How to Store Pecan Pie: 5 Tips for Freezing Pecan Pie

Pecan pie is a baked dessert. Associated with the Southern cuisine of the United States, pecan pie recipes combine a flaky pie crust with pecan nuts, eggs, butter, and a sweetener like corn syrup or sugar. Some recipes use brown sugar, cane syrup, maple syrup, or molasses as an alternative to corn syrup.

Yes, pecan pie should be refrigerated. It is considered by the USDA to be “egg-rich,” meaning the recipe uses a significant number of eggs as a base ingredient in its pie filling. Homemade, preservative-free, egg-rich pies (including pumpkin pie, custard pie, and lemon meringue pie) are more likely to have bacteria rapidly grow on them at room temperature.

After baking, pecan pies will keep for two to four hours before they need to be stored in the refrigerator. Pecan pie will keep in the fridge for up to four days and is often served chilled.
Some shelf-stable, store-bought pies include preservatives that extend their room-temperature shelf life, so check with the store or bakery before you store your pie on the counter.

Learn how to freeze pecan pie so you can store an entire pie safely for months.

1. 1. Allow the baked pie to cool. First, let your homemade pie cool completely on your kitchen counter. Avoid putting it in the refrigerator until it’s cooled completely. It’s generally a good food safety tip not to put hot food in the refrigerator as it can tamper with the optimal cooling storage temperature for the other foods in the fridge.
2. 2. Hold off on the toppings. Pecan pie is often enjoyed with ice cream or whipped cream on top of the pie, but these can be a nuisance during freezing and thawing processes. It’s best to add these finishing touches only after your pie is thawed and ready to serve.
3. 3. Wrap your pie. Egg-based desserts are sensitive to freezer temperatures, so it’s best to wrap your pie—including the pie plate or pie pan—with aluminum foil or multiple layers of plastic wrap completely to protect it from freezer burn. The wrapping should be snug enough not to leave any surface exposed but not so tight as to distort the pie’s shape or texture.
4. 4. Mark the date. It’s a good idea to indicate when you first placed your pie in the freezer so you can easily keep track of its storage time.
5. 5. Place the pie in the freezer. Once wrapped, your pie will keep in the freezer for up to four months. Pecan pies are relatively low in moisture so they respond comparatively well to freezing and thawing. If the crust is still moist after baking, it will likely become soggy in the thawing stage, so just make sure it’s well-baked if you decide to freeze it.

To defrost a frozen pecan pie, remove the pie from the freezer and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. Then take it out and let it soften at room temperature for thirty minutes before serving. If you prefer to eat your pecan pie warm, you can reheat the thawed pie in an oven heated to 275 degrees Fahrenheit for about twenty minutes.

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