Pies whose fillings is made of fruits or nuts—pecan, walnut, peach, cherry, apple, etc. —are relatively easy to bake, freeze, and reheat, because the firm texture of the fillings stays firm while frozen. It is unnecessary to change the recipe just because you are going to freeze the pies instead of eating them immediately after baking.
You may simply set the pies on the counter to cool, or let them cool in the refrigerator.
For extra protection, place each wrapped pie in an airtight storage container. You can wrap your pies in large zipping freezer bags or airtight plastic storage containers. If you don’t have ziplock bags or large Tupperware, you can wrap the pies well with aluminum foil.
You’ll also want to avoid placing the pies in a position where they’ll have more items stacked on top of them. Although the frozen pies will be relatively stable, the crust can still be crushed or damaged if you place heavy objects on the pies.
If you do not have room in your freezer to distribute each pie individually, try to find a way to stack pies without damaging the filling or crust. First, freeze each pie individually, and then try stacking them inside of empty, clean pizza boxes.
Fruit or nut pies can stay frozen for a relatively long time. They will keep in your freezer for up to 4 months. [2] X Research source If you have a deep freeze, it will keep your pies safely frozen for a longer period of time. [3] X Research source
If you have enough time before you need to serve the pies, you may choose to let the pies thaw slowly in the refrigerator. You should give the pies at least 24 hours to thaw, if you choose this method. If you prefer to serve the pie warm (apple or pecan pie, etc. ), let the pie stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then place it in the oven at 350°, for about 30 minutes.
If you were planning to freeze your custard pies for a short amount of time, consider refrigerating them instead. Meringue pies—such as lemon meringue—are also difficult to freeze, for the same reasons. Try to serve these fresh to maintain the taste and consistency of the pies.
Freeze the baked pie crust (do not freeze raw dough). Freeze the custard, cream, or pumpkin filling in an airtight plastic container; a Tupperware would do nicely. Avoid freezing pumpkin pies for more than 4-5 weeks.
Give your custard or cream filling about 24 hours to thaw fully in your refrigerator.
Make the pie filling, and put that in the refrigerator to chill as well.
Do not add any slits in the top of the pie crust. While these play an important role in baking a pie, they will lower the quality and taste of your unbaked, frozen pie.
Make sure to squeeze all of the air out of the plastic wrap and ziplock bags when you put the pie in the freezer.
Do not thaw the frozen pie before baking.
Alternately, you can thaw the pie at room temperature for an hour rather than baking at 425°. After it’s thawed, bake your pie in the oven at 375° for 30-45 minutes.
