For many of us, Thanksgiving dinner isn't complete until pumpkin pie is served. On the day of, you might be tempted to bake the pie early in the morning and then leave it on the counter while you focus on the turkey and delicious side dishes. But how long is it okay to leave a pumpkin pie out?
If you're baking your pie ahead, there are a few things to consider to keep food safe for your guests. After serving, all pies should be wrapped and refrigerated. Here's the skinny on where and how long you can store homemade pumpkin pie, how to tell if pumpkin pie has gone bad, and how (and why) the rules change for store-bought pies.
How Long Does Homemade Pumpkin Pie Last on the Counter?
Whether you've baked your pumpkin pie using canned or fresh pumpkin, the rules are the same. Homemade pumpkin pie filling is made of custard (as is pecan pie, by the way). This type of pie is less forgiving than fruit-filled pies and cannot be left on the counter for longer than 2 hours.
Bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees F, what the USDA refers to as the "Danger Zone." It's the eggs and dairy in homemade pumpkin pie that make it susceptible to spoil after 2 hours unless it's refrigerated.
Is It Spoiled?
If you know a pie has been left out longer than 2 hours, however painful, you should throw it out. If you're unsure of how long it's been out, be cautious of any pie with an "off" smell or appearance, like excessive separation or weeping. Of course, if mold appears, toss that pie.
How Long Does Homemade Pumpkin Pie Last in the Fridge?
If properly wrapped—that is, loosely covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap—a freshly baked pumpkin pie keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Pumpkin pie is delicious cold, so you can serve it straight from the fridge (with plenty of homemade whipped cream, if you please). If you prefer serving it at room temperature, take it out of the fridge no longer than a couple of hours beforehand to bring its temperature down safely.
How Long Does Homemade Pumpkin Pie Last in the Freezer?
Baked homemade pumpkin pie—whether it's a whole pie or just a few slices—remains in optimal condition for up to 1 month in the freezer. It can safely stay frozen for longer than a month, but its taste and texture start to deteriorate.
How to Freeze and Thaw Homemade Pumpkin Pie
If you want your bake your pumpkin pie up to 1 month ahead of your holiday meal, here's how to bake, wrap, and freeze it to make it taste like it just came out of the oven:
- Bake the pie in a disposable aluminum pie pan (to avoid ice crystals).
- Cool it completely (to avoid affecting the texture of your crust).
- Tightly seal the pie with multiple layers of plastic wrap, and then a single layer of foil for extra protection.
- Label the package, especially if you're freezing more than one kind of pie.
- Set the pie on a level freezer shelf for up to a month.
- The day before serving, remove your pie from the freezer and uncover it.
- Store the defrosting pie in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
- Serve directly from the fridge for a cool pie or, if you prefer it at room temperature, remove it from the fridge an hour before serving.
Thawing a homemade pumpkin pie on the counter (instead of the fridge) can result in a soggy crust or spoilage.
How to Freeze and Thaw Homemade Pumpkin Pie Filling
If you're the do-it-ahead type, you may want to whip up some pumpkin pie filling early and bake a pie later. Or perhaps you ended up with extra pumpkin pie filling and can't deal with it until later.
As you probably suspected, freezing that filling for up to 5 days is a viable option. Alternatively, if you have 1 cup of pumpkin pie filling, use it in our molasses-spiced pumpkin bread recipe.
Follow these steps to freeze and thaw your pumpkin pie filing:
- Load filling into a zip-top freezer bag, push out excess air, and label it.
- Lay the filling on a baking tray, flattening the bag. This keeps your frozen filling from turning into an orange snowball. A flat bag also takes up less room in your freezer and defrosts faster.
- Set the filling and its tray in the freezer until set (several hours), and then remove the tray and freeze for up to 5 days.
- To thaw, transfer the bag to the refrigerator a few hours before you plan on using it. While it defrosts, we suggest setting it in a baking tray in the fridge, just in case there's a leak in the bag. (Guess why we say that.)
Storing Store-Bought Pumpkin Pies
As far as storage goes, store-bought pumpkin pies are a whole different ballgame. They're more forgiving than homemade thanks to additives and preservatives that make them more shelf-stable. Pumpkin pies purchased from bakeries likely do not contain preservatives, so they should be treated like homemade pies, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
Follow these general storage guidelines for store-bought pumpkin pies:
- If the pie was sitting at room temperature in the store, you can leave it on your counter until its sell-by date, and then refrigerate.
- For pies from a refrigerated case, use the same 2-hours-at-room-temperature limit as for a homemade pie, and then refrigerate.
- In the refrigerator, you can safely keep store-bought pies for 2 to 4 days past after their printed date.
- In the freezer, they last 6 to 9 months.
