Can You Freeze Costco Pumpkin Pie?
Costco pumpkin pie is a decadent treat for all the family, enjoyed in many households as an after-dinner dessert or mid-afternoon snack.
This pre-made pie is the perfect combination of light and crisp pastry, filled with a rich and flavorsome pumpkin filling.
But what if you are not going to eat a whole pie in one sitting, is there a way to preserve it for longer than it would last in the fridge or on the counter?
Can you freeze Costco pumpkin pie? Costco pumpkin pie can be frozen but must be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or placed in an airtight container. Freezing is a great way to preserve the longevity of this delicious pre-made pumpkin pie for up to 4 weeks.
Let’s find out everything you need to know about how to freeze this delicious, indulgent after-dinner treat!
What Is Costco Pumpkin Pie?
Whilst nothing quite beats a homemade pumpkin pie, we have to admit that Costco pumpkin pie comes pretty close!
This pre-made pumpkin pie is hugely famous, with stores often selling out long before Thanksgiving. And for good reason – you get a huge 12-inch pie that tastes great, with none of the stress of making pumpkin pie from scratch.
Pumpkin pies have been freshly baked and sold in Costco stores for over 30 years, and these enormous pies are enough to satisfy a hungry crowd.
Reheated and served with whipped cream, your family and friends will soon demolish this famous pumpkin pie, no matter how much turkey they’ve eaten beforehand!
But why is Costco pumpkin pie so good? The secret lies in the creamy filling, which contains extra cream and egg yolks, giving it a custard-like texture. Incorporated into this are twice-cooked pureed pumpkins and a delicate blend of sugar and spices.
This decadent concoction is baked inside a sweet pie crust, before being packaged and sold on the fresh bakery counter in Costco stores.
Costco pumpkin pie can be eaten cold, but most people prefer to reheat it in the oven first. Simply take the pie from the fridge, pop it onto a tray in the oven, and enjoy the aroma of freshly baked pie wafting around your home!
Because Costco pumpkin pie is freshly made and contains a high proportion of dairy ingredients, it does not have a long shelf life.
It must be kept refrigerated, and the best-before date is normally around three days from the date it was baked.
And with these delicious pies often selling out a day or two before Thanksgiving, it can become a bit of a rush to secure one for your post-feast dessert!
You might consider buying a Costco pumpkin pie in advance to make sure you don’t miss out. But, as it needs to be eaten within a few days, you need to find a way to preserve it for longer.
And if you’ve got some leftover Costco pumpkin pie, this will also need to be discarded. So, is the freezer the solution to our pumpkin pie problems? Let’s find out!
Can You Freeze Costco Pumpkin Pie?
We have some great news for you – Costco pumpkin pie freezes beautifully!
Although this pie only stays fresh for a few days in the fridge, popping it into the freezer is the ideal way to ensure you have freshly-baked pumpkin pie, whenever you want it.
So, this greatly improves your options when it comes to enjoying Costco pumpkin pie at any time, as well as ensuring that you will definitely have one for your Thanksgiving dessert.
No more last-minute dash to the shops to beat the rush for this famous baked pie, because yours will already be safely in the freezer!
This means you can plan ahead and buy your Costco pumpkin pie well in advance, as soon as they appear in the store in the fall.
It also means that you can treat yourself to a slice or two of pie, whether from a whole, freshly baked pie, or Thanksgiving leftovers, whenever you feel in the mood for this sweet, decadent dessert.
Costco pumpkin pie doesn’t have a particularly long storage time in the freezer, so it is unlikely that you’ll be able to eat your favorite pie all year round.
Using the freezer does massively increase the number of times you can eat pie through the fall and winter months though, compared to buying a freshly-baked pie each time.
How Soon Should You Freeze Costco Pumpkin Pie After Buying It?
Ideally, Costco pumpkin pie should be frozen within a day or two of purchase. You should absolutely always make sure it is frozen before the best-before date.
This decadent pie contains a high proportion of dairy products, such as egg yolks and cream. Leave it past the best-before date and you’re risking a nasty case of food poisoning!
The point to remember is that Costco freshly baked pumpkin pie has a relatively short shelf life. It should be kept chilled, and the best before date is normally around three days after it was made.
So, if you’ve had a Costco pumpkin pie in the fridge for two days and then pop it into the freezer, you will need to make sure it is consumed the same day as it is defrosted.
Freezing your Costco pumpkin pie on the day of purchase gives you a bit more flexibility. You can take it out of the freezer to defrost overnight and enjoy the taste of freshly baked pie over the next day or two.
How To Freeze Costco Pumpkin Pie
The great thing about freezing Costco pumpkin pie is that you have many options for the best way to freeze it.
Want to freeze a whole pie in advance ready for Thanksgiving? No problem! Got a slice or two left over that you want to enjoy at a later date? Pop it in the freezer!
Worrying that you will struggle to eat a whole Costco pumpkin pie before the best before date? Slice it up and freeze it!
Costco pumpkin pie is supplied in a robust, tightly sealed container, that is perfect for freezing a whole pie. So if you’re buying one in advance to beat the Thanksgiving rush, simply pop the whole container into the freezer.
Like all baked goods, pumpkin pie is susceptible to freezer burn, so to be on the safe side you could wrap the container in plastic wrap.
A more convenient way to freeze Costco pumpkin pie is to keep it in its original container, but slice it into individual portions.
This means that you can take out exactly the number of servings that you need from the freezer, without defrosting the entire pie.
If you have leftover slices of pie from dinner, allow them to cool completely before packaging them up for the freezer. Wrap individual slices of pie in plastic wrap, and place these inside an airtight container (we love these glass ones available on Amazon).
How Long Can Costco Pumpkin Pie Be Kept In The Freezer?
Freezing Costco pumpkin pie is not going to buy you a huge amount of time, but it will give you the opportunity to enjoy this delicious pie for a few more weeks once the shops have sold out.
Aim to eat your Costco pumpkin pie within four weeks once it has been frozen. This will give the best chance of consuming pie that still tastes fresh and delicious.
Pumpkin pie that has been frozen for longer than this will still be edible, but it might start to lose flavor and quality. It is also at more risk of freezer burn, which will alter the texture of both the pastry and the pie filling.
How To Defrost Costco Pumpkin Pie
The key to success when freezing Costco pumpkin pie is to follow the correct method when defrosting it. Get this part wrong, and your delicious pie will turn into a soggy mess!
Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts here – defrosting pumpkin pie takes time and patience.
The only way to guarantee perfection when defrosting a Costco pumpkin pie is to allow it to thaw slowly overnight in the refrigerator. This means you need to plan ahead and take the pie from the freezer the day before you want to eat it.
The method is the same whether you’re defrosting a whole pie or individual portions. Take the frozen pie and place it on the fridge shelf.
Let it thaw slowly overnight, and then bring it to room temperature or reheat it in the oven before serving.
If you’ve forgotten to get your pie out of the freezer the previous day, unfortunately, there is no guaranteed way to rescue this situation.
Defrosting pumpkin pie rapidly at room temperature will cause the pastry crust to become soggy and unappetizing, as the liquid from the filling seeps into it.
And don’t even think about taking the pie straight from the freezer to the microwave or oven, as the final result will not be good.
So if a Costco pumpkin pie is the grand finale to your Thanksgiving dinner, we’d recommend setting yourself several reminders to take it out of the freezer the day before!
