Can You Freeze a Pecan Pie?

Pecan pie is a holiday dessert delight. But if you want to prep it in advance to make for an easier Thanksgiving or Christmas Day—or if you simply want to stash any leftovers to enjoy during the winter doldrums—you may be wondering whether you can freeze a pecan pie and still have it taste just as good as it did when you popped it in your freezer. Here's everything you need to know about freezing a pecan pie for your future enjoyment.

Can You Freeze a Pecan Pie?

The good news if you want to save a little of that pecan pie goodness for later is that the ingredients in your pecan pie will definitely hold up for weeks or months in a deep freeze. In fact, pecan pie often fares better in the freezer than fruit pies, because there's less water in the pecan pie's ingredients—typically consisting of butter or fat, corn syrup, and pecans—than you'll find in fruit. (Because of fruit's water content, freezing and then thawing a fruit pie could impact the texture of the dessert when you go to reheat it.)

You don't want to let that pecan pie languish in your freezer until next holiday season, though. It'll be best to enjoy within a couple of months. (So clear it all out before spring!)

How to Freeze a Pecan Pie

It's best to start with a fully baked pecan pie to help avoid a major mess in your freezer. (Pecan pie filling is very liquidy before it's baked, and could leak or lean in the pie crust if you put it in the freezer unbaked!)

You'll also want to make sure the pie is cooled before you put it in the freezer. Putting a hot baked good into the freezer could compromise the food safety of anything else in there—and could lead to condensation within the wrappings that could help bring about the dreaded freezer burn and create ice crystals on the surface of the pie that will impact the flavor and texture.

If you want the pie to be available in individual slices for decadent late-night snacking, you'll want to slice it now and freeze the slices individually. Cutting through a fully frozen pecan pie could be a difficult (and dangerous) proposition—and once you thaw a pecan pie, it's best not to refreeze it.

The most important part of freezing anything is keeping air away from the surface. That cold air interacts with the pie and causes freezer burn. You can wrap each individual piece or the whole pie in several layers of plastic wrap, taking care to ensure that the plastic is tight against the pie's surface.

Put the wrapped pie into a box or container to help keep it from getting smushed or crushed by other freezer contents.

How to Thaw a Pecan Pie

The best way to thaw a pecan pie is the "low-and-slow" method—take the pie (or the pie slice) out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge overnight. You can then take it out and let it come to room temperature for a half hour before you dig in.

If you're a big fan of a warm piece of pecan pie (and who isn't?) You can reheat it in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes to warm it up and crisp up the crust a little before topping it with some ice cream or whipped cream. (The time will be a bit shorter—closer to 5 minutes—if you're reheating a single piece of pie instead of a full pecan pie.) If you don't care about a crispy crust—or just want to enjoy the pecan pie a little faster—your pie can also be warmed up in the microwave instead.