Can You Freeze Sweet Potato Pie?

Did you just prepare a large sweet potato pie and wonder if you can freeze it in order to keep it for longer? Or can you make it ahead and freeze it for later? Does it freeze well? Can you freeze only the pie filling to bake it fresh later? Let’s find out!

When we are referring to the freezing sweet potato pie, you should follow the same rules as when you freeze baked custard pies.

As the sweet potato pie contains milk and eggs you should consider refrigerating the sweet potato pie.

Otherwise, if you keep it at room temperature, there is a high risk of growing bacteria on it.

Does It Need to Be Refrigerated?

If you know that you will not eat all the pieces of the sweet potato pie, it is better to refrigerate it as it contains milk, eggs, and cream. By refrigerating the sweet potato pie, you will increase its shelf life and you can enjoy it for longer. Otherwise, you may risk spoiling the pie after a few days.

It is Better to Freeze Before or After Baking?

If you are looking for the best results, I recommend freezing the sweet potato pies before baking because if you freeze the baked pie it may become soggy after you defrost it.

Even if you analyze the frozen sweet potato pies that are sold in supermarkets, you will notice that all of them are sold uncooked in order to get better results after thawing.

Quick Note: You will still get a delicious taste, the only thing that will differ will be the texture of the pie. If this is not a problem for you, then you can freeze it even after you baked it. To avoid that, put it directly in the oven from frozen.

How to Freeze it?

First of all, you need to wait until the pie will cool down completely. Only after that, you should consider going to the next step.

This process usually will take 2-3 hours by leaving it on the countertop.

Only after that, wrap the pie in a few layers or plastic wrap.

Now you have two options:
1. wrap in a few layers of aluminum foil and put the pie in the freezer.
2. use air-tight containers or freezing bags.

Can You Freeze Only the Filling?

Yes, you can freeze only the sweet potato pie filling in order to use it later. For the best results, put the sweet potato pie filling in air-tight containers that are freezer-friendly or in freezer bags. If you will use the seconds, make sure that you will squeeze all the air excesses to get better results after defrosting the pie filling.

The Best Way to Store

It all depends on how quickly you plan to eat the sweet potato pie. If you eat all the leftovers in the next 2-3 days there is no need to freeze the sweet potato pie. You can keep it safe in the fridge for up to 4 days in air-tight containers. If you prepared a large pie or for some reason, you don’t want to eat the pie in the next few days, don’t rush to throw it away. You can cut it into slices and freeze it for up to 3 months.

Quick Note: As the pie contains eggs and milk don’t leave it for more than two hours on the countertop because there is a high risk of growing bacteria on it and it may become spoiled.

For How Long Can You Freeze it?

You can keep the sweet potato pie safe in the freezer for about 3 months, but you should take into consideration that the more the pie will sit in the freezer the more ice crystals may break the texture of the pie.

To Freeze It Whole or Sliced?

It all depends on how you plan later to eat it. If you serve the sweet potato pie and you eat the whole pie in one sitting then you can freeze it whole.

If you know that you will eat only a few slices of the pie, then before you freeze the pie, slice it into slices and divide it into a few bags with the amount of sweet potato pie that you will eat in one sitting.

Or even better, you can cut the pie into slices, and wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap. After that, put a few slices in an air-tight container or freezing bag.

When you want to serve the pie, just remove from the freezer the exact amount of slices that you plan to eat.

The Best Way to Defrost?

It all depends on how much filling your sweet potato pie contains. If your pie is full of filling or if you notice that the filling has a lot of liquid, then it is better to defrost such pies directly in the oven. Otherwise, if you let them defrost in the fridge overnight then you may risk that the filling from the pie may flow out from the pie.

How to Know if It Goes Bad?

The easiest way to check if the sweet potato went bad is to check its appearance and its smell. Do you notice any difference in appearance? Do you notice some spots of other colors on the pie? Does the texture go off? If the filling releases water, the crust will absorb this water and it will become soggy.

If the appearance is ok, smell the pie and check if it smells pleasant.

If you have noticed something that bothers you, it is better not to eat this sweet potato pie.

Reheating From Frozen in the Oven

If you can’t wait for so long and you are ready to sacrifice a little the texture of the pie, you may consider thawing and reheating the sweet potato pie in the oven. For that, place the amount of potato pie you plan to defrost on a baking sheet for about 45 minutes at 300°F / 150°C.

The Pie Has Prebaked Crust?

If your sweet potato pie has a prebaked crust, then you should keep covering the pie with aluminum foil for about 30-35 minutes, and in the last 10 minutes remove the foil. In that way, you will avoid burning the crust.

Reheating the Thawed Sweet Potato Pie

If you have already thawed the sweet potato pie in the fridge overnight, then you will need less time to reheat the pie. You can reheat it in the oven for about 25-30 minutes at the same 300°F / 150°C.

Pro Tip: In order to verify if the pie is warm enough, insert the tip of a knife in the thickest part of the pie and check if the pie is warm enough.

If you prefer eating the pie at room temperature, you may consider leaving it for a while on the countertop until it will reach the desired temperature.

How to Make It Ahead of Time?

If you want to make it ahead, you can make it 2-3 days before you need to serve it, wait until it will cool down, then wrap in plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge until you plan to serve it.

How to Keep It Fresh for a Longer Period of Time?

After you bake the sweet potato pie, consider putting it on a wire rack. By doing that, the air will circulate easily on all sides and the pie will cool down faster and more evenly. After the pie will cool down completely, you can move to the next steps.

Now, when the sweet potato pie has cooled down, wrap the pie with aluminum foil or plastic cling film. Now, you can move the potato pie to the fridge or in the freezer depending on how long you plan to keep the potato pie.