Can You Freeze Pecan Pie?

4 minutes

Pecan pie is a delicious family favourite and can be enjoyed at any time of the year. Whether you’ve made it yourself or bought it from a local store or bakery, you might be wondering how to keep it, so it stays fresh for longer.

Looking for a full list of Thanksgiving foods you can freeze? Here it is!

How to Freeze Pecan Pie

If you’ve gone to the effort of making a delicious pecan pie, you want to make sure that none of it goes to waste!

While the pie itself will be good in the fridge for up to three days, freezing it is a great way of preserving its texture for long into the future. Here’s how to go about it: 

1. Cool: After baking your pecan pie, you will need to leave it to sit out on the countertop until it has cooled completely. This will take at least an hour, but it’s so important that you leave it for long enough. If you freeze pecan pie that is still warm, you will ruin its texture. 
2. Portion: This step is optional as you can freeze a whole pecan pie if you prefer. The advantage of freezing slices is that you don’t have to defrost the entire pie at once. So, just decide on how you plan to enjoy it in the future and portion it accordingly. 
3. Wrap: Place your pecan pie in a suitable container and wrap it with cling film. Take care when wrapping the pie, as it’s a vital step to protect it from freezer burn. If you can spare the clung film, double wrapping pecan pie is a good idea. 
4. Box Up: Once wrapped, place your pecan pie slices in an airtight container. If you’ve frozen a whole pie, you probably won’t be able to do this. Still, it’s a good way of protecting slices of pecan pie from becoming crushed in the freezer. 
5. Label and Freeze: Write today’s date and the use-by date on the wrapping or on the lid of the box, and place your pecan pie in the freezer. Remember, you can freeze pecan pie for around three months.

3 Tips for Freezing Pecan Pie

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing pecan pie to have the best results:

Freeze ASAP
If you know in advance that you’re going to freeze pecan pie, we’d recommend wrapping and freezing it as soon as you can after making it. If you leave pecan pie to sit out at room temperature or in the fridge, it will deteriorate in quality and texture. As such, get it in the freezer as soon as you can.

Place it Carefully
When you add your pecan pie to the freezer, remember that it’s delicate! You will need to lie it on a flat surface and remember not to place anything heavy on top, as doing so will ruin its decor.

Freeze Other Pies
Pecan pie is just one in a number of pies that you can freeze. The likes of apple, raspberry, and blueberry pies all freeze really well, too, and you can follow the same steps as listed above.

How Long Can You Freeze Pecan Pie?

You can freeze pecan pie for around three months. The biggest threat to pecan pie during the process is freezer burn, so you will need to make sure it’s well wrapped, and air can’t get to it.

This is true if you’re freezing it as an entire pie or as individual slices. If you don’t want to freeze pecan pie, you will need to use it within 2-3 days as it doesn’t keep for much longer in the fridge.

How Do You Defrost Pecan Pie?

The best way to defrost pecan pie is to transfer it from the freezer to the fridge the night before you plan to enjoy it.

While it’s possible to thaw pecan pie at room temperature, defrosting it in the fridge is a much better option, particularly in the summer.

We wouldn’t recommend thawing pecan pie in the microwave as it is likely to change texture and consistency, causing the pie to spoil.

Can You Refreeze Pecan Pie?

While there’s nothing wrong with refreezing pecan pie from a safety perspective, it’s not the best idea as far as texture is concerned. This is because ice crystals form on the pie during the freezing process, which can cause it to change texture and consistency.

As such, if you don’t intend to eat an entire pecan pie in one sitting, we’d recommend freezing it in smaller portions, so you can remove a slice whenever you want one.

Does Pecan Pie Freeze Well?

Generally, pecan pie freezes really well. You will need to wrap it tightly to protect it from freezer burn, and you should only freeze it for three months.

Also, it’s important to freeze it when the pie is still fresh and hasn’t been sitting in the fridge for several days. If you follow the above steps and tips, you can freeze pecan pie without issue.

Pecan Pie Freezer Recipe

Whether you cut it up into individual slices, break it into quarters or freeze the entire pie, you must ensure it is fully wrapped and stored airtight.

All you need to do is follow the below recipe, then allow it to cool before freezing it using the method at the top of this page:

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing pecan pie or pie in general, then these may help: