Can pumpkin pie be frozen?
Here’s whether or not you should freeze pumpkin pie, what to expect from frozen pumpkin pie, and how to do it for the best results.
So you have leftover pumpkin pie that you can’t eat for a couple of days, and you don’t want it to go bad.
Freezing seems like the perfect solution, but you’re not sure if you can freeze the cake successfully.
Or you’re thinking of making two pumpkin pies, but first want to make sure freezing the second one is a valid option.
Fortunately, I have good news.
THE SHORT ANSWER:
You can freeze pumpkin pie, and it freezes well. Wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag or container. It should keep good quality for at least three months in the freezer.
This is the shortened version.
Interested in learning more about freezing pumpkin pie? Keep reading.
How to freeze pumpkin pie
This is how pumpkin pie is frozen:
- Let the cake cool completely if it is homemade. Make sure it doesn’t take more than two hours, for safety reasons that I discussed in my article on preserving pumpkin pie.
- Wrap the cake well with plastic or aluminum foil. If you plan to freeze it for more than a couple of days, place the wrapped pie in a freezer bag or an airtight container for added protection. Label the bag if you find it useful.
- Freeze everything.
That’s all; The whole process shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes.
And after a couple of hours, your pumpkin pie should be frozen and look something like this:
Now let’s talk about how you can adjust the process to better suit your needs.
ADVICE
If you have plenty of pumpkin puree on hand but don’t have enough time to bake the pie, you can freeze the pumpkin puree instead. You can also freeze the leftover pumpkin pie filling if you need it.
Tips for Freezing Pumpkin Pie
Freeze in portions
If you need to freeze a whole pumpkin pie, consider cutting it into multiple portions. Each one should not be bigger than you can consume in 1 or 2 days.
After dividing the cake, wrap each portion separately, and place them in a single bag or container or each separately. What suits you best.
Portioning is also super important if you have bought a pumpkin that is too big and you are going to freeze it in cubes without first freezing.
Freezer Bags vs. Containers
Although freezer bags protect pumpkin pie better from freezer burn than containers, both are good options for the second layer of protection.
If your freezer is loaded with food and you’re worried about the pumpkin pie getting squashed, freeze it in a container. You can always transfer the cake to a bag once it is frozen.
How long can pumpkin pie be frozen?
Thaw and eat frozen pumpkin pie within 3 months for the best quality.
Of course, the 3-month timeframe is just a rough estimate, and the pie should taste great even if it’s frozen for a couple more weeks.
As always, the longer the cake spends in the freezer, the worse its quality will be, so the sooner you get to it, the better.
In my case, I try to use most of the food that I freeze within a month, since it is still essential. If they get buried and forgotten about, they’ll likely stay in the freezer for months until I stumble upon them when looking for something else.
How to defrost pumpkin pie?
The easiest way to thaw frozen pumpkin pie is to place it in the fridge the night before you need it. In the morning it should be well defrosted.
Defrosting the pie by heating it (for example, in the microwave) is not a good idea because we want the pumpkin pie to stay cold, but no longer frozen.
