dent the filling or crust.
  3. Once firm, wrap the whole pie in cling film and then foil, or slide it into a large freezer bag.
  4. Skip custard, cream, and meringue fillings — freeze the crust alone and add those fillings fresh after baking.
How to thaw & use
Bake an unbaked frozen fruit pie straight from the freezer, adding extra time and a foil collar on the edges; let a pre-baked pie thaw in the fridge, then warm it through in the oven to re-crisp the pastry.
Texture & quality
A fruit pie frozen unbaked is hard to tell from one made fresh, because the pastry crisps in the oven for the first time on baking day. Pre-baked then frozen, the crust softens a little and benefits from a reheat. Custard and cream fillings are the real failure: they curdle and seep, so freeze those pies' shells only.

More in this group: Freezing bakery & bread

Frequently asked questions

Is it better to freeze a fruit pie baked or unbaked?

Unbaked usually wins. Freezing the assembled raw pie and baking it fresh on the day gives the crispest bottom crust, since the pastry meets the oven only once. A baked-then-frozen pie works too but the crust softens and wants reheating.

Why don't custard and cream pies freeze well?

Their fillings are mostly water held in a delicate egg or dairy structure. Freezing forms ice crystals that break that structure, so on thawing the filling weeps and curdles and the crust beneath turns soggy. Freeze the crust alone and fill it fresh instead.

Do I need to thaw a frozen fruit pie before baking?

No — bake an unbaked fruit pie straight from frozen. Add roughly 15 to 20 minutes to the bake time and shield the crust edges with foil so they do not scorch before the centre cooks through.

Can you freeze pumpkin or pecan pie?

Bake them first, then freeze; do not freeze them unbaked. Even baked, these custard-style fillings can separate slightly and the crust may soften, so use them within a couple of months and reheat gently before serving.

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