How To Store Pumpkin Pie After Baking (Do This!)

As one of the best fall treats around, pumpkin pie is a delicious and delightful treat. Saving pumpkin pie after it is made doesn’t have to be difficult, and many people can preserve their pie for weeks on end.

A pumpkin pie must be stored in a cool environment, either the refrigerator or the freezer, due to the custard pie base. Expect your pie to last about three days if stored in the refrigerator. If stored in the freezer, properly wrapped, and frozen, pumpkin pie will last about three months.

Understanding the right way to wrap your pie in the refrigerator or freezer can help extend the life expectancy. Further, pies that are left whole rather than cut into individual slices tend to fare better and last longer when properly stored.

Many pies you can keep left out at room temperature, and some pies, like pecan pie, taste better served at room temperature. Unfortunately, because of how pumpkin pie is made, this is not a good candidate to be left out on the counter. Pumpkin pie is considered a custard pie. This means that one of the main ingredients in the pie is eggs.

Further, pumpkin pie contains milk, which can also spoil. Without proper refrigeration, eggs can spoil, which can damage the entire pie. Pumpkin pie should only be left on the counter for a maximum of three hours before being put in the refrigerator.

Homemade pumpkin pie usually contains flour, eggs, sugar, and pumpkin. These natural ingredients will start to spoil and break down after just a few days. Comparatively, pumpkin pie that is bought from the store usually contains preservatives. This means that the ingredients will stay good for a longer period. It is usually alright to keep your pumpkin pie two or three days past the “sell by” date on the label.

Storing your store-bought pumpkin pie in the refrigerator or freezer will prolong the pie’s life expectancy even longer. Although your store-bought pumpkin pie will be just fine sitting on the counter a few days past the “sell by” date, it is a good idea to refrigerate or freeze the pie once it has been cut into.

Nothing goes better with pumpkin pie than a little fresh whipped cream to top your pie. Unfortunately, whipped cream does not store particularly well, even when refrigerated. Further, to keep pie stored properly, it must be wrapped with plastic wrap, which can distort your whipped cream decorations.

To keep your pie tasting as good as possible, hold off until you are ready to serve the pie to decorate it with whipped cream. If you know you will not eat the entire pie, only add whipped cream to the parts of the pie you will eat.

While slicing your pie before you place it in the refrigerator can introduce more surface area for air to penetrate, it has some advantages. By slicing your pie before storing it, you can wrap the plastic wrap more closely to the individual pieces, allowing for a better seal. Or, slicing the pie may help it fit better into a plastic container, eliminating excess air, which can cause your pie to spoil early.

If you slice your pie before freezing it, you have the option of giving yourself single-serving sizes to thaw for a simple and delightful treat periodically. Wrap the individual pie slices just as you would a whole pie, and cover with aluminum foil.

Related Questions

How Long Does it Take Frozen Pumpkin Pie to Thaw?

Freezing pumpkin pie is the best way to get the longest life expectancy out of your pie. Frozen pie can last between three and four months when properly wrapped and stored. To thaw a frozen pumpkin pie, it is best to allow the pie to thaw for a full 12 hours. Pumpkin pie must be thawed slowly due to the custard base of this pie.Heating the pie in an oven or microwave can cause the pie crust and filling to become mushy or separate. While most people prefer to eat pumpkin pie at room temperature, putting the pie in the oven once thawed for 10 minutes will restore some crispness to the crust.

Can I Prepare Pumpkin Pie the Day Before My Meal?

Preparing the individual components to your pumpkin pie ahead of the big meal can help save you time and streamline your meal preparations. It is perfectly possible to prepare your pie early, to give you more time to make other menu items the day of your meal. It is best to make the pie crust and pie filling separate. Refrigerate the pie crust by loosely wrapping it with plastic wrap. This will hold for one to two days.Prepare the filling for the pumpkin pie separately. Because pumpkin pie is a custard pie, it contains milk and eggs, which must stay refrigerated. Be sure to put together your pie filling mixture in a bowl that can be refrigerated. Wrap the bowl tightly with plastic wrap before refrigerating. The filling can last 24 hours in the refrigerator. When it is time to bake your pie, combine the filling with the pie crust and bake with your normal instructions. Storage after the pie has been baked will remain the same.