Can You Freeze Apple Pie? – The Complete Guide
There is just something to be said about a fresh-baked apple pie. It’s like the smell alone can remind us of grandma’s kitchen when we visited in the summer. Do you eat your apple pie a la mode? Maybe you prefer to have a simple, warm piece of pie!
No matter how you prefer to eat your apple pie, we’re quite sure you are familiar with just how delicious it is. You simply can’t go wrong with apple pie, as long as it has apples and crust, right?
The fun thing is, you can make apple pie many different ways and the crusts can vary as well.
Can you freeze apple pie? Yes, you can freeze apple pie. It is best to freeze apple pie before baking, but you can freeze it after baking as well. Both baked and unbaked apple pie will last for up to 6 months in the freezer. If you freeze the apple pie filling by itself, it will remain fresh in the freezer for up to 12 months.
In this guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know about freezing apple pie.
This includes working with different forms of apple pie as well. It’s important to know the differences between baked and unbaked as well as slices and so on.
Keep reading to learn how to freeze apple pie and more.
The Complete Guide to Freezing Apple Pie
Apple pie is a delicious dessert that can be made in many different ways and served in many different ways.
Some people prefer to add cinnamon and sugar to their pie filling and make it themselves from scratch while others use canned apple pie filling.
Then, there’s the crust. Maybe you prefer to use a pre-made crust or you use a homemade crust recipe that’s been passed down in your family.
What about your crust top? Do you use crumbles or a full crust with the star indentions? Or maybe you go all out with a lattice crust?
You really can’t go wrong with any of these options. You can serve your pie warm or cold and you can serve it with ice cream or whipped topping.
Ultimately, the choice is totally up to you! One thing that remains the same is the need to know how to preserve the pie in different forms and ways.
That’s why we’re here!
Let’s start with basic instructions on how to freeze a baked apple pie and then we will expand from there.
How to Freeze a Baked Apple Pie
You made a delicious apple pie for your guests and you have leftovers. You’re just not sure if you are going to get that pie eaten before it could go bad. What do you do?
Quick! Freeze that apple pie!
Okay, you don’t have to be super quick but know that freezing your pie is always an option.
Did you know that you can store baked apple pies at room temperature for 2 days?
Just be sure that it is covered and not sitting under direct heat or sunlight. The trick to freezing baked apple pie successfully is to get it wrapped really well.
You want to protect it from freezer burn and other freezer ailments that could harm it.
Here are your steps to freezing baked apple pie. We are considering this to be more than one slice. It might be a whole pie or a portion of a pie.
- Allow pie to cool completely before freezing. This is will help prevent excess moisture from turning the crust soggy in the freezer. We recommend allowing 8 hours for the pie to truly cool all the way through the center.
- Wrap the pie in two layers of aluminum foil or in plastic wrap. We recommend two layers as this will be the best way to sufficiently protect the pie and make sure that it isn’t being subjected to that dry freezer air that could have adverse effects on the pie.
- If you used aluminum foil to wrap the pie, you can just freeze it as is. If you used plastic wrap, we recommend placing it into a freezer bag as well (I personally use these reusable ones from Amazon).
- Label and date all packaging. Keep in mind that when you place the pie in the freezer, it will most likely take about 24 hours to fully freeze.
- Freeze baked apple pie in this manner for up to 6 months. It most likely would last beyond that but this is the recommended timeframe for maintaining the best quality.
It’s not a hard task to freeze your baked apple pie. The things you need to be most aware of or allowing the pie to truly cool all the way (8+ hours) and to be sure it is fully wrapped, preferably in a dual-layer.
How to Freeze Unbaked Apple Pie
If you’re just preparing several apple pies ahead of time and you know you aren’t going to bake or serve them right away, you can freeze unbaked apple pie.
In fact, we think this is the best way to freeze apple pie because you don’t have to worry about baking and cooling and you can take it straight from the freezer to the oven when you are ready to use it.
However, the nice thing is that there are so many valid options. You really can’t go wrong with any of them.
The best thing you can do when freezing an unbaked pie is to leave it wholly uncut. We recommend that you do not even make your slits in the top of the crust. That can be done right before you bake the pie.
If you made a pie with a latticed top crust, you might try just wrapping the very top in a plastic wrap layer and be mindful to place the pie right side up in the freezer as well.
Until the pie has frozen, your pie filling could easily be misplaced. It takes about 24 hours for it to fully freeze.
Here are your instructions for freezing an unbaked apple pie.
- Remember to leave uncut (even on the top crust) if possible until you are ready to bake it. If it is a lattice-top crust, then you should wrap foil or plastic wrap directly around the top crust.
- Wrap in a double layer of either aluminum foil or plastic wrap. We prefer aluminum foil for this process as it seems like it is better. You can also wrap in a single layer and then place the pie in a freezer bag.
- Be sure your wrapping is fully covering the pie in 2 layers.
- Label and date all pie coverage.
- Place in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Freezing unbaked apple pie is so easy!
When you’re ready to use it, don’t forget to make your slits in the top crust. For the most part, you can thaw it if you prefer but the easiest and best method is to take the pie straight from the freezer to the oven to heat it.
Heating may take a bit longer just because the pie is frozen but it also won’t get soggy or anything like that during a defrost process.
How to Freeze Apple Pie Slices
We’ve talked about pies both baked and unbaked but what do you do if you just need to freeze one single slice? Or what if you have several slices but want to freeze them individually so you can pull them out and use them at your leisure.
Freezing apple pie slices is as easy as…well… pie (pun intended).
When you are freezing slices, we do recommend doing a bit of a pre-freeze just as a means of keeping the filling inside the crust where it belongs. This is the most challenging part of freezing individual apple pie slices.
Here are your steps to freezing apple pie slices:
- Be sure the slices are cooled. This can sometimes take several hours after baking.
- Start with a pre-freeze. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and carefully place the slices on the sheet.
- Place this uncovered in the freezer for 1-2 hours to get them mostly frozen.
- Remove the sheet from the freezer and wrap each slice in either foil or plastic wrap individually.
- Then, either use a double-wrap layer method or place the wrapped pie slices into freezer bags for additional storage and preservation.
- Label and date all packaging.
- Store apple pie slices in the freezer in this manner for up to 6 months.
When you’re ready to eat that single slice or use it for a friend, just pull it out and heat it up slightly. With an individual slice, you can heat it up in the microwave or toss it in the oven for a few minutes.
An apple pie slice is very easy to work with. It does take the extra pre-freeze step to freeze properly just because it is easy for the filling to make a mess.
Other than that, the overall process is really quite similar and simple to complete.
Can You Freeze Apple Pie Filling?
If you’re working with some apples that need something done to them but you’re not quite ready to turn them into a pie or you just have a whole lot more than you need at the moment, you can absolutely freeze apple pie filling!
Freezing apple pie filling is pretty simple. It doesn’t take a lot of excessive work or effort and you can freeze it in plain and simple freezer bags. Another alternative is to can your apple pie filling.
It is recommended that you toss your apples in lime or lemon juice before you make your apple pie filling just as a preservative measure for the apples. From there, you will proceed with making your pie filling as normal.
Here are instructions for freezing apple pie filling:
- Once you have prepared your apple pie filling, allow it to cool. It probably just needs to cool for about 30 minutes to bag it up but it will need to cool fully before you actually freeze it.
- Separate into portions using gallon-sized freezer bags (like these). We recommend filling each freezer bag nearly full, leaving about 1 inch of headspace at the top.
- If you did not let the filling cool completely before bagging, now is the time to let it cool. It doesn’t need to be left out for more than 1-2 hours tops.
- Seal your freezer bags tightly, releasing excess air if needed.
- Label and date the bags.
- Freeze apple pie filling in this manner for up to 12 months.
There are so many options when it comes to storing apple pie and apple pie filling. You can take care of it no matter which process you are needing to work with!
Storing Apple Pie Outside of the Freezer
While we are focusing on your freezer options in this guide, we wanted to take just a quick moment to discuss how to store your apple pie before you freeze it or if you think it’s going to be eaten and doesn’t need frozen.
Some of us certainly need long-term solutions while others just need something to hold the pie over for a few days.
Remember that we told you earlier your baked apple pie can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days? It’s still true!
If this makes you nervous or you need a couple of additional days, here are your steps for storing baked apple pie in the refrigerator.
- Cover pie with foil or plastic wrap.
- Place in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Yep, it’s truly just that easy!
How to Thaw a Frozen Baked Apple Pie
Did you know that if you are reheating a baked apple pie that has been frozen, you can actually take it directly from the freezer to the oven? This eliminates any likelihood of built-up moisture causing the crust to become soggy.
However, not everyone likes to take frozen items directly to the oven and that is quite aright.
Here is your best process for both thawing and reheating that baked apple pie when you remove it from the freezer.
- Remove pie from the freezer the night before or several hours before reheating or serving.
- If you plan to serve thawed without reheating, you can leave it at room temperature for 5-6 hours to thaw. Leave the pie covered during the thawing time.
- If you plan to reheat, you can thaw it overnight or in the fridge for several hours.
- To heat, preheat an oven to 300 degrees and reheat the pie for about 30 minutes or until warm all the way through. Be sure to remove the plastic wrap or covering prior to heating.
You do not have to reheat an apple pie to serve it after it has been frozen. Ultimately, it’s up to you to determine whether you want it heated, cold, or at room temperature. The only time you are required to bake an apple pie after freezing is if it were not baked prior to being frozen.
Related Questions
We hope that you have found this guide to freezing apple pie to be an informative and valuable resource for freezing apple pie in any form.
We invite you to review the following question and answer section for some additional information.
Can You Freeze Canned Apple Pie Filling?
If the can is unopened, there is no need to freeze the filling. Just store the unopened can properly. If it has been opened, you may use the provided directions for freezing.
Does Apple Pie Go Bad?
It is always possible for your food to go bad, including apple pie. If you notice mold growing, toss it out.
If you notice a lot of excess water, it may be time to toss it out. You can also use your nose and see if something smells off or spoiled.
Thank you for this helpful information! Very thorough and clear article.